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Evasive Repair

2K views 10 replies 4 participants last post by  alibaba123 
#1 ·
Repair of the slip light and DVC light issue on the little Datsoon is still evasive. In the 424 miles we have been dealing with this issue it has been to the dealer for diagnosis and calibration, had all 4 wheel sensors pulled and cleaned, battery replaced, both front wheel bearings replaced, both front wheel sensors replaced, clock spring replaced, steering angle recalibrated, all 4 struts and shocks replaced and all 4 tires. Today it got a new steering angle sensor. That stopped the ABS from going nuts every time a turn is made but both lights are still on. I do not want to add up how much we have spent trying to find the problem but a guess is we are about $1500 in parts so far. Dealer said it is a take each part off and replace it or spend the $100 an hour to test each part till it is found. Said it could easily run $5,000. Considering a trip to the nearest 5 star dealer for diagnosis which is a 5 hour round trip away. There has to be a way to diagnose these on a computer as page BR-48 of the manual lists a diagnosis code for each sensor and part. If there is a code number, there must be a tool to obtain it. Local dealer said no codes. Suggestions?
 
#3 ·
New car dealer but 1 or 2 star dealer rating. d
 
#4 ·
Is this a Nissan dealer or another brand?

I would have no issue driving hours to a new dealer, picking up a rental and eating the rental fee (ask the dealer for a loaner or how much they get for rentals) for a few days and see what a legit place says. Any shop who suggests throwing parts at a problem is no shop I would run from. Some shops are full of parts replacers and not qualified mechanics who are able to diagnose vehicles.

With that said, you bought this truck just recently, correct? There is a possibility there is just some strange electrical issue. One loose wire somewhere in the truck, a connector with one pin that isn't seated correctly, one connection with some corrosion, etc..
 
#5 · (Edited)
I agree on the parts replacers. I knew the truck before I bought it. I've ridden in it before and was owned by a friend and his father before he died suddenly before him and I know they were people that took care of it and drove it easy. Took care of things enough that we loaned them our car before when they were having service done or waiting on parts. I noted no issues when I rode with him nor any for the first couple hundred miles I owned it. Nearest 5 star quality shop is 1/2 day round trip away from me according to Nissan corporate. Today I was in that area and took the truck but it now has more issues that I need to address. 244 mile trip today and I notice before I got to 40 mph it now has a bearing rumble/drone that is very loud since the new wheel hubs have been put on. It was as quiet as the Jaguar before so we've ordered new wheel bearing hub assemblies again. The ones that were put on were after market and clearly crap. Fuel mileage sucked for an interstate trip also. 15.9 mph on premium fuel. While sitting in the doctor's office I reviewed the diagnosis procedure and will try to check a few things before the appointment date with the dealer. Maybe I'll get lucky. Supposedly the brake light switch can cause issues and one of those was ordered too. The diagnosis procedure clearly shows the dealer computer can pin point the fault such as rt sensor shorted or rt sensor circuit open. It also states that most cases are related to a bad connection or faulty wire. At any rate with one or both new wheel bearing howling that has to be fixed before we can move on. Added up expenses thus far trying to fix the issue. More than I thought. $2,446.28 not including the replacement wheel bearings ordered today that likely will be warranted.
 
#6 ·
The crap aftermarket hub thing is a red flag for me. The beater car I just bought off a friend got all new hubs the day I was picking it up from him and one was bad out of the box. The ABS light was on after installing. We unplugged each new on and plugged the old one back in and discovered one was bad. New part bad, 215k mile OEM was still good.

this is a 1998 chevy cavalier, so it doesn't have any stability control system, so I can see where a hub on a vehicle with VDC a slight issue with a hub could cause the computer to freak.
 
#7 · (Edited)
VDC light came on 200 miles after I got the truck. Replacing the hubs and sensors was part of the attempted fix. Just happens to be the new hubs have a horrid bearing noise nor did it fix the light issue. I have to assume they were made using generation 1 or 2 ball bearings, not generation 3 tapered roller cone bearings. Ordered Moog this time. I'm fairly certain Moog and Timken, maybe SKF use the current generation 3 style bearing design. 2 wheel drive but had a drone and vibration like a car with 250,000 miles and bad constant velocity joints or a dry wheel bearing that failed and sounds like both do the same.clear it is the bearings since that was the only thing changed and it did not do it before. sorry you got sucky parts too.
 
#10 ·
bearings are a sealed unit so no idea how they were packed in the factory. Installed the new Moog units. 45 minute simple project. Drone is now gone. Still have the VDC/Slip light issue but one day that will be resolved. The closer I get to wanting to sell this thing the more I enjoy driving it.
 
#11 · (Edited)
All the diagnostics I have been given to get the error code on this thing do nothing. Given instructions to start it and push up on the the cruise button 5 times and down 5 times and it would flash a code on the the gear selector screen...... nothing. Told to push the cabin light switch on the door 10 times and it will give me a code...... nothing. Given written instructions to ground pin # 9 on the OBD plug and and can get the code. There is no wire on pin 9 so that is useless. Took it to the dealer. For those who keep asking the dealer is a new nissan dealer, not some old used car hack that sells used oldsmobiles. Would not make any sense to take it to a non oem dealer that has no experience nor computer to diagnose it. They said it shows no codes but I find that odd that I have a VDC light and slip light on yet no code. Slip light always goes out on restart but comes back on about 15 miles into driving. VDC used to go out before the steering sensor change but now it never goes off. $100 charge every time they check for a code. VDC button does nothing. So far it has had the front hubs replaced twice, rear wheel speed sensors removed, cleaned and checked, front wheel speed sensors replaced 2 1/2 times, struts and shocks replaced, new clock spring, new steering wheel sensor, new brake light switch and the RR tailight assembly changed out and all the brakes replaced. $3016 in repairs and no fix yet.
 
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