Inherited a 2001 SE 4x4.. First truck.. have some questions.

[mastamoon]

Hey All,

So my wifes father passed away recently and we were given his 01 Pathfinder. Its a 4x4 with about 220k miles on it. Seems to run great and looks good. No rust that I can see (spent lots of its life down in South Carolina with little/no salty roads) so she wants to fix it up a bit and keep it.

There are a few issues with it that I was hoping you guys could help me out with.

1. CEL for code P1110. The code doesnt come on right away after being cleared but does come on when you hit about 50mph. Ive read this is the VTC Solenoid on the passenger side. Going through the little bit of paperwork I found in the glovebox, it looks like it had this replaced at about 75k miles. Is it likely this just needs to be swapped out again? Truck seems to run fine in general.

2. We have noticed a wobble/shimmy that seems to come from the rear end. I believe this is the "death wobble/sway", but from the reading I have done on it, that seems to manifest itself at higher speeds. This wobble is most noticeable around 5-25mph. As you go faster, it smooths out but you can still feel it. I havent gotten under the truck yet to check bushings, but I was hoping to get a confirmation that it does happen at low speeds as well as high or what I might be looking for if its not the 'death wobble/sway'.

Those are the major issues thus far. I mostly need to get the CEL fixed so I can get it through NJ inspection so any info on #1 would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks everybody!

[Kingman]

I don't have much on the CEL, but check the tires for separating and/or a bent wheel. A wobble felt at that low of speeds is almost always in the tires or wheels.

[Precise1]

Sorry, I'm not familiar with the VQ35 so I can't help with codes either, but I do recommend downloading the FSM from the pinned thread in the Garage section and following the diagnostics for that item, probably in the EC section.

 

If you can't find anything significant/obvious with the tires/wheels/bushings, try jacking up the rear axle, putting it on jack stands (block the front wheels well), starting it, putting it in gear and letting it idle (with the parking brake off of course). If the drive shaft/tranny look like the tail wagging the dog, your universal joints are probably binding...

 

Sorry to hear about the loss of your F-I-L.

You are probably making the right decision to keep the Pathfinder, they are good vehicles and it should run a bit longer before any real failures.

 

B

[01Pathmaker]

Sorry for your loss, but congrats on scoring the pathy. Sounds to me like a real basket case, so you should sell it to me for really cheap! Just kidding, download the fsm as suggested and check your u-joints on the rear driveshaft, these are non-greasable from the factory and like to bind, causing a thumping feeling at lower speeds and vibration the faster you go. Just did them on my 01 about a month ago, so much better now.

[hawairish]

Yes, sorry to hear about the passing.

 

Taking a stab at the P1110 code... From what I understand from the EC section of the FSM, the VTC system consists of a position sensor and a solenoid. P1110 reads as a failure for the system (well, the passenger side of the system, in conjunction with P1135), and not any one part, because it describes the functions of the solenoids and sensors on both the passenger and driver sides. It also reads like it's RPM- and load-dependent and not so much speed dependent.

 

It seems like the code should be accompanied by some additional codes according to the Malfunction A and B description; expected codes might be P1111 or P1140, specifically for the passenger side (also referenced as B1).

 

On EC-449, those are the expected voltages on the solenoid and position sensors...of course, those are some pretty quick pulses to measure for, but you should be able to confirm the nominal voltages. But, it might be easier to test the solenoid or position sensor first, instead. According to P1111, testing the solenoid should be very easy; it should click when 12V is applied (see EC-457). P1140 is for the sensor and troubleshooting looks to be pretty straight-forward (description starts on EC-484, but see EC-489 for the diagnostic procedure). Just need a multimeter.

 

Hope that info helps!