Pathfinder V6 Spark Plug DIY guide

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dawgn86
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Postby dawgn86 » Mon Feb 01, 2016 5:05 pm

love a good spark plug change story on these engines :)


00pathySE
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Postby 00pathySE » Mon May 02, 2016 9:27 am

Thanks for the writeup. Changed my plugs with OE plugs using this guide. Didn't completely remove the intake but just enough to get the wrench and socket in there using angles. Wasn't as daunting as I originally thought. Also gave the throttle body a spray as well while I was in there but didn't touch it at all. Had no issues afterwards. The plugs were definitely original at 119k miles.

Also found this video which was helpful:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Az_RRynnb7U

coatseast
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Postby coatseast » Wed Feb 20, 2019 5:36 pm

smj999smj wrote:The Iridium IX is a good plug, but it is the "economy" iridium plug in the NGK line-up, similar to the G-platinums versus the Laser platinums. Their premium iridium plug is the OE Laser Iridium.
Hi first post. Thanks for your sharing of knowledge and experience. Actually second post after my intro message.

Do you have a source (online) or auto store you recommend. Just got a 2011 pathfinder with 100,000 miles. I want to do a full service. plugs, brake pads, fluids (maybe lines), all fluids. Add some air bladders to the back springs. I think that's it.

Any pointer on wisdom on which fluids/parts to use for this. I have never worked on my own cars but since buying and working on my two motorcycles (active on ADVRIDER) I really enjoy it. Plus I have a buddy with a lift that can help and I want to get to know the truck.

This started with looking for plugs. I found these on Amazon but I don't think they are the Lasers.

https://www.amazon.com/NGK-Iridium-Spar ... op?ie=UTF8

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smj999smj
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Postby smj999smj » Thu Feb 21, 2019 12:46 pm

The plugs you linked to are Irdium IX plugs, which are the same Nissan uses in its Value Line spark plugs. They are a good plug and will work fine, but they usually last around 60,000-70,000 miles...and short of the replacement interval of 105,000 miles. Your original plugs from the factory are Laser Iridiums, NGK # 93759. A less costly option that will still last 105,000 miles is the Laser Platinum NGK # 6240.

There are a number of sources I use for parts. Rockauto.com is a good source online. They carry the NGK plugs plus a large assortment of brake parts, air filters, cabin filters and whatever else you need that's not a factory specific parts. Try to stick with reputable brands and preferably OE parts suppliers to Nissan, like Hitachi, KYB, NTK and NGK, Bando and Aisin. Everyone will have their preferences for oils and filters.

For me and many others, Valvoline Maxlife full-synthetic ATF is great for transmission service, transfer case service and power steering. I get it for $18/gallon jug at Walmart. While there, I also get SuperTech full-synthetic 5W30 for the engine oil, which runs around $17/5-qt. jug. I'll also get diff oil from Walmart, Full-synthetic 75W-90 from either SuperTech or Mobile One.

I usually get my NGK plugs from Advance Auto Parts. I'll purchase them online and pick them up at the store, using an online discount code for 20% off or more. That said, the NGK 93759 isn't always in stock at the one near me. I also got my Airlift 1000 air bags from them, which were ordered online with a discount code and shipped to the house.

I use Pentosin for engine coolant as they make the OE coolant for Nissan. 2011 should be blue coolant, which is Pentosin Pentofrost A3 and is sold as pre-mixed (no adding water). Two gallons should cover a drain and fill. For earlier Pathfinders with green coolant, it's Pentosin Pentofrost A2, which needs to be mixed with a gallon of distilled water (Walmart @ 67 cents).

Air and cabin filters I usually get from Rockauto. Beck-Arnley, Hastings, Wix and Denso are all good brands. ATP and Denso are my usual picks for cabin filters from Rockauto. I also get wiper blades from Rockauto. Last ones I got were Valeo 900-series and they've been great, so far.

As mentioned earlier, Rockauto is a good place for brake parts. Akebono PRO-Act ceramics, Raybestos Element3 Advanced hybrid and Wagner OEX are all good replacement pads. Beck-Arnley uses OE pads which are the same the come from Nissan. An increasingly popular front brake upgrade on V6 Pathfinders is to replace the front brake pads and front brake calipers w/ mounting brackets with those for a V8 Pathfinder; the hoses, master cylinder, steering knuckle, wheel hub and caliper bracket bolts are all the same between the V6 and V8 Pathfinder, so it's a simple, bolt-on swap. The V8 uses a 1" larger diameter rotor.

The fuel filter is part of the fuel pump module in the tank and is not serviced as part of routing maintenance.

For any genuine Nissan parts, I usually shop at NissanPartsDeal.com or CourtesyParts.com. If you have any other questions, just ask!

coatseast
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Thank you

Postby coatseast » Fri Feb 22, 2019 7:16 am

[quote="smj999smj"]... If you have any other questions, just ask![/quote
When i first signed on I saw you had 5000 posts. Wow. Now 5003. The thing is the depth of your replies is phenomenal. Thank you, I will be making a shopping list from this. Glad to find this community.

Matt

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NWPathfinder
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Postby NWPathfinder » Wed Feb 27, 2019 1:38 pm

Yes, thanks for that shopping list. I'm looking at used Pathfinders with higher mileage as I the years I'm looking at are in that bracket. So this is a great list of things to shop for once I actually get one!!!

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V8Pathy
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Postby V8Pathy » Sun Nov 17, 2019 11:35 pm

just installed new spark plugs on my 2008 V8 Pathfinder with 117,000 miles.
the old ones I pulled were NGK IR DILFR5A11 and gapped between 0.37 and 0.40.
I replaced them with new Nissan oem NGK DILFR5A11. They had a smaller gap: between 0.25 and 0.35. not sure why as they are the exact same model.
I bought 8 of them on ebay for $60. did I get counterfeits ? They look legit to me though but the gap is smaller.
Now I feel my engine is idling lower than usual..750rpm vs over a 1,000 before.

I did have the battery disconnected for over an hour though since I was also doing the clock spring. maybe it needs to relearn the idle ?

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palmerwmd
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Postby palmerwmd » Mon Nov 18, 2019 12:06 am

I dunno.. 750 rpm sounds to me like the proper idle for your vehicle..1000 rpm is high...

Did u have your idle raised in the past to accommodate extra electrical accessories?

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V8Pathy
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Postby V8Pathy » Mon Nov 18, 2019 12:10 am

no, SUV is stock other than slightly bigger tires.
I'm surprised at the gap difference between the old ones and the new ones knowing they are the exact same model.

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smj999smj
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Postby smj999smj » Mon Nov 18, 2019 5:36 am

I have purchased counterfeit "genuine Nissan" spark plugs on Ebay, before. It can be really hard to tell them from the "real thing" unless you can really study them up against the genuine article, and even then it can be tough. $60 is really cheap for eight of these plugs. Did they ship from China? If so, I would be suspect. Usually, these plugs come pre-gapped and there is practically no variance from one new plug to the other, so if you are seeing a gap difference between new plugs, it should raise a red flag. That said, being that you had the battery disconnected for that long, it could have an affect on the RPM. Perform an idle air volume relearn.

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V8Pathy
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Postby V8Pathy » Mon Nov 18, 2019 11:54 am

thanks. It seems to behave ok now, maybe had to relearn.
I bought them from U.S. based seller with lots of feedback.
When comparing to the ones I pulled out of my engine they look the same to me.
I will keep monitoring.


seller still has plugs on sale. I bought mine back in February.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Nissan-Titan-A ... 2550499173

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V8Pathy
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Postby V8Pathy » Tue Nov 19, 2019 8:45 pm

ok so idle seems to be back to 650 when not under load. I still experienced what I feel is a "bump" under the seat when idling at a stop light. idle seems to be between 550 and 650 and i feel the "bump" pretty regularly til i start driving. could it be the engine misfiring because of wrong spark plugs gaping ? That's really the only thing I changed.

I ordered 8 new spark plugs from courtesy Nissan. Double the price from ebay, let's see the measurements when I get them.

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V8Pathy
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Postby V8Pathy » Wed Nov 20, 2019 12:00 pm

interesting video on fake NGK spark plugs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lr9J3eQk-kE

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palmerwmd
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Postby palmerwmd » Thu Nov 21, 2019 10:40 am

V8Pathy wrote:ok so idle seems to be back to 650 when not under load. I still experienced what I feel is a "bump" under the seat when idling at a stop light. idle seems to be between 550 and 650 and i feel the "bump" pretty regularly til i start driving. could it be the engine misfiring because of wrong spark plugs gaping ? That's really the only thing I changed.

I ordered 8 new spark plugs from courtesy Nissan. Double the price from ebay, let's see the measurements when I get them.
Thanks for running this down for us.
A lean misfire at idle however is quite common with the VQ series engines.

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V8Pathy
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Postby V8Pathy » Thu Nov 21, 2019 11:34 am

thanks for the feedback. yeah I only feel that slight misfire when idling at a stop light. When driving engine feels strong. That 5.6L really got a good take off on a mid size SUV :)
Courtesy Nissan just shipped my oem spark plugs. I will compare the gap and packaging to the NGK I got on Ebay...


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