HELP! DEALER CANNOT FIX MY CAR

[2006M45Sport]

Hello.

I'm new and turning to this forum as a last resort. I have a 2006 M45 Sport and my RAS/VDC/Slip lights came on. I thought I needed brakes, so I replaced my brakes rotors and brake fluid. BTW - I didn't really need brakes, but my rotors were warped so I replaced everything. The lights stayed on. I took it to the dealer and they tried everything (so they said). They have my car for almost 2 months and replaced the ABS unit and a bunch of other parts including the instrument panel. Nothing worked, so they said it was my aftermarket remote start that was the problem. I took it back to Best Buy to have it removed and the technician said he seen nothing wrong w/the system or the wires. The dealer said this should fix the problem and the lights will go off. The lights stayed on. I brought it back to the dealer and they couldn't reset the lights and they said the remote start system must have ruined my wiring harness and I need a new one. $3500. If my wiring harness was bad, wouldn't other lights come on? Where do I go from here?

[DoN_BLaZe34]

Welcome to the forum even though it's under these unfortunate circumstances..i find it extremely hard to believe that your remote start had anything to do with ur issue...I have one in my car and have never had the issue u're having. My recommendation would be get a second opinion from another dealership if you have one nearby..at one time those same lights went off on my car but it turned out to be due to my cam shaft sensor needing to be replaced

Either way, best of luck with your situation

[2006M45Sport]

Thanks for your reply. I forgot to mention that the remote start was in there for over a year!

[DoN_BLaZe34]

No problem. The remote start being in there for that long period of time only solidifies my point; it had/has nothing to do with the lights being on. If you had the system installed prior and the car was fine (aka no lights on)then it doesn't make sense that out the blue it's causing the problem now.

The dealer can't locate the problem and rather than admitting that, they're throwing out incorrect accusations. Get a second opinion

[cruzad3r]

was there any code on the car? meaning have you or your dealer tried scanning the ECU for fault code?

[radigan]

The dealer is milking you good, stay away from them. Get a second opinion. I am pretty sure your remote has nothing to do with that light.

[2006M45Sport]

I'm sure there was. They had my car for almost 2 months, and even had to wait for their field engineer to evaluate because they were stumped. You're speaking a different language, but they did tell me they never seen the codes before.

[cruzad3r]

if there's any malfunction indication on your dash, there's a likely hood of a fault code resided in the ECU. especially if the RAS/Slip/VDC light is on.

second - randomly throwing parts at the car without knowing the root cause is worthless and expensive. As shady as this dealer sound from your post, i have reason to believe they haven't done crap and just charging you for the hell of it. demand to see all your old parts, demand to hear why they can't fix it and keep blaming other non-related parts on your car - demand to see they plug in a Consult II to your car OBD-II connection and read the code.

[cruzad3r]

if there's any malfunction indication on your dash, there's a likely hood of a fault code resided in the ECU. especially if the RAS/Slip/VDC light is on.

second - randomly throwing parts at the car without knowing the root cause is worthless and expensive. As shady as this dealer sound from your post, i have reason to believe they haven't done crap and just charging you for the hell of it. demand to see all your old parts, demand to hear why they can't fix it and keep blaming other non-related parts on your car - demand to see they plug in a Consult II to your car OBD-II connection and read the code.

[audtatious]

I'm sure there was. They had my car for almost 2 months, and even had to wait for their field engineer to evaluate because they were stumped. You're speaking a different language, but they did tell me they never seen the codes before.

Do you know the codes? If you still have the car drop by a auto parts place like AutoZone and have them connect a code scanner to your car. Write down the codes and post them up here for us to evaluate.

[audtatious]

second - randomly throwing parts at the car without knowing the root cause is worthless and expensive. As shady as this dealer sound from your post, i have reason to believe they haven't done crap and just charging you for the hell of it. demand to see all your old parts, demand to hear why they can't fix it and keep blaming other non-related parts on your car - demand to see they plug in a Consult II to your car OBD-II connection and read the code.

I hate hearing dealerships do this. If they throw parts on the car and it does not fix the problem then you should not have to pay.

[2006M45Sport]

Thanks, guys! I emailed the dealer and asked him to provide a list of the parts they replaced; he replied and did not provide that list. Imagine that! Also, they didn't charge me a thing, because they were unable to fix the problem. They also gave me a new fog light (mine was cracked) at no charge. However, I was still a little annoyed that they couldn't fix the problem and tried to tell me I need a new harness. I emailed and asked for the codes, but I doubt they will give them to me.

[audtatious]

Glad you were not penalized. I see it all the time here where people get repairs and keep having to pay for part after part while the mechanic guesses at it.

Hit a parts shop and have them pull the codes for you.

[mexillis]

Did you get anything done to your car and then your lights came on or did they just happen to come on while driving? Also in order for the dealer to say it's your remote start they have to prove it not just point to a non oem part and say that's why sh!ts broke. There should be no reason for them not to give you a list of what's wrong or all the codes that came up while scanning.

[cruzad3r]

is this a real post? lol cuz i'm feeling a little dupe after reading all of this.

reason being - dealer don't just replace parts without owner's consent. once you agreed there will be charges and invoices. if they have the car for 2 months and tried everything replaced every parts, the one who approved of this will have a heck of a time explaining to the GM of the dealer.

[2006M45Sport]

Cruz - i approved of the parts, but once they ordered the parts and replaced them, it didn't fix the problem so they didn't charge me because they removed the part and put the old one back in. I consented to every bogus solution they came up with during the 2 months. He called about once a week saying "well, it wasn't this, but it might be that so we're ordering something else"....My highest quote was $2200 and I consented to it all. In the end, they weren't able to fix not one of the lights and decided it was the remote start which is causing the wiring to misfire. They explained that if I got that removed, the lights would reset themselves and it would fix itself. It didn't, so they diagnosed it as the wiring harness because nothing else they tried worked. I don't speak "car" or "mechanic" but I do have the sense to know that probably isn't the answer. I also emailed him earlier this morning to ask for the codes and the list of parts they tried to replace. I'm still waiting.

[Mdeniz]

ohh its a girl...how you doinnnnnnnnnnnnnnn?

[EniGmA1987]

^^^^ lol


I cant be sure, but I think someone else on here had the same lights on the dash as you are talking about. Ill go looking but it might have been the guy who needed the new RAS motor. I also had similar lights but also had the service engine soon light come on with the rest, and mine was a bad camshaft sensor.

If you are located in Southern California they you should take it to the Riverside Infiniti dealer, they have always been great with service and have always been able to find the cause of a problem in very little time no matter how odd the issue is.


EDIT: these are the two threads I found with the same lights as you have:
trouble-lights-on-dash-came-on-vdc-abs- ... S#p6339656
ras-vdc-off-slip-and-abs-lights-on-06-m ... S#p5802233

Could also be a steering angle sensor.

[zerg711]

^ I agree. I highly recommend Riverside Infiniti. They fix problems I can' fix myself. =)

[wingFeather]

Welcome to the forums! I sincerely hope you stay a while

Infiniti dealers are notoriously craptacular. They break more items than they fix, and all on your dime. I would look into the suggestion above (RAS motor) as others who have your symptoms found that the RAS was the cause.

I had an issue with an aftermarket remote start alarm (on a Chevy I used to own). The dealer tried many things which didn't help, but once they found the alarm system they blamed that... which I thought was a cop-out. But as it turned out, it really was the problem! And when the alarm shop uninstalled it, it didn't cure the issue. Oddly enough, the Chevy dealer found that they'd left a wire tapped into the car's harness... somehow this wire changed the resistance of the car's wire & caused the factory alarm system to go nuts. The dealer extracted this inch of Chinese wire and solved my problems! So... anything is possible.

Good luck!

[papaupa212]

06 m35 with upgraded BBK. VDC off and SLIP lights came on, also my brakes lock the tires so i could even move the car...i checked the brake fluid and brake pads are good. take a look at 2 relays or "sensors" right on top of the brake pedal, there is a brown one and/ a black and white. take those two out clean them. **the white and black has a small spring inside clean that too STRAIGHTEN IT UP just a lilbit and put it back** that fixed my problem.

[2006M45Sport]

Wow - this forum is so helpful; I really appreciate all the replies and the help! Here's what the dealer sent as far as codes and parts they replaced w/no result:

I spoke to the technician and he said the faults are for:
1- RAS circuit fault
2- ECD mode malfunction
3- Yaw sensor fault


The parts installed were the ICC distance sensor, abs controller, brake light switch, RAS control module, instrument cluster and recalibrate the RAS position sensors.

[Jerimiah]

Did you ever get this resolved? I wouldnt be surprised if your cam position sensor was on its way out. It will sometimes make those lights come on.

[2006M45Sport]

Never resolved. Thanks for the info.

[m35johnny]

M35 and other models owners, rejoice! You cure is here:I had the same lights flashing on my 07 m35 sport. Dealer changed the sensor, lights still on. They contacted their in house tech line and were told to inspect and clean all the connections to front and rear wheels sensors including the grounding and problem was SOLVED! !! IM So happy because I love my m35 and don't want to change it except maybe m45x. Cost:$485.00. I hope this will help ya all <Georgia>

[The00Dustin]

M35 and other models owners, rejoice! You cure is here:I had the same lights flashing on my 07 m35 sport. Dealer changed the sensor, lights still on. They contacted their in house tech line and were told to inspect and clean all the connections to front and rear wheels sensors including the grounding and problem was SOLVED! !! IM So happy because I love my m35 and don't want to change it except maybe m45x. Cost:$485.00. I hope this will help ya all <Georgia>

Nice first post, let me be the first to say thanks for putting forth the effort to join just to post a potential resolution. Also, welcome to the forum.

[Costee]

They contacted their in house tech line and were told to inspect and clean all the connections to front and rear wheels sensors including the grounding and problem was SOLVED! !!

You just might be right! Two days ago I had gone for a wheel alignment when on my return home--after some 3 minutes' drive--the three lights (RAS/VDC/Slip) came on. Didn't know what to think. I reasoned they all had to do with brakes/wheels, but somehow found it difficult to associate the problem with the alignment I just did. Yet the coincidence was too strong to ignore. I got home and scanned for codes. Three came on:C1137-RAS CIRCUIT [When RAS control unit is malfunctioning];C1143-ST ANG SEN CIRCUIT[Neutral position of steering angle sensor is dislocated, or the steering angle sensor is malfunctioning];C1185-ACC CONT[ICC sensor integrated unit internal malfunction]. All these have to do with the steering. I erased the codes and took the car out after two hours. The lights came on again after about 5 minutes. Something was surely amiss now. I took it back to the alignment shop where they swore they did nothing beyond what was necessary. Anyway, they took took the car in and fiddled with it some more. At the end they claimed they'd had to do further adjustments, and we took the car for a test drive. All the lights stayed off. I have not driven the car since then to be absolutely sure the issue is resolved. I intend to drive out again on Monday and I'd give a feedback. For the moment, I think m35johnny's experience is a plausible resolution of the issue. These sensors are so darn sensitive and they could be triggered off by a myriad of sometimes unconnected reasons.

[Costee]

Took the car out on Monday for a 30-mile drive. The triple lights stayed off.