Car Problems. need Advice for a Girl who knows nothing! (sorta long)?

I have always had problems with my 1997 nissan Pathfinder, if it was something that got fixed than it was something else.





Just recently brought my POS in to get inspection. I just paid for a Brand new Windsheild, new parking lights, and the guy i brought it too said that whoever had it beforre me was an idiot because some wires were cut and removed for my check engine light. and some wires were corroded and rusted. and he had to reset my trucks computer so i can drive it around with a temp inspection to get some milage to inspect it. so i paid another 375 bucks for that and my back breaks.





I knew that there was a problem with my pulleys that they were rusted and my guy needed to replace them and a new belt. But I was gunna wait till friday when i got paid! HMPH MY TRUCK DIDNT WANNA WAIT!!! i was driving home at night from work which i need a working vehicle to get back and forth to since i am a Manager on Duty getting paid ****! but My Pulley decided it didnt want towork any more and suddenly my sterring wheel was hard to turn. Called my aunt and she got me at 12 am! and we got it to a bar parking lot so we can attempt to drive it to the car guy the next day!





well my aunt and uncle got it there. and now there is another problem as well.. something with my oxygen sensor that it's not working with the inspection process and i put over 150 miles on it? what could that problem be. and how much all together to get my pulley's replaced as well.... (i live paycheck to paycheck and cannot afford to sell/ get a new car right now)Car Problems. need Advice for a Girl who knows nothing! (sorta long)?
Well, a belt change is not complex, it just takes a little work, a crowbar (when I do it, but it's my car), and a ratchet. You can usually borrow a belt-tension gauge from an auto parts store.





If they are not busy, and you are nice, sometimes they will even help you or walk you through it (or sometimes a random, bored guy there will do it, like I have before).





An O2 sensor is EXTREMELY easy to replace. I don't remember where it is in an Xterra, but you literally unplug it, then unscrew it like a regular bolt, usually.





As for the steering wheel, it sounds like when the fan belt (drive belt) loosened up, it was not powering the power steering pump. A new belt should fix both problems.





Personally, I have never been a fan of the Xterra ever since I first saw it, and the problems a friend of mine has been having with hers are not improving my opinion of it any.





As far as the guy that sold it to you, you can try seeing if your state has any sort of ';lemon laws';, but those usually only apply to dealers, not private sales.





Next time, buy a car that HAS the inspection already, or make the seller get one before you buy it.Car Problems. need Advice for a Girl who knows nothing! (sorta long)?
A new belt, and an idler or tensioner pulley isn't difficult to change. An O2 sensor is easy too.





When the computer is reset, it needs to go through a drive-cycle to reset the emissions monitors. The emissions monitors check the evaporative emissions system, the catalytic converter, and engine misfire, among others. If the computer detects a problem, it will turn the check engine light back on.





The guy you bought it from never got the check engine light fixed. Instead he cut the wires so he could sell it with the check engine light off. But when you hook up to the engine computer, it will tell you that the malfunction indicator lamp is supposed to be lit because there is a problem.





Did your mechanic say what codes were on before he reset the computer? That would be helpful information.
From what you say, the person that sold you the truck cheated you. The wires that were cut caused the ';check engine light'; not to light so that you would not know that the truck would fail inspection.





These days, it is best to get an inspection test before you buy, for this very reason. The oxygen sensor is just one of several sensors used by your trucks computer to keep the motor running correctly and not cause polution!





The only thing to do now is to get the mechanic to give you an estimate on the cost to fix the wires and replace what ever sensors that are defective. It will cost a lot of money because the sensors are not cheap and neither is the mechanic's labor.
I really don't know... your O2 sensor will throw a code for anything.. it could be bad, or the engine could be running lean or rich due to a bad MAP or MAF sensor.. pully's arn't expensive, and you may be able to change that yourself to keep costs down.. but I really suggest you look for a diffrent vehicle.. you could get a good beater that could get you by for what your going to dump into a money pit
id get a work shop manual that will show you how to do most work your self id get it looked at by a mechanic and find out all thats wrong with it t and get your parts from a wreckers it can save big $ also you can find heaps of people that can help out with work cheep as a mechanic iv dune lots of work for a carton of beer on my days off most cars you can get fault coads out with out having to go to a work shop agane you can find that nfo n a shop manual