# 2005 Pathfinder "safe mode"



## dared3vil0 (Jan 3, 2011)

Hello all, I recently bought a 2005 Pathfinder and was forced to replace the transmission due to the rad problem many have had. After that it worked fine for around a month. then as i was driving the truck went into "safe mode" which is as i understand it, you have only 1 gear and the dashboard were it has the 4x4 indicator goes blank. I shut the car off and it "resets" itself into working condition, with the service engine soon light.

i took it to a local Nissan dealer and they stated it was the grounds and "fixed it" this has happened 6 times now and im frustrated. 3 different Nissan dealers here in Vancouver have been unable to fix it. Any idea what it is or what to do next? Each time i take it in and they simply say it was the grounds, do some work and return it. It's not working.:wtf:


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## smj999smj (Jan 1, 2006)

It would be nice to know the codes. I would call Nissan's customer service hotline and start a report on it. Explain the situation to them and perhaps they'll have a service rep look at it.


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## dared3vil0 (Jan 3, 2011)

It happened again and i got ALL the codes. They are as follows:

P1828
P1819
P1831
P1832
P1807
U1000


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## jdg (Aug 27, 2009)

The U1000 is what gets me. TCM Communications Fault. The rest of the codes are for solenoids. Sounds like the guys might be chasing individual ground wires and not looking at the whole picture. I would think that the U1000 code would be the 'priority code' and the rest of them basically useless until the U1000 gets fixed, but that goes without saying...
The FSM shows all the ground wires for the TCM and that TSB (don't remember the number but it's out there) says to clean up the grounds under/behind the battery, under and behind the modules in there, as well as checking for corrosion on the module connectors themselves. Save some $$$, follow the wiring diagrams, follow the wires, clean up the grounds yourself, if it isn't too cold up there!
Otherwise, tell those clowns working on the vehicle to earn their pay! Get digging and find that cruddy ground wire!
(I don't own a Pathfinder, but the guy 2 doors down from me has a '96, talking to him right now, he said the "local" Nissan dealer guys hooked him right up and cleaned up those ground terminals and sprayed down the connectors in that area)


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## dared3vil0 (Jan 3, 2011)

alright, thanks. I'm taking it in Wednesday morning, i will update as soon as possible!


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## dared3vil0 (Jan 3, 2011)

Well... They called me today to say they fixed t and were test driving it now. 10 minutes later i get another saying it broke again. Back to square one.


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## dared3vil0 (Jan 3, 2011)

UPDATE: for F*** sake. They thought they tracked it down to the ABS control module, replaces that. $2200 later and it still doesn't work.


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## jdg (Aug 27, 2009)

Sucks, but it sounds like the same old story with lazy mechanics earning close to minimum wage...chasing symptoms (apparently dead modules/sensor/boxes/etc) and not following the path to the cures (in this case, known issues with ground points not making good contact).


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## dared3vil0 (Jan 3, 2011)

UPDATE: Well... It's been in the shop since i posted this thread... And they finally fixed it. When they replaced the transmission originally, they put in an after market cooler so they rad could not leak into the transmission again. THEY PUT IN TO SMALL OF A SIZE so when i was going up the mountain (basically the only place it went into safe mode besides large hills) it would overheat the transmission. So much for trusting a Nissan dealership


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## kukla (Apr 1, 2010)

dared3vil0 said:


> UPDATE: Well... It's been in the shop since i posted this thread... And they finally fixed it. When they replaced the transmission originally, they put in an after market cooler so they rad could not leak into the transmission again. THEY PUT IN TO SMALL OF A SIZE so when i was going up the mountain (basically the only place it went into safe mode besides large hills) it would overheat the transmission. So much for trusting a Nissan dealership


curious..........
did they replace the external cooler with a "too small" aftermarket cooler
or....
did they add a "too small" cooler in tandem with the existing external cooler?
and....
did they at any time recommend replacing the radiator along with the new transmission? 
and so....
what is their proposed solution for the current problem?


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## dared3vil0 (Jan 3, 2011)

kukla said:


> curious..........
> did they replace the external cooler with a "too small" aftermarket cooler
> or....
> did they add a "too small" cooler in tandem with the existing external cooler?
> ...



They replaced the external cooler with one that was too small for the truck, and they replaced it with a larger one for free (yay i guess...?)


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## NPath (Dec 12, 2004)

dared3vil0 said:


> UPDATE: Well... It's been in the shop since i posted this thread... And they finally fixed it. When they replaced the transmission originally, they put in an after market cooler so they rad could not leak into the transmission again. THEY PUT IN TO SMALL OF A SIZE so when i was going up the mountain (basically the only place it went into safe mode besides large hills) it would overheat the transmission. So much for trusting a Nissan dealership


Holy F*ck, man! I can't believe they couldn't fix your Pathfinder after so many visits. 

I live in Vancouver also, which dealers did you take it to?


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## dared3vil0 (Jan 3, 2011)

NPath said:


> Holy F*ck, man! I can't believe they couldn't fix your Pathfinder after so many visits.
> 
> I live in Vancouver also, which dealers did you take it to?


Morrey Nissan up until about mid febuary, Then West Coast Nissan until yesterday, when they fixed it.


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## kukla (Apr 1, 2010)

dared3vil0 said:


> They replaced the external cooler with one that was too small for the truck, and they replaced it with a larger one for free (yay i guess...?)


why did they replace the exernal cooler at all, let alone with a smaller one than you had already?
and is the larger one larger than the OEM external cooler, or just larger than the smaller one that they put in in place of it?
please clarify..............


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## jdg (Aug 27, 2009)

Probably because they figured any external cooler was better the internal radiator cooler.
Not realizing that a liquid/liquid heat exchanger (i.e. cooler) is far more efficient than the same sized air/liquid heat exchanger.

That's what ya get when you go to college. Book learning only, no practical knowledge, no common sense.


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## kukla (Apr 1, 2010)

jdgrotte said:


> Probably because they figured any external cooler was better the internal radiator cooler.
> Not realizing that a liquid/liquid heat exchanger (i.e. cooler) is far more efficient than the same sized air/liquid heat exchanger.
> 
> That's what ya get when you go to college. Book learning only, no practical knowledge, no common sense.


:wtf:
but it already *had* an external cooler!
why would they replace it with a *smaller* one?
and why would anyone pay them to do that?


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## dared3vil0 (Jan 3, 2011)

kukla said:


> why did they replace the exernal cooler at all, let alone with a smaller one than you had already?
> and is the larger one larger than the OEM external cooler, or just larger than the smaller one that they put in in place of it?
> please clarify..............


Yeah, it's a Larger OEM cooler. Not sure i will be letting any Nissan dealer touch the truck from now on...


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## dared3vil0 (Jan 3, 2011)

kukla said:


> :wtf:
> but it already *had* an external cooler!
> why would they replace it with a *smaller* one?
> and why would anyone pay them to do that?


I took it to somewhere I thought that I could trust... A Nissan dealer. Won't be taking it there again.


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## jdg (Aug 27, 2009)

kukla said:


> but it already *had* an external cooler!
> why would they replace it with a *smaller* one?
> and why would anyone pay them to do that?


I though the O/P was saying that they replaced the radiator/transmission cooler with an external cooler, bypassing the one in the radiator and making the external one do all the work.


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## kukla (Apr 1, 2010)

jdgrotte said:


> I though the O/P was saying that they replaced the radiator/transmission cooler with an external cooler, bypassing the one in the radiator and making the external one do all the work.


all R51 Pathfinders (2005 & newer) come with 2 transmission coolers.
an external cooler in front of the radiator (external), and one in the bottom of the radiator (internal).
the internal coolers sometime fail & cause coolant contamination of the ATF.
those that are wise by-pass the internal cooler to avoid this issue.
what i was trying to find out from the O/P is why in the heck did they replace the external cooler with a smaller one instead of just doing the bypass and relying on the existing external cooler, or better yet, add an additional external cooler to make up for the loss of the internal cooler.


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## jdg (Aug 27, 2009)

Kinda makes you wonder WTF some people are thinking sometimes....


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## kukla (Apr 1, 2010)

jdgrotte said:


> Kinda makes you wonder WTF some people are thinking sometimes....


yep.......


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## dared3vil0 (Jan 3, 2011)

kukla said:


> yep.......


No kidding. For future repairs, were would everyone suggest i bring my truck? Nissan dealers don't do very good work it seems...


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## kukla (Apr 1, 2010)

dared3vil0 said:


> No kidding. For future repairs, were would everyone suggest i bring my truck? Nissan dealers don't do very good work it seems...


Nissan dealership service departments, in general, seem to have a rather dismal reputation
my personal experience with two of them has been horrid
perhaps if you let it be known what general region you live in, someone may have a recommendation for you...........


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## dared3vil0 (Jan 3, 2011)

My general region is Vancouver Canada


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## jdg (Aug 27, 2009)

kukla said:


> yep.......


If the O/P would've mentioned the part about the hills earlier, I probably would've stayed a bit farther away from the bad ground theory and headed towards something to do with a loaded engine/transmission...such as the heating problem.
Oh well...fixed now...


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## dared3vil0 (Jan 3, 2011)

You know what... I am almost sure i have a lemon. Wouldn't start this morning.


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## dared3vil0 (Jan 3, 2011)

I'm done with this truck. as soon as it's fixed i'm selling it. Just had to get it towed to the shop.


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## MEDEL514 (Nov 24, 2005)

Did you get rid of your truck? SO the overheating tranny is what caused your CEL lights? I'm having a U1000 right now and I'm trying to figure out a root cause.


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