# 2005 Nissan Pathfinder service engine light plus gas smell **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [March 1, 2018, 5:35am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2005-nissan-pathfinder-service-engine-light-plus-gas-smell/113011 "2018-03-01T05:35:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![brown14](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f9ae1b/32.png) [@brown14](https://community.cartalk.com/u/brown14)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2018, 5:35am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2005-nissan-pathfinder-service-engine-light-plus-gas-smell/113011/1 "2018-03-01T05:35:16Z")
service engine soon light just came on. earlier today i noticed i smelt like a gas smell and when i started it this morning i noticed that it seems to idle high. what could this be? ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2018, 1:17pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2005-nissan-pathfinder-service-engine-light-plus-gas-smell/113011/2 "2018-03-01T13:17:48Z")
Thanks for the question. If the service engine soon light is on - the little yellow engine symbol, right? The light is telling you some thing is wrong that need to be repaired. There are diagnostic codes stored that can be read to help direct the mechanic to the problem. Without listing those codes here, the list of potential problems is quite large. Local auto parts stores can read those codes for free. Have that done and post back the codes - the format should be P0xxx where xxx is the number code for the problem. If you aren’t going to fix the car yourself, take it into a mechanic. If that light starts flashing, stop driving the car immediately and have it towed to a mechanic! ---
**Author:** ![oldtimer-11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e79b87/32.png) [@oldtimer-11](https://community.cartalk.com/u/oldtimer-11)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2018, 5:29pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2005-nissan-pathfinder-service-engine-light-plus-gas-smell/113011/3 "2018-03-01T17:29:13Z")
The easiest way to find out is to have the codes read. The check engine light is just there to tell you that the computer is getting bad readings from a system censor. The codes tell you what system. It is up to you or your mechanic to diagnose what is causing the bad sensor reading. ---
**Author:** ![brown14](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f9ae1b/32.png) [@brown14](https://community.cartalk.com/u/brown14)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2018, 7:38pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2005-nissan-pathfinder-service-engine-light-plus-gas-smell/113011/4 "2018-03-01T19:38:32Z")
thank you. Autozone said error codes P0430 P0430 catalyst system effeciency below threshold (bank 2) ---
**Author:** ![thegreendrag0n](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/thegreendrag0n/32/9265_2.png) [@thegreendrag0n](https://community.cartalk.com/u/thegreendrag0n)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2018, 1:30pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2005-nissan-pathfinder-service-engine-light-plus-gas-smell/113011/5 "2018-03-02T13:30:53Z")
this car is old, likely is well above 100K miles on odometer. I have the one from 2006. the code tells "catalytic converter is bad in Bank#2: > **[P0430 Nissan - Catalyst System Efficiency Below Threshold Bank 2](https://www.autocodes.com/p0430_nissan.html)** > > The Engine Control Module (ECM) monitors the switching frequency ratio of heated oxygen sensors 1 (front O2 sensor) and heated oxygen sensors 2 (rear O2 sensor). A three way catalyst converter (Manifold) with high oxygen storage capacity will... do not rush replacing the catalyst, it very well may be just fine and the reason for the code may be in downstream oxygen sensor getting old. this is old car. replace the downstream sensor in bank 2, clear code, drive on. if the same code returns, at that point you might consider replacing an upstream catalytic converter, it will look like this one: [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00C6Y7G5A/ref=ox\_sc\_sfl\_title\_23?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A2F8QH83YSA2LG](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00C6Y7G5A/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_23?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A2F8QH83YSA2LG) the downstream converter is not getting monitored and will not be able to raise any “check-engine” codes, but once you touch the flanges in your old truck, likely you will have a flange broken off it (I had that issue), and you would need to replace both in the end so, go with cheap sensor replacement before you touch any “big stuff” ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2018, 1:52pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2005-nissan-pathfinder-service-engine-light-plus-gas-smell/113011/6 "2018-03-02T13:52:02Z")
Agree with sensor replacement. Maybe, just maybe that is contributing to the gas-smell. That might be a stretch for just the sensor. As @thegreendrag0n suggests, a broken flange can cause the code, too, but also cause the smell. I’d be looking carefully at the exhaust for cracks and flange failure. ---
**Author:** ![thegreendrag0n](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/thegreendrag0n/32/9265_2.png) [@thegreendrag0n](https://community.cartalk.com/u/thegreendrag0n)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2018, 1:59pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2005-nissan-pathfinder-service-engine-light-plus-gas-smell/113011/7 "2018-03-02T13:59:31Z")
my journey involved code related to the flange leak too, it was not P0420/P0430 one, but rather P2A00, so ECM was sensing oxygen coming from the leak on the broken flange, it raised a different kind of alert for this originally, my P0420 (twin-brother of P0430) was accompanied with gas smell from exhaust too, but I was too quick jumping the gun and replacing an upstream cat, which I regret in back-vision, if I tried replacing downstream sensor first, maybe I would not have the rest of “entertainment” ---
**Author:** ![brown14](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f9ae1b/32.png) [@brown14](https://community.cartalk.com/u/brown14)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2018, 12:06am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2005-nissan-pathfinder-service-engine-light-plus-gas-smell/113011/9 "2018-03-03T00:06:41Z")
Thank u much😀 ---
**Author:** ![thegreendrag0n](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/thegreendrag0n/32/9265_2.png) [@thegreendrag0n](https://community.cartalk.com/u/thegreendrag0n)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2018, 4:02pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2005-nissan-pathfinder-service-engine-light-plus-gas-smell/113011/10 "2018-03-04T16:02:30Z")
@brown14, that would be nice if you post your resolution here. we all like to know if you resolved the issue and how. ---
**Author:** ![brown14](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f9ae1b/32.png) [@brown14](https://community.cartalk.com/u/brown14)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2018, 5:58pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2005-nissan-pathfinder-service-engine-light-plus-gas-smell/113011/11 "2018-03-04T17:58:24Z")
Thank u. Was O2 sensor.u guys rock!!awesome ---
**Author:** ![thegreendrag0n](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/thegreendrag0n/32/9265_2.png) [@thegreendrag0n](https://community.cartalk.com/u/thegreendrag0n)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2018, 6:00pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2005-nissan-pathfinder-service-engine-light-plus-gas-smell/113011/12 "2018-03-04T18:00:21Z")
How many miles you drove after repair? If you exceeded 200, I would say, you are out of this wood 🙂 Thanks for posting back! ---
**Author:** ![db4690](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/db4690/32/2583_2.png) [@db4690](https://community.cartalk.com/u/db4690)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2018, 7:02pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2005-nissan-pathfinder-service-engine-light-plus-gas-smell/113011/13 "2018-03-04T19:02:04Z")
Here’s some very important questions? After the repair, did you erase the codes? did you verify that the catalytic converter readiness monitors ran to completion, AFTER you erased the codes? If the answer to the last question is no, my statement is “You do not yet know if the issue is resolved”