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1991 Patherfinder won't get into gear.
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CID
Novice
Oct 30, 2012, 5:24 PM
Post #1 of 9
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1991 Patherfinder won't get into gear.
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Hello. I have a Nissan Pathfinder V6SE 1991 Automatic, about 220,000 miles on it.
The transmission was having a issue for some time were it would take a few seconds to engage into drive. I get around this I would put it into 2nd and drive for a bit before putting it into D. Then one day it while almost home it seemed to lose almost all it's power and I had to idle it the rest of the way home. There is sat for months. I'm now trying to fix it. I've been told that if I change the transmission filter and put new Trans fluid in it I should at least get another year out of it before having to get a whole new transmission. True?
Also, when I just started it the tried to idle it out of the drive way the windshield wiper when crazy and were moving much faster than normal. Every time I stepped on the gas the wipers would move faster and the dash board lights would glow brighter. Yet the car wouldn't move at all, even at idle speed. I then took the battery into Autozone for a free charge and they said it was completely back, that the inner connections were severed. Would this be the cause of such a problem and would it be alleviated through a new battery? Or do I have also have an electrical problem on my hands?
Now when I tried to change the filter by removing the cover/pan the exhaust pipe goes right over it and I am un-able to remove it. Any suggestion one how to get that thing off so I can put the new filter on? Thanks, any info is appreciated.
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nickwarner
Veteran
/ Moderator
Oct 30, 2012, 5:45 PM
Post #2 of 9
(1760 views)
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Re: 1991 Patherfinder won't get into gear.
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First off, when this issue started and now, what was the fluid level? Did it look discolored or smell burt?
Most any transmission that is experiencing trouble will not benefit from changing the fluid. The damage is done at that point and most of those cars that get the fluid changed won't move out of the service bay afterwards or die fast.
I don't belive that this year is electronically controlled, so an electrical issue may affect other systems but not the trans. If the power loss you mean is that it wouldn't grab and move at anything above idle, consider the trans a goner.
If the exhaust is in the way, obviously you will have to pull it off the get at the pan. But the pan isn't your issue, you need a new trans.
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CID
Novice
Oct 30, 2012, 6:54 PM
Post #3 of 9
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Re: 1991 Patherfinder won't get into gear.
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The fluid levels have always been good. I checked often. The color is a dark red, but I smelt no burning scent.
I was considering the idea of going down to the u-pull-it and finding another pathfinder with lover milage. Then doing a direct swap of the entire transmission. A role of the dice on whether or not the trans I pull is going to last long enough to make it worth the effort but it will certainly be the affordable way I imagine. Any thoughts on that?
Before the battery dies the car would at least putt along at idle speed. Now when I jump it the electrical goes all hay wire and the car won't even move at idle speed when I put it into any gear. Revving the engine up only causes the electrical to go more crazy. The best way I can sum up the description is it's like there's a poltergeist in the car. It's actually somewhat funny.
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MarineGrunt
Enthusiast
Oct 30, 2012, 7:24 PM
Post #4 of 9
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Re: 1991 Patherfinder won't get into gear.
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I've had two trannies go bad in my life. The first one was a 94 Sunbird about 14 years ago. I was driving back to base and then all of a sudden out of nowhere, bam, it wouldn't shift out of 1st gear. I was able to drive it slow and make it back to base. The second one I had go was recently on a 2002 Chevy Venture. The first thing that I noticed was that it would've shift into overdrive. A week later I didn't have any gears at all. It was like it was in neutral no matter what I shifted into. When you say it moved along at idle, are you sure it just wouldn't shift out of 1st gear?
Instead of buying a whole Pathfinder why not just buy a used tranny for it? If you go to a salvage yard and buy a salvaged vehicle, more than likely if the tranny was left in it, it is toast too. They usually pull the working parts and especially with a used tranny being worth what it is.
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CID
Novice
Oct 30, 2012, 7:58 PM
Post #5 of 9
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Re: 1991 Patherfinder won't get into gear.
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Well I all of the sudden lost a lot of power while going up hill. I was sure right away it was my transmission as it had been having a delay to getting in gear as I described earlier for over a year . (The colder the morning the longer the delay). Once I lost power I tried putting it in 1st and second and I noticed no difference between them. When I would step on the gas there would be a long delay before the car would start moving and it would put along ever so slowly. If I gave it more gas the engine would just rev higher but it wouldn't really effect the speed. Not sure if it was just stuck in 1st but it didn't appear to be that way.
No, I didn't mean buy a whole other Pathfinder. The Pick'n'pull gets in tons of cars and the only thing they pull are the tires and battery. The parts are then sold off individually via the customer's removal. It's $150 for a tranny with $30 core refund. I figure that would be the most affordable way to go. But I have to admit, that's one hefty beast to pull and then reinstall. Your opinion?
If I take it to a shop to replace, I imagine the final cost for be at least $600 to over a grand?
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MarineGrunt
Enthusiast
Oct 31, 2012, 6:01 AM
Post #6 of 9
(1705 views)
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Re: 1991 Patherfinder won't get into gear.
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I'm no professional mechanic but I'd say your tranny is definitely toast.
I'm in the process of rebuilding a tranny out of my wife's minivan right now. A tranny is heavy but I just rigged up a floor jack with a platform and used a ratchet strap to keep it from falling off when I was ready to pull it out.
Like you mentioned, the bad thing about buying a used tranny is you don't know what you're getting. That's why I decided to rebuild mine. I checked prices for used trannies and I couldn't find one for less than $600. I even check the net. For $150 I think that's the route I would take. The mechanics here recommended purchasing a crate transmission if I decided I didn't want to attempt a rebuild. I've always wanted to try a rebuild so decided what they heck.
If you think you can pull the transmission yourself why not give it a try? The guys here have helped me attempt jobs I wasn't so sure about and they always got my vehicle back up and running. If you do pull it yourself take plenty of pictures along the way. I put all the bolts in baggies and label them and take pictures of each step so I can blow it up on the computer if I forget where something goes. With some mechanical knowledge, plenty of pictures, and keeping your parts organized you can usually get things back together. Go to alldata/diy. For $16.95 you can get a subscription for you vehicle. Read through the steps on removal and install of a tranny and see if you think it's something you can do. You might have to buy some new tools along the way but it should still end up being cheaper than taking it in and you'll get new tools out of it. That's the way I always look at it. If you have any doubt though just bite the bullet and take it in.
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CID
Novice
Oct 31, 2012, 2:09 PM
Post #7 of 9
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Re: 1991 Patherfinder won't get into gear.
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Some real good advice there. Thank you.
I hadn't considered doing a rebuild myself, but I'll look into that now. I'll check out alldata/diy as well. Thanks for the tip.
I think I might try picking up a tranny from the u-pull-it for $150 off of the same make/model with as low milage as I can find. Do the swap and then at my leisure I can attempt a rebuild on the old one I pulled off.
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Discretesignals
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Oct 31, 2012, 3:53 PM
Post #8 of 9
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Re: 1991 Patherfinder won't get into gear.
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Before you start tearing the transmission apart, you should figure out what is going on with the electrical system first. It is possible the electrical problem is causing transmission issues. The RE4R01A transmission in your vehicle is all electronic and controlled by the transmission controller(brain box). The module controls the shift timing/sequence and the line pressure. If the electrical system is wigging out, that could cause controller problems. If there are electrical problems causing the controller to cook the transmission, you sure don't want to do it to your replacement transmission. In this case it is important to figure out if there is an electrical fault causing transmission problems before condemning the transmission.
For example:
The controller controls the line pressure. The line pressure is the available hydraulic pressure produced by the transmission oil pump to move apply components. If the controller is messing up because of an electrical fault or power to the solenoids isn't correct, that can cause slippage and toast bands or clutch packs.
Since we volunteer our time and knowledge, we ask for you to please follow up when a problem is resolved.
(This post was edited by Discretesignals on Oct 31, 2012, 4:06 PM)
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CID
Novice
Oct 31, 2012, 7:02 PM
Post #9 of 9
(1668 views)
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Re: 1991 Patherfinder won't get into gear.
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Ah, didn't know that. Excellent advice!
Is there any way for me to diagnose the transmission controller(brain box) without taking it into a mechanic? Is that something a mechanic could diagnose easily and therefore affordably?
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