Napsters micra at Nissan

[Napster]

Well Monday was to be a right nightmare and its still continuing now :upside:

I was at car maintannce on Monday and the lecturer said that I should re-align my steering wheel because it wasn’t straight after I had the tracking re-done.

This guy looked it up on there special computer with ever information bout every car possible on it and it said how to go about taking the steering wheel off.

He said: “its easy, disconnect battery for 10minutes, remove the steering screws, take off the wheel, put it back on straight, job done”

I said to him I wasn’t sure its worth it and that I was happy with steering being out alittle
But he said no its easy.

So I disconnected the battery terminals and waited!
(the battery was disconnected casue of the airbag. The computer told us to wait 10minutes before attempting this so that the air bag is disconnected from the system / power etc and wouldn’t go off in my face)

I undid four screws under the steering column.
(but I didn’t touch anything)
Removed the lower plastic casing
(but I didn’t touch anything)
Couldn’t see how to get sterring wheel off
(but I didn’t touch anything)
Ask lecturer: he wasn’t sure and said there wasn’t enough time now
(but he didn’t touch anything)
So I put casing back on
(but I didn’t touch anything)
Put four screws in
Attached battery terminals
Went to move car….nothing except the “malfunction warning light” was flashing when it should be statinary saying that it has accepted my key!!!

I was just rephrasing the fact that I didn’t touch anything!!! No wires, no plugs, I didn’t even disconnect anything and yet the car wont start!!!???

My theory was that the ECU had reset its self because it didn’t have any power and lost the key codes for my keys so in theory thought I was steeling my own car NATS??

However Ive been told that the ecu shouldn’t lose the key codes?

The car was stored overnight at the uni compound on Monday and Tuesday morning I was there at 8am to see if it had cured itself…..but no 

Aload of other lecturers came over and where very helpful. One of them even rang Nissan for me. They said Nissan said to disconnect the battery again for a couple of hours and see if it resets if not then Nissan need my car and keys.

Came back 3hours later and we tried it. It SO nearly started  but then the immobiliser kicked in and stopped the car 

I rang Nissan, a good mechanic friend of mine, “ED” and txt “Antony” who where more than helpful so thanks guys!!!! I just didn’t know who else to ask so my apologies if I was interrupting anything?? And now im asking you guys

Got the car towed to Nissan later yesterday afternoon.

Well to cut a long story alittle sorter lol

Nissan did the diagnostic check on and didn’t find the problem  they couldn’t re-program the keys because it was saying that it wasn’t possible or something as if the ecu / other devices didn’t know there where keys there??

I think they trying to tell me that a wire may have got stretched under the steering column and broken inside its insulation so cant see it without testing wires??

They are looking at the car today hopefully and hopefully hear from them with good news:
“its fixed and its not going to cost a lot”
but im optimistic and its going to be:
“im afraid you need a lot of new parts from japan which will take weeks, hows your bank balance?”

Im really frustrated because this is going to cost me a fortune and I didn’t even get my steering wheel straight in the end and all because I DIDN’T TOUCH ANYTHING!!!!!!!!!!!

All I want is my little green bug back :doh:

napster

 

[Arnold]

Ah mate! that's a bummer. Hope you get it all sorted soon!

 

[Antony]

yeah, you know i mean this when i say that its an arse that this has happened and that nissan know beggar all...

just makes me so mad...

 

[Bence_Fs]

wont the college cover costs?

seems a bit unfair that you didnt touch anything and yet you have to pay

 

[Napster]

thanks "Arnold" and "Antony" for the kind words!!!! hopefully fixed tomorrow

"bence_FS: i am considering writting to the principal and asking about part covering the cost (or all if he is happy to pay lol) but somehow i dont think i will get any conpensation for this :-( but the college are insured incase something goes wrong.....only problem is...they didnt touch the car??? just informed me what to do (even though i didnt want to really do it lol) ??

i rang nissan today at 4:45 even though they said they where going to ring me.....i rang them and spoke to this helpful lady told me that today they had a very busy Schedule and didnt have time to have alook at my micra :-(

those words where just gutting i tell you!!!!

im going to be paying them a fortune because they have to do more diagnostics and test because they havent got a clue whats wrong and today they just didnt have the time!!!

its upsetting inaway about this whole disaster, but im coping!!!!

napster

 

[Swiper]

the funny thing is, you don't even need to remove the column surround to remove the wheel!!! you'd've thought they'd have known that. just flip out the covers on the back of the wheel and undo the airbag.

but, you shouldn't really move the wheel to sort out the tracking/wheel alignment. whoever did the tracking obviously didn't clamp the steering wheel in position. i'd have taken it back to them to sort out.

 

[micracharge]

I thought most Nissans had a master keyway in the column anyway, so there may only be one position for the steering wheel to go...

 

[Napster]

the funny thing is, you don't even need to remove the column surround to remove the wheel!!! you'd've thought they'd have known that. just flip out the covers on the back of the wheel and undo the airbag.

but, you shouldn't really move the wheel to sort out the tracking/wheel alignment. whoever did the tracking obviously didn't clamp the steering wheel in position. i'd have taken it back to them to sort out.

swiper: i had no idea.....we where going by an electronic database with every car possible with every answer to any question you want!!

now we got my car model, year etc and plugged it in and then went to "steering". this then produced a list of options and one was "remove steering wheel"!!

it then provide bullet points on how to remove it with some diagrams......

thats what we where going to follow but i olny got as far as disconnecting battery and removing a bit of plastic!!





i rang nissan today before work and i spoke to the same lady as before, who told me that she was not sure what the problem is with my car and that there is no paper work for me yet and no nissan techs have had a look :down:

my girlfriend rang up later on and spoke to the guy that i actually spoke to on tuesday at the nissan workshop who told her that my car was not accepting any keys and are having a proper look tomorrow!!!

i was told that there is a "fuel cut off switch under footwell" that cuts off fuel in an accident? i couldnt find it though??

so can anyone shed any light at all on this:

1. ECU failure?
2. nats?
3. broken wires?
4. ignition barrel?
5. engine components?
6. any others?

now remember i didnt touch anything.......but i know someone would have said that "i wouldnt have to touch something to break it" lol

thanks

napster

 

[micracharge]

Most likely thing is the plug has come out of the detector ring which is around the ignition barrel, it detects the code from the chip in your NATS key and authorises it with the ECU. This is likely it as its just behind the column trim.

 

[Napster]

Most likely thing is the plug has come out of the detector ring which is around the ignition barrel, it detects the code from the chip in your NATS key and authorises it with the ECU. This is likely it as its just behind the column trim.

i wish it was mate, i checked the wires!!!

my lecturer / mechanic checked!!

a few other mechanics had alook!!

nissan had a quick look!!!

but it seem all wires where plugged in!!

however the nissan guy i spoke to said a wire could have been stretched within its casing so you cant see it broken form the outside without doing tests??

this may sound strange but can any "magnetic / electronic interference" upset this at all?

 

[micracharge]

They are teeny wires to the detector ring I have to say, I wonder if its just half pulled a pin out. Electro-magnetics "could" destroy everything electronic inside the car - but its highly unlikely this side of a nuclear war - what makes you suggest it? Has it had a welder near it?

 

[Napster]

i only ask because i just got some new inforamtion bout magnetisium may have caused it (contacts lol)....but i got givin a new tool box/set....and its got a fancy screw driver thats magnetic with a torch light on it??? batterys etc?

if that had got to close could that have wiped memory??

its really hard to tell i must admit.....i wish i could say for definate that its "this" or "this" but i cant....

i cant keep explainin that nissan didnt have a clue on tuesday and wanted to know everything because they where stuck!!

hopefully they will find the problem tomorrow after 30minutes (so its cheap on my wallet) and have it fixed so i can drive my little gree bug again!!!

 

[Napster]

nissan just rang me and they told me that they think its the "transponder unit" around the ignition barrel thats at fault.

they are ordering one for tomorrow morning and hopefully going to fit it in the morning and i will have it back by mid day tomorrow

napster

 

[SHR3K]

Feel sorry for you m8,

I was gonna remove me steering wheel with the air bag in it but i don't think i will now :S

Shr3k

 

[Napster]

Feel sorry for you m8,

I was gonna remove me steering wheel with the air bag in it but i don't think i will now :S

Shr3k

thanks mate but you dont have to feel sorry for me!!!!

if i where you i wouldnt bother, if you can live with it and ur just changing it cause i feel you should then MAYBE LEAVE IT!!!! i was happy with it but got told it was a simple / easy job............never again!!!

the annoying thing is im going to pay alot of money tomorrow to get my car back and the sterring wheel is going to be exactly how it was before the car died! only differnce is "i had to sell my house to pay nissan for fixing it" :down: (figure of speech)

napster

 

[K10Daz]

say to them the steering wheel was straight wen the car went in

 

[butta]

nissan are robbing gits when it comes to things like this its a 15 min job to change a pick up ring and re program keys but they will always charge an hours labour (at the least) plus the usual stupidly high priced parts. btw the pick up ring is very delicate and easy to break as another member found out a while back (cant remember who though?) just bad luck that it happened to you mate.

 

[Ed]

Agree, it is most probably is the transponder unit. To be fair the college isnt responsible for this. If they told you to walk of a cliff you wouldn't would you? You just have to take responserbility for your own actions.
The steering wheel should have been centered before the tracking was done, not the other way round.

 

[Napster]

i understand what your saying guys about it being myfault, but its alittle upsetting from my point of view :down: because i would not have attempted this by any means without a qualified mechanic being there because i know i would have hit problems along the way for any job i do with the car!!!!

1. thats the only reason i attempted it because i thought nothing would break or go wrong
2. there was a mechanic there to help if i had problems
3. he said it would be easy!!
4. there where instructions and diagrams on how to remove it!!

if any one of the above points where not availble then I WOULD NOT HAVE ATTEMPTED IT!!!

the money im going to pay for my car being fixed i would have used for my holiday or extra parts for the car.....thats if i had known this would have happened because the steering wheel was fine in my eyes.....just we cant predict the future....but we can learn from our lessons!!!!!

never again am i touching anything under dash!!!!!!

napster

p.s ED: the cliff statement is alittle over the top isnt it....no i wouldnt walk off a cliff.....i like my life etc.....but this was about changing a sterring wheel on a micra? nothing more. if the car packed in (which it nearly did) then i can just buy another one or though it would not be as sentimental as my micra now!!!

thats why im at this mechanics evening class so im not afraid to have ago at parts on my car......it should be fun and enjoyable while learning at the same time!!!

 

[Ed]

hahaha, people just have to remember (and this absoutely does NOT just apply to you) that even in the most obvious and simple situations things can go wrong, and if that decision was yours by what ever influence you still have to live or deal with it.

Ed

 

[rlees85]

hahaha, people just have to remember (and this absoutely does NOT just apply to you) that even in the most obvious and simple situations things can go wrong, and if that decision was yours by what ever influence you still have to live with it.

Ed

i think most people who play with their cars will notice this. Been in this situation tonnes of time. Ended up without an interior light once becuase i tried to change the bulb in it (dont ask), and removing a headsheild ended up in a trip to the hospital (again.. dont ask).

Just live in learn, we all been here, most of the time look back and laugh aswell but i guess this wont be the case for you having spent ni$$an prices :/

 

[Napster]

hahaha, people just have to remember (and this absoutely does NOT just apply to you) that even in the most obvious and simple situations things can go wrong, and if that decision was yours by what ever influence you still have to live with it.

Ed

i dont mind living with it and i dont mind paying the Ridiculous receipt at the end! but it was not my choice i keep saying this tho :down: but im blaming anyone

as long as i get my green bug back all safe and well like it was on monday morning before all this cr*p happened.........thats all i care about!!!

i havent sat down and blamed ANYONE and i honestly mean that!!!! im not a guy to be mad over something so silly!

i just got upset because all of this could have been avoided, because i wasnt feeling well on monday anyway but pushed my self to go that evening!!!
plus i was happy with the car as it was!!!
the price is also alittle distressing, because i cant justif how they can charge so much in my opinion but that was really the only place it could have gone to been fixed so.......nevermind

cars brake down all the time (all though this was my 1st major problem) so im not surprised i was inline for a problem!!

napster

P.S i am not complaining! just expressing my feelings....sorry

 

[Ed]

no problem!!! Shame your not more local or I would fit a non nats ecu for you, and then you could never have the problem again!

 

[Napster]

no problem!!! Shame your not more local or I would fit a non nats ecu for you, and then you could never have the problem again!

depends when your next in cornwall mate :laugh: (joke)

well hopefully this should never happen again!!! im not going to touch it and neither is anyone else i hope!

if all goes well and it was the transponder i am going to ask nissan "why" it happened"

yes you guys have said its very delicate but i didnt touch it by hand!!!

if anything it was probably by removing or replacing the plastic back over the column but even then i was gentle and slow! (please no rude comments)

if its not that then.........oh great

 

[Burfy]

Nice to hear everything has worked out in the end.. Buy a K10.. Much less to go wrong, and if something goes wrong, it's a ridiculously easy locate and fix :wasntme:

 

[Napster]

Nice to hear everything has worked out in the end.. Buy a K10.. Much less to go wrong, and if something goes wrong, it's a ridiculously easy locate and fix :wasntme:

well i havent "heared" that everything is ok yet.....nissan think they have found problem!!!

we will see tomorow when they fit the part that costs more than a trip to the moon!!!!

cheers on advice for buying a k10!!! im happy with my k11 at the moment :blush: :k11green:

 

[Napster]

well nissan have not fixed my car :down: !!!!

the part they ordered for me is not arriving till tuesday now grr

so on tuesday i will see what they say!!

i would like to know if i can get this part myself and fit it but then i have the problem of re-encoding the keys!!

a very say and unhappy napster

 

[Fordy]

i wonder if you caught the wiring when you put the trim back on? or even wiggled the wiring a little in the connector, hopefully the garage has tried disconnecting and reconnecting as this sometimes fixes the fault