Car not starting due to a dead battery , HELP!!

[mynerd]

Hello Infiniti Fam,

I am having issues with dead battery and car not starting. i bought the car about 2 years ago from carmax, i am the second owner. 3 weeks in when i bought the car and the car wouldnt start up, i took it to carmax and they replaced the battery , it turned on like a champ and no problems at all until yesterday morning when i was going to work, again the car wouldnt turn on..I had to have my brother come over and help me jump started at my house...it took about a min for the jumpstart to take place with the jumper cables.. right after i went to the shop closest to my house "autozone" the worker there checked the dead battery and said that it couldnt be the battery and it could be the Alternator....so my car is sitting at autozone and no one able to jumpstart my car since i turned it off and it wouldnt turn on again...so i ended up buying a new battery which my car turned on like a champ and since yesterday morning ive had no problems since with the new battery..I am planning to take it to the shop for them to check if the Alternator is running fine with the voltage. I read a few threads and it seems like it was some what of a common issue with some 2011 Ms...i came across 2 possible reasons..1. Bulletin ITB11-029 (2011 M: No start and or battery low voltage due to intellegent key and welcome lighting. & 2. The way the Alternator wiring is set up where the Alternator doesnt start kicking in until driving min of 8 miles from when motor started in order to save fuel and power?...I read there is some kind of Alternator charging modification made by certain dealers...I have no more warranty and i would hate to pay ALOT of money to get this problem fixed. Anybody out here with similar issue?? If so any advise or tips??

[austin713]

any shop should be able to check your alternator for proper function. that shouldnt take more than 15 mins. if they diagnose and its not the alternator you might have other issues.

[mynerd]

any shop should be able to check your alternator for proper function. that shouldnt take more than 15 mins. if they diagnose and its not the alternator you might have other issues.

Yes, I am hoping its a quick fix with the alternator as i read others with similar issue doing a Alternator Charging modification.

[Debonair]

Any links to this mod?

[SwissCheeseHead]

You can easily check if your batter is bad or if it's your alternator with a multimeter:
http://www.familyhandyman.com/automotiv ... r/view-all

I would start here. Also, if this is TSB related, the dealership will fix it free of charge.

[mynerd]

Any links to this mod?

Heres a youtube link an Infiniti Tech send me from Infinitihelp.com, hes name is Jay and screen name is FixUrNissan. Https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9C5-OkxrJU
Video is called Infiniti & Nissan ECM Controlled Alternator Mod. Let me know if you try it as i haven't attempt it yet.

[mynerd]

You can easily check if your batter is bad or if it's your alternator with a multimeter:
http://www.familyhandyman.com/automotiv ... r/view-all

I would start here. Also, if this is TSB related, the dealership will fix it free of charge.

Thanks for this nice info. I will look into it with my mechanic. Sorry for the newby question..what does TSB mean?...I am fairly new to Infiniti as ive always been a Mitsu owner.

[SwissCheeseHead]

TSB - technical service bulletin

It's basically a documented case for a make/model of car that is a known problem and the manufacturer chooses to fix it without charge. It's almost like a recall, but they're not telling people to come in to get them fixed.

The "ITB 029..." thing that you posted is a TSB

[Mjkkb2]

Technical Service Bulletin is a document issued by Nissan or other car manuf to its dealers detailing repair procedures, fixes for common problems etc.

[mynerd]

So do you guys know if there is any recalls on the 2011 M?

[Mjkkb2]

TSB - technical service bulletin

It's basically a documented case for a make/model of car that is a known problem and the manufacturer chooses to fix it without charge. It's almost like a recall, but they're not telling people to come in to get them fixed.

The "ITB 029..." thing that you posted is a TSB

Swisss, I think that's only partially true. The TSB related work sometimes get's done free of charge after the warranty period but most of the time it does not. Only a recall (which is safety and/or emissions) related is done free of charge regardless of years and miles on the car.
If one has a good relationship with the service advisor then one may get it done for free. More often than not if you're out of warranty you will be charged for the work.

[SwissCheeseHead]

Thanks for the clarification. I thought it was dealt with as a "manufacturing defect" and that they would correct the problem without charge.

[runkmc]

My car kills batteries every 2 years. The problem is complicated. The ECU lets the battery drain down lower than most other cars would allow. The alternator only charges when the ECU commands. The TSB changes the set point of the charging, but regardless...it is hard on batteries. My car has had 3 84month Nissan batteries and each die in 2 years or less. I recommend you get a battery with a good warranty or go for a deep cycle battery like the Optima Yellow. Good Idea to consider a start booster (battery pack jumper).
Oh, if you are wondering why they did this with the alternator...it gained 1-2 MPG and some performance ratings...basically playing the numbers game on ratings.

[mynerd]

My car kills batteries every 2 years. The problem is complicated. The ECU lets the battery drain down lower than most other cars would allow. The alternator only charges when the ECU commands. The TSB changes the set point of the charging, but regardless...it is hard on batteries. My car has had 3 84month Nissan batteries and each die in 2 years or less. I recommend you get a battery with a good warranty or go for a deep cycle battery like the Optima Yellow. Good Idea to consider a start booster (battery pack jumper).
Oh, if you are wondering why they did this with the alternator...it gained 1-2 MPG and some performance ratings...basically playing the numbers game on ratings.

Yes, thats what i also found out , my first battery went out about 2 years ago, this time again
i replaced it with a new one and didn't even bother to charge the previous one. With a new battery it is now working fine with no problem. Sucks how they set up the CPU on how the alternator starts working on a later time while driving. I bought battery with 7 year warranty so , i guess one it looks like its dying ill just replace it again. kinda sucks but oh well, i love my M.