I tried the OBD2 scanning interface on the Nissan Rogue. Overall for the cheap price, I had a pretty good first experience. Heres how it went:
-I hooked up the interface cable to the OBD2 interface port. This is located directly under the dash, by your shins, if you follow a straight line down from the steering wheel
-The interface then hooks via USB a laptop with ScanTool installed (this is the prepackaged free software that comes with the interface)
-Upon turning on the engine and ScanTool, the interface helps the computer read sensors in realtime. It also displays the error code that causes the "Service Engihttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifne Soon" light.
-In my case, it was a I suspected error code P0456. This translates to : "Evaporative Emission Control System Leak Detected (very small leak)"
Attached you will find the Nissan Technical Bulletin that goes out to Nissan Technicians and shows a flowchart of exactly how to trouble shoot the P0456 (and other related) error codes.
http://www.mediafire.com/?2rqh22c5p2ol09g
It even has a nice last-page diagram of the evap control system in the car. Generally its claimed that with this Nissan design, the canister or the vent control valve often gets dirty / does not seal properly, leading to this pressure differential (ie small leak detected) triggering the sensor error code P0456. Interestingly, part of the test a mechanic can do involves soapy water and watching for bubbling to detect leaks. :)
Let me just say i was impressed with how much diagnostic is available onboard the car's chip! To think all these years i thought itd be more or less mechanical. As an added bonus, you can also clear your Check Engine light through software, if youre confident the error code is a non issue.
I will be taking the car to be looked at one evening this week, with the Nissan NTB in hand. Should help quite a bit. I'll provide an update as to what was done to resolve this problem as well as any feedback for future 'gotcha's for the evap control system.
nissan rogue 2009 car newbie explorations and discoveries
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Service Engine Soon light
Nice one! I had parked on an incline, facing forward, put my parking break on, left for 2 hours, come back turn on the car, take off parking break, drive a couple of miles, boom the Service Engine Soon light comes on. Note: my phone charger was plugged in when I turned the car off, and then back on.
Tried turning car on , off, still came on. Hmmm. Ok lets review choices:
1) Worry that the car is asking me to service it at what Im guessing will be a dealership (I havent picked out a go-to mechanic yet). Meanwhile ... not knowing what can or cannot go wrong...drive it 50 miles home hoping engine doesn't seize.
2) Stay calm, realize that like the TPMS issue, theres probably a good logical explanation that I can research when Im home, or a workaround, or at least test out some possibilities before taking the car to a service mechanic.
So with my new-found optimism, I listened carefully to the CVT (continuously variable transmission, which is whats particular about the nissan rogue), try to keep an ear out for how its shifting and accelerating decelerating, meanwhile stay at a constant speed as much as possible with no sudden accelerations so i dont strain the engine too much. I pulled over, checked the engine oil level, coolant level, seemed OK, no caps inside the hood seemed loose. And I drove 50 miles home.
Research:
So seems like this light coming on is a common issue with some rogue owners. Usually its an indication that the fuel system is compromised, somehow. The most common concensus when the reason is that , is that the gas cap is not properly sealed. So thats something to check tomorrow. Secondly, the emissions valve is also a known issue often. I dont know where that is, but not to worry, i found and grabbed a copy of the Nissan Rogue Technicians Repair Manual. I might print and bind it into a book to keep in the car this week. Kind of excited.
So here's where i learn about ECU codes (error / diagnostic codes) that the car CPU provides. Anytime theres an indicator light, the car (any car produced after 1993 really) provides a series of codes on startup that tell you what it thinks is wrong with it. Now the ECU codes are available free of charge, all you hve to do is manipulate your ignition key in some weird way and listen to signals. ECU codes are 4 digits long. You might hear multiple ECU ccodes. That means theres multiple things wrong with the car. You can then look up what the ECU codes mean. From there you can continue your diagnosis.
The fun thing is that this is probably where any dealership technician will start. So , I looked up if theres any tool out there that has the code stored and you can just plug it into the car and start it up to get the reading. Turns out there is! Its called the OBD2 scanner. OBD2 refers to I guess a bus system or a connector interface available (but hidden) in every car. Its like a parallel port really. You just plug in your scanner into your car's OBD2 parallel port, let it do the reading, and you then look up the codes from your car's self-diagnostic test. Really that simple. Who knew!?
So i started shopping around on amazon for something cool to connect to the car and read the diagnostic codes. I found this sweet little thing here. I might order it tomorrow!
http://www.amazon.com/ElmScan-Compact-OBD-II-Diagnostic-Software/dp/B002PYBZJO/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1313734961&sr=8-3
So while thats in the mail, I am gonna take another look at the gas cap tomorrow and try to drive the car around a little bit after re-fixing it. I did fill up the car recently so hopefully thts the issue. If not, well let the adventures continue!
Tried turning car on , off, still came on. Hmmm. Ok lets review choices:
1) Worry that the car is asking me to service it at what Im guessing will be a dealership (I havent picked out a go-to mechanic yet). Meanwhile ... not knowing what can or cannot go wrong...drive it 50 miles home hoping engine doesn't seize.
2) Stay calm, realize that like the TPMS issue, theres probably a good logical explanation that I can research when Im home, or a workaround, or at least test out some possibilities before taking the car to a service mechanic.
So with my new-found optimism, I listened carefully to the CVT (continuously variable transmission, which is whats particular about the nissan rogue), try to keep an ear out for how its shifting and accelerating decelerating, meanwhile stay at a constant speed as much as possible with no sudden accelerations so i dont strain the engine too much. I pulled over, checked the engine oil level, coolant level, seemed OK, no caps inside the hood seemed loose. And I drove 50 miles home.
Research:
So seems like this light coming on is a common issue with some rogue owners. Usually its an indication that the fuel system is compromised, somehow. The most common concensus when the reason is that , is that the gas cap is not properly sealed. So thats something to check tomorrow. Secondly, the emissions valve is also a known issue often. I dont know where that is, but not to worry, i found and grabbed a copy of the Nissan Rogue Technicians Repair Manual. I might print and bind it into a book to keep in the car this week. Kind of excited.
So here's where i learn about ECU codes (error / diagnostic codes) that the car CPU provides. Anytime theres an indicator light, the car (any car produced after 1993 really) provides a series of codes on startup that tell you what it thinks is wrong with it. Now the ECU codes are available free of charge, all you hve to do is manipulate your ignition key in some weird way and listen to signals. ECU codes are 4 digits long. You might hear multiple ECU ccodes. That means theres multiple things wrong with the car. You can then look up what the ECU codes mean. From there you can continue your diagnosis.
The fun thing is that this is probably where any dealership technician will start. So , I looked up if theres any tool out there that has the code stored and you can just plug it into the car and start it up to get the reading. Turns out there is! Its called the OBD2 scanner. OBD2 refers to I guess a bus system or a connector interface available (but hidden) in every car. Its like a parallel port really. You just plug in your scanner into your car's OBD2 parallel port, let it do the reading, and you then look up the codes from your car's self-diagnostic test. Really that simple. Who knew!?
So i started shopping around on amazon for something cool to connect to the car and read the diagnostic codes. I found this sweet little thing here. I might order it tomorrow!
http://www.amazon.com/ElmScan-Compact-OBD-II-Diagnostic-Software/dp/B002PYBZJO/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1313734961&sr=8-3
So while thats in the mail, I am gonna take another look at the gas cap tomorrow and try to drive the car around a little bit after re-fixing it. I did fill up the car recently so hopefully thts the issue. If not, well let the adventures continue!
Low tire pressure indicator comes on and stays on
TPMS - Tire Pressure Monitoring System
I learnt a lot about the tire pressure monitoring system Nissan installs on their cars. Just so you know (like I found out), TPMSes are required by federal law. They engage when a car travels over either 16MPH or 25MPH, and measure against a factory-preset reference tire pressure at sea-level. If the system (which is embedded in the tires, and electronically sends a tire-pressure PSI reading back to the onboard chip) thinks your tire pressure is too low, it will indicate low pressure indicator on your dashboard.
The funny thing is that for the Nissan Rogue, the recommended PSI for all four tires is 33PSI. You can find your car's recommended tire PSI in a decal on the inside of the drivers car frame once you open the door. I have mine at 33 PSI, drove at 40MPH for 20 minutes, still nothing (indicator light doesnt switch off). Reading around the web, one problem people had was that the reference PSI (33PSI) is at sea-level and some folks were located at a place high above in the mountains. In such cases, you probably have to adjust your tire pressure to something different in order to offset the altitude. I am, sadly, at sea level.
Another possibility I read about was that Nissan dealers over-inflate the tire to about 38 PSI, and then you drive the car for a few miles over say 25MPH, the indicator goes off. At which point you deflate it back to factory-recommended 33PSI.
Finally, its always possible that my TPMS is messed up and isnt working right. This can often happen when non-factory aftermarket tires are installed. Getting those tires' TPMS hooked up to the computer is surprisingly expensive, apparently. So maybe thats the reason why I keep getting this indicator light.
So my choices are:
1) Take it to the dealer who might overinflate tires, run a few miles, and then deflate
2) Try 1) myself
3) Suspect that the TPMS is non-functional, have it changedhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
4) Do nothing
5) Do nothing, but get a pressure measuring device and make sure im usually around 33PSI, and ignore the indicator.
The cheapest and least riskiest option in my view is 5), so thats what i did. I bought a quick-tire puncture fixing rubber sealant spray (you can simply spray right into the tire, the sealant will block up any puncture holes and let you drive a few miles to safety).
Heres the thing I bought: It came with a tire pressure measuring device. I keep it in my glove compartment and check before any long drives. Seems like my front left tire deflates faster than the right. I should probably get the integrity checked out soon. Still, some peace of mind until I figure out a good dealership to go to for repairs who isnt going to rip me off every which way....
I learnt a lot about the tire pressure monitoring system Nissan installs on their cars. Just so you know (like I found out), TPMSes are required by federal law. They engage when a car travels over either 16MPH or 25MPH, and measure against a factory-preset reference tire pressure at sea-level. If the system (which is embedded in the tires, and electronically sends a tire-pressure PSI reading back to the onboard chip) thinks your tire pressure is too low, it will indicate low pressure indicator on your dashboard.
The funny thing is that for the Nissan Rogue, the recommended PSI for all four tires is 33PSI. You can find your car's recommended tire PSI in a decal on the inside of the drivers car frame once you open the door. I have mine at 33 PSI, drove at 40MPH for 20 minutes, still nothing (indicator light doesnt switch off). Reading around the web, one problem people had was that the reference PSI (33PSI) is at sea-level and some folks were located at a place high above in the mountains. In such cases, you probably have to adjust your tire pressure to something different in order to offset the altitude. I am, sadly, at sea level.
Another possibility I read about was that Nissan dealers over-inflate the tire to about 38 PSI, and then you drive the car for a few miles over say 25MPH, the indicator goes off. At which point you deflate it back to factory-recommended 33PSI.
Finally, its always possible that my TPMS is messed up and isnt working right. This can often happen when non-factory aftermarket tires are installed. Getting those tires' TPMS hooked up to the computer is surprisingly expensive, apparently. So maybe thats the reason why I keep getting this indicator light.
So my choices are:
1) Take it to the dealer who might overinflate tires, run a few miles, and then deflate
2) Try 1) myself
3) Suspect that the TPMS is non-functional, have it changedhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
4) Do nothing
5) Do nothing, but get a pressure measuring device and make sure im usually around 33PSI, and ignore the indicator.
The cheapest and least riskiest option in my view is 5), so thats what i did. I bought a quick-tire puncture fixing rubber sealant spray (you can simply spray right into the tire, the sealant will block up any puncture holes and let you drive a few miles to safety).
Heres the thing I bought: It came with a tire pressure measuring device. I keep it in my glove compartment and check before any long drives. Seems like my front left tire deflates faster than the right. I should probably get the integrity checked out soon. Still, some peace of mind until I figure out a good dealership to go to for repairs who isnt going to rip me off every which way....
First post
Hello y'all
So the title pretty much says it all, I am not much of a techie when it comes to cars, but i recently got a nissan rogue 2009, and I figure I could write about some of my thoughts and adventures about it. Maybe it'll help someone else if they go through the same things. But mostly to put it down so I dont get too lazy and stop exploring it.
So the car is used but decent condition. I have about 35k miles on it. Upgrades so far: bought a tomtom and its been working great. Thinking about installing a new voice (homer simpson). I had it on the female voice originally but she got really annoying, now i have the reassuring grounded male voice on it, feel like he wont lead me astray LOL!
So the title pretty much says it all, I am not much of a techie when it comes to cars, but i recently got a nissan rogue 2009, and I figure I could write about some of my thoughts and adventures about it. Maybe it'll help someone else if they go through the same things. But mostly to put it down so I dont get too lazy and stop exploring it.
So the car is used but decent condition. I have about 35k miles on it. Upgrades so far: bought a tomtom and its been working great. Thinking about installing a new voice (homer simpson). I had it on the female voice originally but she got really annoying, now i have the reassuring grounded male voice on it, feel like he wont lead me astray LOL!
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