MY M56x won’t rev past 3500 rpm! No SES light or codes![SOLVED - broken exhaust VTC solenoid]

Forum for Infiniti M37, M56 M35h Hybrid and Q70 owners.
CorbinM56x
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Joined: Fri Sep 01, 2017 7:30 am
Car: 2011 Infiniti M56x
2005 Toyota 4Runner sport
2001 Toyota Camry
1994 Lexus Sc400
1989 Supra targa 1jz 60-1 turbo/ sold 2012 :(
Location: Sparta, MI

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:confused:
Last edited by EdBwoy on Wed Mar 27, 2019 9:23 am, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: update with solution


CorbinM56x
Posts: 27
Joined: Fri Sep 01, 2017 7:30 am
Car: 2011 Infiniti M56x
2005 Toyota 4Runner sport
2001 Toyota Camry
1994 Lexus Sc400
1989 Supra targa 1jz 60-1 turbo/ sold 2012 :(
Location: Sparta, MI

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I disconnected the battery and reset everything but it only last for a mile or so? I’m just about ready to take it to the stealership! No problem getting up to speed as long as I don’t go over 3500rpm! It’s just like hitting boostcut on a my Supra!

CorbinM56x
Posts: 27
Joined: Fri Sep 01, 2017 7:30 am
Car: 2011 Infiniti M56x
2005 Toyota 4Runner sport
2001 Toyota Camry
1994 Lexus Sc400
1989 Supra targa 1jz 60-1 turbo/ sold 2012 :(
Location: Sparta, MI

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Anyone else ever enjoy this problem???

Larz
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That's a head scratcher for sure. If I understand, the car still goes through all the gears, gets up to speed, but whether in P or D, the revs max at 3500. My first thought would be MAF or cam sensors but they would cause a code and the car would not likely reach upper speeds or drive anything like normal. I wonder if the BCM can cause this?
The lack of any codes seems unthinkable, yet it's happening. It's also possible the CATs are blocked but that would normally throw a code as well. To me, it seems the car is in 'limp' mode or 'protection' mode. Is it possible there are codes being stored without the service light activating? Did you actually check for codes with a reader or are you assuming no codes because the service light didn't activate? It may be worth the trip and an inspection charge from the dealer. Perhaps other members will chime in with ideas.

CorbinM56x
Posts: 27
Joined: Fri Sep 01, 2017 7:30 am
Car: 2011 Infiniti M56x
2005 Toyota 4Runner sport
2001 Toyota Camry
1994 Lexus Sc400
1989 Supra targa 1jz 60-1 turbo/ sold 2012 :(
Location: Sparta, MI

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I checked the codes myself along with an Infiniti dealer! No present codes and past codes are radar malfunction and catalyst insufficient on bank two! But I’ve seen that code before! It comes and goes on hot summer days! If it was clogged I would think I’d have less power and more hesitation up to the 3500!? Right now she climes right up to 3500 just like normal but hits what feels like a rev limiter!? Also sometimes in park/neutral it’ll rev to redline? But as soon as I’d drive it’ll act up? I’m at a loss? Cam,crank sensor, mass air sensor, high pressure fuel pump?? But no codes no clue?? I do plan on gutting the primary cats as soon as I do my stillan exhaust!!

CorbinM56x
Posts: 27
Joined: Fri Sep 01, 2017 7:30 am
Car: 2011 Infiniti M56x
2005 Toyota 4Runner sport
2001 Toyota Camry
1994 Lexus Sc400
1989 Supra targa 1jz 60-1 turbo/ sold 2012 :(
Location: Sparta, MI

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Thanks for the info Lars!!

EdBwoy
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Crank sensor and brake switches is what I'd be looking at.

Do your brake lights come on/turn off upon command as expected? How about your standard cruise control?
I haven't had to deal with this in the M56 yet, but in the older V8, the cam and crank sensor are the same, so I'd swap them to troubleshoot it.

I am shooting from the hip here just to get some thoughts flowing, but I can dig deeper a little later. Search in the M45 section for "RPM limit" and something might pop up.

macgiver
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mac,If safe to be in Neutral while going say 55 mph , can you go to N from drive @ 55 and from the quick change to neutral DOES THE MOTOR GO TO REDLINE ,a quick blip to see if the redline you achieved while stopped can be achieved "at speed",may suggest transmission involvement problem WHEN ENGAGED.?? Like previously surmised a kind of "LIMP-mode" NOT from motor problem , but from a TRANS problem ? - and if this is remotely possible, is there a separate trans diagnostic can be done along this line?? Can rev past 3500 in "lower" gear positions ?? Reverse ?? To be sure of no overheating ,etc. try looking to see that ALL DASH WARNING LTS.in fact ILLUMINATE! upon "key-on-Run" position ,some go out quickly, do this enough times to verify your not missing ANYTHING. An overheat w/NO warning Lt.can cause a "Limp-mode" maybe ? Jotting down the behavior of as many possible scenarios, and "through the paces" will of course better guide the strategy here.

CorbinM56x
Posts: 27
Joined: Fri Sep 01, 2017 7:30 am
Car: 2011 Infiniti M56x
2005 Toyota 4Runner sport
2001 Toyota Camry
1994 Lexus Sc400
1989 Supra targa 1jz 60-1 turbo/ sold 2012 :(
Location: Sparta, MI

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It won’t rev past 3500 while I’m rolling period!! I pop it in neutral and check every once in a while! And break lights come on and go of normal. The only thing I noticed was while having the car on and not starting the engine the ses light blinked a small series of blinks and then went solid as normal!! The Infiniti tech was still shaking his head!!

EdBwoy
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If the blinking happens often/all the time, could you record it to see what code it's relaying?

I'm still interested in the cruise and crankshaft sensor checks though.

CorbinM56x
Posts: 27
Joined: Fri Sep 01, 2017 7:30 am
Car: 2011 Infiniti M56x
2005 Toyota 4Runner sport
2001 Toyota Camry
1994 Lexus Sc400
1989 Supra targa 1jz 60-1 turbo/ sold 2012 :(
Location: Sparta, MI

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I caved and sent it Grand Rapids Infiniti!! They’re scratching their heads right now too!! Plus I got a bonus!! I blew a power steering line on my way there!! Yay!!!

macgiver
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mac, Well hopefully it's in good hands , for that blinking SES Lt. gotta be of some significance , and the Consult III Diagnostics they'll use , whatever, is far, far more reaching than ordinary scan-tool , and gets Freeze-frame, can actuate/intervene the CAN , they 'll probly come up with real surprise answer , and I hope they fix ,not too much$$$$$$$ :rolleyes:
Good luck.

CorbinM56x
Posts: 27
Joined: Fri Sep 01, 2017 7:30 am
Car: 2011 Infiniti M56x
2005 Toyota 4Runner sport
2001 Toyota Camry
1994 Lexus Sc400
1989 Supra targa 1jz 60-1 turbo/ sold 2012 :(
Location: Sparta, MI

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Thanks MAC!! I’m sure they will! But at 175 an hour it won’t be cheap!! But I’ve got a 2018 qx50 loaner with the new variable compression turbo to try out!! It’s like driving a rubber band! Neat technology!!

Malbec 56 Beast
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Corbin,

This is my experience.
I had an '04 maxima that had a very similar issue. We replaced cam and crank sensors multiple time, nothing. Nothing on the scan. In my experience when the sensors go bad they are done, dead.

I think it's your transmission, mine was hesitating so bad towards the end I thought it was blown. I had NISSAN NOT INFINITI do a drain and fill with Amsoil, God as my witness it never ran better. Mind you Nissan used their fluid and flushed it every sixty thousand miles.

We can't be 100% sure but it sure is worth it.
Give it a try and I hope your luck is as good as mine was.

Andy

macgiver
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mac, hey Corbin ,good luck with the Dealer shop - just wanted to say STRETCH the HELL out of that loaner Turbo - snap that rubber band, just don't break it -and tell us how much of a beast that was to drive?? :lolling:

mazz
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macgiver wrote:
Fri May 25, 2018 3:36 pm
mac, hey Corbin ,good luck with the Dealer shop - just wanted to say STRETCH the HELL out of that loaner Turbo...
hopefully a dear friend will buy that car after it gets off loaner service

Malbec 56 Beast
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Hey Corbin

Any luck on your hesitation issue?

I didn't want it to be my trans but was grateful that if worked food as new after the fluid change.

Best of luck
Andy

CorbinM56x
Posts: 27
Joined: Fri Sep 01, 2017 7:30 am
Car: 2011 Infiniti M56x
2005 Toyota 4Runner sport
2001 Toyota Camry
1994 Lexus Sc400
1989 Supra targa 1jz 60-1 turbo/ sold 2012 :(
Location: Sparta, MI

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Sorry for not getting back sooner!! Building a garage at the moment and been super busy at work!! It ended up being a broken right side exhaust variable valve timing solenoid! It broke in half, Infiniti had to remote control the car from japan in order to figure it out!! It took 3 weeks and 1200 dollars to fix the problem! I didn’t want to spend that much but happy that I’ve got my baby back!! Thank you all for the help!! Now we all will know what happens when you can’t rev past 3500!! Also found out my rack is leaking on the drivers side! That should cost me another arm and leg!!

CorbinM56x
Posts: 27
Joined: Fri Sep 01, 2017 7:30 am
Car: 2011 Infiniti M56x
2005 Toyota 4Runner sport
2001 Toyota Camry
1994 Lexus Sc400
1989 Supra targa 1jz 60-1 turbo/ sold 2012 :(
Location: Sparta, MI

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Also it was a 2019 q50 I had the pleasure of driving! I’m going to miss it! Awesome car with paddle shifters and a 8 speed trans! Very peppy with I believe to close to 300hp! The coolest thing is the MOD back up camera, it gives you a 360 degree view overhead of your car as you back up!! Very useful!!

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Pimperish1
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CorbinM56x wrote:
Fri Jun 08, 2018 11:17 pm
Sorry for not getting back sooner!! Building a garage at the moment and been super busy at work!! It ended up being a broken right side exhaust variable valve timing solenoid! It broke in half, Infiniti had to remote control the car from japan in order to figure it out!! It took 3 weeks and 1200 dollars to fix the problem! I didn’t want to spend that much but happy that I’ve got my baby back!! Thank you all for the help!! Now we all will know what happens when you can’t rev past 3500!! Also found out my rack is leaking on the drivers side! That should cost me another arm and leg!!
I question the validity of them charging you so much to fix this. I'll explain...
I had a similar issue years back where one of my exhaust cam solenoids went bad. SES light flashing, car went into limp mode and restricted me to around 2000 RPMs. I scanned the code then cleared it. Car drove fine for a few then the code came back and we were limping again. Long story short $800 fix at the dealer. Then about a month later code came back, similar presentation but this time on the other bank. I was pretty annoyed and vocal about the coincidental circumstance and asked that the code be cleared and I be brought my keys (don't get me started on my opinions of this dealership). It never came back....

Fast forward to last weekend and I thought wise to add "Restore" oil additive to my crank case. Mind you I had done so in my '07 Pathfinder a few days before and despite a rough idle with misfire codes and plain s*** engine response, the Pathy eventually settled back into a smooth idle and has no issues anymore. I figured if I ran into issues with the M, they too would self resolve. Beat me now, I'll take it like a man cause I deserve it. She did not take lightly to it. Initial idle right after oil change was rough, misfires included, and that did smooth out, but I was now limited to 3500 RPMs and no more. I cleared the initial misfire and timing codes and they never returned. But it felt like I was fuel governed. And if I tried to push through it, I was put on a minute time penalty before I could get any power again. Idle was baby smooth but it's like when she says everything is OK, but you try to make a move and it's clearly not..... No codes though. An identical situation to what you described here. I did notice though that if I started the car and revved it before the RPMs settled to baseline it would rev past 3500 all the way to red line. I could sit there and seemingly do that all day. The minute I allowed it to settle though, it would not rev past 3500. Shut down, and repeat. So the solenoid was operational at startup, whatever the issue, had to do with after the car settled into a baseline idle.

I speculated that the Restore was clogging the oil channels of the cam shaft actuator and preventing the shift needed to facilitate revving past 3500. What else could it be right? So I pulled out the oil from the crankcase (left the filter) and refilled to try and thin the Restore mixture. Took a tad longer after I allowed the revs to "settle" before I was hitting that wall again. So next step was to add about 4oz of Seafoam to the crank case.

I'm happy to report that after about 10-15 miles with the seafoam that 3500 RPM limit is no more. Tip in and she revs like the banshee she is while I grin from ear to ear....again. Before I drive her next I'm going to do an oil and filter change (with some cheap synthetic and filter) to get the seafoam out, drive for about 200 miles and then do another change with my regular oil and filter combo.

My point? I think your actuator was just dirty or clogged, not actually broken. The manual does say that dirty oil can cause a malfunction with those. Who knows if they actually changed it and didn't just fleece you cause they could.

EdBwoy
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Pimperish1 wrote:
Wed Aug 12, 2020 8:21 pm
CorbinM56x wrote:
Fri Jun 08, 2018 11:17 pm
...It ended up being a broken right side exhaust variable valve timing solenoid! It broke in half, Infiniti had to remote control the car from japan in order to figure it out!!...
I question the validity of them charging you so much to fix this. I'll explain...
..
My point? I think your actuator was just dirty or clogged, not actually broken. The manual does say that dirty oil can cause a malfunction with those. Who knows if they actually changed it and didn't just fleece you cause they could.
Mr. Pimp Sir, I ended up buying Corbin's car and sure as heck it came with a broken solenoid...in a box.
I'm bound to believe that the dealership really did replace it. I enjoy a little bit of skepticism myself but unlike the old shop tricks of holding a random filthy air filter, brake pad to scare you into agreeing to their dubious charges, I couldn't picture anyone keeping a spare cracked solenoid for show.
In fact the failure of such a part was so fascinating to me that I held onto it for a long time. I doubt I threw it out, but I couldn't immediately locate it to take pictures for this post. It probably got misplaced amongst my other belongings when I moved to my new place.

Oh, I also took a peek in there and sure enough, there was a newer housing among all the Michigan rusted components in the front of the engine bay.

***

Still, I say thank you for sharing your experience with the oil restore though. It seems consistent as an oil flow issue in the cam adjustment mechanisms causing the 3500 rpm limit.
Such products have their place in some engines, but as you noted, their metal-filler properties might not play nice with our smaller oil passageways and screens.

Why do you use the oil restore btw? What main issues are you trying to address in your cars?

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Pimperish1
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Well I'm glad he wasn't taken for a ride. It's good to know that there's still honest shops out there. I wish I had one of those closer to me....

I haven't been having any issues per say. I've used Restore in the past in my Galant which was up there in miles with good results in terms of increased compression and response, and figured I'd give it a go given the miles on both cars. The Pathy did show a tad more power and response as well. The M to my observation still has about as much power as the day it first drove off the lot. Apart from the one oil change done at the dealer after the timing belt recall it's always been serviced with a K&N oil filter and mobil 1 then more recently Penzoil synthetic.

I'm kind of OK if the Pathy blows up....God help me I won't be experimenting with the M again though. (It was the first time that motor has had anything but oil and seafoam in it.)


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