Looking at a 1995 Pathfinder, issues/opinions?

[zenit]

I am looking to potentially getting a 1995 Pathfinder XE 4x4 with manual transmission. The vehicle has around 140k miles. Is this something worth looking into for a daily driver/vehicle to learn offroading in? How long do these things usually last and what should I be looking at when examining the truck in person? Appreciate the feedback

[Macrow]

I can't speak for the manual 1995 XE 4x4 Pathfinder but my last 2 Pathfinders were both 1995 XE 4x4 Automatic which they both lasted quite awhile both of them with 300,000 plus miles on them so as long as you keep up on maintaining it I would say it would last awhile as long as there isn't anything serious wrong. Also depending on what the asking price is on it as well. Things to look for would be rust on frame especially in the rear of it which they are known for having. I see your located in California so you may not have the issue with rust out there if it has been there for the life of the Pathfinder. Still would check that out though they also have been known for having a hole rusting through floorboard near gas pedal caused from the exhaust. Along with known for exhaust manifold bolts breaking off in them being poor grade bolts this usually will have a slight ticking sound when running if you do purchase this I would suggest switching out the bolts & studs in the exhaust manifolds. There are posts here that will say which ones to replace them with I don't remember right off top of my head which ones work. Other then that I would check the usual stuff if any noticeable oil leaks suspension for any major problems. As I said I can't speak for the manual 95 XE but I am sure some others who know the manuals better will hopefully chime in as well. I know with both my auto's they were beasts when it came to wheeling & went over & through anything that I put them up against. In my opinion too I personally stick with the WD21's 1990-1995 Pathfinders which have lasted long time & I would say are great learning off roading & I used both mine as daily drivers as well. Hope this helps out post pics if you do end up buying it we all like to see pics as well.

[SpecialWarr]

The exhaust studs that you want to replace (all of them really) should be replaced with those from a z31 (ZX300) of the same era... the heads will have to be drilled out and threaded for the 10mm bolts and is work but well worth the effort.

 

Ask about oil changes in the transmission, not the engine. Has any work been done to the trans? The factory did NOT put enough oil into the trans when they were building them so the bearings and gears get starved for oil in 4th and 5th.... if there is the least amount of noise in the tranny or difficulty getting the gear to engage, that's the end-of-life for that trans. Take $750-$1000 off the price for a rebuilt trans.

 

Bring a 10mm closed end wrench and pull the positive wire off of the battery and ground it (no you won't damage anything); put it back on, tighten it down and THEN get in and start the engine. If anything has been fiddled with this will re-set the capacitors and learned trouble-codes in the ECU, the TCU and oxygen sensor feedback. Take a few seconds and play with all of the knobs and buttons in the truck before taking off on the test drive. Do NOT turn the truck off before you've taken it for a test drive, you want all the trouble codes to be set before you turn it off. Make sure that you get it into top gear on the highway, feel for shaking and shimmy which are going to be symptoms of bad suspension bushings in the rear, tie-rods in the front, both or ball joints or all of the above. Back in the day this was the _best_ handling truck in it's class. if the front end is in good shape it should feel tight and light at the wheel with good feedback and sharp turn-in. Anything short of that is suspension work.

 

That's about all I can give you, 'cause that's all I know!

[Zed]

You will find a ton of info here at this forum if you search. I’m pretty much a newbie to Pathfinders (~2 years), and the vets and old-timers on this forum have always provided reliable advice and how-to’s.

 

I did a lot of research before I even bought my truck (‘95 5 speed) - and knew where all the known rust locations were from the mid-west truck I bought (now all repaired). Rear Frame, under the back seats, back door runners, bumpers, driver floor (from exhaust leak), bushing cups, and wheel wells are all typical problem spots. If your frame is shot, look elsewhere.

 

Definitely follow SW’s advice about the ECU codes (check engine light). That should tell you a lot about any engine issues. Chances are the ABS light is on.

 

Other Electronics have been known to cause headaches - make sure you check the instrument cluster gauges (temp/fuel) and power window and lock buttons.

 

Also check for water leaks - sun roof, window seals, back window.

 

If your wondering what you can do to modify or upgrade this vehicle for serious off-road, check this link

 

http://www.off-road.com/trucks-4x4/tech/nissan-hardbody-d21-and-pathfinder-wd21-faq-18593.html

 

Good luck.

 

[zenit]

thank you all for the answers!

 

Ended up checking out the pathfinder in question. it is a bit of a mess cosmetically: driver door got backed into, and dented door/body under the door, cracked windshield and busted plastic on steering column from attempted theft. Also needs new tires. However mechanically it looks very nice - no rust, engine in good shape and gearbox/clutch very smooth. Suspension seems okay as well. The selling is asking 1800 for it. How is that for a car with obvious cosmetic issues that may need some work.

[Citron]

Price really depends on your location. For Washington, I would try to get them down to $1500-$1600. It seems hard to find one around here that runs and drives for less than $1000.

 

Edit: Mine is nearly perfect cosmetically( except for soiled carpet), solid mechanically, but it has 250,000 on it. It's a 92 and I paid 1250, they were asking 1500. With your windshield and body damage 1200-1300.

Edited March 8, 2017 by Citron

[zenit]

Well another candidate came along... 200k miles and throwing faulty injector circuit code. Price is a bit better. Worth pursuing? Are injectors an easy DIY fix?

 

 

[Citron]

Depending on which injector it is, it can be very easy. The driver side injectors are buried under the intake.

 

Also, there is always the possibility that the injector is fine but it's not getting a signal to fire. More than likely it is failed injector though.

[zenit]

Generally, is it a good idea to buy a 200k specimen? How long do these things generally last?

[gamellott]

Zenit, I bought my 92 about 3 years ago. It had 283Kmiles on it then and it now has 303K. Still my daily driver. It was leaking fluid from every orifice and I have, since, replaced all of the seals except the rear wheel, Front transmission and Rear Main. Fluid loss is negligible now. The question is if you are mechanically competent enough or willing to learn how to fix issues that Will arise? Really, as long as the engine runs and doesn't consume too much oil and mechanically functions well, there isn't an issue with purchasing one that's 20 years old and has 200K+ miles. Getting one that has been, fairly well, taken care of is a starting point. Mine has dings in the body and cracks in the plastic, but Most everything works. It has been worth the $2300 we paid for it and we don't have a vehicle payment to boot

 

As far as longevity, it all depends on how well they have been taken care of. To my knowledge, the engine in mine is original and not likely rebuilt. It Also had belts that still had the Nissan logo on them, which I doubt were original. I suspect someone was taking really good care of the one I got. It's cantankerous, but it's still a good running machine

[adamzan]

Personally I would go with the good runner with lower mileage, and fix the bodywork.