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What did you do to your Pathfinder today?


RedRider3141
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Installed an alarm system, so I finally have keyless entry! :)

 

Also installed an automatic headlight system, which worked great until I fried the control unit trying to install a lighted rocker switch instead of the ugly little toggle switch that it came with. :doh: (Not to self: don't assume that a switch is either (+) or (-) - sometimes it just interrupts a signal from a photocell...) :headwall:

 

At least it was only a $30 mistake and all I have to do is swap out the brains when the replacement shows up. :aok:

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Installed an alarm system, so I finally have keyless entry! :)

 

Also installed an automatic headlight system, which worked great until I fried the control unit trying to install a lighted rocker switch instead of the ugly little toggle switch that it came with. :doh: (Not to self: don't assume that a switch is either (+) or (-) - sometimes it just interrupts a signal from a photocell...) :headwall:

 

At least it was only a $30 mistake and all I have to do is swap out the brains when the replacement shows up. :aok:

that my friend, is what we call a 'dry contact' in the electrical world. :)

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Thanks, Nefarious. :blush02:

 

In my (lame) defense, I had tested continuity on the switch (confirmed that "off" meant open) and also whether it showed voltage. Since it didn't register any voltage, I just assumed it was switching ground.

 

My mistake was that I didn't check if there was actually continuity to ground until after I smelled burnt electronic components.

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Well. Apparently I am not as good an electrician as I thought. The path will not start now that I have installed the daytime running light module. I drove it to work, had interior lights and dash lights but not enough electricity to start the truck. A boost did nothing other than sparks at the negative of the battery. Cold,tired, and dark means I am going to be having words with Ernest tomorrow when I take the 2 buses, 2 subways and a taxi to get back to work a few hours late.

Don't let that battery freeze! Clean the terminales and charge or you might lose it.

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Thanks, Nefarious. :blush02:

 

In my (lame) defense, I had tested continuity on the switch (confirmed that "off" meant open) and also whether it showed voltage. Since it didn't register any voltage, I just assumed it was switching ground.

 

My mistake was that I didn't check if there was actually continuity to ground until after I smelled burnt electronic components.

Don't feel bad, I fried a thing or two when electricity was still a hobby; before I went to school for electrical and automation and took it up for a living. It really helps to sink in those lessons you learn and also keeps you diligent in making all of your checks in the future.

 

Hopefully it didn't become an expensive lesson. The less costly lessons are generally preferred in this instance, haha.

Edited by Nefarious
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Don't let that battery freeze! Clean the terminales and charge or you might lose it.

This just happened to me on my other pathy. It sat for 2 weeks without starting. Battery is now fskced. It was probably 5 months old, too.

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This just happened to me on my other pathy. It sat for 2 weeks without starting. Battery is now fskced. It was probably 5 months old, too.

Just caught mine in time in the old truck. I'd pulled the radio/clock fuse in the fall but the security system still almost killed it when it dropped below freezing.

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Drove it, and discovered that the radio and CB are dead. Radio has power from the hot lead, but no switched power. Pretty sure that when I installed both years ago I powered both the radio and CB from the same switched power and also fairly confident that I put a second fuse in, behind them. The main fuse it good, got to get in behind them when I have some time..... time :rofl::unsure:

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Took it to the dealer to diagnose an oil leak that I thought the 3rd party repair show caused. Turns out that it's the rear main engine seal and the engine oil pressure switch. :(

 

Calling now to get some other quotes, but most of the money that was for the suspension work will now be going to this...

 

Remind me again why I love this truck this much?

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Swapped subwoofers. I don't know if anyone knows who Miller and Kriesel is but they're top-of-the-line home audio since the early 70s starting off with designing stuff for major band players and are still used in professional studios today. Anyway, I got lucky and got a free 12" powered sub from my friend's dad. Well the amp didn't work so well so I popped the sub out to run it with my stereo a different way. Usually home stereo is 8ohm but I saw the sub said 4ohm. So I stuck it in the Pathfinder. Now that is some amazingly clear mid-bass.

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Curious to know what they quoted you to replace that main seal?

 

I got quoted at 700+ parts for mine. Paid someone cash to do it instead...of course the tranny died 14 months later :lol:

 

Local Dealership - $1975 for the seal and $195 for the switch. :ill:

Shop that I thought had messed up the truck (but didn't) - $900 plus parts.

 

Still waiting for a couple other estimates, but It's not hard to guess who I'm not going to go with... :D

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Cost for a used engine hoist (75$ on Craigslist)

Cost for new oem rear main seal (20$ from nissan)

 

A weekend of blood sweat and TEARS to pull the engine and replace the seal, while having the truck back together for Monday. (Priceless)

 

This will be my life the next time I have a long weekend, haha.

 

Lol

Edited by Nefarious
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Local Dealership - $1975 for the seal and $195 for the switch. :ill:

Shop that I thought had messed up the truck (but didn't) - $900 plus parts.

 

Still waiting for a couple other estimates, but It's not hard to guess who I'm not going to go with... :D

Times from AllData...

 

Rear main seal R&R with automatic transmission- 9.8hrs(I would normally quote 10hr).

Factory price for seal- $40

This is pulling the transmission and replacing the seal.

 

If there hourly rate is $100 x 10hrs + cost of seal, does not add up to almost $2000.

A quote around $1000 is about right. I would love to see your dealer quote. Maybe add time for rust if thats the case, but not another 10 hours.

 

A coworker of mine who just moved last year from Tennesse said the Toyota shop he worked in was $112 a hour. Im sure the nissan dealer is in the same area for hourly rate. Remember, Nissan gives a 12 month/12,000 mile warranty on all repairs(in case they botch it up).

Edited by 5523Pathfinder
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Like I've said elsewhere, I'm not good with the oily bits. $900 sounds like a great deal to me.

 

A quote around $1000 is about right. I would love to see your dealer quote. Maybe add time for rust if thats the case, but not another 10 hours.

 

For what it's worth, here's the estimate:

Estimate.png

 

If we were talking the electrical system (barring the little incident with the auto-headlight mod), I'm all in. Other than the long list of convenience mods, the only things I've done are new nerf bars and replaced the cold-air intake flex piping.

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Replaced both of my oil filters in the parking lot of the parts store. Bought them, swapped them and walked back in a couple minutes later and asked if they took them for recycle. The guy was dumbfounded, then I showed him my setup.

 

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Installed an alarm system, so I finally have keyless entry! :)

 

Also installed an automatic headlight system, which worked great until I fried the control unit trying to install a lighted rocker switch instead of the ugly little toggle switch that it came with. :doh: (Not to self: don't assume that a switch is either (+) or (-) - sometimes it just interrupts a signal from a photocell...) :headwall:

 

At least it was only a $30 mistake and all I have to do is swap out the brains when the replacement shows up. :aok:

 

OT. What brand of alarm and keyless system did you install? Was it a easy installation?

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OT. What brand of alarm and keyless system did you install? Was it a easy installation?

 

For brand, find whatever has the features you're looking for. I had to go to ebay because the one I decided on was a discontinued model, but there was new stock available.

 

Installation was pretty easy. I had pulled the factory VSS a few months ago, but left most of the cabling in place. From Nissan, there was just a switch on the dash to arm or disarm the alarm. Because I left the old harness, I was able to use it for power, ground, horn (siren), marker lights, and ignition. The only new connections I had to make were for the door lock and unlock (there were two each B/R and B/Y wires in the main harness bundle, but only 1 of each worked). Pinned in the Garage section is information about the VSS that has the wiring colors. If yours doesn't have factory VSS, then getting the factory wiring diagrams is extremely useful.

 

Total install time was about 3 hours, mostly because I rough wired everything first to make sure it all worked before trimming the wires and cleaning up the install.

 

One thing that makes the installation really easy is Posi-Tap and Posi-Lock connectors - I highly recommend them for any electrical work inside the truck.

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