1991 Pathfinder

tenderkat · Nov 29th, 2004, 12:02 AM

My father recently sold my husband and me a 1991 Pathfinder that he had bought a while ago. He has no maintenance history, but thought it was in pretty good condition, so we had it shipped out to us because we need a second vehicle. We took it to a Nissan dealer to have it inspected, and they basically told us that it needs a new timing belt, water pump, starter, belts, hoses, brakes, suspension, etc, etc, etc. It has 176, 000 miles on it. The dealer pretty much advised us that even if they did this work, they weren't sure if the engine would combust properly, so they steered us away from doing this, and referred us to their loan department. We can't afford a loan and are somewhat limited in how much we can invest in this Pathfinder, although we really are depending on it because we have a baby on the way. I was hoping that someone could offer their advice and give me some good news on the situation. Is it worth investing in? Approximately how high of mileage are these Pathfinders capable of. If we thought that we could get a significant amount more, well over the 200,000 range, we would be willing to do the necessary repairs. I know this is a long message, but any advice would be greatly appreciated.

**88pathoffroad** · Nov 29th, 2004, 01:08 AM

You can easily get well over 200,000 miles from a Pathfinder if it's well taken care of. Can your husband or a member of your family do some or all of the work for you? If so, then I suggest asking them very nicely to change the timing belt, water pump, brakes, and anything else it needs for you from the goodness of their hearts....it'll save you thousands over dealership repair/maintenance prices. Maybe you could make cookies or something as payment?

Just tackle one project at a time. Used vehicles have a way of consuming way too many dollars very quickly when lots of repairs are attempted at once.

Also: don't just go to one parts store for a price and decide that that's the only price there is in town. SHOP AROUND for parts. A lot of times one store can get you the same exact part for a LOT LESS. Seriously.

Feel free to post back here or on my forums, which are dedicated only to 1987-1995 Pathfinders. We can definitely help.

tenderkat · Nov 29th, 2004, 01:43 PM

Thankyou so much for replying to my post!! I just registered at your forum as well, and I'm sure it will be very helpful. I'll reply back to you here, just so I don't get redundant explaining myself, plus these message boards are new to me, so I'm still getting used to using them. My husband and his friend will probably be able to work on the brakes and suspension a little at a time, but as far as anything that involves engine work, he might screw up. But, I didn't marry him for his mechanical ability

Do you think that it would be better to use a dealer, or just a reputable repair shop for the timing belt, etc? Also, do have any idea what they might mean when they tell me they don't know if it will combust properly after the work is done? I'm assuming that a good mechanic can figure out how to make an engine combust properly, but I'm just a girl, so what do I know. Sorry to be so demanding, but I'm just trying to cover all my bases before I start having the work. Thanks so much for your help.

p.s. I didn't know that these trucks had such good off-road potential. My husband will be very pleased when I tell him he can turn it into an off-road vehicle when I'm done driving it in a year or two. That will beat cookies any day!!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by 88pathoffroad

You can easily get well over 200,000 miles from a Pathfinder if it's well taken care of. Can your husband or a member of your family do some or all of the work for you? If so, then I suggest asking them very nicely to change the timing belt, water pump, brakes, and anything else it needs for you from the goodness of their hearts....it'll save you thousands over dealership repair/maintenance prices. Maybe you could make cookies or something as payment?

Just tackle one project at a time. Used vehicles have a way of consuming way too many dollars very quickly when lots of repairs are attempted at once.

Also: don't just go to one parts store for a price and decide that that's the only price there is in town. SHOP AROUND for parts. A lot of times one store can get you the same exact part for a LOT LESS. Seriously.

Feel free to post back here or on my forums, which are dedicated only to 1987-1995 Pathfinders. We can definitely help.

br2an · Nov 29th, 2004, 08:13 PM

Hi. I bought an older Pathfinder 2 years ago and like you I did not know the maintenance history. It took me a while to restore it to a more reliable form (I did all my own work, just painted it this summer) and this is what I would suggest.

Quote:

The dealer pretty much advised us that even if they did this work, they weren't sure if the engine would combust properly

First, I can only guess here but is the engine running smoothly? Does it miss/backfire or exhaust excessive smoke? To combust properly (I think) simply means to burn the fuel properly inside the engine. If it is not running well now you may want to try giving it a tune up first (spark plugs, filter, etc) to see that the engine is ok. Pathfinder engines are usually very reliable but you would not want to start putting money into this if it has serious engine problems. Your husband and friend should be able to do this. (note: If it is running good I'ld just leave it alone for now.)

Second, (if the engine runs ok) I would suggest you try to get the timing belt and water pump/hoses/other belts replaced as soon as possible. If the timing belt were to break it would most likely cause a lot of damage to the engine. (much, much more than the cost of the timing belt) The other parts (water pump etc.) are normally replaced at this time as they are in the same area. I would suggest a reputable mechanic/garage, preferably one that has done this same type vehicle before.

Finally, for the other work (starter, brakes, suspension, tune up, etc) you may be able to put some of this off for a period of time depending on how bad they are, how you drive, and where you drive. For example, if you have 20% of the brake pads remaining they will stop you just as well as 80%. (If they are worn out completely, then they must be replaced immediately.) Also, shocks that are old and not 100% (but still functioning) will not be as big a concern when driving in town at low speeds than if you are driving on the freeway. By spacing the work out over a number of weekends your husband and friend will be able to prepare for each job in advance (getting parts/renting tools/studying the procedures) and you don't have to make a single large payment to a garage.

Hope this is of some help to you. Good luck.

Brian

jadcock · Nov 29th, 2004, 08:55 PM

Welcome to the forums here!

As others have said, if the maintenance history is unknown, the timing belt really should be changed. Of the things you mentioned, I don't think that particular job is any harder than the others. It just takes time. But if the belt breaks, it could cause severe damage. The belt on an engine of that vintage requires changing every 60,000 miles I believe.

The brakes and the rest of the work should be easy. What do they mean...the "suspension" needs changing? If they're just talking about shocks, that's easily something you can do yourself...if it really does need that work. Often times, dealers will try to scare you into a new vehicle by running up the cost of work to your older vehicle. But as you know, even if you had to put a few HUNDRED dollars' worth of parts into this thing every MONTH (which won't happen), you're still money ahead over something new. If you like the way it drives, I'd just put the timing belt and water pump on (you almost have to remove the old water pump anyway, so putting a new one on there is almost a given). Get second opinions on the belts and hoses and brakes (do they REALLY need replacing, or was the dealer just looking for work?). Put new shocks on it only if it's really bouncy or unstable.

This truck should have at least another hundred thousand miles in it. Good luck with it, and check back here often!