1998 Nissan Pathfinder - needs help!

[GAWildKat]

The cousins' pathfinder started sputtering and stalling out fri while out running errands. Get it towed home and Mike and Trent started going through it yesterday trying to figure what was wrong. Alaura's stepmom, who previously had all the maintenance done on the pathfinder said the distributor had to be replaced within the last 4yrs. So Mike started looking at the simple stuff, plugs and wires. Well every plug is over torqued and the plugs themselves keep breaking apart as he attempts to back them out. He got the front 3 out (in peices) the 1st one on the back he attempted to remove did the same thing, he's at a loss of how to tackle removing the ones on the back. I'd personally be going car shopping abt now, but they need a car to commute to and from school and work and I won't always be available to take them.

 

Any ideas?

 

Could use a miracle about now.

 

TIA

 

Tricia

[slowrollwv]

As they have already started on the plugs they will have to replace them. How long has it been since the fuel filter has been changed? Might be the fuel pump also. How many miles are on it, could be a number of things if it has a lot of miles.

[GAWildKat]

219,000 miles, fuel filter was changed yesterday, fuel pump seems to work. We are questioning the cat and whether to also replace or drill it out. Alaura's mom still owns the pathfinder, but refuses to maintain it, says the kids need to maintain it. Which I agree to a point, but the kids are 3hrs away from her and trying to get through school.

[cowpuc]

Kat,, what kinda shape are the plugs in (gap and color) that Mike has removed? Sounds almost like those plugs have been in there a very long time - usually evidenced by way wide gap - maybe even burned off electrodes... If this is the case, he is definitely on the right track..

I am not familiar with the Pathfinder,, enough to tell you what tools you will need to finish the job.. Some cars its easiest to remove an inner fender or even loosen the engine mounts up and lift the engine a little to remove plugs and stuff... On the other hand, having a set of ball head extentions and a swivel or two on a good ratchet will do it... Most stuff is available at Harbor Freight = not the best tools but better than nothin..

If he is breaking the porcellin away on the plugs, he needs to get a plug socket with the insert in it that slides over the end of the plug to keep this from happening and to keep the any broken porcellin held withing the socket,, he dont need that stuff finding a way into the combustion chamber..

Also,, if those old plugs are coming out extremely hard, it might not be a bad idea to:

Using compressed air and carb cleaner, spray around the with compressed air, spray around plugs with carb cleaner than redo the compressed air again.. Break a plug loose, spray a fair amount of penetrating oil around the plug.. Screw it back in, screw it out a little farther,, do it again.. Keep working it until the plug is out.. Doing it this way may keep him from pulling some threads out with the plugs.. Also will help in getting the new plugs in.. Remind him to use anti-seize (sparingly) on the new plugs..

Any chance the vehicle messed up because it got wet?

[MidlifeVenture]

Get a code reader maybe MAS air flow sensor same symptoms on daughter 98 VW:think:

[GAWildKat]

Scott, the plugs he pulled thus far are very worn, they look like the originals or close to. The electrodes were very worn as well. I asked him abt the carb cleaner, compressed air, etc, he goes where is it all, I point to the carb cleaner sitting by the front door... Penetrating oil is still in a box, he grumbled and stomped back off to his computer. He's now shooting things to vent his annoyance at me stating the obvious...lol

[djh3]

Once they get plugs all replaced and fired up, if they are still thinking plugged exhaust its kind of best to check it out one section at a time. Like just before muffler, right after cat then right before cat. Bad part is, as old as this car is chances of getting the exhaust apart without a air chisel is going to be hard. Could be a collapsed exhaust pipe.

On the plug ordeal, I have a spark plug socket that has like a nut made on it so I can use a box end wrench. Sometimes thats better leverage than trying to get wigglers and stuff on there. Also have used a hole saw on the inner fender well to shoot the socket, extension thru to get a better shot at it.

[GAWildKat]

Also there is a heavy coating of old engine oil around all the plugs, likely a blown head gasket, something Alaura's mother has known about the last 4yrs of owning the car but unwilling to fix. I've been less than impressed at how she cares for her daughter.

[rbig1]

Has the weather just changed. The map sensor hose could have a hole in it. Or going bad changing the timing if you have a chunk of hose throw on sensor and suckered on it while running see if idle changes.

[cowpuc]

Also there is a heavy coating of old engine oil around all the plugs, likely a blown head gasket, something Alaura's mother has known about the last 4yrs of owning the car but unwilling to fix. I've been less than impressed at how she cares for her daughter.

 

Actually Kat,, oil accumulation around the plugs and stuff is usually caused from valve/tappet cover gaskets,,, a blown head gasket usually shows its evil face via white smoke that smells of hot anti-freeze out the pipe or anti-freeze in crankcase oil or oil mixed in the anti-freeze in the Rad... Those kids didnt run it out of oil and collapse some lifters did they??

It is VERY conceivable that those really are the original plugs!! These "modern" day high energy ignitions will arc across some amazing resistance (gap) but when they do - they lose all manner of effeciency, especially on an engine that is tired... Betcha that puppy will feel alot better with some new plugs..

Tell Mike I said, shooting the messenger aint gonna fix the car,, trust me I know:stirthepot:

[oldgoat]

could the crank sensor be going bad?

 

plugged EGR ?

 

bad coil or coil packs?

 

plugged PCV?

 

I would go with them spark plugs first.

[GAWildKat]

Hoses look good, the weather hasn't cooled enough yet to think it's weather related. MAF sensor could be bad, but it acts worse than my caprice did when the MAF kicked it. They inherited the pathfinder from Alaura's mom, she bought it with the oil leaks 5 yrs ago. Trent keeps the oil maintained because this is his work transport, Alaura's school transport. Her mother ran it nearly in the ground with little more than basic maintenance and then gave Alaura the keys, but no title and says if it breaks, fix it. Alaura is not mechanically inclined like the rest of us, if she didn't have us right now she'd be up a creek w/o a paddle. I know it's good to make kids self reliant, but the kick em to the curb almost never works well. Alaura feels abt that way with her mom over the pathfinder. I can't say I blame her. Its been one thing after another since April, abt the best thing that happened was us taking them in.. Sorry to rant, just frustrated over everything.