# 2001 Pathfinder Repairs are slamming me



## binar01011 (Aug 1, 2010)

Fellow Forum Members,
I have a 2001 Pathfinder with 102,500 miles. It's been a reliable car for the most part, but recently it's taken a turn for the worst. My goal with this post is to see if anyone out there driving the same year Pathfinder has experienced in the past the same problems I have recently experienced. This will help me out a lot in deciding whether I should put any more money into it.

PROBLEM #1 - Three weeks ago my Temperature gauge started indicating my engine was overheating and also my "Service Engine Soon" warning light turned on. I took it to my Nissan Dealer (Reed Nissan) and the problem was diagnosed as being that the Tube Assembly was leaking coolant due to faulty seals. The transmission had to be lowered to change these faulty seals and this made it a very expensive job. The service tech advised I also take care of the following:
Change Valve Cover Gaskets
Change all Spark Plugs
Change Transmission Main Seal
At the end of all this I got slammed with a $2,500 repair bill. Since I happen to be out of a job this really hurts and I had no choice but to put it on my credit card.

PROBLEM #2 - Three weeks have gone by since my last problem, and today my Pathfinder won't start. I turn the key, and hear the engine roll over and over but it won't fire. The fuel gauge needle goes up the dashboard lights turn on and buzzers go off as it normally does but the engine won't start when I turn the key all of the way forward. I suspected it may be a faulty battery (since it's close to 3 years old) therefore I replaced it with a brand new one today and I still have the same problem. The engine won't start. Moreover, I read a post here that sometimes the ignition key loses its programming and this will prevent the engine from starting. I tried out my spare ignition key and still my Pathfinder does not start. Through another post in this forum, I have read that the fuel pumps never go bad in a Pathfinder. Is this true? If it is not true, can the reason my Pathfinder's engine doesn't fireup be because of a faulty fuel pump? What puzzles me is that this latest problem came out of nowhere. One day it was working fine, and now it's not. 

Are these type of problems common or uncommon with a 2001 Pathfinder that has a 102,500 miles on it?

I would appreciate hearing from anyone out there with any theories on how I could fix this engine won't start problem, because I don't want to take it back to my Reed Nissan dealer and get slamned with another big repair bill. Any info will be appreciated. Thanks.


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## missmia (Aug 2, 2010)

*I have read that the fuel pumps never go bad in a Pathfinder. Is this true?*

From experience with my 92 Pathfinder, I can tell you that fuel pumps do go bad in pathfinders. 
Just in the process of replacing the fuel pump in mine for the 3rd time in 7 years.
I am not a mechanic but my experience with faulty fuel pump.....
Car running normally on petrol then next day go out to start her up and cannot get it to kick over.
So start her up on Gas... no problem. When I try and start it on petrol, fuel level indicator works, ignition works, everything works, when you turn it over and it tries to fire up just cant cause its not getting any fuel.
When i have it running on Gas and switch it over to petrol, it tries to keep running but you can hear its not getting any fuel and then just dies.
We think the reason the fuel pump keeps dying is because of debris (rusty stuff) in fuel tank, thought it was cleaned out well last time fuel pump replaced but maybe not... so will be replacing fuel tank this time also.

if you do go down this path (replacing fuel pump) word of advice - called supercheap auto they quoted approx $900 for replacement in tank fuel pump, picked on up from supercheap online OEM in tank fuel pump for $133. 
now just have to put it in.

could also be fuel line prob or fuel filter prob / blockage?... 
hope this is of some help.


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## 05Pathfindr (May 21, 2010)

That really sucks to hear about your problems and all I can suggest is to bring it to a private shop to save on labour and part costs. Or even better try and find someone who can help you out for a few beers. 

Good luck with the car and the job hunt.


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## binar01011 (Aug 1, 2010)

*Followup*



missmia said:


> if you do go down this path (replacing fuel pump) word of advice - called supercheap auto they quoted approx $900 for replacement in tank fuel pump, picked on up from supercheap online OEM in tank fuel pump for $133.
> now just have to put it in.


Thanks to all for their post.

Missmia,
Can you please clarify the last paragraph you wrote shown above as a quote. Is the link below correct?

Supercheap Auto - car accessories,car navigation systems,roof racks,seat covers and much much more - Supercheap Auto

They seem to be located in Australia (I'm in Florida). Is the $133 you mention actually in Austrialian dollars?

Just curious to know more specifics on this great deal you got for a tank fuel pump for your Pathfinder. 
Cheers


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## missmia (Aug 2, 2010)

*fuel pump from supercheap*

Hi Mate,
yeah thats the link to their site, yes they are located in Australia and the price is in Australian dollars.
I purchased fuel pump online and received via post 3 days later.
this is the link to their parts guide and online store Supercheap Auto Car Parts Guide. Search over 200,000 car parts online. 

In my instance i select Make> Nissan Model> pathfinder Category> fuel Sub Category> fuel pumps and parts then click show parts.
the first result is what the guys in the store quoted me, naturally most expensive first.
scroll to the very bottom - part number is IFP970.
my fuel pump is located inside the tank... this is not always the case for other make/models. 
supercheap parts guide is quite a handy little tool to determine parts.. you do need to know your car build year and month to ensure your selecting the correct part for your car.

I nearly died when the guys in the store told me $900
But at $133 with my husband installing it... a relatively cheap fix at the end of the day.
cheers, mia


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## supraholic (Nov 21, 2005)

First off, I would make sure the battery terminals are clean and tight.. check for fuses.. especially the EFI fuse. check for codes if you can get hold of a code reader. make sure no wiring connections came loose after the repair.. I would take the plastic cover off on top of the engine, and make sure all the grounding points on wiring harness are connected tight.. the mechanic had to remove all that to get to the valve cover gasket job they did..


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## quandary (Jul 6, 2007)

My pathfinder is 2000 (I think 2001 was the year they changed the truck). With 325,000 kms, i have not had the same problems.


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## ya472 (Feb 10, 2010)

Let's be a little realistic here..

102,000 miles on a nine year old vehicle which originally cost $22,000 and you had to spend $2,500 ?

Replacement cost is ?????????????

Let's just say that two, maybe three months payments on a New 2011 Pathfinder would cover the incidental repair costs of $2500.

Yeah, it sucks, but really, what are the options ?

I love my Pathy, with 72.000 miles. (so far)


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