K12 1.2 Non starter immobiliser

My poor old Mums Mica I bought her won't start! Im reasonably okay at fixing cars so will go down in a few weeks and see what I can do. Hopefully, you can help me with some info so I can go prepared.

Its a 1.2 2004 with keyless and ignition comes on but then nothing, not even a click when she tries to start it.

It had a flat battery and has had a full charge, its a new battery 6 months ago but was allowed to get very flat. I've tried to get her to do some of the things I've read online with regard to ignition on, disconnect the battery, reconnect, etc.

I got her to take a picture of the dash lights. The red light that's a car with the outline of a key, is that the immobiliser light? Does that need to switch off for it to start?

I'm assuming that it the case and its the immobiliser. So changing the ignition switch is not going to help.

What are my options:
  1. Fiddle around tuning off and on, unplugging the battery, etc.
  2. Get an auto keys guy out to recode immobiliser.
  3. Bypass the immobiliser somehow.
  4. But a complete lock set 2nd hand, ignition key, ecu, etc
Really don't need the keyless or the immobiliser to be functional.

The way I see it getting an auto locksmith out is going to be £150 maybe, and that isn't guaranteed to be the issue. A new complete lockset is £100 but I imagine a lot of work to fit. I've only ever done it once on a Golf and getting the ignition off the rack need a lot of patients and an air chisel.

I'm not sure, but is there an option to buy a box the replaces one on the car and turns the immobiliser off?

Any pointers guys would be really helpful! My Mums at her wits end after self-isolating all year and then managing to plug a battery charger in by herself. (I sent her one and talked her through it on the phone) Was trying to get it sorted so she would drive to her vaccine appointment! What a royal pain in the arse this year is!
 
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That has been tried. The remote central locking works fine.

I read that it’s not the same system as the immobiliser?
 
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After replying I read your post history and looked up the error.

We have had the car a couple of years & haven’t changed the EPS. But this is the first time the battery has been run flat. Maybe it’s been changed in the past.

So do offer a recoding/resetting service on the EPS?
 
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No can do.

What do you need?

Can I remove the EPS and post it you?

I also read some stuff about reprogramming the BSM to LHD?
 
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More reading done...the whole eps unit looks a pain to remove. Can the eprom be removed while on the car? Then I can just bring that to you?
 

huttojb

Club Member
EPS System Guru
The LHD thing, Nissan contacted me late last year with a car they tried this on and wasn’t able to do it. This I would not know but the LHD vehicle market did not use the security feature. I think it was more a UK Regs item!
 

huttojb

Club Member
EPS System Guru
That’s what I’d suggest, but it’s up to you, I just trying to help you can find another solution if you want. I can try the eps and hopefully this will resolve your issue.
 
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Great thanks, it does seem a likely culprit.

Im going to go check over the car, fuses & plug a fault code reader in to it.

if it’s the EPS will it throw a fault pointing to that as the problem?

good luck with your house move!
 
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The car is now running!

I went down with a couple of code readers and a battery charger. Put the car on charge, checked all the fuses and tried some of the on/off ignition sequences Id read about. None of that worked.

I looked at the fault codes, they were P1610 and P1611. P1610 cleared as it was a low voltage error. The P1611 would clear but then come back whenever I tried to start it. P1611 is 'Key ID Discord IMM-ECM' which online it says is:

  1. Faulty or not programmed ignition key
  2. Faulty IMMU
  3. Faulty Engine Control Module (ECM)

At this point, I was starting to think it might actually be that the key needed reprogramming. But it did unlock the car remotely and allow the ignition on. But I was still unsure. So I thought I'll take the steering cowl off and have a look is the stud things have been hammered out the ignition previously to change the EPS and replaced with bolts......

IMG_5855.jpg



Bolts! So it cant be the original EPS! :)


So I took it off, which was much easier than I expected. Its no more than an hour. Forum user huttojb then kindly allowed me to bring it over to his home when he finished work and reset the code in it for me. So it would then actually code to my car. Thanks Jason! :)

Refitted it the next day. Worryingly it didn't work the first time,...hahaa

The first time nothing. So I locked it all and unlocked it. Then it cranked but wouldn't fire. So put the ignition off and then back on, only then did the NATS light go out and it started!

Anyway, I've gone on a bit here sorry. But I'm really pleased to get to the bottom of what is a very strange problem the I would guess has stumped a lot of people. Very satisfying to get to the cause of the problem! (With huttojb help :) )
 
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My pleasure.
Hi did I see on another post that you are based in Birmingham? I had the same problem, intermittent PS light on but would eventually go back to normal, this morning it's now on permanently, I drove it to work because I had to (huge arm workout haha) but the ESP light is also on.. wondering if its even worth getting fixed and if so do you know how much it would cost and anybody that could do it?
 
Have literally just had this happen with mine. After 2 weeks of being stranded at random, I took it back to my garage.

It had worked perfectly for them last week, so they couldn’t find the fault.

This week however……
They stripped back the ignition barrel and replaced a couple of bolts that had sheared off. But it still wasn’t starting. They then realised that the brake light wasn’t working. Replaced the relay for that, and everything started working again. The loss of signal from the brake light had blocked the signal from the key to the car.

Every car will have its own issues, but it’s worth considering if yours is doing the same.
 
Where are you located?
Hello Huttojb, I found this thread and I'm having the exact same problem, I can't find how to pm you on this site or how to start a thread yet so I'm hoping you will see and respond to this so I can give you more details of exactly what happened and hopefully get some advice from you, I'm really in a bad situation due to this and can see that you are clearly a total expert, please message me so we can chat, thankyou, sandy1
 
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