2001 Pathfinder O2 Sensor Replacement

[gtpsleeper]

Greetings,

I have a 2001 Pathfinder with 78,000 miles. The check engine light came on for the first time since I have owned it. I brought it in to my local shop and they said they tested it and thought is was the O2 sensor. They didn't sound real sure but whatever I guess. They said it would cost about $250 to replace for parts and labor.

I have a couple questions. First I have read on previous posts that these are not that hard to change yourself. But some people complain about the time and effort it takes to change yourself. Is this something I should do myself? If so, where do I get O2 sensors that I know will work? Should I replace all of the O2 sensors or just one at a time? Does anyone have a step-by-step for the process of changing these O2 sensors?

Second, where do I look for a code reader so I can diagnose my own problems? Is there a connector and software I can get for my laptop? What would you recommend? Are the code readers universal? I have a 99 Altima as well, would the same reader work on that car?

Any help or advice you can provide would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

Mike

[TrackLizard]

Hey Mike:
I also have a 2001 Pathfinder with 81K miles. I also had some issues with the SES light a couple of months ago.
I reviewed posts on this websight and was resigned to paying $200-400 for repairs. I called my local dealer, made the appointment and took my vehicle in for service. When I went to pickup, same day --- the dealer's service department manager advised me there was 'no charge'. Evidently there is a Nissian issued recall for the SES light. Check with your dealer before spending any money or time to fix.

[FixUrNissan]

You are Sorta Right. Nissan Emissions Warranty is 8 - 80 . 8 Years or 80,000 Miles. Witch covers front O2 sensors i believe but not rear O2 sensors. And of course Cat Converters

In any case there are 4 O2 sensors on your Vech , it can be easy to get confused which is witch and the Sensors aren't as easy as they use to be. My Recommendation as long as you know the engine code call you local Nissan dealer and inquire about the warranty on this Remind them Emissions is 8 year 80k Miles warranty. I would Start there, .. Gl

[gtpsleeper]

Thanks for the info so far. I did call the Nissan dealer where I bought the Pathfinder and gave them the VIN number to look it up and they told me that there is no recall for mine. I also found on Nissan's website that there is only one recall for 2001 Pathfinders and the recall is for a different issue and my VIN is not in the range for that recall.

Any other ideas?

Thanks.

[Andrewh]

Autozone or Oriley's should be able to tell you the code for free.
There is a TSB, not a recall out on the rear O2 sensors. Requires a reprogram of the ecu, and a replacement if that does not clear the code.
There are 4 O2 sensors as stated above. Nissan has the engine reversed when talking about banks, so be aware. Normally bank one would be driverside, but that is bank 2 to them. Bank one is passenger side.
There is an O2 sensor before the cat and after the cat.
You can change it yourself, but they are a pain to get to. Especially the 4wd ones.

[MikePathfinder2001]

Great, that answers that question. Bank 2 is drivers side. They guy at Autozone had it backwards. Too bad I killed the old sensor that I replaced. Anyway, to answer Mike's Question.

Replacing the rear O2 sensor is pretty easy. The only hard part is redirecting the cord back to the engine. Also, they can be hard to get out. I bought a special oxygen sensor socket, but there wasn't enough room to put that in, so I had to use a wrench. Needless to say, by the time I got it out, the old sensor was dead. Anyway, I suggest doing it yourself rather than paying someone 250 bucks to replace it. You can buy an OEM part from Autozone for 68 dollars. Worst case scenario, if you can't replace it yourself, at least you only have to pay for labor on the installation. Nissan is charging 160 dollars just for the part.

Mike

[msumrell]

I have a 2000 Path with bank one and bank 2 #2 o2 sensors bad. Are all four the same part? I find universal one, two and three wire sensors for $20 to $60 on line. Could use help on finding the right parts.

Thanks

[PathLeastaken]

I just wanted to thank TrackLizard. After reading your comment about not being charged for replacing the OC sensors covered by warranty, I asked my dealer to check out if our Pathfinder was covered and sure enough it was. The dealer was originally going to charge $400 which I couldn't swallow for replacing an electronic component. It was $200 part/$200 Labor. They called me back to offer me $40 off at which point I asked them to check the warranty. Five minutes later they called back and said our 2002 Pathfinder was covered.

Thanks again

[nguyenetung]

Nissan Pathfinder 2001, rear wheel driver, 83K miles.
Engine Light is on for couple weeks then off for couple weeks, and so on. I brought it to AutoZone, and they checked it for me. Finally, they gave me the code P0138 and P0139. Not sure which sensor or something else can cause the problem.
I brought it to the Nissan dealer, they told me that my car is not under any recall like this, otherwise, they can charge me around $750 for parts and labor.
Anyone has any idea how to know exactly which sensor is failed.
Thank you

[doityourself123]

I just replaced my passager rear O2 sensor on my 2001 pathfinder for code P0138 when the SES light came and stayed on. However, the light is continued to stay on even after I changed the O2 sensor. Do I need to reprogram the ECM after the replacement?

[will34567]

I have a 2000 pathfinder and after replacing the O2 sensor myself my problem has not reaccrued. I still have the truck and it runs great. Dealerships are a ripoff. Read the following post.

http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbul...ight=will34567

[jhong1226]

front has 3 wires, rear has 4

[ditmc]

Which O2 Sensor is the long blue one? Typically out of stock in most auto part stores currently and Nissan parts wants to charge me $240 to order/stock and sell it to me?

I think it's the Upstream Left? It's close to 30 inches long. Is this correct?