So, car kept throwing a SES light. I reset battery, same thing

Went to a few shops, they all charge 95 dollars to just give me the code. [pretty ridiculous considering it takes just a minute or two]

So I went to autozone (~20 min drive) and got it checked for free. It was a P0420 [something exhaust related]. Just one code.. the guy erased it.. and it came back unfortunately after another 100 miles or so.

So the time comes to get my inspection, but the freaking light is on. I searched the forum and found a thread with a lot of helpful information.

Apparently nissan has a TSB out for this. http://maxima.theowensfamily.com/tsb/NTB00-070a.pdf

Also there is a federal emissions law which sasys that this is covered for 8years/80,000 miles. http://www.epa.gov/otaq/consumer/warr95fs.txt
my car is a 2000 and has ~68k


I bring it in to my local Nissan service center with a 10am appointment (as not to waste the whole day on this)...

They tell me it will be $95.00 to check the code, and if it is covered under warranty, it will be free.

I print out the above TSB and give it to the guy (my car is cali spec)

They tell me it will be a few hours before they get to it, so they tell me to go home and they will call me. (once again this is at 10am)

It is now 1pm.. 3 hours later.. and no one has called me.
I call them to check up on it.. conversation:
Nissan Guy: Your car seems to have a lot of aftermarket stuff on it
Me: yeah...?
Nissan Guy: You didn't tell me this when you brought it in
Me: I thought it would be fairly obvious
Nissan Guy: It is when I look at it.. but I didn't know that in the office
Nissan Guy: We have to update the ecm, but we do not want to be liable if your aftermarket parts cause the ecm upgrade to fail
Me: Which of my aftermarket parts could cause it to fail?
Nissan Guy: Your ground wire is as thick as my arm!
Me: haha, how would that affect it?
Nissan Guy: The extra electricity going around in the car could affect it
*Note he is talking about a 2 guage power wire going from alternator to batt and to trunk
Me: The wire goes to the audio system in the back and has nothing to do with the ecm
Nissan Guy: Well the whole car is wired into that, so the extra electricity can get in the way
Me: Having larger wires has nothing to do with the amount of electricity, it just makes for less resistance and a better connection
Nissan Guy: (getting angry now) well the point is, I want your permission to do the upgrade and I need you to know that if you agree, we will not be liable if the upgrade fails
Me: yes thats fine, it's covered under warranty right?
Nissan Guy: Yeah, I just need last four of your social to confirm that we are not liable
Me: ****
Nissan Guy: ok..
Me: So how long until it's ready?
Nissan Guy: About an hour, I'll call you

-----

Obviously I do not get a call back.
When I call them at 2:30 [hour and half later]
The guy is busy..and will call me back...

He calls finally at like 3 oclock

Says that the mechanic has run a "bunch of tests" to be absolutely sure that the upgrade will work and not be affected by my aftermarket parts. He says they are 99% sure that it will work.

I tell him, great so when will it be done?

He tells me that he called Nissan HQ and it is not covered under the warranty.

I print out the EPA law above.. and drive back to the place.
He says that the law covers the replacement of the ECU, but not the reprogramming (update)

I tell him (jokingly) if you want to replace the ecu thats fine... you want to do that or update it?

He says: The ecu does not need to be replaced, it needs to be updated.

So I ask him about his conversation with Nissan HQ..
Me: So you guys called nissan and they said it's not covered?
Nissan Guy: Yup.. we sure did
Me: Can I Talk to them?
Nissan Guy: call them up.. 1800-nissan1
I call... guess what I get..
Our business hours are 8am - 5pm.. monday to friday
hmm.. today is saturday no?

Me: Umm... how did you guys call them if their business hours are from monday to friday?
Nissan Guy's supervisor: look, are you questioning us?
Me: How did you speak to them?
Nissan Guy: through the computer
Me: can I see a copy of this conversation? or can you ask them again through the computer?
Nissan Guy: look.. you have two choices right now..
pay 95.00 diagnostic fee.. or pay 95.00 for an ecm upgrade.

So basically.. same price either way.. I told him to do the upgrade.

He tells me to come back in an hour.
I come back at 4:30 PM, and it is in their garage.. with the hood open..

Just wondering.. but why the hell is the hood open to do the ecm upgrade?? He didn't reset the battery because my radio presets stayed and my trip stayed.. kind of fishy?

So at 5:00 PM I finally get my car back.

Paid about 102 bucks after taxes.

Now I know for a fact that this is covered by the 8yr/80k mi warranty, so how do I get them back? (and my $)

I am going to scan the papers they gave me so you guys can take a look.

Thanks, Ilya

Oh, and how freaking ridiculous is it that it took 7 hours for them to do something that takes less than 10 minutes????

 

Here are the papers:
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b1...led-1_edit.jpg
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b1...led-2_edit.jpg
And the tests they ran:
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b1...Untitled-4.jpg
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b1...Untitled-3.jpg

 

Call the owner of the dealership... It will take a few days of trying and annoying him, but you can get ahold of them. Tell him what happened, how angry you are and that it is illegal... They don't care about $100 and they will give you a refund...

 

you have to be stern...but dont get pissed. throwing a fit will get you nothing

 

Nissan doesn't cover much. I just had inside-out corrosion on one of my wheelwells, and after a MONTH of my car sitting at Nissan, I finally had to pay half of something that should have been covered fully under warranty.

In my case, the service manager went to bat for me, but you don't think this will affect a future purchasing decision? Absolutely it will.

 

I am probably going to call Nissan HQ on monday and explain the whole situation to them...

 

The terms are written very loosely. I'm sure they where written this way with special interest groups in mind. Anyways read this website. It depends on who is interperating the information but it states the following.

What Are Specified Major Emission Control Components?

There are three specified major emission control components,
covered for the first 8 years or 80,000 miles of vehicle use on 1995
and newer vehicles:

* Catalytic converters.

* The electronic emissions control unit or computer (ECU).

* The onboard emissions diagnostic device or computer (OBD).

http://www.epa.gov/otaq/consumer/warr95fs.txt

It says specifically the ecu is covered. No where on the epa's website does it specify that only communicating or failure of the unit is covered. No where does it say that the incorrect programming is not covered. The ecu PER NISSAN is the problem. Per the EPA it is covered. (My interpertation of the law)
bulletin #NTB00-070b step 2 states (assuming step one took you to this step)
"2. Compare the current ECM part number to Chart A.

^ If your ECM part number is listed in Chart A, reprogram the ECM to the latest ECM data. See ECM REPROGRAMMING for details. Do NOT replace any parts in this case. "


Technically it is a ECM (ECU) problem. NO PARTS ARE NEEDED FOR REPLACEMENT. It's written in black and white that the ECM (ECU) needs to be reprogrammed (recalibrated to read correctly). That there is a failure of the ecm's programming thus covering it.

 

we all know nissan service is pretty much a freakin scam...
i think this is nationwide!
i know my local dealer's service department is pretty crooked cuz i work at my local honda and one of my co-workers said his friend works there and tells me its true..
someone should tell NBC or something to do some undercover sh*t like on jiffylube

 

no it isnt...you just have to find the right one and act the right way when dealing with them.
you have to prove you arent stupid but dont act like you know more than they do.
be stern but dont get upset.

its all about having personal skills and dealing with people the right way.

95% of the time, people get taken by a dealership because
a. they threw a fit and acted like a *****
b. they let themselves get taken

 

Absooo....lutely.and just to add to whole conversation: 2 led bulbs burned out behind a/c controls in my 02SE. Car has extended warr. until feb. 2008.
Dealer(NY Queens- Koeppel): because of aftermarket radio, you have to pay $119.00 as to get to controls, radio had to be taken out(!!!???)
Nissan HQ:... well... thats how dealers work... nothing we can do...
and I am minus 119 in my pocket

 

the stock stereo is part of the same unit as the climate control (they come out together). with aftermarket stereo, they have to remove the stereo (and figure out how since they arent best buy and arent trained to deal with aftermarket stereos) then remove the climate control. then they have to reinstall the stereo.
you paid for an hour of labour for then to do extra work because of something that isnt stock. warranty doesnt cover having to deal with aftermarket products.
sounds like Nissan NA was right

 

That's sounds like page 37 of the 2003 Warranty Information Booklet. I have an 03 like yourself and I have read the infomation on that page about the corrosion warranty since I have seen signs of rusting around my right wheel well. I believe you have a case for Nissan to repair that corrosion problem free of charge. But somehow they seemed to have found a way to get out of fixing it.

 

That's one thing the dealership told me when I went to get an upgrade on the PCM- that an upgrade isn't covered under the powertrain warranty, but replacing the PCM is. So I told him sternly that the PCM no matter what goes wrong with it should be fixed by you and I'm not paying for it, and the guy resisted, so i said was going to leave and he decided to do it for free.

 

well now i know what to do in the event that my climate control module goes up, Ill just take out MY AM Headunit and wire tie my signal cables and connectors together

 

well now i know what to do in the event that my climate control module goes up, Ill just take out MY AM Headunit and wire tie my signal cables and connectors together

 

well.. A call to Nissan HQ later and well.. my reimbursement is in the mail haha!

Should I go wave at the dealers?

Hey guys.. I thought this wasnt covered under warranty.. bahahaha!