Z intermittently completely dead -- electrical gremlins

chillz

I searched, but can't find quite this issue: the door opens, and then -- she's dead, Jim. Like the trunk won't open, no lights on the dash... nothing. The only electrical thing that works is the auto window up when I close the door. Can't lock it either (the mechanical key is beyond cranky). The first time it happened was at home. I took the winter car to work, and the Z started up no problem when I got home. That was last Tuesday. Today i got to work, but she's dead in the parking lot there. Anyone had this problem, either with this car or another?

jchammond

I'd test battery & connections.
Put a volt meter on it & read surface charge; 12.60V is fully charged,
With meter connected-move it in a position where you can read it & turn on ignition.
In this warm of weather; battery voltage shouldn't drop below 10.00 volts while cranking.
But sounds like you have either a failed battery or corroded or loose connection.

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barncobob

most likely battery/loose connections..if battery is older than say 4 years, get a new one, cheap fix

chillz

Battery is fairly new -- and it starts fine when she's not comatose, so it's not the battery, per se. Connections appear/feel OK, but anything is possible. It's weird that both times she became comatose immediately after the door was opened. Seems like it might be a short/ computer issue. Anyway, if she doesn't start tomorrow morning, she's being towed to the dealer.

Louie cat

Maybe the steering lock is going bad.

pokeyl

Fuse link at pos battery terminal is blown, 100 Amp. The wire from it runs the the alternator.

The fuse link blows when the wire shorts out. Look for a spot were it contact the frame and has rubbed the isolation off, of your alternator may have shorted out.

You will need a new battery terminal from Nissan as the link is part of it, I think it was under $20.

Let me know what you find.

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fantaZ

get this. Improves headlights and makes your radio sound better. https://www.optimabatteries.com/en-us

chillz

I'm at the dealership. They think it's the steering wheel lock, although I pulled the fuse at least 4 years ago. They're replacing it free of charge, so no loss there, but I'm still afraid I'm going to get stranded somewhere unfortunate.

I'm assuming if it was a fuse, it wouldn't be intermittent.

Jhill

If the thing that it has in common is after opening/closing drivers door then check wiring in the door loom. If the b can wire is shorting intermittently than you'll lose function of some modules and without looking at the wiring diagram if the BCM is responsible to send the wake up signal to modules then its possible you'll be having issues as you describe.

chillz

Thanks for this -- it sounds plausible to me.

They didn't find anything (the battery is fine, and there were no codes indicating a problem), so they're replacing the steering wheel lock and I'll take her home. If the problem recurs (and I have a funny feeling it will, having pulled the lock fuse ages ago), this is where I'll ask them to start.

Spotondl

Did this ever get resolved? My Nismo is doing the exact same thing...

I've found that if I open and close the driver door the Z "wakes up" but the clock has reset, the head unit has reset and who knows what else resets... another oddity is that the windows will be rolled down an inch or so & I can roll the windows completely down and inch or so at a time with 8 or 9 pushes of the door switch in the jamb, NOT the window switch. Bizarre.


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gbhrps

Spotondl,

Logic suggests that this craziness is triggered by the opening of the door, and points to the wiring loom in the rubber gaiter at the door hinge area, the lock/unlock circuitry, or the security system.

My own skill sets would have me delving into that rubber gaiter to isolate any frayed/broken/stretched wires there. Be sure to check the large connectors right at the kick panel where the door harness enters the car body.

If that yielded no results, I'd pull the driver's door panel and check for loose wires/connectors/grounds for the power lock and cylinder (key) locks.

If that yielded no results ... then you'll need the expertise of a good service technician, not necessarily at a Nissan dealership, if you're so inclined. Independent mechanics will be cheaper, but you'll need to find a good one. Good Luck!

Gene

Ghostvette

First question: Are you still using the original battery? If so, buy a new battery. I bought an Optima Red Top for mine when the original battery hit 5 years old. Considering that you are getting resets to all things that require 'keep-alive' power, that points to the battery being bad. There will be enough power in the battery to move the window in fits and spurts, but not enough to power the window motor.

GL

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