Help!! SES light and Can't Read the ECU
 

I have a 2000 GXE - all stock - 51000 miles.

Here's my story and problem

The SES light came on

A few days later the car wouldn't start.

Dealer replaced the battery; SES light still on.

Dealer couldn't get their diagnostic computers to talk with my car's computer.

Somehow the SES light turned off, but after 2-3 days, it came back on.

The dealer tells me he's never seen this before and doesn't know what to tell me (this was after he called the Nissan tech line twice to no avail) except that maybe I should sell the car.

I've called Nissan consumer affairs, but they seem to be avoiding me.

Anyway, does anyone have a suggestion? I'm not the least bit mechanical, so do it yourself solutions should be kept to only really simple ideas.

Many thanks.

If they can't hook up with your ECU maybe its fried or part of it. The ECU should be covered under the emissions warranty.

i agree. i would call NNA until they can provide me with an answer or at at least working on a solution. if there is another dealer in the area or even an autozone, try going there to see if their diagnostic tester will communicate. besides it not starting, do you have any driveability issues?

The car idles a little rough when I first start it, but after it warms up, it's fine.

Not to read too much in, but does this sound like it could be the start of the ignition coil problem others have talked about?

that is one of the symptons of a failing coil(s). with it being a 2k, it is high likely but there are still other parts that could cause rough idling such as the maf. i would wait to be able to pull the codes because you do not want to throw money at it and hope that you picked the right one.

Ok, I have a slight update.

The dealer replaced my ECU with a different ECU and still get their diagnostic computer to talk with my car's computer.

Also, Nissan consumer affairs has said they won't help me at all with expenses - only assurance that their techs can and will solve my problem.

Any more thoughts?

did you mean to say they swapped the ecu and they still CANNOT communicate? perhaps the plug has either been damaged or is corrodded. perhaps some contact cleaner if the plug looks dirty or has corrosion on it.

Yes, that's right - they could not get their computers talking with my car after swapping out the ECU. They claim to have spent a lot of time on the phone with Nissan technicians, but they still couldn't solve it.

My problem is that I don't want to take it back in only to have them charge me for several more hours and still not solve the problem.

At this point, I'd go ahead and trade it in on a new car, but I'm afraid any dealer would see the SES light on and drastically reduce the trade in price.

Ugh!

bump xxxxxx

the dealership you refferd to must be pretty stupid... if the replaced the ecu (assuming the engine works with it) and still could't get any connection, the should've realized that there is not much more to fix - there is one connector for the ecu (big one) -> a fiew wires coming out of it -> plug for the scanner ( nissan consult ) and that it it!
It would be different if the ecu did not work and the engine wolud not start and so on...