stevie_350z Posted August 31, 2007 Share Posted August 31, 2007 Dropping from 3rd to 2nd and felt a slight "pause" and the engine light + ESP came on... pulled over... then returned home (just 10mins away!), and on way back could here a constant tick tick tick coming from near the front! I opened the bonnet when I got back... turned the engine off and heard a death rattle (or was it my imagination!). Could start again, still got the engine light... waiting for car to cool before I check oil... am low on gas but got 30+ miles left... can't be that... RAC call or take to garage... don't want to drive it really... Advice? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sinbad Posted August 31, 2007 Share Posted August 31, 2007 I don't think the RAC can do much with a engine light on. He'll probably just tell you to take it to get diagnosed... but it can't do no harm and it aint going to cost you anything to get them out and give it a quick check over. I'd ring them and have them look at it before you drive it anywhere. depending on your level of cover, he could possibly tow you to the garage.. Good luck. i hope everything works out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Digsy Posted August 31, 2007 Share Posted August 31, 2007 I don't think the RAC can do much with a engine light on. He'll probably just tell you to take it to get diagnosed... but it can't do no harm and it aint going to cost you anything to get them out and give it a quick check over. I'd ring them and have them look at it before you drive it anywhere. depending on your level of cover, he could possibly tow you to the garage.. Good luck. i hope everything works out. Wouldn't disagree. Engine light + funny noises = bad news. Err on the side of caution. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest prescience Posted August 31, 2007 Share Posted August 31, 2007 Did the ticking change with RPM ie quicker at higher RPM. This could be lifter trouble and you should certainly be cautious. As you say, check the oil The only other thing I can think of is some kind of electrical arcing - again a sign that caution should be the watchword ps just re-read your first post, since the ticking started after you had stopped and on restart, that could just be exhaust ticking due to expansion/contraction or perhaps not the right area for it to be that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lomoto Posted August 31, 2007 Share Posted August 31, 2007 oil...when did you last check it ?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M13KYF Posted September 1, 2007 Share Posted September 1, 2007 ticking could be coming from the fuse and relay box in the passenger footwell perhaps which may point it to being a electrical problem or one of the engine censores being faulty and telling the ecu. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevie_350z Posted September 1, 2007 Author Share Posted September 1, 2007 oil is fine... about 3/4 when cold. the ticking only happens when I'm moving, not on idle. I will call the garage on Monday and see what they can do. Wish I could read the error code... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevie_350z Posted September 3, 2007 Author Share Posted September 3, 2007 Took it to garage... check light was something to do with Throttle Position Indicator? It cleared, anyhoo. That would make sense after the slight "lurch" I had. And the tick-tick-tick noise... probably a bloody stone in the tyre! Funny how you never notice those noises until something goes wrong Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sinbad Posted September 3, 2007 Share Posted September 3, 2007 pheww.!! Glad everything worked out ok for you mate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Digsy Posted September 3, 2007 Share Posted September 3, 2007 Mystery solved. Glad it was nothing serious. Locked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Digsy Posted September 9, 2007 Share Posted September 9, 2007 Unlocked at the request of Tere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tere Posted September 13, 2007 Share Posted September 13, 2007 There may be a little more to this than first meets the eye. While it is true that this may be a totally random hiccup that is never seen again, this situation does have the possibility of going from bad to worse. The Throttle Position Sensor (TPS) is an integral part of the Electronic Throttle Control Actuator (ETC). If you look on the firewall side of the throttle body, you'll see a small black box with cooling fins riveted to the throttle body. This is the little critter we're talking about. There are several potentials for failure here. 1) Are electronic components subject to heat stress issues? You bettcha! 2) Are electronic components that operate at the thousandths of a volt level subject to small electrical gremlins? You bettcha! 3) Are delicate electronic components subject to mechanical stress issues? Again, you bettcha! Failure (even momentary) will limit the opening of the throttle valve and the engine is placed in fail-safe mode. Fail-safe mode is typically indicated by simultaneous, continual illumination of CEL (MIL), VDC (if equipped) and SLIP lights. In fail-safe 2000-2500 is the maximum rpm you can get. For a momentary case such as in this situation the limited throttle valve opening explains the "lurch" (and if you happen to notice, brief illumination of the lights). If it's sufficient, the MIL will remain illuminated and have a 2135 code. Simply clearing the code does not correct any underlying problem. The TPS/ETC is subject to two known issues. Heat stress will cause premature failure of the unit. This becomes much more common with the higher intake temperatures associated with FI. High rpm downshifting without good throttle matching can cause sufficient stress on the ETC to lead to premature failure (sound like a possibility in the case described?). Over time, continued stress can go from momentary, brief failures to total failure. Another mechanical stress on the throttle valve and ETC is FI applications. In total failure cases, the engine will quit running entirely. Failure is common enough that Nissan began to offer factory rebuilt throttle bodies at a fraction of the cost of new throttle bodies almost two years ago. Yes, if the TPS/ETC fails completely, you have to replace the whole throttle body. This is an issue that Nissan knows about but has not publicly admitted -- the arrangement is engineering pooh-pooh. One thing to check first if you run into this problem is the security of the electrical connector at the throttle body. At the low operational voltages even a slightly loose connector can have significant effects. How do I know all this you ask? It's a fact of my Z life that I kill a TPS/ETC about every four to six months. I always keep a spare throttle body on hand. I can tell you everything about the progression from partial to total failure. I'm currently on throttle body #7 -- two years worth of dead throttle bodies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevie_350z Posted September 13, 2007 Author Share Posted September 13, 2007 Holy crapola! Great write up, Tere, now I'm cacking it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tere Posted September 16, 2007 Share Posted September 16, 2007 Just something to keep an eye on, and if it happens again at shorter intervals, then a new throttle body is probably going to be in your future. The more "spirited" the driver, the more probable that this can be an issue. "Drive-by-wire" is interesting... In the old days a broken throttle cable was much more straight-forward a problem to resolve (and cheaper). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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