Hello All -

I've had my '12 SV Premium/Tech for exactly a year now with no issues other than exactly twice when it's misbehaved on me when getting in and trying to start it up.

Here's what happens: unlock driver's door using button on exterior door handle. Get in and try and start the car (with foot on the brake) - lights come on in the dash, but starter doesn't crank. Repeatedly pressing the "START" button results in the car just sitting there, lights on in dash, but no starter cranking. Open the door, close the door again and lights remain on in dash. No way to turn the car off at this point. Also some additional weirdness - the power door locks stop working, as well as the outside trunk release button. Yes, the car is in park at this point (hasn't been removed from park) and cannot be shifted to anything else.

Open the hood, disconnect negative battery cable and re-connect, and all is fine again. Car starts right up and behaves normally (other than the trip odometer and a few things being reset).

It's as if one of the computers in the car gets into a bad state on occasion during the starting sequence. The last time it happened, it was snowing and I was going to start the car while I scraped the windows, so I started the car with the driver's door open (because I was getting right back out to scrape). The previous time it did this, I'm not entirely sure whether I had the door open or not when I started it (I don't believe I did), but the same thing happened. These are about 8 months apart in time. Not sure if having the door open while starting had anything to do with it; it seems random. I've started the car up other times with the door open and everything worked as expected.

Anyone else experience any electrical weirdness like this? I've been keeping a 10mm wrench in my center console just in case this happens again (so I can disconnect / reconnect the battery).

Only other anomaly I've had besides this one was one time when the 7" display didn't come on after starting when it was 100 + degrees out (turning car off and on again "fixed" that).

Random note - anyone else find it annoying how, if you turn the car off with the driver's door open, the car will beep at you as if something's wrong?

-Tim

 

Just stumbled across this on the web, appears it's a known issue for Nissan and there's a fix at the dealer (reprogram "BCM", presumably a computer of some sort).

IGNITION SWITCH (PUSH BUTTON) WILL NOT RESPOND
APPLIED
VEHICLES:
2011 – 2012 Altima Sedan, Coupe & Hybrid (L32, CL32, & L32HV)
2011 – 2012 Maxima (A35)
2011 – 2012 370Z Coupe (Z34) – Roadster not included
2011 – 2012 Murano (Z51) - Cross cabriolet not included
2012 GT-R (R35)
APPLIED VINs: Refer to the table on page 2.
IF YOU CONFIRM:
1. The vehicle you are working on falls within the Applied Range of this bulletin (see
Applied Dates and VINs table on page 2),
and
2. The following conditions exist or the customer reports the following condition(s)
occurred:
When trying to start the engine,
• The instrument panel lights up, and
• The engine does not crank, (no crank, no start), (hybrid “ready” will not light), and
• The ignition push button is not responsive (no action occurs when the button is
pressed additional times).
or
When trying to turn the engine OFF,
• The instrument panel stays lit, and
• The engine does not turn OFF (hybrid “ready” will not turn OFF), and
• The ignition push button is not responsive (no action occurs when the button is
pressed additional times).
ACTIONS
1. Check the 12V battery State of Charge (SOC) and recharge if necessary.
2. Reprogram the BCM per the Service Procedure in this bulletin.