Multiple Problems with my 2003 QX4 - Help!

[brandonpoc]

I've owned my 2003 QX4 for about 8 years now. I just got the vehicle back from the mechanic where they repaired the control arm, struts, etc. from damage from hitting a mailbox. The vehicle was re-aligned, camber corrected, a new serpentine belt installed, new HID bulbs installed, gaskets replaced to deal with oil leakage, and a few other things. I am still having quite a few issues with the vehicle, though, and I was hoping you guys may be able to help me!

PROBLEM 1)

I hear a loud squeal (loud enough to wakeup the neighbors!) upon starting the car and giving it gas. If I don't give it gas, the car will die; RPMs drop to about 500 and then below and the car starts to shake and then the vehicle up and dies. I have to continue to apply my foot to the accelerator to give it gas lest the RPMs drop and the vehicle sputters out on me. This has happened when pulling into traffic and almost gotten me hit! After the vehicle has been driven for about 15 minutes or so and is warmed up, I don't so much have to ensure I am applying gas the entire time during a stop (for instance at a red light with the car in neutral and my foot on the pedal revving to about 2,000 RPM) but it is still capable of dying on me even then. I ran fuel injector cleaner through with no luck.

I believe the squealing noise comes from the mechanic not properly installing the new serpentine belt. Could this be the case?

As for the car shaking and stalling out, could I be in desperate need of replacement spark plugs? I haven't replaced the plugs in the entire time I owned the vehicle and prior to that I don't know if the previous owner had either. Could this be a cause? And if so, should I replace the coil/ignition packs that sit on top of them as well? Along with the distributor cap and rotor?

PROBLEM 2)

The HID lights, even after being replaced, are continuing to flicker off at random while driving. It is a single bulb that flickers off usually although sometimes throughout the course of driving both will go off. I notice it happens mostly when I hit a pot hole or I am turning the steering wheel hard, or when I hit some other type of 'bump' like entering a drive-way. If I turn the lights off and turn them back on, they work fine. It is mostly the passenger-side lamp although it may switch and be the drivers side. There are times where I may drive the vehicle without lights flicking themselves off at all although this is rare.

We've tried everything. We replaced the bulbs and the same problem, with the same frequency, occurs. We don't think it's the ballast. I was thinking - with the lights flickering off after bottoming out or hitting a bump/pothole/driveway lip, could it be that the grounding of the lights are dirty? Should I trace the ground wire down from the lights and clean them off and/or replace them? Also, on these vehicles are they grounded at the same place or different places? Just to rule out electrical/alternator issues, we checked those, and the voltage from the battery is fine and alternator seems to be working fine.

Those are the two pressing issues of my vehicle right now. There are some other minor things but those are downright dangerous and annoying. Any help would be appreciated.

Thank you!

[yeldogt]

I would get the car back to whoever fixed it. The belt could be slipping -- and they make quite a racket. I have had problems with non OE belts -- it should be easy to check the belts for proper tension.

I don't understand the the idle issue -- I don't think it's tied to the belt. If the belt was slipping enough that the alternator was not producing enough volts -- the battery would be dead.

Do you have a CEL? ... own a code reader?

The headlights do sound like a bad connection -- although the ballasts can have internal connection faults. I had a bad ballast that would flicker over bumps -- this was in a Lexus (warranty). I would check the connections and wires closely prior to replacing expensive parts

[brandonpoc]

I had a code reader but not any longer. I did have the codes read and there were no codes relevant to the problems I was having. Could the idle issue have something to do with the spark plugs not having been replaced in the 13 years this car has been on the pavement? I was thinking of replacing them. If I replace the plugs, should I replace the coil packs too? I found a pack of 6 for $130.

I intend on checking the lighting wiring all the way down to the ground. I'm thinking its a bad connection for sure. I'm hoping I don't have to replace the ballasts.

Any other ideas anyone? I'll take all I can get!

Thank you
Brandon

[Buzzman]

The belt squeaking is a common issue if it's not tight enough.
On these engines, the belt has to be SUPER tight. They should also be re-tightened after a few weeks of driving, as it will stretch and squeak again.
Tell your guys to crank the tensioner up a few notches. You won't break the belt.

As for the bad idle and stalling, it sounds like a classic case of the IACV failing. It could also be the MAF sensor, but speaking from experience, the IACV is probably failing.
I don't think it's the plugs, although they should probably be replaced as a maintenance item. The coils should be good.
If you continue to drive it with a bad IACV, then it will damage the ECM (computer), and then you'll be in a world of pain.
It's a known problem and there are lots of threads on the subject. Don't delay.

[carnal_c30]

For the HID issue.

This is about the time the factory ballasts start dying off, also sometimes the wiring connection is poor. What I like to do is buy a used but good tested ballast, wiring, and OE bulb and use it to help diagnose the specific issue.

The bulbs themselves, sometimes the Panasonic/Matsushita ballasts do not like the cheap Chinese HID replacement bulbs. I have not figured out exactly why but I had similar issues in one QX4 and swapped the bulbs to Osram/Sylvania OE D2R bulbs and the problem was fixed.

[EdBwoy]

... gaskets replaced to deal with oil leakage, and a few other things. I am still having quite a few issues with the vehicle, though, and I was hoping you guys may be able to help me!

PROBLEM 1)

I hear a loud squeal (loud enough to wakeup the neighbors!) upon starting the car and giving it gas. If I don't give it gas, the car will die; RPMs drop to about 500 and then below and the car starts to shake and then the vehicle up and dies. I have to continue to apply my foot to the accelerator to give it gas lest the RPMs drop and the vehicle sputters out on me. ...
I believe the squealing noise comes from the mechanic not properly installing the new serpentine belt. Could this be the case?

As for the car shaking and stalling out, could I be in desperate need of replacement spark plugs? I haven't replaced the plugs in the entire time I owned the vehicle and prior to that I don't know if the previous owner had either. Could this be a cause? And if so, should I replace the coil/ignition packs that sit on top of them as well? Along with the distributor cap and rotor?
...

Could some of these other gaskets have been intake and manifold gaskets? There was a member on the M subforum who had a gasket leak that was a high pitched whistle with idling issues. Not loud enough to wake the neighbors though.

It's possible that the squealing could be a too loose or even too tight belt. If your vehicle struggles to stay running, then I'd say normally the belt is too loose and as much as the engine is running, the alternator is not being powered very efficiently so you have to compensate with more rpms. Typically your other accessories start going first if your alternator isn't working correctly- radio, power steering, HVAC etc.

I agree as above that the spark plugs could be an issue as well, and should be addressed if so, but I don't see why they suddenly became an issue if the engine was running fine when delivered to the mechanic. It is more likely something that was altered by their service. I assume everything smoothens out at higher rpms, correct?

[brandonpoc]

UPDATE!

I took my car to my buddy who is a BMW certified tech (and thus is a wizard with these luxury vehicles, really). We diagnosed the idling/dying issue and we figured out that it was exactly as "Buzzman" here on the forum guessed - the ECM was fried. I sent the ECM to "SIA Electronics" in Tilden, IL and in about a week I had my ECM back and working. They charged $188 with return shipping included so it wasn't too bad at all. I'm sure the $tealership would charge $1400 or more for replacing the computer with a new part and having to program it. We did have to "teach" the car how to idle again (which I don't understand - you'd imagine out of the factory they are programmed with the idle parameters, which should be easily downloadable to put it back on there, as I don't imagine a long line of Japanese men sitting there teaching each new car how to idle straight out of the factory) , and had to also replace the mass airflow sensor (MAF) and the IACV (idle air control valve) to prevent one of them from causing all the others to fry again. All in all, with the new MAF, new IACV, new spark plugs, new spark plug wires/boots, air filter, fuel filter and ECM computer repair I spent about $576 in parts and $250 in labor.

As for the HID, I have new bulbs and while they're not going out as frequently now (for whatever reason) I still am going to replace the ballasts. I found new ones, after market, that can be had for $40 or so and my friend assures me they'll work fine. I have to start scrimping on costs as I've spent a LOT in repairs so far. Aside from the $576 I also had to buy a replacement bumper and fender (both of which have dings and paint peels, and turned out to be a damned different color code - damn Infiniti for making TWO GOLD COLORS in THE SAME YEAR), a new head light assembly, new fog light assembly plus new bulbs, and have the control arm, serpentine belt replaced, and several other things repaired spending at least $2,200 or more right there; so I'm at about $3,000 in repairs.

And - get this - I need to fix the valve cover gaskets (which my last mechanic claimed he fixed, which is apparently NOT the case), and more importantly both lower ball joints and tire rods. Also my rear shock is "leaking". Also just now bought a fog light trim piece, and need to buy replacement rear hatch window strut/hydrolic lift things because the window is shaking and rattling. On top of all that I need to get some paint more than "touched up" in several places.

Oh yeah, I also had to buy a replacement head unit face plate (which was stolen from me) for my Alpine ($45) head unit deck and a few interior light bulbs.

I'd better drive this car until the wheels literally fall off. Thankfully I love my QX4. I used to buy a new used car every year (or even at one point every six months) of BMW, Land Rover, Mercedes, and the like and I must say that this Infiniti is aside from these problems my favorite car.

And with the new MAF/IACV/ECM repair and the tune-up with high-performance spark plugs and new boots/air-/ and fuel-filter the car is driving as strong, if not stronger, as the day I bought it.

I'll let everyone know what happens with my HID lights after we install the replacement ballasts. Hopefully that handles it.


Thanks!

[TheReplay]

Fyi i had the same problem with my headlight going out after hitting bumps in the road. I replaced my blinker switch (on a suggestion here) which was not the problem.

It turned out to be the ballast.. figured it out after i installed a replacement and the problem went away.

Good luck.

[brandonpoc]

Alright - quick update.

So my SUV, despite having the HID ballasts replaced THREE times now - one OEM, one Ken Sun slim-ballast, and one other brand slim ballast - have burned the drivers-side ballasts out within 2 or 3 days of installation.

The alternator and battery shot out on me, so I replaced the alternator last night and installed a new battery. Now, I have this issue (along with the driver's side headlight being out, still, since replacing the driver's side ballast and HID headlight doesn't results in it burning out almost immediately - the high-beams are fine):

If I have the ventilation system blowing either fan, heat or A/C, and turn on the head lamps, I get a noticeable drop in the power of the lighting on the instruments in the car and the temperature gauge spikes up to "HIGH". If I turn off either the headlights or the ventilation, it drops back to normal. So it's a combination of the ventilation + headlamps that cause this.

There is certainly some kind of short or some other issue in the vehicle, and I am at a complete loss for how to go about this. Infiniti or other techs are going to want $100+/hr to diagnose the vehicle and, judging by how much it has confused other mechanics and technicians in respect to the HID issue, it's going to take several hours and nothing will be guaranteed.

I'm at a complete loss here for what in the hell is wrong with this car. Does anyone have any input?

Thanks

[Rockwood]

I have something you can check out. I was having weird electrical problems like you, and after a while my truck started randomly dying under heavy electrical load - lights on, a/c or heat on, etc.
I had other strange problems as well, a couple of which involved dash lights.

There is a red connector on the side of the positive battery terminal. It has two 8 gauge wires that go to the fuse box behind the battery. Everything in the truck is powered thru those two 8 gauge wires. The inside of the connector had corroded and the wires would not carry enough current under large current loads, so my truck would randomly just die.

Those two wires should detach from the red connector easily by pushing down on the lock tabs. If they won't come out, they are corroded in place like mine were, and that could be your problem.

Can't buy that connector separately from the dealer, so I just replaced the positive terminal and put some ring connectors on the ends of the two 8 gauge wires and bolted it all together.

Also, you may want to check grounds. Loosen and retighten the engine ground on the engine, and there are grounds for the headlights up on the top of the fender right near the headlights. Loosen / retighten to freshen up the metal to metal contact. Another ground is right behind the battery on the negative cable. A small 10 mm bolt - if it is corroded go ahead and replace it.

My truck has run perfectly since I replaced that red connector.

[brandonpoc]

I'm going to give all this a try. And yes there certainly are a lot of wires there on the positive terminal! I'll give it a try and see. I am going to order my FOURTH set of HID ballasts (Kensun's again, they're great, slim/small profile and very cheap) and Amazon has a good return policy. A pair of ballasts is like $30 I believe on Amazon. If these burn out after doing the things you said, I will have to find someone that can do the electrical analysis.

Can anyone recommend someone OTHER than a $125/hr Infiniti technician to perform the analysis on the vehicle? Any other options that would locate the option but not cost probably $500 for 4 hours of wire tracing, schematic looking-over, relay checking expensive labor?

Thanks!

[MisterH]

I think you might want to reconsider going to a Nissan/Infiniti dealer. I know $125 is a high labor rate, but with the multiplicity of problems you have had recently it would be money well spent for a one-hour diagnosis from someone really qualified. Unless you are able to get an accurate diagnoses of all that ails your vehicle there is a high probability you will spend far more than $125 on repairs that aren't needed. Second, if your vehicle ran for 13 years on the same set of spark plugs, I wonder what else in the realm of routine maintenance was neglected. A thorough examination/inspection of the vehicle from someone highly knowledgeable in the brand will give you a solid base of knowledge to work from and figure out how much you're going to have to spend to get it back to running reliably.