Topic: 1994 Pathfinder

[Jkostic76]

 My Pathfinder makes a humming/whining sound once in a while but only when in 2wheel drive. When I come to stop, it clunks and quits whining. It never happens in 4 wheel. Any ideas anyone?

[HeliDriver]

Where's the noise coming from? If it's from the front, then the auto-locking hubs are the first thing that comes to my mind.

Do you use 4WD often? Do you always reverse direction after shifting back to 2WD to unlock the hubs? Can you hear them both click when they disengage?

Could be any number of other things, too.

[mrthompson]

Perhaps it's a u-joint on it's way out?

[Trainman]

A good site for Pathfinder info is here: http://npora.ipbhost.com//index.php?http://npora.ipbhost.com/

I doubt its a u-joint, that would be in 4wd if a front one, and all the time if a rear one.

Possibly the transfer case is making the noise, that is the only logical answer based on the info provided.  When was the last time the t-case had its oil changed?

Could be some front end issues IF one of the front hubs is not unlocking properly.  CV joint, front differential, etc.

[HeliDriver]

I had an '87 Pathfinder (mechanically very similar to the '94) from 1987 up to 1999. This post has jogged my memory a bit, and I recall having a similar issue with mine.

For me, it only happened in the winter (minus 30 or below) but at those cold temperatures one of the auto-lock hubs would often seize up with the cold. Driving at slow speeds would give an awful whine from the front end. The noise would stop only after the truck had been driving for at least a few kms, then when it came to the first stop, I'd get that "clunk", and the truck would be fine from then on.

In really cold weather, I finally got in the habit of always starting out in 4WD. That way, both hubs would be locked and I never had any problems. Once the vehicle had been driven for a bit, the grease in the hubs would warm up and I could shift back into 2WD and unlock the hubs with no problem.

I'm not sure if the noise was from the hub itself, or maybe just from the fact that only one front hub was locked. With one hub locked, and the other unlocked, there will be some odd forces going through the front drivetrain, possibly causing the noise.

I know the OP didn't mention anything about cold weather, but maybe a hub that is on its last legs could act the same. When mine finally died, I replaced them with some manual hubs and never had the issue again.

[Jkostic76]

 It does seem like the hubs are not fully unlocking until I stop after a few minutes of driving. It happens a few times when it's cold out. I just picked up the Pathfinder recently and appreciate the tips. Thanks.

[Trainman]

I had an '87 Pathfinder (mechanically very similar to the '94) from 1987 up to 1999. ...

Just a quick clarification, the big change was for the 1996 model year when they went to the uni-body and some different mechanical pieces, notably the front suspension went to struts vs the previous torsion bars.  Not much is interchangeable from a 95 to 96.

[HeliDriver]

I had an '87 Pathfinder (mechanically very similar to the '94) from 1987 up to 1999. ...

Just a quick clarification, the big change was for the 1996 model year when they went to the uni-body and some different mechanical pieces, notably the front suspension went to struts vs the previous torsion bars.  Not much is interchangeable from a 95 to 96.

Yeah, maybe I wasn't clear. My point was just that I drove my '87 for twelve years. Got to experience more than a few quirks over that time. 

As an aside, we replaced it with a 2000 Xterra. I know there was a gap of four model years, but in a lot of ways, that first generation Xterra was the real successor to the old body-on-frame Pathfinders.

[Trainman]

I had an '87 Pathfinder (mechanically very similar to the '94) from 1987 up to 1999. ...

Just a quick clarification, the big change was for the 1996 model year when they went to the uni-body and some different mechanical pieces, notably the front suspension went to struts vs the previous torsion bars.  Not much is interchangeable from a 95 to 96.

Yeah, maybe I wasn't clear. My point was just that I drove my '87 for twelve years. Got to experience more than a few quirks over that time. 

As an aside, we replaced it with a 2000 Xterra. I know there was a gap of four model years, but in a lot of ways, that first generation Xterra was the real successor to the old body-on-frame Pathfinders.

Duh, got it now.  Next just tell me to   

And you are very correct, the X is the new Pathfinder   

[X-Traction]

As has been pointed out, the first generation Xterra was basically the same vehicle as the first generation Nissan pickup and first generation Pathfinder.  The second generation Pathfinder was completely different.  As are the third generation Pathfinders, and second generation Xterras and Frontiers.

The first generation Xterra's main difference from the first generation Pathfinder was to use leaf springs on the back, probably taken from the pickup.  The first generation Pathfinder had a sophisticated 5-link/coil rear suspension.  The Xterra also put the spare underneath.  This required moving the gas tank ahead of the rear axle.  But this required raising the back seat, which in turn caused the distinctive bumped-up roofline.

You can see this heritage in the same windshield and A pillars on the three vehicles.

Other than that, the Xterra had lots of improvements over the first Pathfinder. It retained some basic nuisances like the recirculating ball steering, but kept advantages such as a low engine positioning allowed by the torsion bar front suspension.  Compared to the same age 4-Runners and Explorers, the Pathfinder had a lower center of gravity.  Added to the refined suspension meant it probably had a much lower rollover rate.  Nissan got a lot of mileage out of that construction used for three models, running for about 20 years.  It must have been a fundamentally excellent design.

Our '91 Pathfinder occasionally made noises we'd never heard before.  We wrote most of them off as "Pathfinder noises".  One that required preventive maintenance was clunking from the front steering stops.  The original plastic caps don't last long, so the stops require regular greasing.  Switching from 4wd High to 2wd without backing up to disengage the front hubs also caused whining and chattering.  But sometimes on highways with mixed stretches of ice/snow and bare sections, you had do do it.  The luxury of lockable AWD was one reason we replaced it with a new Grand Vitara.

[ginger]

Yeah..the truck is 12 years old...BUY A NEW ONE!