2001 Pathfinder, engine missing at high speed

[MellowCat]

I just purchased a used 2001 Pathfinder SE with 67K on it. The car seem really nice, and well taken care of. I've put about 2k on it in a matter of 2 weeks. Alot of my driving is long highway stints. I've noticed on numerous occasions now a "miss" or sluggishness at speeds above 65Mph to around 80Mph. I'm assuming a problem with the fuel system, like a clogged up fuel filter or clogged injector. Has anyone seen this issue? I've also read about the coils going out on this model, could this be the cause?

Thanks in advance for any assistance!

Scott

[MellowCat]

Post Update -

Decided to try some fuel system cleaner since my tank was near empty anyway.

Bought the Valvoline 12,000 mile version of fuel injector cleaner and put a whole tank of 93oct in on top. Seems to be helping, but suprised I've seen results in 30 miles, almost makes me think that the lower octane fuel was the issue.

Does anyone else with a 2001 find with 89oct the car just doesn't have as much power?

MC

Originally Posted by MellowCat

I just purchased a used 2001 Pathfinder SE with 67K on it. The car seem really nice, and well taken care of. I've put about 2k on it in a matter of 2 weeks. Alot of my driving is long highway stints. I've noticed on numerous occasions now a "miss" or sluggishness at speeds above 65Mph to around 80Mph. I'm assuming a problem with the fuel system, like a clogged up fuel filter or clogged injector. Has anyone seen this issue? I've also read about the coils going out on this model, could this be the cause?

Thanks in advance for any assistance!

Scott

[lewisnc100]

I thought the 2001 and newer Pathfinders recommended 91octane or higher (unless you are in high altitude), if you use a lower octane it won't hurt anything but the knock sensor will most likely retard timing descreasing performance.

[MellowCat]

The gas filler area says that a hi octane fuel is recommened for best performance. The problem I'm having is a surging or missing action when your driving at high speeds and holding a throttle position for awhile. Feels like the fuel or spark is inconsistant.

The fuel system cleaner and 93 octane gas have seeming cured the issue, but I will try a tank of 89 on my next long drive to see if it reoccurs.

Thanks for the response!

Scott

Originally Posted by lewisnc100

I thought the 2001 and newer Pathfinders recommended 91octane or higher (unless you are in high altitude), if you use a lower octane it won't hurt anything but the knock sensor will most likely retard timing descreasing performance.

[IAMKNARF]

Originally Posted by MellowCat

The gas filler area says that a hi octane fuel is recommened for best performance. The problem I'm having is a surging or missing action when your driving at high speeds and holding a throttle position for awhile. Feels like the fuel or spark is inconsistant.

The fuel system cleaner and 93 octane gas have seeming cured the issue, but I will try a tank of 89 on my next long drive to see if it reoccurs.

Thanks for the response!

Scott

Scott and Mellowcat..
I am a new poster to this forum. Hope you come back and visit. I have exactly the same problem with my 2001 LE Pathfinder.. Sluggish and missing on slightly increasing grades (when the engine is under load..before tranny kicks down) AND at speeds between 60 and 70 MPH..No SES indicator lights. And when brought to 2 different repair shops including big NISSAN dealer service shop, nothing abby normal on the dynamic engine analyser..Charged me for the test and tech's time but suggested only use some expensive injector cleaner and a couple tanks of high octane fuel.. No improvement.. I'm thinking fuel filter, fuel line plug...or maybe even #1 cylinder coil. Service mgr wants to replace the air control mixing sensor (or something like it?) for $500 plus labor.
I said whoa..let's see if the injector cleaner works first but that was 300 miles ago still same problem..
Wonder if mellowcat has any updates..Or if lweisnc100 has any ideas on this problem..
thanks for reading and responding to a newbie..

[MellowCat]

I tried using the expensive injector cleaner and 5 tanks of 91+ gas. This did seem to clear things up for quite awhile, but the problem returned when I ran 89 oct gas. I had the fuel filter changed and it seemed to do nothing. Now I just run 91 gas and everything seems ok. I'm guessing this is just a quirk of this engine, it really needs the octane even though the gas cap suggests that you could run 89...

Hope that helps.

Scott, aka MellowCat.

Originally Posted by IAMKNARF

Scott and Mellowcat..
I am a new poster to this forum. Hope you come back and visit. I have exactly the same problem with my 2001 LE Pathfinder.. Sluggish and missing on slightly increasing grades (when the engine is under load..before tranny kicks down) AND at speeds between 60 and 70 MPH..No SES indicator lights. And when brought to 2 different repair shops including big NISSAN dealer service shop, nothing abby normal on the dynamic engine analyser..Charged me for the test and tech's time but suggested only use some expensive injector cleaner and a couple tanks of high octane fuel.. No improvement.. I'm thinking fuel filter, fuel line plug...or maybe even #1 cylinder coil. Service mgr wants to replace the air control mixing sensor (or something like it?) for $500 plus labor.
I said whoa..let's see if the injector cleaner works first but that was 300 miles ago still same problem..
Wonder if mellowcat has any updates..Or if lweisnc100 has any ideas on this problem..
thanks for reading and responding to a newbie..

[IAMKNARF]

Originally Posted by MellowCat

I tried using the expensive injector cleaner and 5 tanks of 91+ gas. This did seem to clear things up for quite awhile, but the problem returned when I ran 89 oct gas. I had the fuel filter changed and it seemed to do nothing. Now I just run 91 gas and everything seems ok. I'm guessing this is just a quirk of this engine, it really needs the octane even though the gas cap suggests that you could run 89...

Hope that helps.

Scott, aka MellowCat.

###
Scott,
Ist thanks for the post and QUICK reply.. I'll continue to burn high octane fuel and see if it skip goes away..It's just odd that after 70,000 miles (I bought my pathfinder new) that this problem pops up now. I ran 88 octane for most of those miles. The car hasn't had it's recommended 65K tune..it cost about $600 ..I'll probably succumb to this offer from the service mgr if the problem persists..We expect to do alot of travelling (one day trips) for Baseball this summer and it'll stink to have this problem come along with us. Have you heard about this problem from anyone else on this board or elsewhere? Again thanks
IAMKNARF aka Frank I am

[MellowCat]

Frank,

I bought my 2001 SE used at 67K(74K on it now), so I'm not sure if its been like this for awhile or not. I can tell you all of the maint. have been done to the vehicle all along, the original owners were great!

No one else has really come out with this issue. Maybe we're just both sensitive to the throttle response. I have driven BMW's, Toyota's and Nissan's for years now. This problem shows up to me as a huge difference from my past vehicles.

I am taking my 2001 SE in 75K and I will pursue the dealer looking into this problem more. I plan on running 89oct. for 2 weeks before I take it in to see if I can make the problem show up for the Dealer Mechanics. I'll post any results from this service to see if they can cure the issue.

Good luck with your 2001!

Scott

Originally Posted by IAMKNARF

###
Scott,
Ist thanks for the post and QUICK reply.. I'll continue to burn high octane fuel and see if it skip goes away..It's just odd that after 70,000 miles (I bought my pathfinder new) that this problem pops up now. I ran 88 octane for most of those miles. The car hasn't had it's recommended 65K tune..it cost about $600 ..I'll probably succumb to this offer from the service mgr if the problem persists..We expect to do alot of travelling (one day trips) for Baseball this summer and it'll stink to have this problem come along with us. Have you heard about this problem from anyone else on this board or elsewhere? Again thanks
IAMKNARF aka Frank I am

[IAMKNARF]

Originally Posted by MellowCat

Frank,

I bought my 2001 SE used at 67K(74K on it now), so I'm not sure if its been like this for awhile or not. I can tell you all of the maint. have been done to the vehicle all along, the original owners were great!

No one else has really come out with this issue. Maybe we're just both sensitive to the throttle response. I have driven BMW's, Toyota's and Nissan's for years now. This problem shows up to me as a huge difference from my past vehicles.

I am taking my 2001 SE in 75K and I will pursue the dealer looking into this problem more. I plan on running 89oct. for 2 weeks before I take it in to see if I can make the problem show up for the Dealer Mechanics. I'll post any results from this service to see if they can cure the issue.

Good luck with your 2001!

Scott

Scott,
This condition I believe is more than our sensitivity to diff trottle responses. At least I can say that mine is an inconsistent shudder that you feel in your seat and in your foot..even while in cruise control at 65 when the engine labors going up an inclined area of hgway.
I'll keep you posted on any progress and if I heard anything from any other msg boards. Be careful of what the dealer recommends at 75K service..it may already have been done..ie the plugs are platinum and expensive and supposedly are good for the first 100K miles..
Enjoy the 2001 yourself..they are great vehicles..
Frank

[jarhead1]

Hello to everyone , I experienced the same conditions a few days ago..I took off from New York city to the mountains in upstate New york , exactly the same stuff happened , i had just almost gone to empty before i pulled off the highway, i purchased 87 octane fuel , normally i use the sunoco ultra 93 all the time but filled it 3/4 full to get to where i was going and this crap happened , it happened all the way back to brooklyn n.y. then i shut the truck off , got in about 25 minutes later and got a service engine light, ran down to my friends shop and he put it on a "Snap on" tester , the code 1145 is for "variable cam timing" he said it was a nissan specific code...so i went to dealer because it was a "hard code" he could not reset it.. at dealer they put their machines on it and it translated to "intake timing sensor" . the light went away , no codes registered again... I went back up to the mountains with the fuel i had left in the tank that i had purchased up there at West Point and the vehicle did not duplicate the trouble again, but I am not going to risk damaging a sensor again and am going to use high octane from now on..especially going up high mountainous terrain..
hope this helps and i will be going back up to West Point on the week of June 19th so will update if trouble re-occurs. ps the part cost me $76 and they banged me out for another $85 to install- i was at their mercy.. and part # on my receipt is :23731-2y524 VTC