Need some help please guys....

[Rob350]

Long story short I think my alternator took a dump on my tonight but would like to confirm it and see if anyone has any good ones for sale...

 

Basically I stopped at mcds on my way home after an hour drive, as I went to leave the drive through my car wouldn't rev past 1k when in gear but out of gear it would rev fine.

 

So I rode the clutch and pulled up, turn the beast off and had a quick Google.. people said fauly throttle body or tps maybe. I started it up again after enjoying my big tasty and hoping it would get me home 5mins away. It struggled starting abit but worked, so i set off down the road then about 30 seconds later same thing happened, wouldn't go past 1k revs even with foot to the floor.

 

So I pulled into a side street and sat there with the engine running for about a minute, again revving fine out of gear but only 1k in gear, then my my dashboard lit up (abs, slip, and tcs, but no engine light). I left it idling and the lights went out after 30 seconds, then my CD player turned off and the 3 gauges and dashboard background lights started flickering, I looked at the voltmeter and it was down at 10v ish. So I turned it off and tried starting again but but would only turn over once then nothing.

 

So I initially thought throttle body was on its way, but then the lights started flickering and the voltmeter was low I now think its the alternator.... but when I put the ignition on the voltmeter reads just below 12v so i thought it should at least start ok???

 

What do y'all think??? Any experiences you've had would be grateful or any advice please.

 

I'm going to take a spare battery I have tomorrow and change it over and see what happens.

 

Sorry to bore you all with the long message but really need some help..

 

Cheers Rob 

 

 

[ZMANALEX]

Rob,

I would certainly start with the battery and get a meter on it, then I would check the charging rate from the alternator, again with a meter.

A would also check all earthing points.

I would also check what fault codes are stored,

Alternators and most other parts are in stock and good to go same/next day.

What year and model is your car ?

Alex.

[Rob350]

Thanks for the early reply alex,

im gunna go soon with another battery and hopefully it starts so i can get a meter reading when its running and do abit of diagnosing.. my main aim is to at least get it to my house, at the min its outside someone's house making it awkward for them to get off their drive lol.

 

It's a 2004 DE

[modo]

As above the terminals are a bit flimsy. 

[Rob350]

So I went to the car this morning with a spare battery and multimeter.. 1st thing I did was check the volts of the battery in the car and it was 11.99 so i went to start it and it started no problem but spluttered a little bit, I think because I tried starting it 3 times last night with no success so maybe flooded it a little bit.

 

It was running fine within 10 secs. I checked the voltage again to make sure alternator was charging, and it was 14. 4. So the alternator is working.. drove it back home and no problem at all its like nothing had ever happend... now I'm confused.

 

So now I'm thinking it could possible be the voltage regulator because they can be abit intermittent sometimes I think???

Or maybe my throttle body is on its way out??? I read they can be intermittent and won't let you go over 1k revs.

 

But last night after turning my car off and on a few times, the starting of the car was getting weaker and weaker untill it wouldn't start as if there was no battery power. Also the last time it was started i was idling and the background dash lights were dimming and flickering and CD player went off as if the alternator wasnt working but this morning it was. 

 

What are your thoughts??? All connections seem good also  

[Zeezeebaba]

I had a similar issue earlier this year but I doubt it's related to yours. 

I had an HKS air filter fitted and whilst restoring the headlights accidentally sprayed sealant into the air intake box. Now the car wasn't switched on at the time but when I went to drive the car the next day it started fine and then went into limp mode. 

I had a code that related to the throttle body actuator,  I think it was 1122 or similar. 

The HKS filter had drawn in the sealant covered the maf and intake tube. I called the AA and after three hours they turned up.

By the time they arrived and we started the car it ran perfectly fine and has done for 5 months since. I've also had it checked out at Horsham and all is fine. 

I have since dumped the HKS in favour of a JW filter.

So in my case it was contamination passing the air filter. I was prepared for the worst and getting a new TB but luckily it was OK. 

Your issue sounds different regarding the flickering dash lights etc, that one has stumped me as that's an electrical power interuption and if that happened to me I would also be checking related components. 

The only time I've had that sort of issue was when the battery terminals became loose as the previous owner hadn't clamped the battery in the tray correctly and it was moving about.

 

Edited August 26, 2017 by Zeezeebaba

[Rob350]

I think on the electrical side of things I'm going to just carry on driving it and see if or when it happens again and then probably change the alternator and voltage regulator.

 

Iv Just been out for abit of a drive today though to see how things are, and on the way I got an eml light.. this is probably the 1st time iv been glad to get an EML light because I thought it would tell me what's broken lol but the code said... P1167 manufacturer control.. what does that mean???

 

I googled it and people say its the oxygen sensor.. but which one??

 

A few months ago I was getting cat bank 2 below efficiency so i changed The rear 02 sensor but the below efficiency code came back so i used spacers and The code never came back now I'm getting this.

 

The code scanner just says "manufacturer contol"... could this be related to my limp mode shenanigans maybe??

 

Thanks for the input guys, I appreciate it, I'd rarther speak to you 350 wizards than a general garage.  

Edited August 26, 2017 by Rob350

[bytespc]

https://www.autocodes.com/p1167_nissan.html

 

from google

[Rob350]

So my car has been working fine over the weekend, untill this morning.. I started it and the voltmeter was only reading about 11 volts, I put an proper voltmeter on and it was 11.2 instead of 14. 

 

Alternator???

 

I went to turn it off and on again the battery showed 11.9 as I turned the key it only turned over once and then nothing, pulled the key out and tried again but it turned over once and then nothing again..

 

Starter motor???

 

If left it for a few hours tried again and the voltage should start it but it just turns once.

 

What would you put your money on it being??? Alternator.. starter... or volt regulator ??

 

I want to order the suspected parts tomorrow off zman and try to get it working by the end of the week

 

Cheers guys

[Rob350]

Anyone know where the voltage regulator for the alternator is on the 350???? Can't find anything 

 

Battery is not charging at all now, I was intermitant over the weekend but now has completely stopped.

 

Just want to know weather I need to replace the alternator or the regulator (the thing that tells the alternator to start and stop charging when the car is started)

 

Hopefully one of you guys know?? 

Cheers