Hey all,
I've got a 2007 2nd generation Xterra. I've been having problems getting her started in cold weather. It seems like about 20 fahrenheit is the magic number. When it's below that, it will crank for an excessive amount of time and sometimes fire. When it's well below 20 degrees, it will crank and crank but never fire.
I've had the battery replaced with an 800 CCA battery last year. I also had new spark plugs put in and some other tune up work. That work was done at the end of last winter.
The weather got warm again, and I had no problems.
This winter the problems are back with a vengeance (Northeastern USA has been cold).
I had some problems off and on, but after a few attempts I was able to get it started. One particularly cold morning, I cranked on it without remorse and couldn't get it started. I was frustrated and was probably pretty abusive to be honest. I tried to jump it but couldn't get it running. It was towed to the dealer, and once it warmed up, they got it started. Suggested new plugs and other work that I had done the year before. Once I told them that work was done 9 months prior, the plugs looked fine. No work was done and no money changed hands. They said they couldn't diagnose it with the current battery, which was in rough shape. It tested out at 300 amps.
Got the battery warrantied free of charge, but the problems continued.
I read somewhere that the ECM on some of these trucks goes bad. If i put a blow dryer on the ECM, I can typically get it stared. Sometimes jumping it will also do the trick. I was rolling with this "solution" for a few weeks since I'm broke. One day I jumped it without the blow dryer and let it idle for 30 mins. When I came back, there was a SES light.
The codes were:
P2119 - Throttle actuator control body range/performance throttle
C1131 - Engine signal 2
I reset the codes, and have tried to avoid driving it. I need emissions inspection soon, so I have put about 150 miles on it. The light has stayed off. I've avoided starting it when the weather has been cold.
This seems to me to point to the ECM. I really, really don't want that to be the case given the cost of the repair. I thought I'd stop in here and see if anyone had simpler suggestions to try.
My theory on the SES light is that there is some kind of issue with an electrical contact in the ECM. Since it started while it was still cold, the truck was able to detect communication errors as the ECM warmed up. When I blow dry it first, the ECM is presumably warm enough to function well.
One other notable symptom is in extreme cold weather, there has been some "lurching" when the truck is in gear. It was on a snowy day where the traction control system was probably detecting slippage, and it was after work so there was no "blow dry start".
Thanks if you've made it this far.
I've got a 2007 2nd generation Xterra. I've been having problems getting her started in cold weather. It seems like about 20 fahrenheit is the magic number. When it's below that, it will crank for an excessive amount of time and sometimes fire. When it's well below 20 degrees, it will crank and crank but never fire.
I've had the battery replaced with an 800 CCA battery last year. I also had new spark plugs put in and some other tune up work. That work was done at the end of last winter.
The weather got warm again, and I had no problems.
This winter the problems are back with a vengeance (Northeastern USA has been cold).
I had some problems off and on, but after a few attempts I was able to get it started. One particularly cold morning, I cranked on it without remorse and couldn't get it started. I was frustrated and was probably pretty abusive to be honest. I tried to jump it but couldn't get it running. It was towed to the dealer, and once it warmed up, they got it started. Suggested new plugs and other work that I had done the year before. Once I told them that work was done 9 months prior, the plugs looked fine. No work was done and no money changed hands. They said they couldn't diagnose it with the current battery, which was in rough shape. It tested out at 300 amps.
Got the battery warrantied free of charge, but the problems continued.
I read somewhere that the ECM on some of these trucks goes bad. If i put a blow dryer on the ECM, I can typically get it stared. Sometimes jumping it will also do the trick. I was rolling with this "solution" for a few weeks since I'm broke. One day I jumped it without the blow dryer and let it idle for 30 mins. When I came back, there was a SES light.
The codes were:
P2119 - Throttle actuator control body range/performance throttle
C1131 - Engine signal 2
I reset the codes, and have tried to avoid driving it. I need emissions inspection soon, so I have put about 150 miles on it. The light has stayed off. I've avoided starting it when the weather has been cold.
This seems to me to point to the ECM. I really, really don't want that to be the case given the cost of the repair. I thought I'd stop in here and see if anyone had simpler suggestions to try.
My theory on the SES light is that there is some kind of issue with an electrical contact in the ECM. Since it started while it was still cold, the truck was able to detect communication errors as the ECM warmed up. When I blow dry it first, the ECM is presumably warm enough to function well.
One other notable symptom is in extreme cold weather, there has been some "lurching" when the truck is in gear. It was on a snowy day where the traction control system was probably detecting slippage, and it was after work so there was no "blow dry start".
Thanks if you've made it this far.
