# 98 Pathfinder - inertia switch ?



## rsamuels (May 2, 2010)

My son has a 98 Pathfinder which has been doing some very strange things recently. If idling in park - no problem ... shift into drive / reverse - sometimes RPM's would drop to <600 & sometimes stall. The other day he was on his way to work - took a corner ... he said the car acted just as it does when he starts and shifts -- RPM's dropped, bucked a bit and stalled.

We've gone through and replaced Fuel filter, air filter, plugs, Distrib cap, rotor, almost every vacuum line, cleaned MAF, new battery etc ... all the basics. I'm going to check the gas now to rule out bad gas ... I checked the Fuel Relay and the Fuel Fuse ... so now it's onto testing the fuel pump. Once I verify that it "may" not be a fuel problem I will start checking to make sure there is spark - darn noid light kit doesn't have anything for Nissan so I could check the fuel injectors. 

I know this may be a silly question - but is there an inertia switch on the 98 Pathfinder ? I think I forgot to mention that since the pathy stalled - it hasn't started again ... kinda important -- sorry. 

I'm running out of ideas here and he doesn't have the $$ to bring it do a dealer. Does anyone have any suggestions ? In the old days ... we'd dump a little gas into the carb and see what happened ... I've heard that you can do the same thing by dumping a little gas into the intake - it this true / safe ?


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## ntech (Apr 13, 2010)

verify fuel pressure. verify spark. You are probably missing one of the two, my guess is fuel pressure. probably got a fuel pump that crapped out on you. Its a lot easier to figure out now that the problem is constant!


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## rsamuels (May 2, 2010)

Thanks ntech for the reply - checked that yesterday ... 40 PSI - so the fuel pump is good. I had a gauge that plugged into a shrader port but the pathy doesn't have one - had to rig it up so I could put it inline with the fuel filter. While I was doing that - I put some gas in a clear container ... I believe there may be water in the gas - old eyes. Is there a drain plug on a 98 pathfinder ? Or do I have to get some type of syphon going here ?


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## 180SX-X (Sep 21, 2003)

syphon...but it might not work through the fuel fill. I think there is a block (at least it didn't work when I tried through the fill)


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## rsamuels (May 2, 2010)

Well ... I pulled off the access to the fuel pump on the ol pathy and syphoned out the old gas - replaced with new ... still nothing. For grins - I replaced the MAF sensor ... still cranks but doesn't start. While I was under the hood - I took the oil cap off and shined a flashlight into the valve cover while my son cranked the pathy ... no movement - valves & rockers didn't move. Looks to me like the timing belt must have snapped - does this sound right ? It was a little hard to see inside the valve cover so I will probably pull it off to verify. Anyone replaced a timing belt on a 98 pathy ? Is it like an old Audi that I did a few months back where I replace the water pump at the same time ? Last question - "If" it is the timing belt ... could this also cause the pathy to drop RPM's and stall when taking it out of park and putting it in drive or reverse ? This was my son's original problem .... Thanks for all of your GREAT help / answers.


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## ntech (Apr 13, 2010)

If the cams aren't turning, you need to look at the timing belt. Probably missing some teeth or broken. They are very easy, and you may want to do the water pump and some seals while you are there.


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## rsamuels (May 2, 2010)

Thanks again for the reply ntech ... I've read where up to the 95 pathfinders - most were interference engines. Is the 98 ? I asked my son if he heard any metal type noises when the pathy stalled and he said no. Would you also have any suggestions on what belt to buy ? I was thinking of getting a kit - with the tensioner ... replacing the water pump and thermostat but if I don't see anything leaking - might not do the seals. Think I should ?


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## 98 patty (Jun 9, 2007)

i did my timing belt 25,00 miles ago did not replace cam seals doing fine so far. i did also replace water pump, timing belt tensioner and all the accessory belts. be care ful realigning the timing marks. hope ya didn't bend any valves don't know how to check that without putting belt on and compression testing. so i would put belt on,then, before putting everything back together.then take a quick compression test. if all is up to specs throw it back together. also you can search this forum for "timing belt replacement" to get the full info for your project....good luck


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## ntech (Apr 13, 2010)

Some refrences say it is but, I have seen a lot of 3.3L with snapped T-belts crank all day long and drive right out with a new belt. As for the seals, just depends on whether or not you are willing to take it all back apart again at a later date if it leaks later. Im not sure about aftermarket belts but, the OEM one will come with fancy little lines to help ensure its timed right. If you got the money and the time, just do it all! Its better than finding your new timing belt soaked with oil and coolant in a week.


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## rsamuels (May 2, 2010)

Thanks for your suggestions & advice ntech & 98 patty ... I plan on ordering the parts today ( not sure if the local autozone or pep boys have the quality OEM parts you suggest ) ... I did find this web site - Nissan Timing Belt Service Kit TBK2004 that appears to have everything you suggested -- and they are made in Japan but I do not believe that makes them OEM ... When I did a timing belt on my Audi A4 - I bought a kit that also rented all the "special" tools. It was a while ago - and the ol'gray matter taint what it used to be ... but I seem to remember a piece of forged iron, I think they called it a crank locking tool. Are there any "special" tools needed to do the timing belt on the pathy ?


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## ntech (Apr 13, 2010)

maybe just a puller, like the ones used for pulling steering wheels. You will need it to remove the crank pulley. and some long bolts, 6mmx1.0 i believe


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## rsamuels (May 2, 2010)

ntech - looks like that web site above wants $209 for timing belt, tensioner, crank & cam seals, water pump, thermostat, valve cover gaskets and valve cover grommets. Does that sound reasonable ( if I verify that they are OEM )


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## ntech (Apr 13, 2010)

sounds like a deal. Also check out Nissan Parts, NISMO and Nissan Accessories - Courtesyparts.com


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## rsamuels (May 2, 2010)

Thanks for that link ntech ... I called my "deal" and found that they were not genuine nissan parts ... so my son decided that your suggestion was better and for a little more he gets all the belts to boot. Only problem is that I finally had time to slip away from work and take the valve cover off - My son cranked it and everything was moving - although it seemed to me like it was turning slowly - not sure if that's not the battery draining. What else can I do to check the timing belt before dropping $300 for the kit and a day of pulling everything apart ? The only thing I was thinking of doing was taking everything apart and slapping a cheapo $20 belt on just to test the compression ( as 98patty suggested ) ... Any hints ? Could it still be the belt ? Maybe slipped some teeth ?


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## ntech (Apr 13, 2010)

charge/ jump the battery, and do a compression test on cyl 1,3,5 . if they pass, your timing shouldn't be the problem. The sensor in the distributor will also prevent the car from starting. You may possibly need a distributor. Do you have spark? Fuel injectors firing? And if you said the cams are turning when you crank it, then your t-belt is not broken but may have still jumped a few teeth.


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## ntech (Apr 13, 2010)

any codes/ SES light on? Bad MAF sensor will kill the engine too


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## rsamuels (May 2, 2010)

I will charge the battery and do a compression test tonight. I had originally thought that it was a problem with distirbutor -- but let others talk me out of it. I have one of those cheap testers you hook onto the plug wires to see if there's spark ... will that work ? I also bought a noid light test kit but it only has noid testers for GM, Ford, Bosch and GEO ... not sure if any of those could be used. I scoured the net for a NISSAN noid but couldn't find one.


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## rsamuels (May 2, 2010)

ntech, no codes or SEL ... I did get a MAF sensor from Autozone about a week ago - plugged it in and it still cranked but wouldn't start. I brought it back ... Is there any way to test the MAF sensor ?


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## ntech (Apr 13, 2010)

any spark tester should do. Or you can pull the plug too and rest the plug on the intake to make it arc. you can listen to the injector and see if it clicks instead of a noid light. I doubt you have 6 injectors completely clogged causing a no start. Your MAF would most likely set a fault if it is bad enough to kill the engine. I would verify spark first because its easiest. Then do a compression test if you have fuel pressure, injectors firing, and spark. If you have no spark, I would suspect the pickup in the distrib.


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## rsamuels (May 2, 2010)

Well ntech - tried with spark tester and plug-on-intake ... no spark what so ever. I don't believe this model has a coil so I guess I need to check distributor ( not sure how ) and maybe starter inhibitor switch, inhibitor relay and maybe the starter solenoid. My guess is that it's none of the last 3 as the starter is turning over ... just not catching.


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## ntech (Apr 13, 2010)

just make sure you are 100% sure you got no spark. Make sure your spark tester is grounded well. If no spark at all, then you are most likely looking at a bad distr. This is assuming the connectors/ harness are in good shape. Might want to look into swapping a used distrib.


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## rsamuels (May 2, 2010)

Good Morning ntech - even though this weekend was a but CRAZY with Mothers Day and Honey-Do's ... I managed to get out to the pathy and run some tests. I also had a buddy verify that I definitely have no spark. I OHM'd out the plug wires and didn't like what I was reading so I replaced the wires and plugs - but no help. I checked for batt voltage on the #5 pin ( camshaft position sensor ) of the 6 pin distributor connector - good ... I also checked for battey voltage at the ignition coil - good. Today, I'm going to check for a trigger voltage which is supposed to verify that the crankshaft position sensor and the PCM are working. I decided to crawl under the car and check resistance on the crankshaft position sensor. The Haynes says that it should be on the bellhousing right at the back of the engine but I'll be darned if I can find it ... What I did see amazed me - there's a transfer case under there like someone took off the 4-wheel drive ?? or - do the just slap one on all pathy's ?? There's nothing inside the car that looks like there was ever 4 wheel drive ?? Any way ... If I can find the crankshaft sensor and it passes but this trigger fails - then it's either the camshaft sensor or the PCM ( distributor ? ).


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## ntech (Apr 13, 2010)

What was wrong with the plug wires? High resistance (normal)? You most likely are missing a trigger signal in the distrb. known as the CMP. Could also be a crank sensor too. No clue whats going on with the 4x4. If it factory 2wd then some one modified it.
Im betting you need a distrib.


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## rsamuels (May 2, 2010)

ntech - plug wires ... some had high ( different ) resistance - some showed open then resistance. I knew that wasn't the problem but just wanted to start off with a clean slate. You said that it could be the crank sensor - the manual says it's on the bellhousing near the back of the motor -- but I don't see it ... do you know if that is where it's at ? I'm almost at the point where I agree with you about the distrib - will a junk yard replacement be ok ? $325 new versus $50 .... Last question ... to remove the distrib ... just take off connectors - make some marks - and remove one bolt & lift out ?


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## ntech (Apr 13, 2010)

normally a bad crank sensor could kill spark/ fuel but not on this engine. You may not even have one. Focus on the cam pos sensor in the distrib. You can basically mark the rotor location before and after removing it, then just index your new distr. the same way. This will get your timing about the same as it was before. Unless your timing was way off but, it was running before. Then use a timing light to fine tune.


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## rsamuels (May 2, 2010)

Hi ntech - found a distrib from a 99 3.3L pathy and it's on it's way ... I had a little time so I went out and tested the trigger - backprobed #1 and had the 2 millivolts for just a millisecond - then nothing. Haynes read like it should have been constant ?? Then it said to check resistance on the inignition resistor - taped to the wire harness ... Nothing at all ?? I double checked the meter - touched the leads so I know I was doing an ohm check. But when I put each lead into the back of the resistor ( where each of the 2 wires go in ) it registered some random number for a sec - then nothing ... like it was open. Not sure what's going on here now ... bad distrib ? bad resistor ?? bad person testing ??


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## ntech (Apr 13, 2010)

that resistor should read about 2K ohms. You could always jump it with a paperclip and see if that helps any. 
Pin 1 Continuity to ecm
pin 2 Ground 
pin 3&4 continuity to ecm
pin 5 battery voltage with ign on
pin 6 ground
pin 7 battery voltage with ign on
pin 8 continuity to ecm 
Im not sure how good your Haynes manual is. If you want, I could always email you some stuff straight out of the service manual. Sorry, no links


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## rsamuels (May 2, 2010)

Well I received the distrib a couple days ago. I marked the original position of the rotor - pulled the old out and put a 99 Nissan distrib back in. ALAS !!! She started right up. We drove it a bit and noticed that it's idling around 1100 right now -- and when we come to a stop ( right before stopping ) it feels like it's downshifting ... In the old days -- I would have said that I needed to throw a timing light on it and see what's going on but I'm not sure of this 98 pathy. I've read that there's 3 timing settings ... Initial set, setting around 3000 RPM's and one more in the middle of those 2. I also read that there's an idle adjustment on the IAA ?? Not sure what that is. Would anyone have the timing specs for a 98 pathy - 3.3 L ? Do I use a timing light ? Thanks for everyone's help -- especially ntech -- I wouldn't have gotten this far without ya ....


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## rsamuels (May 2, 2010)

Just a quick update ... Just took it for a spin - When shifting from park to drive or reverse ... really goes into gear hard ( idle to high ? ) then - it shifts around 23-25 MPH and if I hit the gas hard ... nothing - just gradually picks up speed. I looked at the TPS and it's all the way at one end - if I even move it a tiny bit - RPM's are up to 1500 ( from 1100 ) ... It all sounds like timing to me -- does anyone have step by step on setting timing for this beast ?


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## ntech (Apr 13, 2010)

Good, you got it up and driving! May need to adjust your timing a bit. Spec is 15deg BTDC +/- 2 deg. Idle speed should be 700rpm +/- 50 in N. Warm up engine, Check timing w/ throttle pos sensor disconntected. If it idling at 1100 after warmed up, then yes it's way too high. The TPS has 3 wires.
When the engine is in this condition (TPS disconnected), the IACV-AAC valve and the ignition timing are held in a "fixed" position, and the idle speed is called "base idle." If the engine stalls with the TPS disconnected, the base idle speed is adjusted too low. Temporarily increase the base idle speed by turning the adjusting screw on the IACV-AAC valve until the engine will idle.


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## rsamuels (May 2, 2010)

Hey ntech ... I'm trying to set everything per your instructions - starting off with tps disconnected - idle speed at 700. Disconnected - I'm still around 1000-1100 ... the haynes says that I need to use .012 & .016 feeler gauge to set ... then idle adjustment screw on IACV. Now my questions ... ( thanks for being here btw ) ... mostly locating stuff. 1) book says if I have vacuum operated throttle opener - to disconnect hose & apply vacuum - I don't have a vacuum opener - right ? 2) Talks about TPS connector & wide open/closed connector - This has 2 ... do you know if the wide open is the bottom connector ? 

Now the big questions
1) book - disconnect wide open connector - ohm between ground (#1 ) and signal (#2 ) - slip .012 gauge between throttle lever & throttle screw -should have continuity. 
2) next pull out feeler & replace with .016 - no continuity. Rotate TPS until both conditions are met ... it says never adjust throttle screw - set at factory. 
Let's say I do this - checking for .012 continuity and .016 no continuity between the throttle lever & throttle screw on the throttle body - if this doesn't bring the base idle down to 700 -- now I adjust the screw on the IACV ? Still trying to locate this screw - it looks like it's under the upper intake on the right back side of the motor ( standing in front )... Would you be able to post a picture of that here ? 

Last one - and I apologize for not having a service manual - but let's say I get the TPS set - now I want to set the timing ... First I find TDC ... mark the pulley ... disconnect TPS connector ( not the wide open closed ? or do I disconnect both ? ) and then set to 15 degrees BTDC - what do I use as a reference if there is only one "pointer" above the pulley ( the one I have pointing to the mark I made for TDC ) ? I hope I explained this correctly.


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## rsamuels (May 2, 2010)

ntech - update ... None of the ohms readings worked out - but I adjusted the TPS by hand - 750 RPM's at idle .... I then set the timing using the far left mark as TDC for 15 BTDC - It idles & purrs now - no hard shifting either. Now -- a NEW problem ... It's an automatic - but it won't shift from second to third or fourth ?? Could playing with ignition circuits do something to the tranny ?? It's like the tranny is shot ?? But when I put it in park - it's fine. I even set everything back - and it still won't shift gears ... HELP ... BIG trouble now ....


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## ntech (Apr 13, 2010)

yeah, I was gonna say not to mess with the idle screw. They can be a pain to get right once you mess with them. I think your shifting problem may still have to do with the TP sensor adjustment. In the Trans diag part of the service manual, the throttle position sensor is the first thing refered to in almost every case.


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