AceO Posted February 4, 2008 Share Posted February 4, 2008 Hi all I'm new here Don't have a Pathy yet, but looking for one. Looking for a 94 or 95, with the purpose of converting the back into a camper - building an elevated platform at about window level to use as a bed, and space under it for storage. (rear seats will be taken out). But, mostly just looking for advice on what things to look out for when looking over one for sale. I understand car mechanics reasonably well, just haven't dealt with Pathfinders specifically. I'm looking for one with V6, 4x4, and 5speed. Price is not really an object, within reason. I'm aiming for something close to 100K miles. (I specifically do not want a newer one, I like the blunt nose Live in California, so rust is probably not a big issue. So, would appreciate any tips of the collective wisdom here: what are the common problem, and how to look for them. Also while I'm at it, two specific questions - is it normal to have some oil stains on the bottom of the front/rear diffs? - (noob question warning) front hubs - lock automatically once truck is put in 4WD Hi or Lo; need to be reversed to unlock, can be driven in 2H without unlocking, but better for transmission to unlock. Correct? Cheers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drifter Posted February 4, 2008 Share Posted February 4, 2008 Hi all I'm new here Don't have a Pathy yet, but looking for one. Looking for a 94 or 95, with the purpose of converting the back into a camper - building an elevated platform at about window level to use as a bed, and space under it for storage. (rear seats will be taken out). But, mostly just looking for advice on what things to look out for when looking over one for sale. I understand car mechanics reasonably well, just haven't dealt with Pathfinders specifically. I'm looking for one with V6, 4x4, and 5speed. Price is not really an object, within reason. I'm aiming for something close to 100K miles. (I specifically do not want a newer one, I like the blunt nose Live in California, so rust is probably not a big issue. So, would appreciate any tips of the collective wisdom here: what are the common problem, and how to look for them. Also while I'm at it, two specific questions - is it normal to have some oil stains on the bottom of the front/rear diffs? - (noob question warning) front hubs - lock automatically once truck is put in 4WD Hi or Lo; need to be reversed to unlock, can be driven in 2H without unlocking, but better for transmission to unlock. Correct? Cheers! Yeah rust in the frame is the biggest issue, make sure the trans is shifting fine, I found one last year but was not easy(94 4x4 5pd.) swap the manifold for a Doug Thorley and your straight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerranoNZ Posted February 4, 2008 Share Posted February 4, 2008 Timing belt (they bend valves)...Do the water pump @ the same time....TRUST ME exhaust studs can break off (think you get a tapping sound from the motor ) Your after a manual so you don't have to worry about the trans cooler If your going to do some moderate wheeling with it change the auto hubs for manual one's They are a great 4WD if looked after...even when beaten they do well I'm sure someone will add to this... But that's all I can think of right now Welcome to the family Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazyhayseed Posted February 4, 2008 Share Posted February 4, 2008 (edited) - (noob question warning) front hubs - lock automatically once truck is put in 4WD Hi or Lo; need to be reversed to unlock, can be driven in 2H without unlocking, but better for transmission to unlock. Correct? Read THIS first... You shouldn't need to reverse to unlock. I remember that being a big deal in the Chevy 4x4s w/ autohubs (though I think that was a xfer case thing), but it's not necessarily the case with the Pathfinder. 4H and be shifted on the fly to 2wd. Not that it should be done, but it's possible. I learned that little tidbit a couple weeks ago while driving in a couple inches of snow. Just for giggles I shifted out of four, which immediately sent me into a tail slide when the front stopped pulling. Stupid decision, but it works none the less. Edited February 4, 2008 by crazyhayseed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
94extreme Posted February 4, 2008 Share Posted February 4, 2008 search buddy.. lot's of dead horse info.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GhostPath Posted February 4, 2008 Share Posted February 4, 2008 (edited) Read THIS first... You shouldn't need to reverse to unlock. I remember that being a big deal in the Chevy 4x4s w/ autohubs (though I think that was a xfer case thing), but it's not necessarily the case with the Pathfinder. Um, actually, once you've locked the front autohubs on a WD21, you *have* to reverse to unlock them. Shifting into 2WD after they're locked only stops supplying power to the front driveshaft. Edited February 4, 2008 by GhostPath Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AceO Posted February 5, 2008 Author Share Posted February 5, 2008 Thanks guys for tips. I heard from some sources that newer models (94-95) had stronger studs - but it sounds like it was still a problem? Also, are the broken studs visually identifiable, or is there another standard way to diagnose? (yes, I have tried searching for pics, but unsuccessfully). Understood about the hubs, and will definitely inspect any frames closely. Any thoughts on the oil on the diffs? Cheers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
95shakinPF Posted February 5, 2008 Share Posted February 5, 2008 As my rig is a 95 I can say that the exhaust studs are gonna be a problem period! As far as identifying the faulty studs, you'll have to remove the heat shield from each of the exhaust manifolds to see exactly which are broken/missing. Of course you probably wont be able to do this while simply test driving a vehicle,so you'll have to listen for the ticking noise when the vehicle is first cranked. If this ticking goes away after the engine warms up...you know its got one or more broken studs. Also, I have done tons of research on instrument clusters as well because my speedometer did not work correctly when I purchased the truck last July. What I have learned is that 94-95 models are prone to faulty cluster parts(some speedometers wont work,some tachs wont work etc).The actuall fix for most of these cluster problems is replacement,unfortunately. But I'm not an expert, just giving my 2 cents!! hope I was helpful...good luck!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xmas Posted February 6, 2008 Share Posted February 6, 2008 I got my 1995 wd21 v6 for $3K. See my sig below on what to look out for, but they are all fixable and get that done and this suv is pretty damn good! It has some little bugs like the dim light flicker, which I careless to fix, so instead of messing w/ the rear latch, I just turn off the lights in the dome areas You can't go wrong w/ this engines. Mine had 156K when I got it. I can tell you that the previous owner did NADAAA!! Yep. I put about $1300.00 into it and its like a champ, including Rancho shocks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xmas Posted February 6, 2008 Share Posted February 6, 2008 As my rig is a 95 I can say that the exhaust studs are gonna be a problem period! As far as identifying the faulty studs, you'll have to remove the heat shield from each of the exhaust manifolds to see exactly which are broken/missing. Of course you probably wont be able to do this while simply test driving a vehicle,so you'll have to listen for the ticking noise when the vehicle is first cranked. If this ticking goes away after the engine warms up...you know its got one or more broken studs. Also, I have done tons of research on instrument clusters as well because my speedometer did not work correctly when I purchased the truck last July. What I have learned is that 94-95 models are prone to faulty cluster parts(some speedometers wont work,some tachs wont work etc).The actuall fix for most of these cluster problems is replacement,unfortunately. But I'm not an expert, just giving my 2 cents!! hope I was helpful...good luck!! On my 95 the RPM on the cluster does not work, which I don't care. As long as I know how fast I am going, what the engine temp and how much gas I got.......... it's all good Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazyhayseed Posted February 6, 2008 Share Posted February 6, 2008 On my 95 the RPM on the cluster does not work, which I don't care. As long as I know how fast I am going, what the engine temp and how much gas I got.......... it's all good LOL, The tach and the fuel gauge are all that I've got. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
95shakinPF Posted February 9, 2008 Share Posted February 9, 2008 On my 95 the RPM on the cluster does not work, which I don't care. As long as I know how fast I am going, what the engine temp and how much gas I got.......... it's all good There is a Cluster available in the "parts for sale" section. Under (couple parting out 95SE) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now