The Nissan Path

Just got this behemoth two days ago, and it has already crapped on me:/. was running fine yesterday and this morning i went to start it and was greeted with a puff of what smelled like electrical smoke. the smoke was coming from a little black relay? maybe? located near the fuel rail. The relay? i guess shorted possibly and burnt a hole in the side of the plastic casing. Now it wont crank, it has power to the windows, dash components, and most everything except for the radio, and the starter of course. just wanting some insight on what i can do in this situation. I do not know very much about electrical problems, hope you can help.
Also when it would run, sometimes when i would go to start it it would just click, my initial thought was that the was just mud on the starter and solenoid. but now im thinking it could be a bad starter possibly?

( quote )Also when it would run, sometimes when i would go to start it it would just click, my initial thought was that the was just mud on the starter and solenoid. but now im thinking it could be a bad starter possibly?


[ This is a very common problem in the Pathfinder, read the stickeys on this subject , many of them.
Mine was the clutch safety switch, started the occaisional clicking thing and then just quit working... Mine has the interlock switch on the dash that by pushing it by passes the safety and it would start everytime ! The end result was my grommet had fell out of the clutch arm not letting the safety switch work.
But if you read the stickeys it can be one of many things and it is a common problem in auto and standard transmission models
Many a new starters has been bought to find out it may not be the problem at all, do your home work on this subject before you start buying parts. Relays are common fails also on the starting system.

If it's next to the fuel rail, it's likely a "diode" and not a "relay." Relays are usually located at the sides of the engine compartment (for those located in the engine compartment). If it's a diode, a Nissan dealer is the only place I know you can get one, outside of a salvage yard.