# How Does Your Pathfinder Do in Snow?



## Smith1000 (Dec 29, 2005)

I have a 95 and it has never been too good in deep snow. It tends to float up and out and loose traction easily. I couldn't get out of my driveway in it either in 4 high or low. My neighbor drove out in his Chevy 4x4, no problem. Another neighbor drove the whole length of his drive (about 100 yards), through deep snow and back in his Mazda MVP 4x4. I tried to drive up to his house and got stuck about 20 feet into it and it did not want to track. Wanted to go off to the right and could not be controlled. I backed out without any problems. Tires are good. I have 5 sandbags in the back. Got it stuck on Christmas day and had to be pulled out. It is an automatic. Wish I had never bought an automatic.

I have 2 HB 4x4 trucks. One is about the same as the Pathfinder, but the other seems to do better. I believe the tires are narrower on the one that does better. I had an old Scout that would really go through snow well. Is there anything that can be done to improve the traction. Should I put on narrow tires?


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## Wilbar (Aug 19, 2009)

Well ive got 1992 Pathy but i have aftermarket rims with Sport King A/T 31x16.5 there pretty wide tires though but seem to get though snow like butter---i just drove out of my driveway today in 4-in of snow with out hitch.....and went though some heck of a huge drifts heading home the day before in winter Iowa.........


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## Smith1000 (Dec 29, 2005)

I have been reading in some of the archives here. I believe the auto hubs must be malfunctioning on mine. Seems to be a common problem and they are replaced with Warn 35 spline hubs. I bet that it the problem. I am going to jack it up and take a look. I believe that right now, only the right front only is engaging. When accelerating into snow, it will not track and will pull off to the right. I bet it has always been this way since we have owned it (about 30k miles). Have had it about or 7 years. It does not really get driven that much. I read some of the personal postings/accounts about how well the 4 wheel drive works in the Pathfinder. Kind of like what you mentioned. That has not been the case with this one. I have an old blue extended cab HB, that I feed cattle with and it does much better (only a 4cyl). It is very rough though and is not road worthy at this point. 

Initially, my wife bought the Pathfinder and drove it a couple of years. She goes 13 miles on back roads to work. She used it about a year and a half and switched to a Buick Lesabre. Said the Pathfinder sucked dust and the windows would not go up. Also the dome light wouldn't work and it got bad mileage. She has had a few mishaps in the Pathfinder. We had some bad ice and it slid down a hill with no one in it and it hit F 150 truck. Need to get it working right because we have had some record snow falls here recently. Not getting around too well.

I'll take a look at the front left hub and may just order replacements. It has got to do better than it has been doing.


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## Smith1000 (Dec 29, 2005)

I was just outside looking at the hubs. They are the auto free (floating I think it said). With it in 4wd, if I back up and then put it in drive, the front wheels do not spin. The rear wheels will spin on the driveway slope and I can't move forward. If I then hit the brake and stop the wheels completely, the front wheels will then begin spinning upon acceleration and I can get out.

Here's something else though: If I put the automatic transmission in "1" (low), it will not go forward even with the gas pedal all the way to the floor. None of the wheels will spin. I drove it up to the road, turned right and stopped. I put it in reverse and there was hesitation before going into reverse, then kind of a thunk (it went in). From what I recall, it has always hesitated like this on occasion, ever since we have had it. I have noticed though that there seems to be more revving on accelerating from a stop, like something is slipping. I think the tranny is on its way out and second, I believe the auto hubs are causing problems to? Does this sound like the case?


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## Wilbar (Aug 19, 2009)

Yes it does, but usually you can fix that issue by just repacking front hubs or ya just put manual Warn manual hubs on..........as for your tranny not sure does it have an external cooler cause i think 87-95 you wanted to install external tranny cooler and bypass the whole tranny coooler that runs into the radiator cause it clogs up easy and then can burn up your tranny


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## Smith1000 (Dec 29, 2005)

It has an external cooler, but it is whatever came on it. Sounds like the tranny is on its way out. I changed the fluid shortly after purchasing it. We have only put 25,0000 on it since we have owned it. It has 119k on it now. Sure wish I had stayed away from the automatic. I imagine a rebuild would run about 2,000, or more.


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## Wilbar (Aug 19, 2009)

Well if you mean it goes into your radiator that also cools your engine then no you don't have an external cooler which is what clogs up and burns out your tranny---you need to bypass that and use external cooler--buying one from a Auto parts or getting one from junkyard---there was guy that used two Ford Explorer coolers---there not very big in size---id do that and mine started acting up and i used a half of a can of Seafoam Trans-Tune-up which cleared but mine was more just sticking if your tranny fluid is already looking brown then may be to late---your probably looking at 800-1500 bucks for a rebuild--what i was quote while back when i thought i need repaired but was able cure itself with Seafoam Tranny Tune-up


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## Wilbar (Aug 19, 2009)

Smith1000 said:


> I was just outside looking at the hubs. They are the auto free (floating I think it said). With it in 4wd, if I back up and then put it in drive, the front wheels do not spin. The rear wheels will spin on the driveway slope and I can't move forward. If I then hit the brake and stop the wheels completely, the front wheels will then begin spinning upon acceleration and I can get out.
> 
> Here's something else though: If I put the automatic transmission in "1" (low), it will not go forward even with the gas pedal all the way to the floor. None of the wheels will spin. I drove it up to the road, turned right and stopped. I put it in reverse and there was hesitation before going into reverse, then kind of a thunk (it went in). From what I recall, it has always hesitated like this on occasion, ever since we have had it. I have noticed though that there seems to be more revving on accelerating from a stop, like something is slipping. I think the tranny is on its way out and second, I believe the auto hubs are causing problems to? Does this sound like the case?


Sounds like its going into Limp-mode(Fail-Safe) which ya somethings wrong with your tranny and puts it in like i think 3rd gear only...... is there any lights like your OD(Overdrive) light flashing when you first start it? If not then you probably need A/T Computer checked for error codes but probably not good that reverse is acting up cause thats first signs of transmission to fail altogether unless it like pressure line solenoid that pushs the fluid i think thats what it is---mine came with the factory service manual so got the complete rebuild instructions


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## Smith1000 (Dec 29, 2005)

You're right. It doesn't have an external cooler. I just crawled under and looked. The lines run to the bottom of the radiator. I thought it had a cooler. For some reason, I thought all of them came from the factory with external coolers. Looks like I'm pretty much hosed on the tranny. If I could get the tranny rebuilt for 1,500 and put on an external cooler, I might be better off than buying a different 4x4. I'll have to think about that. The engine is still good (I believe). It has low mileage at 119k. I have an 89 4x4 HB with a 3.0 6cyl. Could I drop the engine and tranny from this truck into a 95 Pathfinder? The truck is a 5 speed. Maybe I could convert the PF to a manual then send the HB to the junkyard. It is fairly rusty.


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## Wilbar (Aug 19, 2009)

im surely it can be done, i think theres other thread about trying it, you might want to try searching see how others have been successful.............ya only thing that you could try is getting cheap external cooler from junkyard and try changing the filter and fluid see if that helps any


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## piste (Dec 23, 2009)

*Not as well as I'd like..*

I have a 97 SE and am original owner. It has never done as well as I'd like/expect since the day I got it. Now mind you my reference point is my prior 1984 Bronco with 32 All Terrain's on it...that baby would go through 2 feet of unplowed without skipping a beat. The Pathy can't come close. Also I'm on my second set of tires...about to go to my third...and looking at General Grabbers as they've been rated well. But my gut says that the Pathy is just not a GREAT snow vehicle..BTW...mines a stick shift and stick 4WD. It's a GOOD snow vehicle...just not a great one at all. All around still very happy with the vehicle....but getting through the snow is not one it's strong points...IMO anyway based on my last 12+ years of experience with it.


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## Smith1000 (Dec 29, 2005)

Interesting. I would tend to think that narrower tires would do better in snow. Years ago, we used to occasionally use a Ford Bronco "Cub", I believe it was called, to get over to check some fences that we could not easily access unless we walked. It had a short pick up bed on it. I think the top came off. It did very well in mud and snow. My old Scout would really go through the snow. It was fairly heavy though and had a 345 V8. It had a "limited slip" rear end. I drove it for years until the body fell apart. My wife drove a Jeep CJ7 for quite awhile. It did not do well in snow. I got it stuck more than once. I recall sliding down hill backwards. The thing would spin around because the front end was so much heavier than the back end. There was no back end to speak of. Going forward in snow, it was all over the place. We still have it, but only drive it in the summer as it has no top. Thanks for your input. I have experienced the same with the Pathfinder.


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## guinnessmike (Dec 20, 2006)

I have a 95' SE 4x4 and I think it is awsome in the snow. During my winter camping trip 2 years ago I was pulling my buddies F-150 up the hill in 10" of snow because he couldn't make it. Good tires are key (I have Yokohama Geolander AT-S's on the stock lego wheels) and of course, as you found out, putting power to all 4 tires is even more important. My autolock hubs gave me a lot of trouble as well. I repacked them twice and still had problems with them working consistantly so I bought a set of Warn 29091 Hubs (although if I remember correct they are 28 spline, something to check). I am very happy with them, the only issue was modifying the center caps to fit the slightly larger hub diameter. A hole saw and dremel did the job pretty easy.


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## piste (Dec 23, 2009)

guinnessmike said:


> I have a 95' SE 4x4 and I think it is awsome in the snow. During my winter camping trip 2 years ago I was pulling my buddies F-150 up the hill in 10" of snow because he couldn't make it. Good tires are key (I have Yokohama Geolander AT-S's on the stock lego wheels) and of course, as you found out, putting power to all 4 tires is even more important. My autolock hubs gave me a lot of trouble as well. I repacked them twice and still had problems with them working consistantly so I bought a set of Warn 29091 Hubs (although if I remember correct they are 28 spline, something to check). I am very happy with them, the only issue was modifying the center caps to fit the slightly larger hub diameter. A hole saw and dremel did the job pretty easy.


IIRC there was a design change between 95 and 97...maybe it was a change for the worse in some ways....Appreciate the info on the Geolanders...Running the Michelin LTXs right now and was never happy with their snow traction ...so they gave me the rougher ride of an AT tire but not the traction I expect. So leaning to Highway All season next time around...Was thinking Goodyear tripletreds...but now leaning to Gen'l Grabbers. I agree tire selection matters a lot...but in the end ...some vehicles inherently do better than others in the snow. Even with limited slip diff have always been able to spin em on a hill in the rain in 2WD with the LTXs....on the plus side...I'm a few thousand short of 100K miles on one set of tires.


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## Wilbar (Aug 19, 2009)

guinnessmike said:


> I have a 95' SE 4x4 and I think it is awsome in the snow. During my winter camping trip 2 years ago I was pulling my buddies F-150 up the hill in 10" of snow because he couldn't make it. Good tires are key (I have Yokohama Geolander AT-S's on the stock lego wheels) and of course, as you found out, putting power to all 4 tires is even more important. My autolock hubs gave me a lot of trouble as well. I repacked them twice and still had problems with them working consistantly so I bought a set of Warn 29091 Hubs (although if I remember correct they are 28 spline, something to check). I am very happy with them, the only issue was modifying the center caps to fit the slightly larger hub diameter. A hole saw and dremel did the job pretty easy.


Ya id have to agree tires differently are a big key in getting around well and when you have Limited Slip makes it even better........Ya ive never seen such a crappy Autolock hubs and seem like most Pathy owners find it best to just switch over to manual hubs.....ive own other vehicles like my 1991 Chevy truck that never had any kind of issues with autohubs locking in


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## TuffguyF4i (Nov 8, 2006)

My '01 pathy with Kumo all terrains has always been amazing in the snow. I have gone through drifts that are 2-3' tall. Nothing has slowed it down and it tracks well and is an absolute blast to powerslide in snow!


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## 98 patty (Jun 9, 2007)

i love my 98 auto! had a manual k5 blazer, it sucked! always breaking traction getin stuck.


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## KeineLust90 (Jan 18, 2010)

My 2000 Pathy SE once got stuck in my driveway (I didn't shovel for a week, and I live in Buffalo; if you watch the news ever, you know that we're known for two things: wings and snow). I thought she was down for the count, but then I popped it into 4Lo and Holy God did it drive like there was nothing at all.

...this was with off brand touring tires...


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## Hawkman (Jan 7, 2008)

My '95 SE automatic has been *TERRIBLE* in snow 
I put new Dunlop RV tires on it last year an I still feel very unsafe, because I keep going sideways and getting stuck in places with little ice or snow.
Being a very experienced driver has helped me avoid certain accidents, but I have never been so dissatisfied with a vehicle like this. 
I don't know why I still even like this truck, but I do! My other problems include: tranny, various sensors, 4X4 never works right and now I've discovered I'm missing a part in a hub!? Starter relay went on it and then starter itself, and overall, the past two years I have cursed more than necessary behind the wheel. 
For the record, I'll be 50 years old in two days, have owned more than 30 cars and have literally driven more than 500 cars and trucks. This is my first (and possibly last) Pathfinder but I have owned 3 other Nissans before. Sorry to say this on a Nissan Forum, but.... NOTHING beats a Toyota...


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## guinnessmike (Dec 20, 2006)

Let's face, based on the posts in this thread, everyone opinion of what is "good" in the snow is relative. If you are you in 1" of slush or 10" of powder makes a huge difference, as does tire manuf/size/wear, and most importantly are all 4 wheels getting power. Hawkman, if you are missing part of your hub you might as well be in 2wd, and in that case a Pathfinder (especially if not equipt with a Limited slip differential) is as bad as Ford Crown Vic. Having a bubble-shapped T or a Nissan sun on your grill has little to do with a vehicle handles the white stuff. Only when you start getting into hard core off-roading and talking locking differentials, weight distribution, CG, etc. is when you start to see any difference between one brand vs. another.


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## MattyDK23 (Nov 30, 2007)

To start: 03 Pathy, 4WD, Nokian Hakkas.

Powder: I don't do much off-roading, mostly paved roads, so I rarely see more than 6" - 8" of it. Did take a drive around the acreage with about 12" of powder to tow a trailer into the backyard, at no point did I have my tires spin. Never been stuck with the Pathy.

Packed snow: Good traction on it, but with all the tire ruts it's a bumpy ride for sure.

Ice: Decent acceleration, OK control when sliding. Auto 4x4 takes a half-second to kick in when I'm sliding, you can feel it. Not a great stopping distance, but then again it's a 4500 pound SUV. The Hakkas did improve stopping distance a lot compared to stock all-seasons. If I was really worried about ice I would have paid an extra $80 and had my tires studded, but that would have got really annoying since I drive on the highways so much.


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## pathfinder03 (Feb 2, 2010)

03 Pathfinder LE 4x4 here... 

Anyone have much experience with a similar Pathfinder? Haven't had it for very long, but I'm taking it skiing this weekend and am curious to see how it does. I'm the 2nd owner and I was a little disappointed to find out it doesn't have traction control or limited slip, so I was wondering how the 4x4 performed without them. Also, how quick is the response on the Auto mode? Do you recommend looking it in 4HI or do you usually keep it in Auto?

Sorry for all the questions in one post, and thanks in advance for your help!!


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## MattyDK23 (Nov 30, 2007)

pathfinder03 said:


> 03 Pathfinder LE 4x4 here...
> 
> Anyone have much experience with a similar Pathfinder? Haven't had it for very long, but I'm taking it skiing this weekend and am curious to see how it does. I'm the 2nd owner and I was a little disappointed to find out it doesn't have traction control or limited slip, so I was wondering how the 4x4 performed without them. Also, how quick is the response on the Auto mode? Do you recommend looking it in 4HI or do you usually keep it in Auto?
> 
> Sorry for all the questions in one post, and thanks in advance for your help!!


Psst... look at the post right before yours... 

And to answer your questions on auto mode...

(a) like I said above, it's about a half a second before I feel it kick into 4Hi.
(b) I usually keep it in auto on snowy pavement. I'll switch it to 4Hi if a road is exceptionally slippery/icy, if I want to take a corner faster than I should, or if I'm going down a side / residential road that has a ton of powder and the plows haven't come by.


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## piste (Dec 23, 2009)

guinnessmike said:


> Let's face, based on the posts in this thread, everyone opinion of what is "good" in the snow is relative. If you are you in 1" of slush or 10" of powder makes a huge difference, as does tire manuf/size/wear, and most importantly are all 4 wheels getting power. Hawkman, if you are missing part of your hub you might as well be in 2wd, and in that case a Pathfinder (especially if not equipt with a Limited slip differential) is as bad as Ford Crown Vic. Having a bubble-shapped T or a Nissan sun on your grill has little to do with a vehicle handles the white stuff. Only when you start getting into hard core off-roading and talking locking differentials, weight distribution, CG, etc. is when you start to see any difference between one brand vs. another.


Mostly true. opinions are relative but performance is not...problem is this forum is not a scientific performance evaluation...so we are left with relative opinions. Some folks have extensive experience driving many vehicles over decades...and for some the Pathy might be the first and only vehicle they ever drove. Yes type of snow does matter. Yes tires matter...A LOT. However if you mean to say that there is no intrinsic difference in snow performance across vehicles....all other things being equal... that is simply not true. There are many design factors that will influence snow/ice performance without getting into hard core off roading. Just a few examples include weight distribution, 4WD system design, center of gravity, ground clearance, gearing, torque, etc. 

To reiterate a prior post...I have a fair amount of driving experience over a number of decades including other 4WD vehicles. I have had 2 sets of tires on my 97 Pathy SE with "off road" package and I am orig owner. I still like my Pathy a lot...but IMO it's snow/ice/rain performance falls FAR short of my expectations. Maybe it's been mostly the tires...we'll see as I'm about to put on my third set...and after a boatload of research I'm going with General Grabbers unless I find a reason real soon to do otherwise. Reading about these Nokians but they don't exist as far as tire rack is concerned?? If they only come in winter tires then that is not an option for me.


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## MattyDK23 (Nov 30, 2007)

piste said:


> Maybe it's been mostly the tires...we'll see as I'm about to put on my third set...and after a boatload of research I'm going with General Grabbers unless I find a reason real soon to do otherwise. Reading about these Nokians but they don't exist as far as tire rack is concerned?? If they only come in winter tires then that is not an option for me.


Ignorance is bliss?

Nokians come in all-season and winter varieties. Many of their all-season tires are severe service rated, so they'd be decently good in the winter, though obviously not as good as their dedicated winter tires.

Check out their website... Nokian Tyres North America

In particular, you may be interested in something like the Vatiiva M/T, an offroading tire that still does better than most on the ice and snow. Or you can opt for the WR G2 SUV, an all-season tire for the street that's severe service rated (mountain/snowflake symbol).

Perhaps you can't find them on tirerack, but there's more than one place to buy tires. You do pay a premium for Nokians, but when it comes to winter driving and the prevention of accidents, I say the extra $500 or so these tires cost is worth it.

Edit: I guess I should mention that I got my Nokian Hakkas from http://stores.ebay.ca/TiresByWeb for $1000 less than what local retailers wanted for them ($800 vs. $1800), though right now it seems their stock is very limited.


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## piste (Dec 23, 2009)

MattyDK23,
Thanks for that info. Kind of interesting....neither TireRack nor Consumer Reports has anything about the Nokians....I take that only for what it's worth...but can't help to wonder why not? Anyway....Checked the Nokian site and neither of those tires come in my orig equipment size of 265/70-15. I don't mind spending up for quality especially when it comes to tires. I definitely don't want anything more aggressive than all season....last time went with the Michelin LTX's with the desire to sacrifice a little comfort for traction...but ended up disappointed on both fronts. And though I ski a lot most of my driving is on dry roads so won't make that mistake again. My preferred local dealer has info about Nokians. Will have to have a chat with them. Thanks again for the info.


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## piste (Dec 23, 2009)

Hawkman said:


> My '95 SE automatic has been *TERRIBLE* in snow
> I put new Dunlop RV tires on it last year an I still feel very unsafe, because I keep going sideways and getting stuck in places with little ice or snow.
> Being a very experienced driver has helped me avoid certain accidents, but I have never been so dissatisfied with a vehicle like this.
> I don't know why I still even like this truck, but I do! My other problems include: tranny, various sensors, 4X4 never works right and now I've discovered I'm missing a part in a hub!? Starter relay went on it and then starter itself, and overall, the past two years I have cursed more than necessary behind the wheel.
> For the record, I'll be 50 years old in two days, have owned more than 30 cars and have literally driven more than 500 cars and trucks. This is my first (and possibly last) Pathfinder but I have owned 3 other Nissans before. Sorry to say this on a Nissan Forum, but.... NOTHING beats a Toyota...


No worries...we can take the heat!! The two most important functions of any vehicle are go and stop. So if you want a vehicle that goes only when you want it to and stops when you need it to...ANYTHING beats a Toyota!!! 

The stuff hitting the news this week is only the beginning....the antilock brake problem extends beyond the Prius...stay tuned.....you heard it here first!!

For the record I'm right about your age....and very much agree with your snow performance assessment of the Pathy.


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