brownie83 Posted October 6, 2009 Share Posted October 6, 2009 hey guys and gals... im new to the nissan/pathfinder world. i bought a 97 SE in good shape. Did a tune up and replaced ALL rear and front suspension bushings. the truck is getting like 14 mpg?? im trying to figure out if the truck is "stuck" in 4x4. i shift into 4x4 on dry roads and it doesnt act any different than in 2wd mode. again im not familiar with the 4x4 system on these trucks. i have mostly owned solid axle ford trucks. i did check the front drive shaft last night and it is not unlocked...i cannot spin it freely with my hand. any help or assistance would be appreciated. thanks alot chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaughtLikeFire Posted October 6, 2009 Share Posted October 6, 2009 (edited) hey guys and gals...im new to the nissan/pathfinder world. i bought a 97 SE in good shape. Did a tune up and replaced ALL rear and front suspension bushings. the truck is getting like 14 mpg?? im trying to figure out if the truck is "stuck" in 4x4. i shift into 4x4 on dry roads and it doesnt act any different than in 2wd mode. again im not familiar with the 4x4 system on these trucks. i have mostly owned solid axle ford trucks. i did check the front drive shaft last night and it is not unlocked...i cannot spin it freely with my hand. any help or assistance would be appreciated. thanks alot chris 1996-2004 Pathfinders have drive flanges instead of auto-locking hubs like the 1990-1995 models. the front driveshafts are always spinning (even in 2WD) so that you have shift-on-the-fly capability. the good news is that, unlike 4Runners, you can get rid of the drive flanges on a Pathfinder without swapping axles and steering knuckles. you can swap the drive flanges directly with manual locking hubs from Mile Marker, Warn, or Nissan (pickup/Frontier). not all of the online fitment guides are correct - any hub for a 1990+ V6 Nissan truck will fit. just look for a 28 count spline. you should see a slight increase in highway mileage with manual hubs. driving style and tires play a bigger role though. don't drive at 80 mph and use a good highway tire (not All Terrain or Mud Terrain) that is properly inflated - you might be able to get 20 mpg. for mixed/around town driving, don't expect more than 15 mpg Edited October 6, 2009 by CaughtLikeFire Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pezzy Posted October 6, 2009 Share Posted October 6, 2009 The R50 pathfinder was only rated for 16-18 mpg brand new... so don't expect too much. Mine isnt too bad with all my offroading toys on the highway, but it REALLY sucks in the city. Not sure if your tune up included a MAF sensor clean, some find that helps -- try a search on the forum, there is a HOW TO for that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
180sx Posted October 6, 2009 Share Posted October 6, 2009 Yea, mine gets 16MPG on a good day in the city. 21 on the highway if its just me and my dog inside. Do check tire pressure, becuase I've seen my MPG drop to like 12mpg before I realized that 2 of my tires were 10psi under. From what i've heard, the manual hubs may or may not help. Some seem to help, but others seem to not have any effect (or is it affect? damn eng'r'ish language). Also, how is your charging system? Ignition system? These two things, believe it or not, can really have a negative e(a)ffect on MPG if not upkept. Jose Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brownie83 Posted October 6, 2009 Author Share Posted October 6, 2009 I think my charging system and ignition are good. again i just got the truck 2 weeks ago, and havnt drove it very much do to the "death wobble." i didnt get the truck going fast enough on the test drive. thanks for all the help. any other suggestion would be appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaughtLikeFire Posted October 6, 2009 Share Posted October 6, 2009 also check your air filter. if it's not brand new, might as well change it. Wix and Amsoil are the way to go (pretty sure the Wix # is 46116 and Amsoil is EAA74). don't bother with oiled gauze filters like K&N. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carwilef7 Posted October 6, 2009 Share Posted October 6, 2009 I only get about 15-16 MPG in city driving, and that's after installing new air filter, fuel filter, plugs, wires, cap and rotor, resetting the timing, and any other thing I could think of when I had some stalling/starting issues (MAF and Coolant Temp Sensor turned out to be bad). I agree with the others' posts about tire pressure and stuff too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoPathyGo Posted October 7, 2009 Share Posted October 7, 2009 The manual hubs may help so long as you don't have full-time 4WD. I don't think 97 SEs did. I hate to say it, but "fuel economy" is an oxymoron when it comes to these or most other capable trucks. Plus the Nissan V6 core was and is used in a wide range of applications. It tends to be a bit higher revving than a pure truck-oriented domestic V8 motor. Mine revs faster and has more punch than pretty much any 6-cylinder truck/SUV I've been in. (Yeah, I freed up the exhaust and stuff, but I also added tons of wheeling-related gear and it still MOVES.) You pay for that power when it comes to gas mileage. I don't think I ever got more than 16 mpg on a sustained basis, so you're definitely not alone. That said, welcome to the club. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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