Pathman Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 Hello fellow Pathfinder owners. I'm new to this forum so bear with me. So I recently swapped vehicles with my daughter who headed off to college as our car was much newer and is expected be more dependable than her 97 Pathfinder. So now I own a 97 Pathfinder. I am getting used to it and am actually starting to like it. It's simple, in reasonably good condition and gets the job done. However, I am having a problem at start-up. When I start the engine when cold, I have to put a little pressure on the skinny pedal for about 10 seconds otherwise the car stalls and will not turn over again (without furiously pumping the pedal). Once the engine has been warmed up, it starts like a normal fuel injected engine...with feet off the pedals. I was thinking it might be the coolant temp sensor, but before I start replacing stuff, I hoped to get some feedback from you. Any thoughts? Thanks in advance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Precise1 Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 Clean the MAF (I'm pretty sure it is similar to the pre '96 models) and have the ECU codes read. OBD2 reader is required I believe but some auto parts stores do it for free (hoping you will buy there). I don't know where you are located but in NorCal, Pep Boys provide this service. I'd see if/what the car tells you the issue is before going much farther. Perhaps someone has had the same problem with the same model and will chime in... B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamzan Posted February 28, 2009 Share Posted February 28, 2009 Has it sat for an extended period of time recently? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
88pathoffroad Posted February 28, 2009 Share Posted February 28, 2009 Could be the thermo element (wax choke) on your throttlebody. That's part of the warm-up system that basically cracks the throttle open a bit when it needs to warm up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Precise1 Posted March 1, 2009 Share Posted March 1, 2009 On a 97?? B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kmgar99 Posted March 1, 2009 Share Posted March 1, 2009 Like Precise said, get the codes from the ECU. If you have a AutoZone, they usually have the scanners available for free. Bring the Pathy, ask for the scanner, tell them the car is in the parking lot and give them your license. Post the codes. I have the FSM for the 97 so i can tell you what the codes mean. 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