Need some help, pahtfinder died on the road, gauges gone.

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kev1n
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Need some help, pahtfinder died on the road, gauges gone.

Postby kev1n » Wed Jun 19, 2013 6:17 am

My wife took the car and on the way home lost all the gauges and lights. The car started driving funny and would not move well. Subsequently we replaced the battery thinking that was the issue ( still on the OEM one at 94k miles). We got the car running After sitting overnight the car will not start. The new battery did not fix the issue with the gauges either so it might have blown a fuse.. Any ideas what could be the problem ? alternator?


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eieio
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Postby eieio » Wed Jun 19, 2013 6:58 am

ECM relay?

kev1n
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Postby kev1n » Wed Jun 19, 2013 7:05 am

Was that related to the IPDM relay? I know they replaced the IPDM under the recall notice last year.

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eieio
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Postby eieio » Wed Jun 19, 2013 7:14 am

kev1n wrote:Was that related to the IPDM relay? I know they replaced the IPDM under the recall notice last year.
it probably is, but here's the info from Nissan:
http://www.nissanassist.com/web/ECMRela ... hp?menu=40
have you checked the fuses, both in the dash and beneath the hood?
I know the battery is new, but are you sure the cable clamps are clean & tight?

kev1n
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Postby kev1n » Wed Jun 19, 2013 7:18 am

eieio wrote:
kev1n wrote:Was that related to the IPDM relay? I know they replaced the IPDM under the recall notice last year.
it probably is, but here's the info from Nissan:
http://www.nissanassist.com/web/ECMRela ... hp?menu=40
have you checked the fuses, both in the dash and beneath the hood?
I know the battery is new, but are you sure the cable clamps are clean & tight?
As luck would have it, I am out of town while this happend and it was whiel the wife and kids were getting home. Luckily they are safe and sound at home, I won't be able to check it out until I get home but will look at those things first. Thanks!

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disallow
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Postby disallow » Wed Jun 19, 2013 7:32 am

This sounds alot like a bad ground or battery cable connection.

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eieio
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Postby eieio » Wed Jun 19, 2013 7:52 am

disallow wrote:This sounds alot like a bad ground or battery cable connection.
yep, sometimes these problems turn out to be the most basic things

kev1n
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Postby kev1n » Wed Jun 19, 2013 7:58 am

The mechanic did mention that there was significant corrosion on the battery terminal. How hard is it to replace that cable ?

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eieio
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Postby eieio » Wed Jun 19, 2013 8:23 am

kev1n wrote:The mechanic did mention that there was significant corrosion on the battery terminal. How hard is it to replace that cable ?
depends how badly it is corroded
give it a good scrubbing with baking soda & water and take a close look at it
pretty sure you can replace the cable clamp separate from the cable assy, but if it's badly damaged beyond the clamp you'll need a whole new cable
i'll just bet that's where the current :wink: problem is at this point!

kev1n
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Postby kev1n » Wed Jun 19, 2013 8:25 am

thanks guys. Nothing like murphy's law to hit you in the face. If only this could have happened when I was home and not traveling for work. the bright side, no body was stranded for very long or hurt either.

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eieio
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Postby eieio » Wed Jun 19, 2013 8:26 am

welcome..............
be sure to let us know what turns out to be the fix

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disallow
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Postby disallow » Wed Jun 19, 2013 11:32 am

The terminal clamps also stretch over time, making it impossible to have a tight fit on the terminals. I stuff a nail into the terminal clamp to make it a little tighter.

Actually, this makes sense as you mentioned you just changed your battery. Whoever installed it may not have been able to get the clamps to tighten properly, or it could have relaxed. Any buildup of heat will cause them to stretch more, exacerbating the problem.

Every import I've ever owned has had this problem. Honda, Nissan, Toyota. Not sure why they can't use a north american or marine style clamp instead of that brass shit.

t


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