westslope

Bought a 1993 pathfinder in 1999 with 55,000 km on it. At just below 100,000 km I switched to Mobil 1 10W30 synthetic oil for older vehicles. About 100,000 km later, I switched to regular 5W30. At present, I run Extended Performance Mobil 1 5W30 and the corresponding filter for a full calendar year. The oil is rated to 20,000 km and we're putting on a very modest ~12,000 km/year. The total monetary cost is less. The time and effort costs are much less. If I was driving closer to 20,000 km/year and spending more time off-road I would likely change this oil twice a year. The transpiration rate is higher so oil must be added a couple of times over the year. It is interesting to watch folks slowly switch over to synthetic motor oils here in southwestern BC. Over the years, I have run into many mechanics who have strong opinions but very little knowledge. (Guys! Give up! Your "gut feeling" can't compete with the expensive brains in a company like Exxon-Mobil. Sheesh.) The 1993 pathfinder with 240,000 km on it does not leak one drop of oil. For new synth-oil users, flushing is not necessary but a few pundits recommend that the first synth -oil fill should be changed after a couple of weeks of driving as it will "flush" the engine.

rounded bolt head remover type tool Thanks. I do not use the cargo-strap tie-down buckles but simply want to examine the condition of the metal floor. I can readily see the advantage in dropping the entire tank. With no hoist or ramps, I went the other route. Should I think about dropping the tank and cleaning it as preventative maintenance at some point?

Hilarious! But oh so true. The key conclusion from all these discussions is: maintain oil levels and change both the oil and filter at regular intervals. Thanks to professional brainwashing, I tend to believe the claims of high-grade synthetic oil lasting 15,000 to 20,000km between changes. The companies making these claims have far too much to lose if they are wrong. Do not forget that most of you are living in one of the most litigious countries in the world. A sideways glance is cause for a law suit, no? I run Mobil 1 extended performance 5W-30 year-round and use a Mobil 1 extended performance filter. I changed the oil in late July after nearly one calendar year and about 12,000 km of driving. The 1993 Nissan Pathfinder engine has been bathing in synthetic oil since ~100,000km and currently does not leak a single drop. (That reminds me that I should check the valve cover bolts.)

I have removed, replaced or cleaned up the dome light-switch in the bottom right-hand corner of the driver door frame a couple of times now. I would start there, but frankly when I experienced these problems, the manual switch worked, so you may other issues. Good luck!

Very likely. I will also go out on a limb here and say that you should check the chassis seams on your vehicle beneath the rear passenger seats and the rear portions of frame for rust.I would verify the fuel sender/pump unit as well as these vulnerable seams at the earliest opportunity but be prepared to proceed slowly, perhaps soaking screws with penetrating lubricant for a couple of days. Help! Speaking of which. I tried to remove the carpet from the cargo space closer to the front of the vehicle and could not because a couple of cargo-tie-down holder screws are corroded in place. I would rather not rip up the cargo space carpet. Any suggestions for getting these screws out? I have already worn the heads on a couple of them (FYI I am a large male and perfectly capable of snapping bolts -hehe-).

Yes. Well, it appeared to have lots of crud in it. The filter on the 'new unit' looked a tad dirty. I wasn't sure how to clean it or if cleaning it was really necessary. Question: Should have I have cleaned that filter and how critical is that? Tungsten: The fuel fill cap? Yes! (Silly me....)

The photo quality is poor; I apologize. The two plastic cap insulators for 'feedthroughs' in the middle were cracked and dirty. That happens to coincide with the fuel gauge not working between 3/4 of a tank and 1/4 of a tank. We quickly tested the old unit after it came out for resistance and the resistance seemed to bounce all over the map for the 3/4 to 1/4 levels. So I'm guessing that plastic insulator caps were broken and corrosion resulted.

Thank you GrimGreg. Yes, in hindsight, maybe that was not so smart. On the bright side, the gas would have burned, not exploded. (I think....) But yeah, next time, maybe I won't use an air-moving electrical device close to an open gas tank. Excellent point. Question: How can one clean the O-ring groove and surrounding area without knocking dirt into the gas tank? Presumably there is a better and safer way than using an electrical vacuum cleaner.

The fuel sender unit tends to fail on older models of WD-21 pathfinders. Ours was registering from full to 3/4 of a tank, and then from 1/4 of a tank to empty but was behaving erratically between 3/4 and 1/4 of a tank. The dealer wanted in excess of $300 for a new part. I located a used unit for about $115. Finally, I decided to go for a $25 unit at a wrecker's that I removed with some difficulty from a 1994 pathfinder in good, no excellent condition (e.g., virtually no frame rust). The fuel sender/fuel pump unit sits on top of the fuel tank and can be accessed by removing the carpet from the rear storage area. Start by unscrewing the flat plastic panel at edge of the cargo space. . This exercise was somewhat intimidating so I typed out a complete list of what I needed to do. First photograph of rear cargo space with list follows. The fuel sender wires plug into another plug that is accessed by crawling under the rear right of the vehicle and looking straight up. The fuel sender unit plug is attached to the chassis with a plastic clip. This clip and the plug can be separated. With difficulty I removed the plug and clip together at the wreckers. At home, I simply removed the plug and left the part that clips into the chassis intact. Tedious. I wore goggles to keep the dust and dirt out of my eyes. Previously I had cleaned out the plugs and clips with a toothbrush. Sorry no photos. Early preparations Prior to starting, I prepared for this job by buying an O-ring from the local Nissan dealership. The old one cannot be reused. I also soaked the bolts attaching the unit to the gas tank and screws attached to the fuel lines with Krown Rust anti-rust and lubricating oil. I didn't want the bolts attached to the gas tank to snap. Remove the carpet by unscrewing the rear plastic retainer and the cargo tie-downs. Disconnect the side plastic walls as required. Remove the jack cover. Removing the jack might makes things easier but is not necessary. I placed the screws in the jack plastic cover. Before starting to remove the gas lines and the actual unit, the received wisdom is to pull the fuel pump fuse and start the engine 3 times after it initially dies. I pulled the wrong fuse....... but had already unplugged the fuel sender unit so no harm. I also opened the fuel in-take valve to equilibrate pressure. Note, that I have removed the gasoline lines and placed large screws in the end to prevent (more) spillage and dirt from entering. Here is a closer look from the top of the old unit. Note how the white caps on the fuel sender wires appear cracked and dirty? I believe that is the source of the problem. If had known to act earlier, I would sealed those white plastic caps with glue or sealant of some kind. Tungsten covered some of these issues in a previous thread entitledFuel Sending Unit. Watch out! The following is not a great photo--my apologies. What you see is the old unit on the left and the new unit on the right. I did use a resistance meter to test the 'new' unit and quickly test the old unit. Informative. In the above picture, those things that look bars of yellow soap actually are floats that move up and down with the level of gasoline in the tank. Another view follows: I cleaned up the new unit a bit and wonder if I should paint with rust paint like trem-clad or simply soak with a rust inhibitor at some point? Unfortunately I forgot to take photos once I removed the original unit. I covered the whole with a cloth when not working around it. I did my best to clean the O-ring track with a soft cloth. I used a vacuum cleaner to gather loose material and minimize debris falling into the gas tank. The odd piece of rusty dirt that fell in was removed with the use of a telescoping magnet. Removing the clips from the two gas lines and forcing the gas lines on the new unit was tedious. In the end, it works! I drove to the Petro-Canada station and filled by 20 litres at a time, checking the fuel gauge along the way. Success.

The earlier model pathfinders are fuel hogs at 3,000 rpm or higher. Drop to 2,750 rpm. I find it makes a big difference. As for the gauge dropping quickly, are you sure the fuel sender unit is working properly? Just sayin'. Cajun engineering, eh? Hilarious. Hunt safe -w

Creekkid: Am glad things are working out. Don't blame the "druggies". Blame the Canadian Charter of Rights and the justice industry that benefits from giving violent, young offenders the benefit of the doubt. Stealing an automobile is a violent crime, not simply a more serious form of shop-lifting!?!! The police usually do not care much because the courts do not seem to care.

I just spent $65 for a junk-yard but perfect-condition 1994 tire carrier. The original was badly beaten up. Thick layers of duct tape and small stick held in place with a tiny bungee cord prevented the tire carrier from banging around. It was funky. I lubricated initially with Krown Rust preventative, and then added white lithium grease using an aerosol can. I'll be adding more lithium grease to the pins and other moving parts over the next few weeks. Any suggestions on maintaining the tire carriers?

Agreed.

I'm glad you figured out that it was the fuel sender unit. But I'm not sure how that fits with the vehicle stalling when turning hard in one direction.

Any thoughts on the Australian Old Man Emu shocks? Some people like them.

Thanks nismothunder. I suspect that you are right that we were revving the engine at higher RPMs than necessary to shift from 3rd into 4th, and that wore the syncro-mesh. You may be right that the WD-21 pathfinder transmissions are relatively cheap to fix, and that route is cost effective relative to switching in a brand new transmission. I went to a specialist transmission shop earlier this week. First I e-mailed, then the company called and suggested I drive in so one of their mechanics could take the vehicle for a drive. Any time during business hours I was told. So I drive up through 50 minutes of traffic and arrive at the shop at about 12h40. I am invited to take a seat and wait until lunch hour is over. A few minutes after one, one of mechanics roles in and takes my keys. I offer to go with him. He refused. OK..... He comes back just a minutes later, not enough time to drive onto the nearby highway, and mutters a bunch of boiler-plate to the co-owner behind the telephone. I'm told they need to remove and open up the transmission to tell more. It will cost at least C$1,000 (or was that C$1,200? is it not important). For all I know, the guy drove home to pick up a pack of cigarettes. Or maybe make a dope drop? (This is after all the Lower Mainland of British Columbia.) As it turns out, the co-owner behind the phone had written down on the scratch sheet that 5th sticks not 4th. Whatever.... I guess. The information I supplied in the e-mail was basically a waste of time. So I'm thinking that maybe I am the one who is stupid and deserves to be treated as if I am stupid. perhaps driving the vehicle indicates very little information regarding what absolutely should be replaced and what should also be replaced as cost-effective preventative maintenance. That would make sense. I strongly suspect that this shop has competent mechanics. I have absolutely no idea if the shop makes only necessary repairs and charges reasonably. A 'reasonable charge' can be rather high IMO because you pay for what you get. But nobody wants to get charged for uncalled-for parts and repairs. In the meantime, the magic is gone. Two individuals I respect have suggested that I do not return. One individual suggested I get 3 written estimates from 3 separate shops for removing and replacing the transmission after complete refurbishment. I am not sure I completely understand what complete refurbishment entails and if that cost estimate would constitute a useful guide but I may act on that recommendation once I figure this out. I'm thinking I should renew my lapsed Canadian passport and shop transmission shops in NW Washington State. If I can find a reputable shop, I wouldn't be surprised if the both parts and labour are less expensive than SW British Columbia. That and the service could be as good or better. Normally I consider cross-border shopping a waste of my precious time unless the item is highly specialized. But seeing how I can almost hit the Peace Arch border crossing with a lobbed stone, it may be well worth it. Will the courtesy car insurance cover me for crossing the border into Canada? P.S. The dealership recently replaced the front driver-side seat belt and it works superbly well! Passenger-side is on order.

I agree nismothunder. I can double-clutch. But others find it tough, if not impossible. By sticking with the '93 pathfinder, overall we save a tonne of money. I think I owe it to my wife to fix the transmission. The fuel level is fine. It was checked recently. Two years ago, I had the tranny flushed and filled up according to the specs suggested by the well-informed and wise posters on this forum. If it is just the 4th gear syncro, then perhaps replacing that and the clutch will be not too expensive?

I priced out a fuel sending unit today at a Nissan dealership in South Surrey. C$311.60 + $17.21 for the O-ring that should be replaced. I was warned that if the bolts are seized and then break that the entire gas tank would have to be removed. Thus, it is advisable to soak the bolts in penetrating lubricant for a few days. Tungsten reports spending around US$100 at a dealership for a new fuel sending unit not so long ago. I do not pretend to understand the pricing differences. Re: grinding into 4th gear..... One transmission shop recommended that I did not bother trying to fix the current transmission. This shop suggested I replace the transmission with a used transmission from a wrecker. $550 to remove and replace. I find the transmission, probably ~$700. The Nissan place suggested a new transmission for C$2,073.71, labour C$864. The clutch is almost 10 years old. $500 for OEM parts and labour. Putting up with occasionally grinding into 4th gear is looking more attractive all the time. Tungsten: We have a little rust on the surface of the frame but not much. Regular high-pressure hosings and once-a-year Krown Rust treatments seem to have stabilized it.

Good question. For some reason I had assumed that removing and replacing the fuel sender unit and pump required welding. But I 'searched' and found this informative post by Tungsten that no welding is needed and a new unit might be rather inexpensive. That post is here. I understand that the gasoline is under pressure and one must be ultra careful. The gauge works for the first 1/4 tank and the last 1/4 tank but goes all wonky in between. Incidentally, I just examined the mid-seam area and other rust spots. Looks OK. It is a keeper.

Ad: A tall franco-Ontario guy named 'Marc'. (BTW, close to 1 million people live in greater Ottawa.....) TheCrow: Good advice. That's the key issue: unknown or hard-to-detect problems with older used vehicles. Better to deal with the ones you know and understand. That said, the climate here on the west coast is rather benign and I have seen many scratchless and apparently rustless XD-21s running about. Sellers are asking almost C$4,000 for some 1992-1995 models. At that price I would guess that the chassis is in pretty good shape. The truth is that most Canadians are just as scared silly of the bush and mountains as most Americans. They buy houses with nice views, clear-cut all the trees and then plunk their big, enormous, scared-silly butts down on a chair and admire the view of mountains that they will NEVER visit or climb. (The neighbourhood looks boring and crass and property values suffer but that is another discussion.) I believe that driving around in an SUV and looking at the mountains occasionally give these people a really big thrill. Translation: there are many well kept pristine WD-21s out there that have NEVER been off-road. Rust could be an issue but is frankly less likely than a vehicle that has spent much time off-road. Mind you, searching and finding a good one can be a very time consuming process.

Precise1: ... 5.1 liters of Redline MT-90. .... Did that a couple of years ago on the advice of this board, thank you very much again. Mechanic put in 5.9 litres... -hehe- (and I left it, the excess weeped out) Changing gears may have been slightly smoother but the problem with the 4th gear remained. nunya: There's plenty of stuff I do myself but apparently I can do basic arithmetic and, well, seeing how I was trained to understand opportunity costs and all that jazz, allow me to share the following reflection: Once upon a time, I used to grease the 17 nipples and it took me all afternoon (~4 hours). I used ramps to raise first the front end and then the back end. Now I pay my mechanic $20 to rotate the tires, grease underside, and check the transmission fluid. (Mechanic is excellent, BTW, if you live in SW British Columbia--C.J. Auto in South Surrey. The owner is a sharp guy and exceptionally straight. Lots of top-notch equipment. End of shameless pump.) I meeself change the oil (once a year). I do small, simple labour-consuming things that do not require specialized tools. I have resumed sourcing parts at junk yards and am willing to drive two hours back and forth to Chiliwacko, B.C., because the yard is so well organized. Those are good uses of my time. I have friends who might be up for hauling a trannie but one lives south of Ottawa in eastern Canada. The other one lives in some village south of Edmonton, Alberta. The owner of the house we rent reconditions collector vehicles (Stingrays, Norton motorcycles, TR-4s, etc.). He is probably more than capable of re-doing a transmission but never bothers. He pays a reputable shop to do it and tells them to take their time. If I change the fuel gauge sending units, I'll probably pay a shop do that. I do not possess any welding gear. I understand the appeal. It must be like catching beautiful wild trout on dry flies of one's own design and make.

Interesting. So the thieves entered through the sun-roof? Did everybody get that? It appears to have been used to transport something. The meth or crack pipe fits the portrait of the classic Vancouver car-thief that one VPD officer shared. Incidentally, a crack pipe is usually narrow and uniform in diameter whereas a meth pipe typically has a big bowl. I know because a) I have watched people up close using crack pipes, and have seen people on television using meth pipes. -hehe- I also found a crack pipe on near the lower Little Campbell river a few minutes from where we live. Lemme see, meth and tobacco. Hmmmm..... Two, deadly vicious drugs. No wonder a small fine or just a few hours in jail is no deterrent. These fellows need major upfront jail time. They are incapable of understanding anything else. Their decision-making time horizon is too short. Sadly, enough, auto theft has become a banal, routine, minor concern for the police unless the vehicle has been used in the commission of a crime. Lawyers benefit.

Sorry guys, love you do-it-yourselfers, but a second parts vehicle or actual major tranny work is out of the question for now. (I'd rather spend all my time figuring out why Thunderbird 3.1 just ate a big chunk of my organized and stored e-mails..... ) Im a big fan of just putting up with the sticky 4th gear. So is my mechanic who has a friend that managed through such stickiness on a pathfinder for 10 years. My mechanic's suggestion seems to have made an impression on the wife. We'll see. Would like some certainty because if we keep the current pathie, I want to get new expensive shocks like OMEs or Bilsteins, and then put on new Michelin LTX tires soon. Precise1: -hehe- Nobody I know in this neck of the woods is up for removing the trannie. Or nobody has the time. Sure, it is young and the engine could easily outlast the rest of the vehicle. First, I should probably go look at the state of rust along the metal panel seam under the back seats and then look at top of the gas tank. Did some work in both places 2 years ago and have been rust-proofing since then.

Decision time. The '93 pathfinder is running well but can grind into 4th gear. Moving from 3rd to 4th is easy. Wait. But moving from 5th to 4th requires one to double-clutch which I can do but friends and the wife find extremely difficult if not impossible. Clutch/tranny work could run C$1,700 to C$4,000 +. There are relatively low-mileage '93 to '95 pathfinders on the market for roughly C$3,000. Options 1. Fixing the current vehicle is cheap compared to buying let's say a 4- to 6-year old Xterra. The Xterras are considered to be top heavy and wobblier than the WD21 pathfinders. 2. I would love to buy a modern diesel-powered light-truck-based SUV with left-hand drive. Suggestions? I think they are coming. Either that or the gas-powered vehicles will become increasingly efficient. 3. Buying a new WD21 pathfinder with a functional transmission might be cheaper. And it might have less body rust or perhaps even a functioning gas gauge.... :-) I think I have our body rust under control but you never know. Been feeding the pathie Mobil 1 synthetic oil over the last 140,000 km (currently at 240,000) and the engine does not leak a drop. The engine alone could easily last another 150,000 to 200,000 km I would guess. I suspect that I will save oodles of time by avoiding the shopping and purchase of a 'new' used vehicle. Suggestions? Thoughts?