Precise1

Agreed. Your best bet is to hit junkyards until you find one in good condition in the right trim/color. Until then put the cover back on and turn up the radio... B

Agreed with the above. I have pulled spark plugs out with .100" gap (electrode basically burned away) and the Pathfinder still run fine so I am certain that is not the issue. Also, the gap should be .032" (32 thousandths of an inch), not .32". Just clarifying... B

Glad it was a cheap and easy fix Bud. We may have to change your login to NobEnd though... B

That is good news, it should rule out a critical component that could be a source of the problems... B

The front diff is an open diff so only one side will drive. Is this what you are experiencing? I'm not quite clear on the other side, if it is locked, on the ground or what. Sorry, I have manual hubs so I can't experiment. That would probably help since I don't understand how it doesn't go together the same as the other side with a reference and the FSM. Not here that I recall. Maybe youtube? B

My first Pathy (1995 XE, 31" BFG AT, 130k miles, manual) managed 21+ MPG driving from the coast, up to Lake Tahoe (7k ft) and most of the way back down with 3 people and a lot of camping gear. Blew my mind! The secret is to get it to speed (65-70mph) and keep it rolling on cruise control when ever possible. I haven't had a chance to test my second pathy yet (1995 XE 31" BFG MT, 106k miles, auto). Our R50 does quite poorly as well, around town and short trips as well. Bad enough that I stopped calculating it... I've run it down the interstate for hundreds of miles though, and at 75-80mph it managed 20 mpg. The trick is to keep her rolling! Do you have manual hubs installed? We got 1-2 mpg instantly from that... B

Oh, well, keep that part a secret and just let people assume... I don't have some magical insider info for you, but I will ask 2 Qs. Do you hear the fuel pump whine when you first turn the key on? (quickly crouch in front of the driver rear tire to hear) And, do you have spark at the wires? B

A good thing to do that is quick and easy is when it is running rough and idling low is to open the hood and wiggle a few wires, but mind 2 things, stay away from the fan blades/shroud and don't touch the spark plug wires. Wiggling these 3 connectors shouldn't put you in any harms way though. In the picture above just to the left of the base of the distributor, there are two sensors sticking into the casting that the top radiator hose goes to. They are horiziontal and one is yellow. Wiggle the wires to both, one at a time and see if the idle changes at all when you do. These are the coolant temp sensors Adam is talking about. Next, on the left side of the throttle body, to the right of the distributor, just below the red arrow, is a black 'box' with a connector pointing toward the front of the car. This is the Throttle Position Sensor (TPS) wiggle/move the wires and connector like you did the others and see if the idle changes at all. Last, on the other end of the long rubber intake tube will be another metal housing on the back of the air filter box and a connector pointing straight up. This is the Mass Air Flow Sensor (MAF) and again, wiggle the wires to see if there is any idle change. I'm a firm believer of checking things before changing anything. Throwing parts at a problem is a last resort to me, other than that, all the advice previously stated is good. Check the ECU for codes as well please, I will find you the information on checking the resistance of the O2 sensor. Do you or someone you know have a multimeter? Also, did this problem happen gradually or all of a sudden? If all of a sudden, it is probably a sensor or something electrical. One last important question, when was the last time the timing belt was changed? B

So, how many beers were involved in this adventure? Thankfully it is a Nissan so you shouldn't have to work on it out on a trail. If you did, you'd probably burn it to the ground were it sat... Glad you got it sorted out with minimal damage... B For years, when someone asks for some rediculous or impossible task, my reply is " Damn it Jim! I'm just a machinist!".

Damn, I hope you don't have to drive far then! Reminds me of the starter in my dad's Dodge Coronet 318. I don't think one ever lasted 2 years... I saw a lifted Comanche in town just last week and thought of you. It was pretty cool, on 33s or 35s. Glad it is working out for you, other than the mileage... B

Do you have a manual or automatic transmission? Yes, it could be the starter relay or just the connection. IIRC it is under the hood along the passenger fender, but I can't recall which one or if it is clearly labled. Go to the Garage section, there is a pinned topic for Factory Service Manuals and download the 1995 version. It will be a great resource for years to come and point out which relay it is. B

How about a waste of $ unless you actually need something different, it's paid for, newer doesn't automatically mean better, you like it, it isn't even 1/2 worn out, and that it is much more environmentally friendly to recondition and drive an older vehicle are a few that come to mind in the first moment. When people start talking like that I stop listening because they either don't think, or their perspective is skewed and far different than mine. Only 140k? You'll have that one for another decade if you want at that rate. Yeah, take a picture when you go there, if not for us, for you. B

Nice, a Pathy makeover! How many miles on it? Did you take some 'before' photos? B

Well, lets put it this way, when was the last time you changed the fuel filter? That it might have been clogged after swapping old gas for years wouldn't surprise me. Pay heed to what Simon said though, it is a common problem as these rigs age but thankfully it is not difficult to access or repair. That was my first guess when I read the description of your problem, intermittent short... B

Too bad the tightening didn't work, it ususlly has for me. RTV should work, especially if you clean everything well, use an oil resistant version and let it set a bit first. 3 reasons not to use RTV is that if you take them off again then you have the mess to clean up, if you are not careful/have bad luck you could get some inside the engine were it could potentially block an oil passage, and is kind of a 1/2 measure fix to me. Since they could leak just as easily as the main gasket and they take the brunt of the force (read deform), I would get the set with the grommets if you go that route. B

Good call, this is usually the case when working on rusty/corroded components. This will work, but you probably wouldn't pass a smog test/visual inspection that way so proceed accordingly. B

I'm guessing home made, but yeah, more info is needed at least. B

You could move the vehicle, but I wouldn't drive it any distance, much less try to drive it 'normally'. Not only would it blow extremely hot exhaust gasses into the engine compartment (near items that could melt) but it would confuse the O2 sensor down stream, probably making it run rich. It could be blocked off if there are still threads to do so, but it really sounds like it should be parked until you can source the replacement part. Junk yard parts may be rusted as well (exhaust parts often are) so if you source a new part, try this guy. http://www.nissanpathfinders.net/forum/topic/18653-genuine-nissan-parts/ Great guy, knows his stuff and probably the best prices you can find for dealer parts. B

Only two things will cause/allow that. Torque from the motor shifting it, and hence the exaust and/or simple thermal expansion of the pipe itself. Since you made the exhaust, it should be simple to trouble shoot and fix. B

Yep, like he said! The ground needs to be to both body and engine, and then others from engine to harness and engine to body. Ground is important on these things to make sure all the electrical is happy. You can easily replace the smaller wires with a medium (heavy) gauge wire and crimp eye loop ends and bolt/screw as appropriate. If your main battery ground is compromised to the body/engine, that needs to be dealt with. I hope to get to the local P&P this next week and can probably pull a stock one for you. PM and tell me what your $ limit is (we have to consider shipping) and when you need it by. Maybe I can help you out... B

I looked at the cat that was sleeping in the back seat. B

I was expecting "Sold it for $1,500 and a waffle iron. I was hungry. Does anyone in Washington have any syrup?". Which tells you very little. Bingo! B

Look in the Members Rides section for ideas, there are a few custom carriers shown. It is pretty straight forward to do without even touching the sheet metal... B

Or idler pulley bearing (the tensioner)? The fact that it is worse when you turn the steering indicates the power steering pump so check the fluid condition and level, make sure the pulley is tight and there is nothing underneath obstructing the movement of tie rods/wheels. One thing I like to use for checking noises like this is a mechanics stethescope which can be used both contact and non contact. A long metal bar cupped to your ear is similar but not as good. B

I can't say with absolute certainty as I am extrapolating but yes, if it was for me, I would consider the 94-95 V6 to be the best bet to be the large tank, not to mention the newest and hopefully the best condition. B