Here in the midwest it is -19 F (-45 F wind chill) 5 minutes of skin exposure = frostbite. good stuff.

After going to the store, I couldnt get the car to start. Dashboard lights on, electrical components seemed to work normally. Engine would not attempt to start.
I asked one individual nearby if they could help me out with a jump and they refused (thanks, friend... ) luckily after a few minutes I found someone willing. The extra current from a jump start didnt change anything.

I thanked the man and let him go on his way and tried to arrange a tow. "Due to severe weather conditions, response times are very long etc etc etc"

So I tried it out again, checking to see if maybe the shifter wasnt all the way in Park, so i tried starting the car in neutral. no change.
I noticed that the dashboard display wouldnt tell me the position of the shifter, the AFS light was flashing, and I noticed the intelligent key symbol on the upper left side of the tach. I dont have a photographic memory of the normal state of the dashboard lights, but these 3 things seemed incorrect/different to me.

I have had a battery in the key fob go weak before and when that happened the display displayed a "KEY ID: ???" type message. This was not happening now, but regardless I tried pushing the key further into the slot and pushing the brake harder to make sure it was being sensed and it finally started up.

I am not sure what exactly was allowing me to start the car but it certainly wasnt battery charge related as it had plenty of juice on its own and seemingly no juice when being jumped, so it must be key/control module related.

I found this which explains my situation exactly:

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https://www.brakeandfrontend.com/tech-t ... tart-cold/
By Rich Diegle
Senior Automotive Editor

When the going gets cold, some Infiniti’s may not get going. If an owner of one of the Infiniti vehicles listed below states that the starter will not work when the ambient temperature drops below freezing, confirm that the problem exists under all of the following conditions:

• The vehicle sat for several hours (cold soak) with outside temperatures below 10° F (-12° C); and
• The vehicle was then driven for a short period of time (5-10 minutes); and
• The engine was then turned OFF for a short time (5-10 minutes); and
• The engine would then not crank when a restart was attempted (starter doesn’t work).

VEHICLES
2003 – 2006 G35
2003 – 2006 FX, FX45 and FX35
2004 – 2006 QX56
2006 – M45 and M35

To fix this problem, replace the Intelligent Power Distribution Module (IPDM) with the appropriate Nissan part number listed in the table.





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Once the car fired up I had a CEL. I plugged my scanner in and it was a U1000 communication error

Those conditions exactly match my situation so it looks like its time for an IPDM.

Question time:

1) Where is a good place to purchase one for a low price?
2) Should I replace it with a used one and keep the current one as a spare in case i get stranded again?
3) Should I write it off as a fluke because of the absolutely idiotic temperatures going on and do nothing?

Please feel free to share anything else ipdm related that may benefit me or others in terms of testing, replacement, symptoms, etc.

Thanks

Yeah, I was supposed to fly to Milwaukee to get introduced to my new client and my flights from Albany to Chicago and Chicago to MKE got cancelled. Brutal.

Honestly, I'd go with #3. But I don't know if I'd trust a used one if and went it finally dies...might have the same issue or worse. Unless you can get one with a warranty on eBay or something.

Yep, I am in Milwaukee. I ended up finding a used one for $79. Between what's in there now, and the $79 used "tested-good" unit, id say I should be okay. If both go belly up in the next year or two then I guess it would justify the $700 for a new one. I will keep one in the trunk as a spare. I always had spare relays, fuses, maf sensor, and temp sensor in my BMW.

pretty much those things that could fail spontaneously and be reasonably changed in under a half hour that could keep me going in pinch.

Yep, I'm the same way. Keep the essentials handy.

This is an old thread, but for anyone that it might help. I had the same problem on my 2003 G35. The manual will always tell you to change the IDPM. That is total BS from Infiniti. Normally it is a relay, that you can buy and replace yourself. The manual says not to replace relays but to replace the whole IDPM even if you have a single bad relay. I found and changed the relay and car started back. Also, need to have a good winter battery, not just a regular one. ANother thing is that the plastic connectors on the IDPM get a little lose with time. If you individually pull the cables one by one, you will find some "giving in and out" a little. That is not supposed to happen. You can buy new connectors from a junkyard and replace or source online, or just do what I did, and after inserting the cable all the way in and holding in that position, using a hot glue gun and put some on the back of the connector so the cables stay in place. This little trick helped a lot of intermittent fault codes being given by cables going in and out.

Nice one QCtech. What's the title of the relay?