So I need a vehicle for work in the city and there is a 2001 Pathfinder in my town for $3500, 260,000 km's, lady driven, kept us with servicing or so they say, this seems like a great deal to me but it also seems a little too good to be true. I found a good link on here for a check list of things to check so I won't bother asking that unless you guys have some other tips for me.

But I was wondering more about when the back seats are folded down, do they lay flat? Could a 5'10" guy comfortably sleep back there?

And does anyone know when a timing chain would have been due for replacement?

And do those kilometers seem high 260K, what would be the average lifespan for one of those motors?

Knowing what I know now about the pathfinders, I would not buy one unless you check this very single thing : power valve screws.

Don`t get me wrong. I love my truck and it has been extremely reliable to me. basically never had a breakdown. The fact that the previous owner was the wife of a infiniti head mechanic did help though. Everything on it had been done the right way (coils, maf, power valve screws, recalss, etc...)


i'm at 235000km on it and the engine/trans are all original and running very strong . No cliks in the engine and no misses in the trans. I religiously change the trans, diff and transfer case oil after I went in deep water. So My truck has new oil in it probably 2-3 times every year. I'm sure I can do 300,000 to 400,00 km with this drivetrain. That`s how confident i'm with this truck. Ho, yes,, and I trail the sh*t out of it each time I get a chance... so I can only imagine if you keep it on the road on 2wd.!

To get back on the power valve screws... Like I said, If I was to buy one, I would personnaly spend the money on having a mechanic look (and show me) if all the screws are there... If they are not, I WOULD NOT BUY IT ! and gladly pay the guy while I say thank you for preventing from buying a truck that would have probably cost me a fortune in engine replacement down the line. If all the screws are there, I would pay the extra money to have them locktite then reassemble.

Then if the rest of the truck in ok, I would buy it... The screws are a real show stopper. A rebuild engine will cost you more than the entire truck... so a small ammount of money can save you alot ... It`s prbably a 2 hour job...and it`s worth every penny...before you buy !

for the timing chain, this thing as an auto adjuster I beleive. This thing will simply not die.. so no worry there.


For the rear seats.I don`t recal if they fold completly flat, but when I go trailing, I simply remove the lower seat (where you put your bottom !), with a simple ratchet. It`s two bolts and 2 minutes to remove, and then you can fold the other part completely flat and gain a good 4-5 inch more. When I do multiple days trail, I have a setup where a full queen size inflatable matress fits no problem and I sleep better in there then in my house bed sometimes : here`s a picture, . You do not see fully inside, but it works great :

http://www.flickr.com/photos/41982847@N ... 182115981/

hope you will not buy it before checking the valve screws.. (forgot to say.. these screws only exists in the automatic version... So I assumed it was)

Steve.

I forgot to mention it is a manual...So I wouldn't need to worry about those screws then? Whats the deal with those screws they fall out on their own or something?

bushwacker wrote:I forgot to mention it is a manual...So I wouldn't need to worry about those screws then? Whats the deal with those screws they fall out on their own or something?

yep no worries if manual, cause the power valves assembly is not present on manuals.

Yes they do fall down by themselves because of the vibration. And since they are directly linked to the intake, you can only imagine what a copper screw can do to the cylinder walls or valves... not fun..

For you truck, make sure you can switch between all modes of the 4x4 (hi and lo) and that no lights (4x4) flashes... Also, at that kind of km on it, reserve some money to do a full flush of all your fluids (transfer case, diffs, trans, and engine), This is a sure way of starting fresh and being sure that no problem will arise caused by contaminated and old oils..

3500$... good deal.. good for you .

S.

Thanks for the info! Yeah I was going to do a full fluid change anyways. I'm stoked.

One more question. Is there any know issues for front end pull? The steering wheel seems to rest turned a bit to the right, but it tracks fairly straight, maybe pulls a bit to the right but that might have been from the road. Definitely goes left if I hold the wheel so it's straight on.
Had a similar issue with my toyota pickup when I went thru a mud hole and hit a big rock I couldn't see. Needed a bunch of front end work afterward. But the guy kept telling me it wasn't in an accident and lady driven yadayadaya.

The tires a re a little on the older side so it's kind of hard to tell if they are worn from misalignment. Hopefully all it will need is an alignment to correct this.

But otherwise it's really clean under the hood, little wretched up in the drivers seat and the arm rest but no biggie, wow what a quiet smooth riding vehicle. I really like it.

no issues that i'm aware of.. these truck uses the rack and pignon which is very dependable. you might need an alignment..... and might need to change the tie-rods.. if you plan on doing any trail with it, go for the moog (they are garanteed for life)...so it will be the last set you'll buy.. make sure to change both the inner and outer tie-rods on both side... a good alignment and you'll be worry free for a long time...

now post some pictures !..

S.

Don't think I can afford tie rods for a month or two, and I had a bad experience with moog ball joints on my toyota, I'll keep it OEM if I can help it.

And don't worry I will post some pics once I buy the sucker.

I have had a 5spd manual 2001 Pathy since new, now coming up on 10 years, and I love this little truck. It's been nearly bulletproof. It now has over 105,000 miles on it and has never needed any repairs. Based on reliability, I would buy another one in a heartbeat.