Nissan-TechNews-Spring-2009_MarchStarTuned2005 6/30/15 3:31 PM Page 1 May 2009 | Volume 2 | Issue 2 | Code MAF Diagnosis | Battery Testing | EVAP Codes | Parts Department | Dealer Listing Brought to you by Nissan’s Wholesale Mechanical Program Nissan-TechNews-Spring-2009_MarchStarTuned2005 6/30/15 3:31 PM Page 2 Nissan-TechNews-Spring-2009_MarchStarTuned2005 6/30/15 3:31 PM Page 3 Nissan & Infiniti Tech News | May 2009 | Volume 2 Issue 2 ® Nissan & Infiniti Tech News is a publication of Nissan North America. No part of this newslet- ter may be reproduced without the express writ- ten permission of Nissan North America. |Contents Group Publisher Christopher M. Ayers Jr. Features [email protected] Senior Project Director Tamra Ayers 06 | No Codes? [email protected] No Problem! Editorial Director Bob Freudenberger We've all gotten used to starting a [email protected] driveability diagnosis with the help of Managing Editor a DTC or two. Don't panic when no Chip Keen codes are present. Instead, apply [email protected] a logical procedure. Contributing Editors Phil Fournier [email protected] 12 | Testing the Battery, Paul Cortes [email protected] Starting and Charging Art Director Systemsis Not Just for Jef Sturm No-Starts Anymore [email protected] Why test? Because you'll not only Nissan North America Project Manager head off electrical breakdowns, you'll Steve Wagner also prevent subtle electronic glitches [email protected] that can defy normal troubleshooting. Nissan North America Technical Content Advisor Edwin J. Hibma 18 | EVAP Codes are [email protected] Nothing to Fear Part I Editorial and After reading this series, you’ll be on Circulation Offices: 598 Pine Point Drive your way to becoming a fearless con- Akron, Ohio 44333 queror of EVAP maladies, not a finger- Phone: 330.666.9886 crossing gas cap tightener who hopes Caution: Veh icle servicing performed by untrained per- sons could result in serious injury to those persons or oth- that the car will be assigned to some- ers. Information contained in this publication is intended for one else when it comes back. use by trained, professional auto repair technicians ONLY. This information is provided to inform these technicians of conditions which may occur in some vehicles or to provide Departments information which could assist them in proper servicing of these vehicles. | 18 Nissan & Infiniti Parts Department Properly trained technicians have the equipment, tools, safe- ty instructions, and know-how to perform repairs correctly | 26 Nissan & Infiniti Performance and safely. If a condition is described, DO NOT assume that a topic covered in these pages automatically applies to your | 27 Nissan & Infiniti Dealer Listings vehicle or that your vehicle has that condition. Nissan & Infiniti Tech News | 3 Nissan-TechNews-Spring-2009_MarchStarTuned2005 6/30/15 3:31 PM Page 4 Nissan & Infiniti Tech News ® | “We use Genuine Nissan/Infiniti Parts” Do you use that statement to build value in your marketing? Do you say it to your customers? If you do, you know its value: one short sentence that gives your customers absolute confidence. For the fact is, the original factory part is the standard by which all others are judged. When you’ve used a Genuine Nissan/Infiniti part, you know the repairs you’ve performed have been done to the best standard available. The parts will fit right the first time, helping you save time and money. When you hand the keys to your customer, you’ll know that the job’s been done with the right parts at the right time – done right the first time. Nissan/Infiniti Tech News is brought to you compliments of your local Nissan/Infiniti Wholesale Mechanical Program Dealer, whose commitments to you include: • Stocking an extensive inventory of Genuine Nissan Parts • Giving personalized service from a dedicated wholesale parts department • Delivering the right part the first time • Providing dependable express delivery • Sharing expert technical advice Your local Nissan/Infiniti Wholesale Mechanical Program Dealer is dedicated to helping you meet the needs of your Nissan and Infiniti customers. Please consult the listing of Nissan and Infiniti dealers at the back of this issue, then place your next order for express delivery of Genuine Nissan and Infiniti parts. | 4 | Nissan & Infiniti Tech News Nissan-TechNews-Spring-2009_MarchStarTuned2005 6/30/15 3:31 PM Page 5 Nissan-TechNews-Spring-2009_MarchStarTuned2005 6/30/15 3:32 PM Page 6 Nissan & Infiniti Tech News Feature | NoCodes? NoProblem! We've all gotten used to starting a driveability diagnosis with the help of a DTC or two. Don't panic when no codes are present. Instead, apply a logical procedure. | Customer concern: “Sometimes it sounds like marbles." 6 | Nissan & Infiniti Tech News Nissan-TechNews-Spring-2009_MarchStarTuned2005 6/30/15 3:32 PM Page 7 ® Getting your direction without a trouble code to kick off diagnostics SELF-DIAG RESULTS DATA MONITOR can be intimidating. Modern 131’’ -- 196’’3 DTC RESULTS TIME vehicles have the ability to detect ENG SPEED most faults that would cause a 6400 customer concern. In some ways, NO DTC IS DETECTED FURTHER TESTING 4800 3200 this can spoil us; we become reliant MAY BE REQUIRED 1600 on the stored codes to give us that 0 much-needed nudge. In most A/F ALPHA-B1 cases, however, sticking to a sound 150 diagnostic strategy and logical 125 problem-solving path will lead to 100 success in short order. Having the 75 50 proper tools, information, and train- ing are keys to pinning down all F.F. DATA << < > >> root causes of a customer's ERASE PRINT Scroll SFT concerns, especially when we don't Down RANGE have trouble codes to start with. Recently, our shop had a good MODE BACK LIGHT COPY BACK LIGHT COPY customer bring in her 2004 Nissan Maxima Her complaint was, | Figure 2: No codes means “Two days ago the throttle had DATA MONITOR we need a different starting no response when taking off 131’’ -- 196’’3 point. from a stop. It’s since become A/F ALPHA B2 better, but now I hear abnormal 150 noises when I accelerate.” 12 DATE MONITOR 100 When pressed for more informa- 75 tion, it was determined that the MONITOR NO DTC 0 noise sounded like “marbles.” VHCL SPEED SE Armed with this information, ENG SPEED 713 rpm 160 we plugged in the Consult 2, and A/F ALPHA-B1 114% 120 80 performed a self-diagnosis, which A/F ALPHA-B2 119% 40 showed there were no DTCs stored VHCL SPEED SE 0 mph 0 (Figure 2). We then went into Data INT/A TEMP SE 145° F << < > >> Monitor mode, left it on Auto IGN TIMING 13 BTDC Trigger to allow Real Time Scroll SFT CAL/LD VALUE 18% Scroll Up Diagnostics, then selected the MASS AIRFLOW 2.55 gm/s Down RANGE data items that we wanted to view. BACK LIGHT COPY With this type of complaint, we like to look at A/F Alpha, Calculated Load, and various other items, as RECORD | Figure 4: A/F Alpha rises shown in Figure 3. rapidly with increased air flow. We then took the vehicle for a MODE BACK LIGHT COPY drive to duplicate the customer's In the course of the drive, the concern. We didn’t feel any issues Consult 2 never displayed a DTC, | with throttle response, and the Figure 3: Real Time but we did note some issues with noise from the engine compart- Diagnostics settings. the A/F Alpha that gave us a hint ment was fairly minor – even barely of what the problem could be noticeable – but it was abnormal. (Figure 4). Nissan & Infiniti Tech News | 7 Nissan-TechNews-Spring-2009_MarchStarTuned2005 6/30/15 3:32 PM Page 8 No Codes? No Problem! DATA MONITOR DATA MONITOR DATA MONITOR DATA MONITOR 00’’00 – 65’’55 00’’00 – 65’’55 00’’00 – 65’’55 00’’00 – 65’’55 ENG SPEED A/F ALPHA B2 IN T/A TEMP SE IGN TIMING 6400 150 234 64 4800 125 176 48 3200 100 110 32 1600 75 61 16 0 0 3 0 A/F ALPHA-B1 VHCL SPEED SE IGN TIMING CAL/LD VALUE 150 160 64 100 125 120 48 75 100 80 32 50 75 40 16 25 50 0 0 0 << < > >> << < > >>>> << < > >> << < > >> Scroll SFT Scroll SFT Scroll SFT Scroll SFT Scroll Up Scroll Up Scroll Up Down RANGE Down RANGE Down RANGE Down RANGE BACK LIGHT COPY BACK LIGHT COPY BACK LIGHT COPY BACK LIGHT COPY | Figure 5: Reviewing the data after a test drive. As can be seen from the data, we expected this vehicle to be able | How about in Figure 4, the A/F Alpha was to achieve at least 90% Calculated calculated load? showing somewhat lower fuel Load. Clearly, was not occurring. corrections at idle, but rose rapidly Nissan service information says it in concert with increased airflow. | What exactly is “indicates the value of the current With that data, we suspected there A/F Alpha? air flow divided by peak air flow,” could be an issue with the MAF which means that Calculated Load sensor reading incorrectly. So we for this vehicle is the currently- did snapshots of a couple of wide- Nissan service information measured airflow (via the MAF open throttle accelerations to see (http://www.nissan-techinfo.com ) sensor), divided by the theoretical what the MAF is capable of read- describes it as “the mean value maximum airflow at unrestricted ing, and how close to reality it is. of the air-fuel ratio feedback throttle, under the current ambient Back in the shop, we took a correction factor per cycle.” conditions.