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2002 Pathfinder Died today...


yakfish
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I was driving to work this morning and my Pathfinder quit on the highway. I was driving along and everything was fine and normal. I had the cruise set at 70mph. I started to smell something like burning wires, about 10 seconds later the engine quit and I coasted to the side of the road. It will not start. I had my boss tow it back to my inlaws place tonight and I am trying to figure out what happened. I have been looking for burnt fuses and found the ECCS 2 fuse was blown. My Father in law has a code reader and it showed three codes: P1448, P0455 and P0420. I have looked them up and I don't think they are THE main problem but I could be wrong. Dos any one have any suggestion?

 

Thanks

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I tore the dash apart and looked at everything. Everything looks good with nothing obviously melted or burnt. I did replace the blown ECCS 2 fuse and it will start and run as long as I keep my foot on the accelerator. It won't idle down at all. But at least it will start which is more than I expected tonight. I'm thinking something like the Idle control valve may have got dirty and needs a good cleaning or maybe a vacuum leak somewhere. I'll take a look at it again tomorrow but its dark now so it will have to wait.

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Idk, If your cat ran fine before. Something being dirty wouldn't prevent it acting it the same as it was before the incident. I think something is still wrong. That burning smell you mentioned sounds like the key, but I can't think of anything inside the cabin that would cause an idle issue and give you a brunch smell. Unless it's right at the ECU.

 

Hmmm

 

-Kyle

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I think there is a possibility the smell could be a coincidence. I took a slightly different route to work this morning than I normally take. I noticed the same smell on a previous occasion last week... while taking the same slightly different route to work. I am curious if the smell was something outside the vehicle and not related to these issues.

 

I am wondering if a dirty idle control valve may have caused the fuse to blow which then shut down the vehicle?

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I have the Idle air control valve out right now. I plugged it back in and then turned on the ignition to see what it does. With the key on it will vibrate. I'm not sure what it is supposed to do exactly but it is getting power to it. Is it supposed to vibrate? Or maybe just click?

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After some further research It seems that the problem is in fact the idle control valve...more specifically the idle control motor itself. If I look at the shaft the plunger is on I can see how much it is supposed to move and it seems to be stuck in the "fully closed" position which should be why the engine dies when I let my foot off the throttle. I have been searching for the part now and Autozone/Advanced Auto Parts have it for about $240 for the idle control valve and I don't see any place that see l just the motor by itself. I found the valve on eBay from several different sellers anywhere from $140-$180 and up for a new part with shipping included. this seems like a better option right now. I found one (link below) that says it is compatible with the 2003 pathfinder only. I thought the engines where the same? would a idle control valve for a 2003 fit on a 2002?

 

 

 

 

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  • 2 years later...

This same scenario just happened to my 01 and wanted to chime in, in case someone else runs into this issue and is wondering what is going on.

 

The Burning smell is a Triac on the ECM burning up. It will need to be repaired and also the IACV will need to be replaced. There is a fuse that blows under the hood as well which keeps the engine from firing up.

 

I'm getting my ECM repaired as I've heard that if you buy a used one, it will need to be programmed from the dealer or lock smith cause it messes with the interlock switch not allowing you to start your vehicle.

 

My two .02 cents worth.

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I 100% agree with Splat. Just went through all of this myself. Based on lots of research and personal experience I suggest that you

-have the ecm repaired

-replace the tps

-replace your crankshaft position sensor

-reinstall the ecm

-perform your idle air volume learning procedure

-& I strongly suggest that you take no shortcuts. There are none and it will cost you more if you do (sooner than later).

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  • 2 years later...

thanks to everyone that post these helpful answers here.

 

my pathfinder had the IACV and ECM failures, but it didn't start after replacing/repairing them.

It was stuck in 2 different shops for months without them finding the problem, until I came across this and other forum threads that lead me to the ECCS 2 fuse that was the problem with my car not starting.

 

my mechanic checked all the fuses with a tester, but the eccs 2 fuse does not get current before starting the engine, so it was never actually tested by the other people that worked on my pathfinder.

 

I was even thinking about selling it as a parts car since no one was able to find the problem and it was not worth it to spend more money.

 

So thanks again! I hope to keep my pathfinder at least a couple more years.

 

 

 

 

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Unfortunately, that is a common problem with the Pathfinders that have the VQ35 and a cable controlled throttle. Usually it is a small coolant leak at the throttle body that drips coolant onto the idle control valve. Over time the valve gets damaged and requires more current to operate and causes the idle control drivers to burn out in the ECU. 

Only real fix I know of is to repair/replace the ECU and replace the IAC valve. Make sure everything is clean and sealed. 

Things like the IAC valve are year specific even if the engine is the same because of the running changes that are done in the wiring and ECU. Often there are incompatibility issues just because of the emissions systems and programming. 

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  • 3 months later...

It is only the VQ35 with the cable throttle that has this problem. The VG and the drive by wire VQ don't. The drive by wire engines don't have an idle control valve, the ECU controls the idle by operating the throttle. The VG uses an idle control at the back of the manifold plenum and is a different design. 

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