Limp Mode. M56 at dealership for 6 months. Details of the repair sound suspicious

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LaughnJar
Posts: 12
Joined: Thu Sep 09, 2021 10:56 am
Car: 2011 Infiniti M56x

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Please do not bomb me because of the length of this post, because I'm posting this after having just picked up my 2012 m56x from the dealership this past Friday March 3, 2023. Subsequent my having had the car towed on a flatbed tow truck to their location on August 16, 2022! And that is no typo. THE NISSAN SERVICE CENTER HAD MY CAR IN THEIR POSESSION FOR AN ENTIRE 6 MONTH SPAN!!! In order to fix problems with the car that initially, in my possession, were then limited to three 2500 rpm wot limp mode events, obd2 scan trouble codes p0010 and p0011. with my attenpts to fix the issue limited to changing the oil, filter and both air , and slapping an OBD2 reader on it to pull trouble codes off the ECU due to limits imposed by the MEPCO drive train/power train repair service policy I took out on the car.

So yes this perhaps is a little bit of venting to The Forum. But also I want people to know just how egregious this event truly is in my case in case anyone else has had any similar experience. Simply because I have recently read more than a few accounts of horrible dealership service! In my case, the service has been so freaking ridiculous that I'm contacting Infinity USA regardless of what happens and I'm going to file a complaint with the Attorney General of my state. Not to mention aggressively pursuing my demands to fully correct the engine in my car to its normal operating and working functionality. Because based on the totality of the events, I believe the dealership mechanic was either doing a little on the job training or didn't know what they were working on and were negligent. Because I suspect that they are the cause of the primary damage that's of significance in this case based on the difference between what I head to car taken into diagnose and fix, and what they initially found in subsequently did and did not fix! So if you're in a rush please don't bother eating this. If you're interested or if you've had or are having troubles with the service from infinity or Nissan service centers. Read on for the debacle and you will understand my frustration. Thank you in advance grab a cup kick your feet up lol!

I'll begin by stating that I purchased an insurance policy on my drivetrain and powertrain for this car before I even drove it. I strategically began policy coverage on the car well prior to flying one way from Kansas City to the Atlantic Coast. In order to sign and close a deal arranged entirely via internet with a vetted reputable "luxury" used car dealership. Until finalizing in person at their location. I then immediately drove the car 1290 milws back to Topeka KS where I reside. Therefore the trip back satisfied the 1000 mile probationary Drive miles required for coverage to take effect.

The trip back took me through the Appalachians, and involved both mother nature and myself putting the car through its paces and doing so at times in a very aggressive driving Style. I could do so because I was familiar with the power handling and other performance aspects of the m56x. Because I specifically purchased the 2012 after having been impressed with the 2011 m56x purchased for my wife's daily driver one year earlier from a dealership just 3 hours away from me, and with approximately the same amount of mileage on the odometer.

Simply put that specific car ran like a beast. And was the coolest high performance luxury land yacht sedan that I've ever driven! I shot a powerful all-wheel drive vehicle specifically because my wife is Puerto Rican. It snows in kansas. And I wanted a V8 to put out some horsepower because I'm a performance Junkie lol!

Ironically, as opposed to road conditions being the culprit, she managed to Total it by rear-ending a 1990 something lifted Toyota pickup with a solid steel bumper, just prior to exiting a parking lot, and traveling at a rate of speed no greater than 15 mph. Lol!

So anyway to continue.

The trip back was entirely uneventful and remarkably quick and comfortable! The day I returned home , took the car to the car wash to make it look relatively new once again, swung by O'Reilly Auto Parts and picked up the recommended oil and filter, which I changed the next day after getting some sleep lol! The trip back went so smoothly in fact that I was surprisingly more happy with the purchase then I had even expected. For the next two weeks my wife drove the vehicle back and forth to work has her daily driver. We then went to visit her family for three and a half weeks in Puerto Rico. In that time the car battery drained.

Upon realizing the dead battery situation, I charged the battery on low slow charge for 24 hours. And for the next few days the car seem to be operating excellently.

And then one morning as she was heading to work, while on the highway on ramp attempting to accelerate upward to speed with wide open throttle, the RPM gauge hit 2500 and the car went into limp mode. She immediately pulled over on the side of the highway and called me explaining what happened. I instructed her to drive the car roughly three blocks so that she would be off the highway and in a retail parking lot. I drove and met her there swapped cars. And took about a half our doing a cursory evaluation checking for any symptoms of major damage like timing belt issues and such. But symptoms of such major problems did not present. So I put the car in drive and drove approximately a mile back home on city streets never allowing the engine Dixie 2500 rpms.

Arriving home I slapped an OBD2 reader on it and pulled codes p0010 and p0011. And finding the related to the vvt intake and exhaust actuator solenoids and noting that the most common issue is dirty oil, I proceeded to do another oil and filter change on the car later that evening. Waiting to use our other vehicle to buy the oil and filter and change that before doing anything else including starting the engine of the m56x.

After that oil and filter change, and using my OBD2 to clear the trouble codes, I took it for a test drive went to highway speeds of 100 under wide open throttle, one slight hiccup but nothing more presented. So I was like okay no problem we're good to go. Perhaps it was just some heavier sludge remaining from the oil because of the trip that broke free and partially clogged the actuator after having changed the oil once already.

But such was not the case. because the very next day the very same thing happened when my wife attempted to drive the car to work wash rinse repeat except for the oil and filter change which I didn't bother with. I went straight to the OBD2 scanner. And the same trouble codes popped up again. I should mention that both times the check engine light did come on.

So being somewhat Help Myself hamstrung by insurance and annoyed, I simply cleared the trouble codes and performed some no load RPM rev increase hold tests at 2000, 2500, 3000, 3500 RPM. No codes occurred and the check engine light remained off. So I thought okay, I guess I'll just test drive again on the highway maybe that's got something to do with issue under load.

Well I guess so because after reversing out of my driveway, I turned and proceeded just one house further up the hill from ours, when I heard a different plastic slapping sound that concerned me enough that I immediately hit the brakes, put the car in neutral while the engine was still running costed backwards downhill and parallel parked in front of my house against the curb. And then I turned the car off and immediately made an appointment with the local Nissan dealership. The soonest appointment was 2 weeks out! During which the entire time the car was never started nor driven.

And because it's all-wheel drive, and I've got pretty much unlimited tow insurance, I called for a flatbed with a winch, to pull the car up onto the bed and have it hauled to the dealership. I took it to the dealership because that was what was required by the underwriter of the warranty insurance I took out on the power and drivetrain. And due to another conflict I could not go with the vehicle so I drafted a two-page description of the specific events much like this one LOL, that led to my car having arrived at their location for their service people to diagnose and fix. In it I specifically mentioned everything that I mentioned above including the trouble codes regarding the actuators. As well as having driven almost 1,300 Mi halfway across the United States immediately after I picked the car up just about a month and a half earlier.

That I had that information in writing and specifically told lead tech at the dealership of the the problem and the written description of it was on the driver's seat is significant in this case. Because according to the dealership service department notes in the repair order documentation I have been given , the very first thing that Tech who worked on the car did, was to "erased all the codes, [which I would think would include temporary, pending and permanent], and only codes that return are fuel pump codes." At which point the codes I was seeing and apparently magically disappeared never to return.

However and unfortunately, as stated on same document, codes that return are fuel pump codes. Found high pressure fuel pump pressure is low, also found fuel pump lifter has cracked, and is damaged came out in pieces - - replace lifter along with replacing high pressure fuel pump. And that was just the beginning of the ordeal. But don't worry getting from this point to picking the car up is pretty quick in spite of the fact that it took 6 months for the dealership to perform the necessary repairs as they determine necessary.

Which included not only a new high pressure fuel pump but also included the hpfp oil pot or bucket and valve lifter it rides on as well as the passenger side camshaft, due to the camshaft lobe having been scored due to friction and I assume slight oil starvation, pump gasket, water pump Inlet gasket and antifreeze as well as other necessary gaskets and O-rings.

And there are some interesting observations I have made about the invoice and what is mentioned. Because I was told several times that my car was almost ready to go but the tech needed to test drive before signing off on the repair work and yet the invoice indicates mileage in being 108,362mi and the mileage out being 108, 362mi. I'm thinking that is deliberately falsified.

And recall the codes that I was getting had to do with the VVT intake solenoid specifically which was the reason why I thought an oil change would help resolve the problem. And yet invoice doesn't even have reference to those codes presenting initially at all among the multiple codes they report finding and then clearing. Which subsequently led to having only high pressure fuel pump related codes. And the finding "fuel pump lifter has cracked and is damaged came out in pieces..."

So finally I pick up my vehicle on Friday more than just a little pissed off after having waited 6 months having been givien multiple excuses that don't really add up. At one point mechanic even told my wife that Apparently one of the cams was 180° out of phase. To which my thinking was really? Then how in the hell did I drive halfway across the country in the car? Or alternatively, how did that happen driving in town and barely on the highway a few times if it l didn't happen prior?

Essentially when all is said and done my experience my intuition and the facts that I was told as well as based on facts that are printed right on the invoice suggest that they didn't know what in the hell they were doing at the dealership. Or at least they thought they knew better and I or the OBD2 reader that I was using because they didn't touch not even test the VVT intake or exhaust actuator solenoids, much less replace them like they should have in my opinion.

And the total bill came to 5 313.59 I had $100 deductible but I had to pay for $1,000 more worth of Diagnostics because the insurance I bought only covers 1/2 hour diagnostic.

OH AMD MOST IMPORTANTLY, it took a while for them to pull the car around to me when I picked it up. And after getting in it and driving approximately six blocks I noticed hesitation starting. So when I came up is the first car a red light waiting for to turn green I decided to do a little drag racing wide open throttle from Red on Green to 40 mph but as soon as the car RPMs hit 3500, it's stuttered Studdard seemed like it was going to go into mode. And my father was following me because he had taken me to the service station. So he pulled over as I pulled over into a parking lot and I described him what happened though he didn't really notice anything from afar. I figured it was just the engine perhaps needing to be driven more lightly and broken and with the new parts. So I continued on. I had to pick up my son so I had to travel a short stretch of highway. And upon attempting to enter the highway accelerating the speed once again 3500 RPM and then stutter stutter stutter but not shut off or limp. So now I'm getting concerned but think I'll just drive home and then decide what I need to do. I pick up my son and the drive home I never exceed 50 miles an hour but once again while going up a hill trying to maintain 45 to 50 mph 3500 RPM same stuff happening. As soon as I got home I put an OBD code reader on it noted that the check engine light was on and pulled codes p0024 and P0300! If you know what those are which I do that's not a good sign. Subsequently there are a couple more codes that have propped up after just idling in the driveway. Sending those to say they didn't fix my car. And I feel I have pretty good reason to believe that they ran my engine under starvation of oil conditions which caused the fuel pump lifter to fail and crack and disperse debris throughout my engine and probably ruined it. Good Times! So there you have it. And now you know why I am very aggravated with Nissan/ infinity at present!

But hey Nissan carries a 12-month / 12,000 mile warranty on all repairs! So whats to worry or be upset about, right!?!?

Other than not having a vehicle for 6 months to repair something that should have taken two weeks at most being lied to obviously, and being handed the document that is totally incomplete when it comes to you information regarding the repair work as well as the odometer reading for mileage in and mileage out. That they are the exact same mileage readings begs the question how in the hell did you test drive the car to see if the repairs were sufficient to fix the problems that the codes are indicating!? Please provide me with any advice helpful suggestions and or Devil's Advocate arguments, that your experience has provided you or that what you have read suggests.

Thank you for reading my vent rant and account of my series of unfortunate Misadventures with the Nissan dealership service center at my location! With that I am out!

Peace


LaughnJar
Posts: 12
Joined: Thu Sep 09, 2021 10:56 am
Car: 2011 Infiniti M56x

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Ilya
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Car: 2011 M56x but I spend a lot of time on my 2015 Kawasaki Vulcan S. Former owner of a 2007 M35x. Also take care of my wife's 2016 QX60.
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So is the car okay?

FYI, the 11-13 M56x had a recall performed for the timing chain which included that HPFP lifter bucket being replaced. We have definitely seen on here and on Facebook that people have had theirs fail and crumble into a million pieces. My understanding is that Nissan expired this recall but IMO it should have been a perpetual recall as it can destroy the car.

VVT issues or codes are more than likely a result of the HPFP stuff, based on my backyard mechanic understanding.

I would definitely fight Infiniti USA and try to get them to reimburse whatever is possible. You have nothing to lose.

EdBwoy
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First, I'd like to say that I am sorry to hear about your experience with the car so far.

Now I'll jump right into the Devil's Advocacy.

1. They disregarded your well-written diagnostic report.
Think about it like the doctor's office. Before dedicating any resources on blind treatment, it is standard practice to run their own tests. Erasing historical codes is part of the workflow that Nissan recommends, if memory serves me right.

So, you pulling your own codes is a nice thing, but unless you can prove that you are an ASE certified technician using Consult 3 for diagnosis (and even then, it might not count), then the person putting their job on the line has to run their own diagnosis.
Your expectation sort of went backwards on this one. Most people take their cars to professionals for diagnosis then try to fix it themselves. There is a lot of liability in me taking my diagnosis to a doctor and expecting her/him to perform surgery on my leg based on my own "research on WebMD".

2. Their codes don't match yours
Simply put, their tool is better than yours. I carry some more-or-less basic scanners, and I have had issues where I went to AutoZone for their slightly-better scanners, and by the time I made it to the dealership, their numbers were totally different.

This leads me nicely into the next point...

3. Just because your codes don't match, doesn't mean either one of you is wrong.
These codes are just a way to help you sift through the millions of things that could be causing a symptom. Diagnosis still needs to be done to pinpoint the issue. For example, one of the possible causes of P0011 and P0021 is a timing chain issue. More on this later.

On that note, I have to point out that P0010 is not in the list of recognized trouble codes for Infiniti M56s. See what your code reader did to you? Refer to point #2 above.

4. The car drove home just fine for over 1,000 miles. Did they make up the story about the HPFP lifter bucket?
Possibly, but unlikely. I think if you were to dig deeper into the history of your car, you might find an interesting story.

I have seen it happen whereby people develop issues with their HPFP systems, which results in lifter bucket damage like it was reported to you (remember the slapping sound you heard?). At this point, the knee-jerk reaction is to replace just the lifter and some people choose to offload their vehicles at this point.
The unfortunate thing is that replacing the lifter alone is just a bandaid. The proper way to fix it, at minimum involves replacing that cam lobe. And while it is a bandaid, it can be a very good one. Under normal operation, a car can drive for a few thousand miles before the new lifter bucket gets worn through.

So yeah, it's possible that your HPFP binding on the chain was causing issues that manifested as a mismatch between what the engine was asking the cams to do, versus what the cams were actually reporting back.

5. Odometer accuracy
Call it lazy, or call it standard practice...but the usual distance covered in a normal test drive is an acceptable variance for most people. Unless they put a significant number of miles during a troubleshooting/test drive session, most people don't bother to update the in/out mileage.

Or did YOU happen to record the true mileage upon pickup/drop-off?

6. We are all human
I believe that all parties involved were doing their best with the tools they have.
You fixed your car in the best way you could, and eventually had to take it to the dealership. They did what they could with the info they had (I know it probably doesn't feel like it, but I'm sure someone glanced over your report at some point in the 6 months it was there).

That being said, I am not discounting the fact that you are now getting P0024. Your inclination on the valve timing codes were valid. However, most people wouldn't know what to do given the symptoms and unrelated codes, Imagine how long it took for that code to show up for you! Now put yourself in the shoes of a shop that has probably never seen an M56 in their bay...minus 6 months of experience.

It is an M56 after all. Having a VTC issue and having HPFP troubles are not mutually exclusive possibilities. But just like at the doctor's, if someone showed up with a supposedly broken leg (but no physical proof) and while doing their routine tests they found that you have a previously-undeclared heart issue, all attention would be directed to the major issue that has shown up (with proof).

I hope you can draw the parallels here. The HPFP issue, although unknown to you at the time, could have become a pretty serious issue if left unchecked.

LaughnJar
Posts: 12
Joined: Thu Sep 09, 2021 10:56 am
Car: 2011 Infiniti M56x

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Thanks for the replies.

One thing I will mention in this response is that while the above initial post was very detailed it wasn't as detailed as I could have gotten about what I did prior to taking the car in. Because while my OBD2 scanner shows codes which I can look up it also provides information on 44 different sensors that's not a lot of sensors but it's all engine related it's all engine performance related sensors. Including knock, misfire in Pistons individually checked also checks evaporation Purge. And real time sensors for 44 different sensors in the engine. So in spite of it being a less expensive and not his detailed or perfect match as their consult three that they use, I believe it has the capacity to provide a person with enough information that with the addition of research and some more detailed understanding of how various types of engines in their system specifically are interdependent, that provides a person with enough information to suggest that they might want to be taken seriously. I mean if I walk into the ER because I just fell out of a tree cutting some branches and my Farm is bent 13° off center so to speak and I can't rotate it because it takes both bones to be fully intact in order for the muscles to operate the rotational movement of your forearm etc etc etc my heart rate's increased I have high blood pressure because I'm stressed out they're not going to look at my heart they're going to look at my arm. They may diagnose me with something else eventually but the initial thing is they're going to diagnose me with a broken arm because of what I reported about myself and my knowledge about myself and my body and the exact location of the harm. And here's the kicker I just got a text from the Nissan dealerships service center that I went to stating the following this is a quote from their text that they sent

Alan, I've talked with my manager and the technician about your M56x. With the information that we have a available to us, shows that the repair should have resolved the issue. Just as you well know this powertrain setup is not one seen everyday, and with that it would be best to be taken to an Infiniti dealership.

I don't know what that leads anyone else to believe, but what it tells me is oh we had it for 6 months sorry we don't know s*** about what we're doing you should have taken it to the Infinity dealership and by the way our 12 months 12,000 mile warranty is worthless to you because your car is still not running but you're going to have to have somebody else to fix it and you have to pay for it

But please don't get me wrong because I truly do appreciate the devils advocacy reply very much and tske no offfense at all. Just to clarify the shop in question replaced the hpfp the thimble bucket as well as the lifter and the entire camshaft with warm can lobe also they included charges for gasket to water pump gasket water inlet, antifreeze various O-rings and some kind of General gasket mentions. But none of the items on the repair order have a price by them there's no indication of how much they cost my repair was covered by a extended insurance on the drivetrain that I purchased through American Auto Shield and the total repair bill was over $5,000! Yet the repair order is remarkably sparse and non detailed they simply mentioned a total of Labor $2,976 and then parts $2,437. And while they're repair work is warranty for 12 months or 12,000 miles. The problem I have is that first of all it took them like 10 minutes to get my car pulled around to me after they said it was done and they said that it was ready to go three times prior. But something came up something came up and something came up. So I paid $1,200 of the total bill wait a silly amount of time for them to get my car pulled around which suggests to me that they were having a problem right then. And I believe they were. Because I was not six bucks away from the dealership when the SES light starts blinking and then goes off and I can tell it's running rough because it is not running right it's not even smoothly accelerating on a gradual pace and I had stopped at one stoplight and accelerated from it not rapidly I had to pull over and ask my father who is following me cuz he's taking me to the dealership to pick the car up. And he said that he didn't notice any jerking of the car even though it was. So the rest of my journey to pick up my son takes me up on the highway to where I have it wide open throttle as soon as it hits about 3500 RPM limp mode instantly. Previously it was at 2500 rpm when it was the intake sensor that was going bad according to the inexpensive OBD2 reader. Well so I say well I'll drive it a little bit more slowly let it break in ETC pick up my son and then on the way home driving 45 miles an hour under load going uphill 3500 RPM limp mode boom! Cart bucks and jerks like several times my son thinks I'm doing that on purpose with my throttle burying it, but I wasn't moving my foot. So I kind of Coast him a little bit driving very lightly getting him to my garage and then I said at idle no SES light coming on but it starts to run rough again I turn it off then I turn it to opposition without the engine running and pull codes with the OBD2 scanner that I have and that's when I get these two images.

Now I understand that their consult scanner is going to be more specific and more detailed but I have read from many sources that if a variable valve intake solenoid is a suspected as going bad which there were other signs by the way than just the code that was happening it was the limp mode at 2500 rpm the stuttering Etc plus the code I pulled. So I changed the oil into air filters but didn't touch the actuators solenoid because I was afraid it would screw up my insurance or warranty on my drivetrain. That's why I had it sent to the dealership because if I worked on it it broke the contract. No I understand the correlation you're saying I understand that I can go to a physician and they can have all kinds of diagnostic equipment but there's always a physician that finished last in their class. Not to mention the Physicians get sued for malpractice. Whether or not they accidentally or purposefully made the mistake whether or not the mistake was making and covered up or just overlooked does not matter! The fact is they're the professional I'm not but just because they're the professional doesn't give them an excuse in fact it gives them a higher bar to be more responsible than to just read a freaking consult and then start doing work. And I've even had a physician's assistant at my personal physician send me to get an ultrasound done on my leg because I had cellulitis and my wife who is a nurse and anybody who knows anything about physiology and detail like someone who's gone through pre-med, would know that if I had had a blood clot in my lower leg for a month and a half I would be in so much pain I'd want them to cut my leg off. Yet the PA sent me in for a $800 ultrasound to rule out of blood clot even though it was the third time I presented the cellulitis in one of my lower legs. And in spite of the fact that I am prone to athlete's foot which makes one prone to cellulitis of the lower leg.

Needless to say I am very good researcher I enjoy researching topics that I am interested in or that affect my health or my pocketbook I'm currently in a battle with my health insurance Pharmacy benefits manager CVS Caremark because they will not give me a full prescription of a monthly maintenance medication I've been using consistently for the same dose for 10 years and it is a medication that for me is truly a medical necessity! Yet they're screwing around denying me a prayer authorization and making me have to prove my case even though I have 10 years worth of prescription history proving that I've taken this drug without any side effects and the benefit of me and as a matter of fact help me stay sober for 16 years. So I hold people to a very high standard. When I take my car into a car dealership to have it repaired or I take myself to a doctor to have myself repaired and they don't do a thorough job and I come out less healthy than I went in or my car comes out still not functioning as it should after a $5,000 repair bill, there's no excuse on their side other than they didn't do the job! Don't care didn't do the job do the job that's what they need to do. So the problem again is mechanics can't be sued for malpractice but Physicians can mechanics can make all kinds of excuses and it's impossible to take him to court. And while I may have a beef with infinity the fact is that she shop did the work on my car and work is warrantied for 12 years 12,000 miles I expect them to fix it. But refer to above and see what they told me they suggest I do. And then consider that in light of the contention that their consult and their Tech knows better than my cheap OBD2 reader and my inexperienced none ASE certified self!? Absolutely ridiculous justification and rationalization to excuse somebody of the responsibility. I'm in a profession that requires licensure and nearly oversight updates Etc I can be held liable I have to have insurance for that I have to operate under a certain code of ethics etc etc etc. But ASC Certified mechanics don't have this arise to that level of putting their skin in the game! Not to mention the fact that I have a couple of ASE certified mechanics that have looked at this bill in the situation and have told me that this shop absolutely was doing something very fishy based on all the texts that I received that I didn't include in this post and the postponing of all of the work etc yeah they flat out didn't know what they were doing they should have admitted it and said that not worked on it and then left me with a car that didn't work right.

The problem is mechanics can't be sued for malpractice in my opinion. In fact it's the wild west when it comes to Auto mechanics. They can hardly be held accountable for s***! And based on not just the OBD2 scanner that I had and a code that I got add to that the limp mode at 2500 rpm as well as the fact that even the reset didn't ever give the code even though the reader will pick up the code for the high pressure fuel pump. In other words my OBD2 will read 44 different sensors in that car including fuel pressure. Yes it's cheap but it senses real time activity which is what I watched in addition to just pulling codes and the real time activity before I took the car in indicated a timing advance of like 50 to 60°. And I've got some pictures that I have to refer to that I took of some other real-time performance issues that the OBD2 reader was demonstrating in August. But suffice it to say there's a lot of details involved here that prove that this chop should have taken what I said more seriously before they just test drove the car. And I'll have to find the reference but I found a reference from one of the manuals for the I believe it's either lubrication system or electrical system. But it is their diagnostic tree if you will for this particular situation and code and it says specifically do not clear engine codes after test drive in the event of the actuator malfunctioning check actuator functionality.. essentially warning the tech working on the car that once you get that code erase it it comes back and you erase it again don't wait for a third time check the actuator for functionality remove it test it it's not that difficult of a procedure and it makes sure that there's actual oil being allowed to be sent through the system that is in question in this case. So the console may not say that but the repair manual does and they called Infinity supposedly at one point they told me and then there's a case where they said they didn't test drive the car and they say they tested the car they're too many things that are not squaring up. So I appreciate the devil's advocacy but in this case those points are superseded and overcome by a number of Greater blatant actions and lapses that I didn't go into because they're so egregious it's just stupid. Nonetheless again I agree with it concept that their reader is more accurate their professionals they know what they're doing but you should never disregard what the patient comes in complaining about. Because if you're wrong and you're a physician somebody could die. That's why they generally are told to listen to your client listen to what your patient is telling you do the test but also listen to what the patient is telling you it's not a question of one being a professional and the other person not being a professional the fact is that in the health care environment whether it's physical or mental, the Mantra is patient centered care which means the patient has a voice and that voice is appreciated no matter what. So the argument that they're a professional and that justified ignoring what I requested me done doesn't float. Thanks for those ideas though because now I know more about what they're going to try and claim I'm certain. So thanks again and thank you also for the support and the encouragement and I will keep everyone posted about what happens because I have time ability and intelligence enough to take this as far as I want to go. Not to mention that I do have an insurance company underwriter that's paid for 80% of this work who might just have a problem with what's going on right now and what their money went to because I'll have to make another claim and they're not going to have to pay for it. So I'll keep everybody in the know. Thanks again peace. Alan.

LaughnJar
Posts: 12
Joined: Thu Sep 09, 2021 10:56 am
Car: 2011 Infiniti M56x

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And fwiw, this is straight out of the Nico websites manuals regarding the Devil's Advocate argument and their tools being more sensitive have a look I don't think that my OBD2 reader has any less sensitivity or is less capable of being reliable in this instance
Screenshot_20230310_053514_Word~2.jpg

LaughnJar
Posts: 12
Joined: Thu Sep 09, 2021 10:56 am
Car: 2011 Infiniti M56x

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Whoo hooooo!!!

Okay, for anyone who might receive a vehicle back from the shop or have problems after repairing their own vehicle, and to dispel any myths that Devil's Advocates might have presented regarding your ability to use a non-consult diagnostic tool and combination with the manuals that are provided courtesy of this website thank you very much! And do so to effectively resolve problems that present as major concerns such as mine indicated above.

Because logic and research and the ability to follow the automotive manual seems to have escaped the technicians involved in working on my vehicle at my local dealership. The manual clearly states to listen to the customers complaints do the Diagnostics repair what needs to be repaired basically gather as much information as possible because of the complexities of these vehicles I would imagine. And once you have done your repairs, due to a multitude of factors that has affected the signals that are being received by the ECM or reset the ECM or whatever, certain reset procedures have to be done to test if those repairs have been effective. Below are the pages from the repair manual for the m56 both engines these pages are for the vk56vd engine that's the 5.6 L 8 cylinder thunderously powerful 420 horse power plant that drives the m56x that I own that has all-wheel drive and an annoying beeper that goes off in cars are too close or out of Lane which I turn off. But I digress. Net some result game set match is that because of a lot of personal time investment pouring over data out of the 2000 plus page manual half of which is dedicated to the engine in my car so over a thousand Pages looking and considering what I was witnessing after receiving the car back from the dealership service center, I found the following Pages the most helpful perhaps they will help you in case your engine is not performing properly after you do your repairs or a service station who should know to do this stuff doesn't in your car is demonstrating issues that are fairly disconcerting like going into limp mode at 2,500 RPM or 3,500 RPM as was my case. Not to mention kicking and bucking when trying to push past 3500 RPM on the highway.

And before I lay out those pages below I just want to say that after doing the reset procedures that are indicated I test drove my m56 through the city onto the highway up to speeds of 90 miles an hour under rapid acceleration conditions that had the RPMs exceeding 3500 RPM reaching approximately 4,000 RPM shifting went smoothly No Limit mode no cut out no problem I went up some steep incline Hills that required a lot of load and Power in order to accelerate to 60 you are reaching their peak. And I did just some plain old normal in town and City driving as well as about 10 minutes of highway driving at speeds up to 85 mph. Returned home without incident. I am happy to report no check engine light or MIL status light is on. The engine idles as it should while in park sitting in my garage it starts up perfectly fine. In other words everything is back to normal apparently knock on wood! Which I believe is proof enough that the following information is relevant and valuable as it relates to post repair events that seem to suggest that repairs were not adequate to fix the engine. Simply put, I believe the mechanics at my local shop forgot to reset these various components as required after repairs have been completed in order to establish baselines. So without further Ado here are the pages regarding data collection for repairing what to consider as well as the all-important 19 total steps if necessary resetting of the various sensors for the m56 vk56 VD engine thank you all for playing! And if I do have trouble down the road I will revisit this thread and update as necessary. It is my hope that necessary it shall not be. Thanks again
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Peace
Alan

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Ilya
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Hoping this is the fix for you! Do keep us posted!

Shanehsmp
Posts: 107
Joined: Mon Mar 13, 2017 1:37 pm
Car: 2006 Infiniti M35x - Sold
2012 Infiniti M56x
2016 Infiniti QX70s

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This sounds similar to my experience with the dealer, however after they took my car, looked it over and said nothing was wrong with it (even though it was "stuttering" at low rpm and in low gear., shutting off on it's own, not starting in some cases)...I decided to never bring my car back there and find out the issue on my own.

Your post is rather long-winded, so forgive me if I missed this - but after the lifter bucket broke, did they open up the timing cover and replace the chains, guides etc? With your timing being off by 180°, I'd expect that you bent valves, damaged pistons etc maybe more.

What exactly took 6 months to fix?

LaughnJar
Posts: 12
Joined: Thu Sep 09, 2021 10:56 am
Car: 2011 Infiniti M56x

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The saga continues...

Summary: Nissan dealership had my car for 6 months. It was taken in because it went into limp mode after some troubleshooting and OBD2 scanning that returned p0011. A general explanation of this code is as follows:
PCM monitors the camshaft position when the engine is running. Normally when the engine is running at 2002-3000 RPM, PCM will activate the VVT by sending the activation code to the VVT solenoid which is sometimes called the oil control valve orr ocv. So when the signal is sent to the vvt / ocm but there is no change and camshaft position, PCM will send a fault code. P0011 is sent if the difference between Bank 1 actual camshaft position and expected or called for camshaft position is more than 20°. To diagnose this problem three items must be checked. The engine oil, Bank 1 VVT solenoid and bank 1 VVT.

As indicated above when I first took my vehicle in this is the code that was showing on the OBD2 reader that I was using. In addition the OBD2 reader that I had provided a live data stream for I believe 44 different sensors on my m56x for the engine. One of them was the camshaft position sensor. The OBD2 showed that it was significantly passed being 20° disparate from the called for position that it should have been. So in a page and a half description of what had been transpiring with the car after it had been in limp mode a couple of times between 2000 and 3000 RPM but the car was still running reasonably well no other sounds in the engine I figured it was the VVT or the solenoid because I changed the oil and that did not solve the problem. Changing oil is not something that would affect my individually purchased drivetrain insurance which is through car Shield. Which was a carryover from a policy on my 2011 m56 that I had for one year until my wife totaled that car surprisingly easily just hitting the front end and having to replace it. At any rate knowing that doing any work on my car Beyond changing the oil and filter would void that policy I elected to have it towed to the local Nissan dealership. And included a highly detailed and specific account of everything that happened up to that point. Of everything that had happened and codes that I pulled, never once was there a code for the high pressure fuel pump. And for this car the OBD2 user that I have been using will pick up every code that the ECU or PCM throws. It doesn't necessarily tell me what it is but I can look that up on the internet. So if there was a code being sent by the ECU or PCM regarding the high pressure fuel pump the reader would have at least given me the alphanumeric code for that failure or issue. And it did not ever do so not once. That code only appeared subsequent to the dealership having received the car the tech clearing the codes that existed taking it for a test drive and then returning to the shop. At which point the high pressure fuel pump code appeared and the p0011 code disappeared. Supposedly. And for what it's worth, I cleared the existing and pending codes once. Ran the engine again and got the same codes. In addition the OBD2 reader I used also reported the hard codes or the codes that don't go away unless you disconnect the battery for 24 hours or whatever. And p0011 was not one of the hard codes. I believe I mentioned a couple one being another peacoat. But I digress. The point being is that never once was there a high pressure fuel pump code only of EBT code when I took the car in. Fast forward 6 months I get the car back have to reset the baselines for a few different sensors like the throttle position sensor or absolute throttle position sensor and a couple of others which I do and the car stops doing the hesitation that it was presenting after I drove away from the shop and on the way to my house. So I thought the problem had resolved. It was a simple matter of resetting those specific sensors as indicated in the 3000 page section of the entire repair manual.

Though satisfied I was still suspicious about the Integrity of the shop and their performance and how honest they're actually being with me. Nonetheless their work has a 12 months 12,000 mile warranty. For all the repairs that they did. Which was more than simply replacing the high pressure fuel pump in fact much more. And before they could do more extensive work, they actually had to get my permission to proceed with removing the air intake and valve cover for further exploratory work because my insurance on the drivetrain which is like a warranty only allows for a half an hour inspection or diagnostic. The replacement of Parts was rather extensive. Here is what was replaced as listed on the receipt the dealership:

High pressure fuel pump
High pressure fuel pump lifter valve (aka oil bucket); also found fuel pump lifter has cracked is damaged came out in pieces.
Bank 2 camshaft (yes as in the entire freaking camshaft because the camshaft lobe that drives the pump or lifter had where marks where excessive friction had worn it down.)

gaskets, o-rings, oil seal more o rings hex nuts gasket for the water pump gasket water inlet gasket water inlet lips enhanced 27-point vehicle inspection installed oil seal level gauge guide. They also replace the battery that was a group 35 with 550 cold cranking amps the wrong battery entirely!

So in spite of getting my car back and then getting everything reset I was still faced with the problem with rescuing my wife three times because she's the one who drives the car it's her daily driver for work. I replaced it with the required battery which miraculously cured that issue. But wait there is more much much more

Because I finally picked up my car on March 2nd of this year. And it had only been used by my wife to drive back and forth from work to home work and home on the highway 5 to 10 minutes at most and been running along pretty much just fine especially after I replaced the wrong battery with the correct one on my dime I might add to the tune of it excess of $250. And then I drove the car to Kansas City and back which is roughly 60 miles away from Topeka where I'm located. It is all Turnpike Travel and I was generally averaging about 70 miles an hour or 75 miles an hour on the turnpike occasionally up to 90 to pass somebody. Not much stop and start but I made the trip got to my destination was there for maybe 10 minutes. Then I returned home and luckily got almost to my house. But I did not get to my house with the car running. Because when I got to the toll booth and stopped I noticed a little bit of a noise that sounded like something it was dragging under the car kind of but I really couldn't tell. The car seemed to be fine so I paid my toll and drove off but then all the sudden it didn't seem so fine because it was not accelerating very well. And so I drove about 60 miles an hour as best I could to the off-ramp that I take to get to my house at which point the car simply died. I tried to start it a couple of times it would not start eventually the battery was dead. My wife came to where I was located and we waited for a tow and the truck took the car to our home because it was on the weekend Friday this past Friday actually. I then called carshield told them it was up. And they said to send it back to the shop who done the work. And the first call I got was it's a dead battery that's all Mr hug there's no problem whatsoever we're going to have you going in no time. And then finally today I get a phone call from the service Bay coordinator or whatever and can't be the manager because he's brand new and there's nothing about the situation. Well he wasn't specific he indicated that the ticking noise I heard was an engine rod that had broken loose and without much more description they'd have to replace the engine.

Exactly! The car had been returned to me and we had driven it approximately 10 to 12 miles a day ( 4 to 5 days a week , for 9 weeks) and one trip that was a total of 140 Mi maximum. So we put a total of 40-60 Mi a week on the car for 9 weeks, plus the 140 mile trip made just prayer the death of the car's engine. So at most the very most under 700 miles. So across 2 months and one week, the car saw less than thousand miles drive distance. And now I'm being told the engine needs to be replaced they're blaming it on old oil. One I know I change the oil as part of my personal Diagnostics before they had the car for 6 months. And I didn't but need a miles on it then because it still didn't rectify the problem. So there's that lie based on the sticker when the oil was changed on the car. Also second lie that on the receipt the shop service tech who called me told me that I declined an oil change but on my receipt that doesn't exist you think that would be noted yes?. And I can guarantee you I would not have spent my own personal 1100 that I had to pay for the total $5,313.59 repair bill that was charged by the dealership to do the work they did. To qualify this I own a 2006 ZO6 Corvette that I change the oil in every 2500 miles I don't care if I'm wasting money because an LS7 engine cost $17,000. And that car has over $136,000 miles on it and I drive it like I stole it. Which brings me to another point. With the m56x I never once put it in sport mode and tried to run it hard at all because I was afraid something would happen. It was always in not Ecco but the normal drive mode. And it accelerated well enough and I have my vet to drive so I drove it like a sedan lol!

So I'd really like for those who read this to provide me with some feedback regarding thoughts given what has transpired The Devil's Advocate comments which I do appreciate. And the fact that in one phone call I was lied to twice by the tech on the phone and the initial call of the dead battery they're going to replace it with the battery that was in the car which was the battery they put in that I had saved thankfully and put back in the car charged up I took the one I purchased out but they are going to replace it with that same exact battery a series 35 with 550 gold cranking amps and I don't know what the continuous running amps were on it but it was not the right battery. And I had to argue with the dude over even that very basic easily identifiable mismatch. And he hypothesized all this and that about the text and that and whatever. I'm not going to sit here and give anybody the benefit of the doubt at this point. My opinion they cracked open the valve cover replace the camshaft in addition to the fuel air pressure fuel pump and the driver or bucket. Note they never replaced the Bank one VVT solenoid!. And if they believed that based on their judgment as professionals ASE certified and infinity and Nissan trained specific mechanics, that their fix and solution to the engine would at least make the engine viable for 12 months or 12,000 miles and it didn't even make it a thousand. And now the engine needs to be replaced. The presumption of knowledge and lack of Competency combined which has been demonstrated should serve as sufficient evidence to hold them responsible for eating the cost of replacing the engine. Anything else is uttered b*******! If you don't know what you're doing don't do it. If you think you know what you're doing stand behind what you've done. And if the decision you've made as that person who is ASE certified is a mechanic and specifically trained to work on the engines produced by the manufacturer for which the dealership is independently licensed to represent, then the s*** is on you when something goes sideways after it leaves your lot and it's within the warranty. And it's directly related to the system or systems involved with the repair work you've done. So the net some question is how good is the Nissan 12-month 12,000 mile warranty for something that is so obviously inherently related to the high pressure fuel pump issue. Because the relationship between the high pressure fuel pump repair and total engine failure subsequent said repair is well established on this site and all over the internet! Your feedback or suggestions are welcome. My Hope Is that I can at least suffer no greater loss than $3,000 including the 1100 I've already paid in order to get this engine replaced because the insurance on the drivetrain engine Etc that I have enforced presently through car Shield has a cap of $12,000 on it. Of which I have utilized $4,500 I believe. Does anybody know how much it costs to replace one of our m56 V8s? I know it's less than an LS7 at $17,000 Plus. But availability is questionable most certain. Any other suggestions? Because I took out a five year loan on this vehicle. Of which I am one year into payments leaving 4 years and 1 month actually remaining. And thank you I don't want anyone's pity. I would like justice, to be made whole by the party who is responsible for the problem which isn't me I didn't design the engine I didn't repair the engine I didn't even try to fix the engine I added oil. Somebody's at fault we all know this. But a Chevrolet can get away with a whole slew of Corvettes having to have their engines replaced because of non-consentric valve guides in the engine block those manufactured by one specific manufacturer and that was all provable yet Chevrolet was not held liable for anything at all nor did they offer owners any compensation. And I'm not one of those hard Corvette dudes either thank goodness. But these days it seems like automobile manufacturers no longer care about integrity which is sad. Made an American means nothing anymore. Planned obsolescence is profitable end of story.

So if any of you folks out there kind of feel like me and want to give me some advice that's helpful and constructive. Maybe an approximation of what it's going to cost to replace the engine in the car that I still owe money on. Even the feasibility of acquiring a replacement engine. Or anything that acknowledges the reality of the absolute flaw inherent in my situation and in the situation of a multitude of people who own these cars. And while I know there are plenty of you out there who have these vehicles in the work stunningly because my 2011 model did. But that doesn't mean that because your functions as it should that you should have no compassion for your fellow human being who is the little guy inside with the manufacturer for whom $60,000.50 even 20 or 18,000 much less is pennies to them. But it makes our lives quite difficult to have to pay that for something critically important like mode of transportation to employment. Please accept my frustration as just that frustration at the dealership and Infinity's lack of customer care and integrity essentially. Meaning and everything I've said I'm not calling out any individual on this site that's unnecessary because everybody has their perspectives. Frankly at this point I could use some type of positive ideas and suggestions regarding this situation. Because it seems like to me that I've been right from the get-go and yet I don't know what possible remedies I may have if I disagree with what the dealership service center decides, on where to place blame and who has to absorb the cost. Thank you for your time and consideration all of you who have managed to make it to the end of this post. I hope no one else enjoys what I have been put through. May you drive your vehicles with gusto and confidence and enjoy every moment behind the wheel! Peace. Alan.

LaughnJar
Posts: 12
Joined: Thu Sep 09, 2021 10:56 am
Car: 2011 Infiniti M56x

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And fwiw, my mistake initially was identifying the code for the variable valve timing actuator is p0s or 10 which actually is p0011. Suffice it to say that in the course of conversation with the service Center personnel I mentioned the variable valve timing actuator in reference to the code so if I can forgive they're including the same odometer reading after having the car for 6 months then I think my mistyping or Miss mentioning the code p0010 instead of p0011 can be forgiven as well and they fully understood what I was talking about. And that was not a code that was stored in the permanent memory as established by the following

In regard to the initial codes that were stored as permanent or persistant, here is whar I was texted on August 23 2022....

"For the initial diagnostics there were multiple codes stored, 2 for potential timing concerns P0024 and P0345, and 2 fuel pump related P0087 and P0095. Cleared all codes then test drove and the only ones to return were the fuel pump related codes, verified the fuel pressure was low and recommended high pressure fuel pump. After replacing the high pressure fuel pump cleared all codes and test drove, which vehicle operated as designed but the fuel pump code returned. The current information from the tech is he has to retest the low side pressure and the circuit for the fuel pump. As soon as I get more information I'll let you know."

As you can see no mention was made whatsoever of a p0010 or p0011 at all that I had already referenced and written down. So that pretty much clears up what they did and how they proceeded to diagnose the problem with my car. And is evident that they totally ignored one of the most obvious issues that causes the issue that I described initially. There's a lot more that I have He suggests that they were not suited to do the work. Which really makes me wonder because it's a Nissan dealership. And Nissan makes the Titan Truck. And a Titan has a nearly identical engine. Not to mention that I would think that a dealership regardless of whether it was a Nissan or Infiniti or both, would use the same consult three device on the engines that are that similar. This would require a technician that's familiar with said engine and diagnosis of said engine using the console 3 and they proceeded to do that. So I give no forgiveness to anyone involved on the service center side. Because they moved forward with diagnosis of their own accord they didn't throw their hands up and say we can't do this. So it's on them. And I expect them just as if it were me deciding to do something that's beyond my ability, and having it lead to Greater problems like maybe I'm not a lifeguard and I try to rescue somebody pretending on one and they drown. That's on me is it not if I claim to have the skills knowing that there are other entities somewhere that had the skill set and they are readily accessible? So no I don't buy the it's a difficult engine and it's rare and they've really if ever worked on the car. That's not a me problem that's a day problem they made the call not me if they screwed my car up which they did I believe they need to pay for it and rectify the wrong that they created end of story.

I likely have more next week once I've spoken with my warranty insurance entity and the dealership and hopefully Infinity USA headquarters because this is not the first time that this dealership is had issues like this. And it's egregious enough that they should be held accountable and made to pay for their mistakes not me. And not the insurer of my powertrain or engine Etc. That's it for now I'm out. Peace.

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armybrat
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Car: 2012 M56x with Tech Package (sold)
Custom 2-1/2" X-pipe exhaust with OEM sport mufflers
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Yep this happened to me. Condensed version, car was running fine no issues, out of the blue it went into limp mode on the highway while driving home after work. I recorded what it was doing: https://youtu.be/jGUWKKxNY2o
Instead of driving home I went straight to the dealership. Luckily, at that time the oil jet/timing chain recall campaign had just started. Turned out my oil jet on the passenger side had worked loose and rubbed the chain, causing it to stretch and also caused the HPFP lifter bucket to malfunction, throwing the P0024 and other related codes. The recall campaign replaced all of the timing chain components plus fluids and also furnished a loaner car for the duration of the repair. The car ran like a champ after that. The car uses oil so you need to check the level in between oil changes.

LaughnJar
Posts: 12
Joined: Thu Sep 09, 2021 10:56 am
Car: 2011 Infiniti M56x

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Ok. And here I am back with the big update! Lol! Two words engine replacement.

At this point the insurance underwriter that provides the warranty insurance on the engine and drivetrain components is in the process of finding a replacement engine obviously they will buy a used engine. Or something other than new anyway as if that's a surprise right lol! But the problem is that they are expecting to find an engine with a 12-month 12,000 mile warranty. I do not know how likely that is but I do know that considering how rare the vehicle itself is and that the V8 engine vk56vd was used in the m56 model and one other that I can't recall but red on this website having as well.

So with that, all of the stuff discussed above is pretty much irrelevant other than when it comes down to who's going to pay the bill for what I suppose and that'll just take time to determine because they haven't even located an engine as yet. I do have a question for anyone who's willing to provide me with some assistance. And the question is simple but can provide me with a lot of information. Because I'm curious if anyone has any tips about aspects to consider when seeking a replacement for this model engine for the m56x Powertrain? And in order to broaden the odds of being able to find a replacement engine in a relatively expeditious manner get someone to remind me what other model vehicle Infiniti put the same engine in I thought it was the Q something that I can't remember right now lol! So any assistance with any aspect of those two questions would be greatly appreciated. And well I understand what people are saying about not taking it back to the dealership, but they were the ones who did the initial work and the underwriter for the insurance policy on the drivetrain requires me to take the car back to them. Plus their work is supposedly warrantied for 12 months 12,000 miles. And I'm still at the position that once they diagnose the problem and repaired it, that the proper way to repair the engine wasn't observed. Because when you have a shattered oil bucket beneath your high pressure fuel pump on top of the cam lobe and the cam lobes worn to the point where you have to replace the camshaft, I thought that the shop manual actually indicated flushing the oil system thoroughly but I may be mistaken. Perhaps that's just something that I read on this website. However it does make sense that if you have shrapnel floating around suspended any oil that's not going to be making its way out of that area anytime soon to be filtered out of the oil system if it can be not to mention that there would be particulates possibly hidden and stuck in different locations and the engine oil passageways that are so phenomenally small in some instances are just begging to be blocked cause oil starvation and kill the engine. Thus the question about things to consider when I get word that a new engine it has been found because I'm wanting to have some questions to ask to assure that I don't end up with a yanked engine out of used m56x that was on the verge of going out and just wasn't caught or some such. Not to mention that the underwriter that is in charge of all this I know has no clue about this these types of specifics for this vehicle and the engine involved. So I've been trying to keep them informed about what to look for and what I believe the case to be and what the significant aspects are about the oil passages and the failure that occurred that makes me believe that it was improper performance of the work that failed to return the engine to appropriate operating condition. But that's for the two entities and that are doing all the leg work on it to deal with. I'm just hoping that I don't end up paying more than $1,000 because the policy then sure is the drivetrain has a policy limit but there's six or eight thousand dollars worth of Headroom after it provided for the last repair. And personally I don't care who pays for it as long as my obligation is no more than 1,200 max. Which it shouldn't be the engines that I've seen prices on aren't that expensive but they're only been like three. So any help is beneficial thank you for your time I never returned your to your regularly scheduled program lol! Oh and for what it's worth it's a tale of two cars my 2011 wife totaled because she ran into the rear end of a lifted truck that had a steel bumper and the front end of the car fell off so they totaled it out she's only going 15 miles an hour go figure. That ran stellar! And the 2012 that I picked up afterwards was stellar all the way halfway across the country back to where I live from the East coast! And I ran into spaces through the Appalachian Mountains in the rain at night and then early the next morning through the Arkansas Hills! I think they drop trying to claim that the fair was caused by lack of oil or dirty oil I called them out on that one and they stop that tactic real quick. Anyway any assistance regarding advice on engine selection with lookout for or anything else about the new scenario involving engine replacement where to acquire a suitable replacement, such as the other model Infinity that has the same engine as well as with lookout for it would be awesome! That's all for now peace

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Ilya
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This is the models that the VK56VD was used on: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nissan_VK ... ications_5 . But they aren't 100% the same engines IIRC. For example, the petrols have a different intake and only one filter, we have two, etc.

LaughnJar
Posts: 12
Joined: Thu Sep 09, 2021 10:56 am
Car: 2011 Infiniti M56x

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Sooo...Carshield denied my claim based on improper service and or maintenance. But not duecto the hpfp repair job. That particular repair service had my car in the shop from August 2022 through this February 2023. They replaced the high pressure fuel pump of course the oil bucket and the bank to camshaft because the cam low that drives the lifter and the pump had worn down. In addition they took pieces of the old bucket out not just the old bucket fully intact. And apparently replaced the camshaft the bucket the pump Etc put everything back together zipped it up and didn't even change the oil or take a look at the oil or at least take a sample of the oil and send it in to check for heavy metal particulates. So the shop that I have already had the car at for 6 months received the car again. And there's rod knock that's occurring. The shop tells the adjuster that the rod knock is the result of improper maintenance by virtue of the engine being low on oil and the oil being old or oil change not having taken place based on a sticker they found on the windshield. When in reality I told that shop rep Point Blank that before I took the car into them the first time in August of last year, I replaced the oil and oil filter because that's the first thing they recommend that an owner does based on the symptoms the car was demonstrating is going into limp mode and throwing a p0011 code. And that is all I did and the first time around. Furthermore when I sent the car in I included a handwritten note that was a patient have long describing everything that led up to this point that I had changed the oil and that the code and the symptoms were adding up to the variable valve timing actuator bank one cylinder one. But in spite of that when they received the car they reset the codes and took it for a test drive. After which nothing about the actuator came up on their consult three but the console did indicate faulty pressure with a high pressure fuel pump system. Subsequent investigation uncovered the high pressure fuel pump issues mentioned above. Fast forward to when I got the car picked up and drove it off the lot you immediately hesitated and the check engine light came on then went off as I drove I laid off the accelerator and didn't stomp on it too hard and it eased up as I picked up my son and then drove to my house. It did sputter a couple more times as I added acceleration under more load going up a couple of hills. When I got home I parked the car and tried to decide what to do notify the dealership. Notified car shield. At which point I did a little research and looked at the repair manual that clearly indicated subsequent doing the job that was performed on the car that there are some sensors that needed to be reset which was a simple matter of pressing the start button to the on position holding the accelerator down etc etc etc. Nothing terribly complex something easily done nothing having to do with the engine. Simply the sensors that needed to be reset there were two I believe. Which I did. That resolved the problem. For 9 weeks at least. Until the engine failure. So in addition to claiming that I didn't do the oil change or not mentioning that I did change the oil as I told them. In addition the denial of my claim is based on the fact that I told the dealership that I had resolved the issue that the car had presented with by simply resetting the sensors as the procedure requires in the shop. After that there is no check engine light for 9 weeks at all. So it was strictly the sensors being a problem obviously. And that had been resolved. So now I have to appeal the denied claim. And in spite of what some Claim about the honesty Integrity Etc of the text and the dealerships, I'm finding the one here in my town highly suspect. And I think they're being deceptive and dishonest in their approach. In my opinion based on what I've read, they did not do the high pressure fuel pump service and replacement. Because in spite of finding a cracked oil bucket and where on the cam lobe that caused them to have to replace the camshaft, they didn't do anything to clear any particulate matter that could be suspended in the oil that lubricates that whole system. But I can't reconcile is the claim that I did something or didn't do something prior to the service they performed that could have created a situation that is the exact situation that can be created if you don't replace the oil after you found a broken oil lifter bucket and a camshaft lobe has been discovered to be worn requiring replacement of the camshaft. Because the dealership guys say there's no reason why and I quote that no reason why the job that they did would cause rod knock. Now I don't know these engines like they do or most of you do. So please provide me with some insight on this because I am absolutely disgusted that the ball is being tossed back and forth based on lies and fundamental information being provided to the insurance company. Anyway that's where this issue stands now. I am appealing the claim denial. And I will go Toe to Toe with local dealership monstrously aggressively if necessary. Because I think they started the whole freaking mess and now they don't want a pony up for the cost. Good times yay. Comments are welcome regarding the rod knock not being in any way related to the fact that they didn't flush the oil system after they replaced what they replaced during the high pressure fuel pump job. Thanks to all. I hope your experiences and it never are better than mine which isn't really saying a whole lot lol! Peace

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Ilya
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For what it's worth, a break up of the paragraphs would make this much easier to read...but bummer on the denied claim.

LaughnJar
Posts: 12
Joined: Thu Sep 09, 2021 10:56 am
Car: 2011 Infiniti M56x

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My apologies for run-ons..

So where I am now.
After I took possession of the car subsequent the initial service for the high pressure fuel pump camshaft and camshaft lobe and lifter bucket replacement. During the course of which they had to tear into the timing because somehow they contended the timing was 180° off. And claim was paid by American Auto Shield and $1,000 out of my pocket.

The car was in the possession of my wife and I 9 weeks. A total of $952 Mi was put on the car during that time frame. During which time the car was only driven locally 5 to 7 Miles at a time per trip maximum. I discovered the service center had installed a battery that was a series 35 with 550 cold cranking amps and replaced it with the appropriate 24 series battery with 720 cold cranking amps.

And the car seem to run fine until one evening I drove to Kansas City to pick up I purchase from a Facebook sale. Round trip I traveled 120 to 140 Mi Max. Just as I was getting off the highway, I heard something like Rattata tat coming from somewhere toward the center of the car. But I had the windows rolled up so it was difficult to know exactly what was going on. However shortly thereafter getting off the highway and on to one of the city streets the car simply stopped running and would not start. The engine would not turn over. It would churn and then eventually that didn't even work because the battery was drained.

It was a Friday night, and because I have unlimited free roadside assistance through USAA I had the car towed to to my residence. Because simply speaking I did not want it sitting out in the open where the shop that performed the service is located. It's not the worst place but it's in the center of the city and I live in the suburbs. So in front of my home was a far safer location for it to remain for 2 days. The next day saturday, I checked the engine oil level and the condition of it based on what the dipstick looked like. That wasn't about to attempt to pull the drain plug and check a larger quantity of engine oil for fear of being accused of anything that would put the blame on me. But I wanted to get a rough idea of the oil level and condition. Because 9 months earlier or so on August 4th 2022, I performed an engine oil and filter change using the correct viscosity mobile one oil and the specified performance filter. Because that was one of the only things I could do when the initial OBD2 information suggested the variable valve intake actuator was problematic. I also wanted to be certain that I hadn't blown a seal or something and dropped all the oil out of the oil pan. Checking the dipstick the oil level was sufficient and it was still clear Amber or so in color. So absent any chemical analysis for Trace metal elements, the oil look new and viscosity breakdown from heat shouldn't have been an issue. And I also removed the appropriate battery that I had bought with my own money and installed with the battery that they had originally installed because I had held on to it just in case.

So the very next Monday after the incident, I again had USAA provide tow service from my house to the service center per the requirements of American Auto Shield. Because in spite of my trepidation to have the same shop evaluate the problem, American Auto Shield required that a certified Nissan or Infiniti mechanic shop do the diagnosis. So the same shop that had performed the high pressure fuel pump and engine tear down to check the timing belt repair Etc., has the car on Monday and on Tuesday or Wednesday I get a call from them. The tech I speak with says Oh Mr hug don't worry it's just a dead battery we're going to replace that for you and you should have the car out of here no time. Of course I'm thinking in the back of my mind you don't know what the hell you're talking about. And to prove my point I say well are you going to replace the battery with the appropriate series and cold cranking amps required for that car? To which the tech responds what do you mean Mr hug? To which I reply well the first time around your text put in a battery that was a series 35 with insufficient cold cranking amps it was a battery that was too small for the car and it could have been some of the issues behind some of the electrical anomalies that had taken place and the fact that the car had to be jump started at least three times in the nine weeks that I had the car back from their shop. And the tech tries to claim that I'm wrong amazingly. To which I reply no I'm not wrong I'm absolutely right because I'm looking at the infinity North American website it's there spec data I'll read it to you. I proceeded to read what was on the thing and then I sent him a text with a screenshot of it. At which point the guy kind of said okay I'll have my confirm this and then get back to you once we get it changed out. Then I didn't hear from anyone the entire remainder of that first week and first part of the next week.

And long silences and absence of response was endemic the first time around with this dealership that took 6 months to do the high pressure fuel pump Diagnostic and repair work. So needless to say I was a bit impatient about their timeliness perhaps but I don't think so.

So, on about Wednesday week 2 in which they've had the car, I contact service center inquiring what has been determined to be the problem. And my suspicions were correct. The tech I spoke with said that that sound the engine was making was a rod knocking. Which of course would require the entire engine be replaced. I'm furthermore that they had found a sticker on the windshield that indicated a oil change should be done at 95,000 miles, yet in my odometer showed over 105,000 MI on it. So they took a further look at the oil and it was determined that the engine both had insufficient oil amount and viscosity because the oil change wasn't done and the oil they found in the engine wasn't providing adequate protection because it was too broken down and full of sludge. Upon that statement I became rather hostile because I knew better. And I informed the tech of that knowledge. And I told him that I have the receipts to establish that I have changed the oil it just under a thousand miles prior to this time. And I did so before they first received the car for the first repairs. And in addition to that while the car was at my house I checked the dipstick and sampled the oil off the dipstick and it did not have the appearance of old oil and that I've done a little changes my entire life on all my cars I know what I'm talking about it doesn't take that much knowledge you don't have to be an expert to do oil changes and I have never had a single issue with any of my cars from oil changes I've done including two ultra high performance sports cars that I own. So would you please like to explain to me how it is that you found the oil to be so problematic. And the text simply stuck to his guns about the sticker saying $95,000 mile oil change that wasn't removed for updated.

Knowing what was about to happen I immediately contacted American Auto Shield to inform them that this is what I was told and that was absolutely false and that's because I did an oil change on the car has allowed by their contract 4 days before it was delivered to them the first time for the high pressure fuel pump repair. And then I went to O'Reilly Auto Parts who printed me off the receipt in question and I uploaded it to the American Auto Shield website. Called American Auto Shield back and told them that I had just provided them with that information. So that if they're trying to blame me and lack of oil they're lying and I think they're doing it to cover up something they failed to do as an integral part of changing out the high pressure fuel pump as well as adjusting the timing belt or whatever which I'm still vague on to this day because it's not even on the itemized list. My point was to inform American Auto Shield and provide them with proof that if the dealership text try to assert that an oil change needed to be done by simply stating they found a sticker and then they claim to have found old oil that that's not consistent with the receipts I sent them and what I saw before I had the car towed to the service center.

So then I wait another week and hear nothing back from Nissan service center. I text as I had in the past to the same number and get no reply. So finally I called them once again and I'm told that American Auto Shield stated that in order to replace the engine they wanted to have an engine installed that had a 12,000 12 month warranty . To which I scoffed and was like you got to be freaking kidding me because there's no way you're going to find an engine at a reasonable price that's going to have a warranty that long me lucky with a 30-day maybe 90 if you get a Jasper and that's going to cost a lot. Even if they made one which they probably don't. So I just respond to the text I can't believe it but yeah they're playing games okay we'll wait. I'm looking at engine costs and stuff for used engines on the internet trying to find one to put in just because I'm wanting to get it done. And a week to week and a half goes by and I hear nothing back from anybody.

So again pensive with the Silence from either end, I contact the Nissan service center inquiring what's going on. At which some reason American Auto Shields refusing to pay the claim citing that repair work done last March 2022 which would have been a year and 2 months prior to this point in time. And a time when I didn't own the car

and would have been prior to my having flown out to pick up the car up in Virginia Beach Virginia and drive it directly back to my hometown Topeka Kansas 1200 plus miles in a straight run that didn't end stop spend the night or anything because I took my father and my son along with me to drive and to help keep me awake when I drove.

The first part of which took us through the Appalachian Mountains rain and weather and I put that car through it's paces. Because I figured I've got an extended Insurance warranty through American Auto Shield that I've got to burn up 1,000 miles on and I have to have the policy in force for a month before I can make any potential claims. So if it's going to break down I'm going to have it break down before I get to my home state and it's going file a lemon lawsuit against the car dealership. But the car ran sweet like a f****** dream.

So the idea that some service that been done to the car that I didn't know about when I didn't even own the car and wasn't on the carfax report when every other service had been reported I should add, really burn me sideways and backwards. I was pissed that American Auto Shield would try to blame a prior repair that preceded my purchasing coverage and which they should have been able to research and find out and determine whether that would affect the coverage. So I dial up American Auto Shield prepared to go to war. Only to discover the actual delay was caused by the service center. Because American Auto Shield was waiting on them to provide them with the VIN number and official statement of the cause of the failure for pictures one of each side of the car, and a picture of the failed part. That is when I became a very suspicious about the dealership service center and their truthfulness. Because I knew that they had lied to me on several occasions during the first repair I just couldn't substantiate it. And I just wanted to get my car back at that time. But now I hey cotton and a total bold-faced lie. However I didn't call them out on that I simply called the service center up and said there must have been some kind of confusion because it's not an issue with a problem back in March they just need these four things from you too fully processed and authorize the claim.

Note that it's rather odd that I was also being told that American Auto Shield had been looking for an engine that had a 12-month 12,000 mile warranty on it to replace the engine I had that had blown. Implying that a they had already been provided the necessary information from the service center and B that information was sufficient enough to determine that they would cover the engine replacement. So what would I be thinking other than why did Nissan tell me prior to this point that it was American Auto Shield causing a delay because of the warranty they were looking for for whatever engine they were going to get to replace mine with.

The simple and most obvious and true answer at this point is they were stalling and hoping for something to happen that they could come up with in order to avoid what they knew they had done. Because they shortly thereafter submitted the necessary information to American Auto Shield. And then I followed up with both of them and I was told by the Nissan dealership that American Auto Shield refused to cover the engine replacement because the oil hadn't been changed since 95,000 miles was due on it and it's 10,000 miles later. And it off on the text saying I've changed the oil in the car I know I did how can I say that yeah yeah well their answer is well upload that information to American Auto Shield maybe that will help your case which is what I do and of course that doesn't help anything. But it does provide me with an email that contains the official statement as to why the claim was denied. And I misspoke up on this point above. Because in that statement, the way the statement about the faxes described in delineated and a chronological format manner and the the syntax of three key sentences are written in such a way that they absolutely without a doubt has decided to deny the claim not because of improper service due to action or inaction on my part. Rather, the letter reflects that the adjuster who is an experienced professional in this field utilized the dealerships Diagnostics pictures Etc statements and everything to ultimately decide not to pay the claim. And specifically because the information provided by the Diagnostics from the professionally trained mechanics indicated tell your occurred reasons that weren't covered by the warranty. This is the specific language of that letter:


"Per your request, we are writing to confirm the coverage decision that was communicated to you on June 16, 2023, for the claim reported under your vehicle service contract.

A previous claim 2091085 was initiated by Capital City Nissan of Topeka on September 14, 2022, with a reported mileage of 108,362, for the check engine light and the vehicle losing power and going into limp mode, which was authorized on February 10, 2023, for repairs of the cam shaft and lifters. You stated you picked your vehicle up on March 6, 2023, and on May 8, 2023, you called in to report your vehicle broke down right after repairs were made.

An independent inspection and diagnostic performed by your repair facility on your vehicle found a failure to the engine. On May 12, 2023, Capital City Nissan of Topeka initiated a second claim with a reported mileage of 109,277. An oil change sticker shows an oil change was due at 95,800 miles. A rod is heard knocking caused by lack of lubrication due to an overdue oil change, which was NOT PERFORMED at the TIME of the PREVIOUS ENGINE REPAIRS, INDICATING IMPROPER PRIOR REPAIRS, which is not coverable per your vehicle service contract. Your vehicle was operated 915 miles from previous claim, indicating continued operation, which is also not coverable per your vehicle service contract."

When I first read that the last sentence bothered me because it seemed to imply that I can continue to operate the car after I identify the problem being present. But that's not what it's saying. What it's saying is that I continue to operate the vehicle for 915 Mi after the improper repair was done to the car bye the Nissan dealership. And that the continuous operation for an additional 912 MI that occurred subsequent the improper repair, is evidence that the improper repair that was done because during that repair the oil wasn't changed, yet car was returned to me and I drove it a sufficient amount of mileage that in light of the improper repair work having been done is sufficient to end up ruining the engine.

Now recall that the Nissan dealership indicated the engine oil hadn't been changed. I submitted information substantiating that I had changed the engine oil just before the first repair service was done. Yet American Auto Shield and even in light of that information, determined that improper service was performed by the Nissan dealership and not having change the oil at that time despite what I had done or not done. Which points the finger squarely at the Nissan dealership being at fault for improper service as determined by a trained expert in the field regarding mechanical engine repair claims!

Add to this I have a screen grab for my web link that I was initially provided in September of 2022 that shows authorization is provided for Diagnostics a 27.5 and declined or deferred actually oil change. And the only indication regarding the deferral of the oil change and who made that call is a name of a service center Tech who no longer works at that facility. And my name isn't even mentioned it doesn't say that the client the owner anything like that called in and deferred the oil change because I wouldn't have done that anyway but yet I take this information and a lot more face-to-face with their service manager. And he tries to maintain that perspective so I end up finally after 2 I'm going back and forth and basically providing every detail to counter any contention he even tries to make. With no results

And then he says to me that they do more than happy to hold on to the car and see if there is some other cause that might be the nature of the problem but they missed and I'm not stupid, so I tell him thanks but no. At this point you're ending our discussion because you won't get up your responsibility to honor your 12 months 12,000 mile warranty. And you obviously can't make the call anyway so I will leave you with the information I have provided. You can discuss this with the manager or the owner of the dealership or whatever you need to do. In the meantime please provide me with the keys to my vehicle I'm going to call USAA and I'm going to have my car towed to my house. And then he does some stuff and then it seems like he tries to like make me forget that I'm going to have my car towed by dealing with another customer for a moment or two and then I say once again to him I need my keys please. So he finally gets the keys and hands them to me and my wife and I wait on the lot until the tow truck arrives and leave with car in tow literally. That's not the end

Because surprise surprise maybe next morning I get this phone call that's all excited from the service center manager telling me that they think they figure something out. And he wants to be sure about whether I did an oil change or not or whether it was New Orleans I said well okay I finally balk I said yes I changed the oil 4 days before I had it taken to you the first time. To which he responds great wonderful that might help I'll give them a call and call you right back. I don't get a call right back. And then I get a call I miss it because I'm dealing with something else and then I call and I get voicemail. So I call American Auto Shield straight up and ask them could you please tell me the nature of the conversation that the dealership had with the adjuster most recently yesterday because they called me and told me they were going to discuss another possibility with the adjuster and I'm curious is what that might be.

Well it turns out that the service center manager called American Auto Shield and told them that they had discovered that they had failed to Bill out for the oil change that they did when they did the timing belt adjustment. And then proceeded to ask if that could be added to the official record for the insurance claim that had already been paid out. To which the American Auto Shield adjuster wisely responded I'm sorry sir but I can only go by the information I'm provided at the time of the repairs and what we pay out I can't go back and edit what I've been given as far as information that's relevant to how a payout claim is made. And the reason why he didn't do it is because it's insurance fraud. In the service center manager was making it bleeding attempt at committing insurance fraud and order to backtrack so that they can come up with some other reason to have a shot at looking at my car again. Because if it wasn't the oil that was bad then then their statement they made the second time around when they diagnosed the rod knock could be simply excused as an accidental oversight presumptiveness or whatever that they did find evidence of an oil change so it must be something else we're going to need to take it further look. Which of course would then allow them access to the car in order to find something that was irrelevant to the prior service that caused the engine to fail. Unfortunately for them I have the car in my possession.

So with that application, what say ye who read the above? I say that I was right the entire time about the Integrity of this dealership their capability or lack thereof and the dishonesty they are engaging in. Not to mention the reality that I don't think they had the suitably trained mechanic working on the car. They've lied more than once and they've lied in significant ways and they ultimately tried to commit insurance fraud in the end. However the problem I'm having is it's not a small claims court case because replacing that engine is going to cost $10,000 and small claims court only goes to 4000. So I'm going to get an attorney I do believe. I'm just curious what anybody else might think about this situation if they see this blatantly disgusting as I do. And I just egregious example of the reason why they're called stealerships and a stealership service center.

Peace

LaughnJar
Posts: 12
Joined: Thu Sep 09, 2021 10:56 am
Car: 2011 Infiniti M56x

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So it is now February 2024. And I still have. A hell of a nice chassis etc with a DEAD ENGINE. After requesting the dealership replace the engine. Based on a fact that I misstated above. And that is that American Auto Shield the warranty service provider in this case denied the submitted claim to replace the failed engine, based on a clause in coverage policy specifically citing improper prior service for repair. And in the denial of coverage letter I was sent the only repair service that occurred prior to the engine failure to which the adjuster referred, was the repair work performed by the Nissan service center shop when they had my vehicle for 7 months or more!

The denial of coverage letters specifically States that repair work was performed on my vehicle at that service center. They replaced the high pressure fuel pump 3 months later they replaced the cam shaft because of the worn lobe as well as the lifter oil bucket that was cracked again 3 months later after having the car repaired. In a statement written to me by the service center manager is indicated that subsequent the high pressure fuel pump being changed and then 3 months later the camshaft and cracked oil bucket or replaced and then after that the letter indicates that a timing chain repair was performed. And in speaking with American Auto Shield warranty service provider, I was informed that the claim submitted for the repairs that were performed and itemized everything down to gaskets and seals. However there was not a single line item indicating an oil change having been performed or in or the oil filter being replaced. Something that I find quite odd considering every single car I have ever had timing issues and timing change replaced on have always included a charge for an oil change in filter right there on the receipt. But for some reason the Nissan dealership didn't include the charge for that service in this claim they submitted and were paid over $5,000 for performing the work on.

And to top it off, the manager of the service center stated he was going to call American Auto Shield to try and clear up why or what they could do to get American Auto Shield to replace the engine the next morning. Well the next afternoon following that morning I called into American Auto Shield to discover that in fact the service manager called in to inquire if he could add in some random receipt of some sort that they had found that indicated an oil change was performed. Actually asking if he could submit proof of the oil change in the already closed claim. Which is pretty interesting considering that his own technician's diagnosed the catastrophic failure being due to bad oil essentially and the lack of having the head and oil change performed.

And it's absolutely pathetic the way the service center manager addressed the issue with me and his letter attempting to assert that a lack of Maintenance records on my behalf or due to me was part of the problem. I own the car for 2 months I bought it used. I had one maintenance record and that's a receipt proving I changed the oil. And the mention of Maintenance records comes up because American Auto Shield stated in a conversation with the service manager that during the diagnostic process the service manager engaged in the discussion with the representative from American Auto Shield and explain to them the oil was indeed changed during the timing chain repair although it was not explicitly listed on the repair order and the claims representative agreed that the oil would have had to have been added but due to the absence of explicit documentation on the repair order processing the claim for the engine was challenging.

Does anybody but me see something wrong with that entire statement. First the service center manager claims the oil was changed in spite of not having an item is that itemized charge on the claim. He says that the representative agrees that it would have needed to be changed. But then the service manager dates that the claims adjuster indicated the difficulties and processing the claim to replace the engine was due to the absence of explicit documentation on the repair order regarding the oil change having been done. That right there is the lack of Maintenance information to which the adjuster is referring with regard to the denial of the claim to replace my engine. Not any documents that I should have provided! But the service center manager twists these words in all sorts of manners to try and implicate me because he knows damn well that it was the dealership mechanics who did not do an oil change. And proof of that being the fact is found as a result of my having escalated my claim to Kansas State Attorney General's office, consumer affairs division and I filed a formal complaint against Nissan which got nowhere. Because they only deal with group claims. However it did give me additional information which is very significant

And that information comes specifically in the letter written by Chris Howard the same service center manager who replied to me. But in this case he's replying to the state of Kansas Attorney General's office and a special investigator for the consumer complaints division. And in that letter Mr Howard actually says that we acknowledge explicit records of an oil filter changes were not on the but due to the nature of the repair, engine oil had to be re-added for proper functionality. He then states that the technician confirmed that he topped off the engine oil after the lift pump and camshaft repairs. And then he continues that I Chris Howard the service manager drove the vehicle at least 10 Mi without experiencing any engine noise.

Note the choice of words of reference regarding the oil situation. The service center manager uses terms topped off re-added and that no explicit records of an oil and filter change were on the invoice.

This information suggests to me that the service center manager is mincing words and trying to imply that they did the proper repair work and claiming that they did in fact replace the oil and do an oil change in one letter which was the letter written to me when he implied that was done by saying that it was not explicitly listed on the order but the claims representative agreed that would had it would have had to have been added even though there is no explicit documentation. Yet in the letter to the Attorney General's office Mr Howard does not State directly that an oil change was actually performed very first to topping off and re- adding the oil for proper functionality. Yet in spite of the fact that that is the case the letter states that the service center performed the necessary repairs based on all that was done to fix the problem the first time around. However clearly if they did not do an oil change they did not perform the necessary repairs. Which is obvious due to Chris Howard's words indicating that and oil change would have had to have been performed during the timing chain repair work that was done. He mentions that specifically in the letter to me.

Given this new information, it's obvious to me that the mechanics that work at Capital City Nissan of Topeka who worked on my engine failed to perform the proper repairs when they did not perform an oil change after having changed the high pressure fuel pump the cam shaft and the lifter bucket that had broken. Meaning that pieces of matter were floating around in the lubrication system. And that engine oil lubrication system was topped off or re-added to ensure proper functionality. But there's no sign or charge for an itemized listing of oil change in filter change at all whatsoever. Such that when their own mechanics receive the car the second time heard the engine knock indicating a rod bearing had broken and it was led to catastrophic engine failure. And further investigation determined that it was due to improper lubrication or bad oil due to the lack of having performed the proper oil change and filter change that should have been done. And so their own guys have confirmed that the improper repair work that was done for which coverage from American Auto Shield was declined, was due to the very hands of the technicians that work at that same service center!

Yet in spite of the obviousness of the mistake they made as printed in black and white, Capital City Nissan of Topeka and their service center refuse to replace my engine maintaining that their repair service was done with attention to detail ASE certified mechanics etc etc such that it is impossible for them to have apparently made any mistakes in spite of the fact that they did not perform an oil change and a filter change at all at any time during the 7 months they had my car in their possession during or after work that was poor formed on the timing chain as well as the lifter bucket and camshaft! And considering that I went 9 weeks and less than a thousand miles driving the car and nobody even lifted the hood of the vehicle much less touch any parts inside of the engine compartment. It's cut and dry that the dealership owes me a new like known working good engine and should replace it at no cost to me. Yet they adamantly refuse to do so. I even contacted Nissan North America and had a regional representative speak with them about the situation and that didn't even work! And the reason why they do this and can get away with it is because it's about a $10,000 job. An attorney won't take it. And the dealerships have greater Leverage and aren't impacted by the fact that my car is not working. Which is something about the car industry in the note itself that I think is astronomically crap! Mechanics don't have a single governing body that licenses them and as the ability to take away their license or certification and make them do something entirely different! Yet the shop charges $160 an hour which is $320,000 a year making them the only professional White Collar level paid service person or service entity that gets paid the same early or annual salary as nearly the least paid surgical positions, but nonetheless still surgeons.

I am personally so disgusted with the lack of responsibility being taken in this instance that I will never buy a Nissan or an Infiniti again in my life there is no excuse for simply denying like a 3 year old child that you did something that caused the problem when the 3-year-old child has his hand in the cookie jar is eating a cookie and his parents asks have you been eating cookies out of the cookie jar and the child says no no no no no no. Businesses can get away with this because there is no legal course of action other than small claims court to exercise by the private individual. And that cap in Kansas is only $4,000. I will be writing the person who owns that dealership requesting that he direct his employees to compensate me appropriately and replace my engine and that's all I'm asking not anything more not pain and suffering or loss of use of the vehicle for the past year and a half!. And outside of that happening I will exercise my last option of going to small claims court. Because I will win I will bury them alive and they deserve to be because they know they didn't do the job they were supposed to do and they will not own up to it absolutely disgusting way to do business what happened to this country where the dollar counts more than the customer!? And what happened to personal Integrity when faced with overwhelming evidence that you're responsible for the damage from the actions you took!? And it's just going to continue to get worse if I'm afraid as we favor businesses over human beings! Hopefully I will report back having had a new engine installed but don't hold your breath because it may never happen. And then I will go on an all out War on social media going everybody about my experience with nothing but facts and telling everybody to stay away from these vehicles manufactured by Nissan and infiniti. This is a war and I am not going down without a fight! Peace.


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