# Cracked exhaust manifold



## maxhauser (Sep 21, 2005)

I have 1996 Nissan Pathfinder that I have owned since 2001. I have liked the SUV so far. Back in April, my mechanic informed me that he saw a minor crack in the manifold. He suggested I get it worked on or it would get worse. Guess what... he was right. Now everyone thinks I have a bad muffler. Not true, I could probably buff a shine into that metal.

My main question is, how much am I looking at for fixing replacing the exhaust manifold. I have checked a few Pathfinder forums and found that this is a common problem. Is this a repair I could do myself over a weekend? And the biggest question of all, is it worth it? A '96 Pathfinder with 102K miles. The air bag light periodically blinks and the check engine light will make an appearance every now and again. The check engine light is due to a valve that causes a hesitation when shifting between gears(based on my mechanic's printout of the error code). When the hesitation occurs, the light goes on. I barely notice it when it occurs.

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. I would ask at the dealer but the only two in my area make P.T. Barnum look like a philanthropist. Good mechanics here are like honest user car salesmen.


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## Animal (Mar 25, 2005)

Welcome to the forums and the clan of Pathfinders with leaky manifolds. The manifolds are $43-$65 at Rock Auto (cheap compared to what I saw for my '92 elsewhere) and gaskets are generally something like $10-$20. I can only guess how much labor will be. You don't sound like you want to or are able to do this yourself, so, try calling a reputable muffler shop (if you can find one). Ask if you can supply the parts, some will not guarantee the work unless they use their parts.


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## DvBennett (Aug 19, 2005)

I had to repair a cracked manifold when I was getting it safetied.. it cost me about $500. (Parts & Labour)

I think it would be a good fix. There was a major improvement in acceleration, so overall I saved on gas.


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## dkpath96 (Sep 9, 2005)

Got mine done along with timing belt for $500, I supplied the manifold and gaskets (from rock auto) but not the timing belt.


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## architectdave (Aug 29, 2005)

dkpath96 said:


> Got mine done along with timing belt for $500, I supplied the manifold and gaskets (from rock auto) but not the timing belt.



There is a recall related to Exhaust manifolds my 97 was a candiddate for this before i bought it and when i got the history from Nissan of America they informed me it had been fixed. IM not sure if this is the same issue but its worth checking out. If you cant get any info call Nissan of America and give them all your info they can tell you if any recalls apply.

side note....my egr valve body broke where it meets the exhaust gas pipe..the dealer wants 400-600 for that repair.


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## maxhauser (Sep 21, 2005)

Animal said:


> Welcome to the forums and the clan of Pathfinders with leaky manifolds. The manifolds are $43-$65 at Rock Auto (cheap compared to what I saw for my '92 elsewhere) and gaskets are generally something like $10-$20. I can only guess how much labor will be. You don't sound like you want to or are able to do this yourself, so, try calling a reputable muffler shop (if you can find one). Ask if you can supply the parts, some will not guarantee the work unless they use their parts.


Thanks for the link. My mechanic is the manager at a Midas muffler shop. He did not want to touch it at all. But he has referred me to a mechanic up the road. So far, the new mechanic seems to know what he was talking about and was able to describe the issues with Pathfinders' manifolds in detail. As soon as I find out what is wrong, I will post a response.


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## maxhauser (Sep 21, 2005)

architectdave said:


> There is a recall related to Exhaust manifolds my 97 was a candiddate for this before i bought it and when i got the history from Nissan of America they informed me it had been fixed. IM not sure if this is the same issue but its worth checking out. If you cant get any info call Nissan of America and give them all your info they can tell you if any recalls apply.
> 
> side note....my egr valve body broke where it meets the exhaust gas pipe..the dealer wants 400-600 for that repair.


I checked the NHTSA web site and found two recalls for my '96 but none for the '97. The recalls were for the carpet padding possibly locking my foot under the pedals and the steering fluid becoming viscous in low temps. It can get cold here in the mid-Atlantic but not -30.


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## architectdave (Aug 29, 2005)

maxhauser said:


> I checked the NHTSA web site and found two recalls for my '96 but none for the '97. The recalls were for the carpet padding possibly locking my foot under the pedals and the steering fluid becoming viscous in low temps. It can get cold here in the mid-Atlantic but not -30.



They did some sort of manifold - exhaust recall on my 97 4x4se...dont remember what it was. I would suggest you call nissan of america. If any recall work was evre done on your truck or should ahve been they can tell you.

d


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## lewisnc100 (Apr 25, 2003)

It wasn't a recall, but an extended warranty. The warranty went out to 100k miles and 100 months. It covered VIN numbers in the range JN8AR05***W236759. My local dealership denied the warranty and I had to work through Nissan corporate to get it covered on my 97.


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## DvBennett (Aug 19, 2005)

lewisnc100 said:


> It wasn't a recall, but an extended warranty. The warranty went out to 100k miles and 100 months. It covered VIN numbers in the range JN8AR05***W236759. My local dealership denied the warranty and I had to work through Nissan corporate to get it covered on my 97.


Is it just me or is it really a huge hassle to get them (car companies) to hold up their end up the bargain regarding warranties?


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## maxhauser (Sep 21, 2005)

*Here's the Verdict*

I got a call from the new mechanic this morning. It was worse than he imagined. The exhaust manifold was cracked in half. For parts and labor, he quoted me $550. That is in the ballpark of what was posted here and in other forums.


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## DvBennett (Aug 19, 2005)

maxhauser said:


> I got a call from the new mechanic this morning. It was worse than he imagined. The exhaust manifold was cracked in half. For parts and labor, he quoted me $550. That is in the ballpark of what was posted here and in other forums.


Hmm, that's about what I paid last year.


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