I bought my first Pathfinder!

Attack of the unibody snatchers! Styling and handling refined or bland? You decide.

Moderator: volvite

skybluepath
Posts: 1
Joined: Wed Mar 07, 2018 10:53 pm
Location: california

I bought my first Pathfinder!

Postby skybluepath » Wed Mar 07, 2018 11:02 pm

So I bought a 2000 3.3l v6 4x4 sky blue pathfinder. im super happy to have found it it only has 99k miles and the engine sounds really good.

The previous owner did not have the maintenance history and im curious what i should do from here

I bought new spark plugs, oil, oil filter, distributor cap, engine air filter, and differential oil. Going to work on it tomorrow.

I am working on the assumption that the timing belt was not replaced yet, but i wouldn't want to waste my money if it had been. The Nissan service records are hard to track down as they dont seem to be centralized on the main website like Toyota.

any recommendations to look for to see if it was replaced or not?

there is a jangly metallic noise coming from the right front wheel on low speed bumps or little pot holes. im not sure what that means, it seems different than when I've expereiecens bearing issues but im not sure what it is.

suspension seems a little stiff but works fine.

and im worried the transmission revs to high before switching gears. what is a good rpm to expect on this car? or is 3-4k rpm transfers a bad sign.

just trying to see what I should do so that it lasts me another 100k miles! thank you :)


User avatar
smj999smj
Site Admin
Posts: 6054
Joined: Sun Jan 22, 2012 11:13 pm
Location: Prospect, VA

Postby smj999smj » Thu Mar 08, 2018 12:55 pm

The VG33E is an interference engine with a timing belt that should be replaced @ 105,000 miles or every 6-years, whichever comes first. So, unless you are sure it has been replaced, then you should make it a priority. Risking bent valves or worse is simply not worth it! Most do more than just the belt when it comes due, because it is a good time to take care of a few things while the front of the engine is exposed. Usually the belt tensioner pulley, water pump, front crank and cam seals, thermostat and drive belts are addressed. Gates makes a timing belt component kit w/ water pump, which comes with the timing belt, pulley and water pump w/ gasket. Seal and thermostat should be obtained from Nissan. It's also a good time to replace the bypass hose, as it sits behind the rear timing belt cover (stick with Nissan on this part, as well). If you need drive belts, go with Bando brand or genuine Nissan. If you want to stick with OEM coolant, Pentosin Pentafrost A2 coolant is available from multiple sources (as well as genuine Nissan green, of course). Aftermarket coolants are available as well. The thermostat gasket is RTV, which I go with Permatex Ultra Grey.
For ignition parts, always stick with OEM. Genuine Nissan for the cap and rotor and NGK for the spark plugs and wires. Most aftermarket air and fuel filters are fine; the fuel filter is located above the rear axle, FYI.
"Jangly metallic" noises are usually due to loose exhaust shields, so that would be the first place to check. I take a plastic or rubber mallet and hit the exhaust in various places to help track down exhaust rattles.


Return to “1996-2004 Pathfinder (R50)”