2006 Infiniti M45 - Multiple Codes (changing :P)

[revenghost]

Hello everybody!

I just bought a 2nd 2006 M45 - this one is silver, sadly though it has codes showing and they change on me
First codes:
10/2/19 - P1140 Powertrain
10/2/19 - P0430 PowerTrain Catalyst System Efficiency below threshold (Bank 2)

Then I moved the 2 top Camshaft sensors (or crankshaft if thats the top ones, easy to reach) from my fully working and good Brown 2006 M45 and then reset the ECU (doing the 5 hard presses, and 10 second hold down and such)
Then 2 new codes popped up
10/6/19 - P0011 PowerTrain "A" Camshaft Position - Time Over-Advanced or System Performance (bank 1)
10/6/19 - P0021 PowerTrain "A" Camshaft Position - Time Over-Advanced or System Performance (bank 2)
So I put the 2 old sensors back in and got the original codes again
10/14/19 - P1140 Powertrain changed sensors back
10/14/19 - P0430 PowerTrain Catalyst System Efficiency below threshold (Bank 2)

so then i just moved the bank 1 (passenger side) sensor
10/14/19 changed bank1? - passenger camshaft sensor
10/15/19 - P1140 Powertrain instantly get this one - after both the odb reader ecu reset, and the reset procedure.
10/15/19 - P0021 PowerTrain "A" Camshaft Position - Time Over-Advanced or System Performance (bank 2)

Today I'm thinking ill switch the timing solenoid between the cars (the one shown in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoDA4BgYGGk)
I'm just trying to troubleshoot if/what part is bad
Yesterday (10/15/19) I changed the oil just to make sure the oil was good.

Anybody have any ideas on what the issue is here? When put the silver cars camshaft sensors into the brown M45 the brown never threw codes, so I assume the camshaft sensors are fine. So now trying to troubleshoot other parts. Just confusing me how I have 4 different codes, all depending on what camshaft sensor I have in the silver car

My annoying time constraint here is Utah will only give me 1 additional 15 day temp registration, so after 15 days from now i'm in trouble :P - since I can't pass emissions with the CEL on

[Ilya]

Hmm that's an odd one. Maybe our resident expert EdBwoy has an idea, he's good with this type of stuff.

[revenghost]

GOT IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
1. Changed the oil
2. Drove 20-30 miles on the new oil
2.5 Put the original sensors back in, since it didn't like my other infiniti's sensors for some unknown reason
3. reset ECU (through the pedal pressing, see my notes lower down)
4. relearned some something by running the car, going to neutral and holding the RPM's at 2k for 20 seconds (end of this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bK8rjYCJQNI)
5. Drove around and all emissions completed and no check engine light!
Thank you all for being awesome and having some much info in these forums

RESET ECU
1 Ignition "ON", count 3
2 Press and release pedal 5 times, hard and fast (5 times in less than 5 seconds)
3 Count to 10, then fully depress pedal
4 count to 12, (SES should be blinking), release pedal
5 cout to 10, press pedal
6 count to 10, release pedal
7 turn off iginition, and then start engine


My guesses are, the p0011 and p0021 are because it didn't like my other infiniti's sensors. and the P0430 was because of the P1140, and im guessing that when I changed the oil and did the relearn, it fixed/helped the P1140... But im registered now and hopefully no codes come back!

I am trying to write down everything I did and all that, because it was super helpful in other posts where people came back and said how they fixed it, as opposed to just stating the issue and never returning

[Ilya]

Yeah that happens a lot on the internet but thank you for following up! Glad you got it sorted and hopefully for good.

[Costee]

Happy ending that it was resolved with an oil change...getting rid of some debris, no doubt. However, I'm not clear with this statement: "so then i just moved the bank 1 (passenger side) sensor
10/14/19 changed bank1? - passenger camshaft sensor
10/15/19 - P1140 Powertrain instantly get this one - after both the odb reader ecu reset, and the reset procedure.
10/15/19 - P0021 PowerTrain "A" Camshaft Position - Time Over-Advanced or System Performance (bank 2)." Note that for the M45, the passenger side is bank 2, not 1.

[revenghost]

And sadly P1140 is back
Yesterday IDLE was high, around 900-1000rpm, so I did this idle relearn https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZJfWQLGUZI and now the P1140 is back and idle is still high at 1k. (I dont think the idle relearn caused the code, because whenever I get this code, idle stays high at 1k)

From the FSM (Factory service manual: https://www.nicoclub.com/FSM/M/2006_M45-M35/ec.pdf ) I see that P1140 is the BANK 1 (Drivers side) sensor
● P0011 P0021 Intake valve timing control
● P1140 P1145 Intake valve timing control position sensor

So first thing ill try again is switching the camshaft sensor from my working bronze infinti and then I will do 3 'relearn/reset' things,
1. Relearn timing (of something).... (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bK8rjYCJQNI)
2. Relearn idle (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZJfWQLGUZI)
3. ECU reset (
1 Ignition "ON", count 3
2 Press and release pedal 5 times, hard and fast (5 times in less than 5 seconds)
3 Count to 10, then fully depress pedal
4 count to 12, (SES should be blinking), release pedal
5 cout to 10, press pedal
6 count to 10, release pedal
7 turn off iginition, and then start engine
)


Then drive around for a while and see if the P1140 come back. What happened last time was I got P0011 which is the P0011 P0021 Intake valve timing control
P0011 PowerTrain "A" Camshaft Position - Time Over-Advanced or System Performance (bank 1)

Next I think I will start checking electrical... Its the first in the list of things to check in the FSM
Possible Causes:
● Harness or connectors
(Intake valve timing control position
sensor circuit is open or shorted)
● Intake valve timing control position
sensor
● Crankshaft position sensor (POS)
● Camshaft position sensor (PHASE)
● Accumulation of debris to the signal
pick-up portion of the camshaft
sprocket


Cant edit my original post, which is annoying...
@Costee: 1st I had banks wrong, in all those notes I thought bank 1 was passenger side. For everybody reading and wondering: in the 2006 M45, bank 1 is driver side, bank 2 is passenger, this is confirmed from the FSM (https://www.nicoclub.com/FSM/M/2006_M45-M35/ec.pdf page EC-826)
2nd:
What is your question?
Ill write my notes
10/14/19 - changed bank 2 - passenger camshaft sensor from my working bronze infiniti to this new silver infiniti
10/15/19 - Got P1140, and then I was instanstly get it even after obd reader codes reset and the ECU reset procedure with pedal
10/15/19 - P0021 PowerTrain "A" Camshaft Position - Time Over-Advanced or System Performance (bank 2)."

So where i'm confused is that when I put in a working sensor that my other M45 likes, why this silver one throws the P0021 and P0011 code from it

[Costee]

You'd probably consider my suggestion expensive: I'd say you install new and fresh oem sensors to the two banks. Fortunately, both banks run on same sensor type. That should clear any ambiguity. We proceed from there.
What's the genesis of the high idle? Did you attempt to clean the throttle valve?

[revenghost]

Yeah... I was thinking I may need to do that... What I don't want to happen though, is I change those that with new OEM ones, then get new codes and Im just going down replacing $100-200 parts at a time hole.
Genesis of the high idle is the P1140 code, so far, historically, the idle is fine, then the idles goes to 1k, then pretty soon after the P1140 code pops. So as far as I can tell they are related.
I have not touched the Throttle valve, as I learned that lesson with my brown one a couple years back :P

[Mjkkb2]

My money would be on the VVT Solenoids going caput as well.

[revenghost]

Alrighttt so got it all fixed up, registered, been a great car, but the P0430 PowerTrain Catalyst System Efficiency below threshold (Bank 2) code keeps popping up. Sometimes 1 day, sometimes 3 weeks between after I clear it and it pops again
Anybody have ideas on how to fix that?
With P0430 - some people say just buy an airgap extender to fix that... maybe that would work
This car does get lower gas milage than my brown m45, its around 17-20. This silver is around 14-17, i wonder if that is related to the code

[EdBwoy]

The best way to fix the P0430 is replacing the exhaust manifold. I don't know if the o2 extenders work well with the m45; no experience there.
As far as Nissan V8 exhaust manifolds go, the 06+ M45 had the most reliable ones - I don't mind getting used ones for my own cars.

What did you do to finally fix the other issues?

[revenghost]

P0021: I bought the $25 autozone "Duralast Camshaft Position Sensor", bought it to troubleshoot (made sure with autozone I could return it, if the code came back) - and that code never came back so I have left it. If there is a chance it is hurting gas mileage, I would definitely go buy the oem one, but if only affects if the code is there or not, then the duralast is doing fine.
P1140 - went away as well, looks like it was related to the P0021

Leaves me with just the P0430 PowerTrain Catalyst System Efficiency below threshold (Bank 2) - Thank you for the suggestion on a used exhaust manifold, I will look into it


Side note: my friend is thinking about getting a used Audi A8 - anybody know anything about their reliable/repairability? I have enjoyed working on my Infiniti, the repairability seems 'easier' or not as bad as some cars. Curious about Audis