Intermittent starting and weird electrical issues - 2008 Rogue

[y_p_w]

Gave it a few tries and it was consistently starting, so I thought I would take it around to build some confidence. Was able to start multiple times, but now it’s completely out again and I’m stuck in parking lot. Probably not the greatest idea. Should have taken it while it was working to a mechanic. Might have been a good idea to have brought tools along since disconnecting the battery seems to reset it to some degree.

But it’s complately out now. I was able to open the door with the remote and then it just died again when I tried to start it. No noises or anything. Previously I was seeing weak lights and some oddball activity like clicking.

 

[y_p_w]

So my dad picked me up and sent me in his car to his place where I’d left my tools. But then he apparently wiped down the battery terminals and was able to drive home and told me not to go back. Only once it got home it won’t start again.

He’s asking me to take a toothbrush to the terminals in the morning to scrub off any gunk. I’m thinking it might need sandpaper.

 

[supton]

Ya need a voltmeter here, or several. Battery voltage and voltage anyplace else in the system.

Just doesn't feel like a bad battery connection, but really, just shooting in the dark here. If disconnecting the battery does the trick, then start there. Clean, lube, try again.

Sandpaper will do the work, or the edge of a knife to shave it. A toothbrush... only if you brush your teeth with a wire brush. Which 5 out of 4 dentists disapprove of.

 

[SC Maintenance]

If you have a OBD scanner, check to see if all the readiness monitors are reset. Something major is loosing power. If the ECU looses power I would think all the emission readiness codes would be not ready. You would then know that much.

I agree with @supton that you need to be poking around with a meter.

I am leaning towards corrosion on the main cables, where the hot cable meets that fusible link box, or that fusible link itself. Could also be the IPDM - however like I said, even if you loose that usually something works - lights, locks, something.

 

[PontiacHO]

Volt meter across the battery when it won’t start and see what the voltage is then. Shorted battery (loose plate) can cause this. Also dirty/loose cable connections. Also jump from negative battery to the engine with a jumper cable. That will isolate the possibility of a bad negative cable if it begins to start normally with the jumper installed.

 

[bullwinkle]

Watch out for that absolute junk acid leaking Johnson Controls battery-it is likely leaking acid & gas from the terminals & corroding EVERYTHING nearby! Anything within a foot of it could be damaged by it…

 

[y_p_w]

It seems to be working now after a bit of work.

I came over and tried starting. Everything worked fine (lights, power locks, radio), until I tried to start and then everything goes dead. So I got to work sanding down the posts and the insides of the clamps, although the positive clamp is made of thin bands and would seem to provide less contact area. The posts had some gunk, but were otherwise OK. The clamps had a lot of what looked like black junk/oxidation. I am a bit concerned that the sanding scraped off whatever silvery plating on the clamps and I could see the copper. I’m thinking it might be a good idea to replace the clamps and ground wire. Maybe also the fusible link box.

For good measure I also removed the ground strap connecting the alternator body to the chassis so that I could sand down the rings a little and so that the screw threads and hole and might get scraped a little. I also taped up the exposed wire since a previous broken serpentine belt slapped around and broke through the insulator.

I did have one tricky thing, which was that the default position of the positive terminal clamp bolt was towards the front, and the battery had protruding caps. I guess flush caps might not have presented the same issue. I was having some problems getting it tight with a socket and didn’t have a box wrench of that size. But I had the (maybe too obvious) idea of just reversing the bolt’s direction. Seems to work, and I can tighten it with a socket pretty easily now from the rear.

I figure the problem with using a voltmeter is that I’m only testing open circuit voltage, and any corrosion/oxidation (that might reduce available current) iisn’t the same under load. Just basic voltage divider stuff.

 

[The Critic]

Watch out for that absolute junk acid leaking Johnson Controls battery-it is likely leaking acid & gas from the terminals & corroding EVERYTHING nearby! Anything within a foot of it could be damaged by it…

Might have been true a decade ago, but this issue is not common with the recent JCI/Clarios batteries IME.

 

[y_p_w]

I’m thinking it was likely a bunch of cumulative things, but handling just the easiest was enough to get it to start. They’re obviously going to need a bit of proactive replacement of parts for longer term reliability.

 

[y_p_w]

Now that it seems to work, I need a car since my WRX bit the dust and my parents are OK with me taking the Rogue for the time being. They don’t go out much, and they have another car.

But I’m thinking that maybe I might need to have I a set of basic tools just in case. Just a 10mm socket and handle, and maybe some sandpaper. I’ve seen some recommendations to carry some Coke since it has phosphoric acid and might help eat through corrosion/oxidation, although I’m thinking diet might be better since all that sugar could be nasty. Also a used toothbrush, which might be useful with acidic beverage.

 

[SC Maintenance]

Might have been true a decade ago, but this issue is not common with the recent JCI/Clarios batteries IME.

All my JCI Walmart batteries leak / vent a little. I probably have had 10 of them in the last decade, I think they all leak a little. I had one that leaked a lot but I took the caps of then reseated then, and it seemed to help. because it slowed down a bunch at least. I use those little felt pads, they help a lot as well.

 

[SC Maintenance]

Now that it seems to work, I need a car since my WRX bit the dust and my parents are OK with me taking the Rogue for the time being. They don’t go out much, and they have another car.

But I’m thinking that maybe I might need to have I a set of basic tools just in case. Just a 10mm socket and handle, and maybe some sandpaper. I’ve seen some recommendations to carry some Coke since it has phosphoric acid and might help eat through corrosion/oxidation, although I’m thinking diet might be better since all that sugar could be nasty. Also a used toothbrush, which might be useful with acidic beverage.

I don't think sandpaper is the best thing to clean those crappy Nissan cables. A small wire brush and some baking soda mixed into a paste with water is what I use (wear safety goggles !! ). A lot of guys in the Nissan world simply replace them with brass boat terminals.

If the fusible link works, you can take it off and clean the contact points the same way.

If the negative cable isn't making connection the best bet is to remove it, clean it the same way, then tighten the end by squeezing it with a vice grip or something right at the place where the two pieces of wrapped metal meet each other. They seem to bend themselves out of shape over time. You can replace that cable end if you want, but its best to solder it, not just crimp.

I assume this is the positive end you have?

 

[y_p_w]

I don't think sandpaper is the best thing to clean those crappy Nissan cables. A small wire brush and some baking soda mixed into a paste with water is what I use (wear safety goggles !! ). A lot of guys in the Nissan world simply replace them with brass boat terminals.

If the fusible link works, you can take it off and clean the contact points the same way.

If the negative cable isn't making connection the best bet is to remove it, clean it the same way, then tighten the end by squeezing it with a vice grip or something right at the place where the two pieces of wrapped metal meet each other. They seem to bend themselves out of shape over time. You can replace that cable end if you want, but its best to solder it, not just crimp.

I assume this is the positive end you have?

View attachment 194729

Just kind of making do for the time being. The intent will be to replace the clamps.