zinger11

Hello everyone...

I recently acquired a 2010 G37x sedan in August 2011. It was hit light in the front left. Immediately, the car was sent to the body shop. When we took delivery at the body shop, the car ran and drove just fine (though it was rough because one of the intakes was broken and left off).

Four months later, when I got the car back to my house, all of the mechanical and electrical repairs were made and now the car will not start any more. The guys at the body shop said they were able to start, run, and move the car for about a month (from August to September), but then the car sat for about 2 1/2 months and when they went to start it again (early December), it would not fire up (even after a fully charged battery was tried). It turns over just fine like it is ready to start, but it never does.

The battery is working great (and holding a charge just fine). Sitting voltage is about 13.5V and cranking voltage is about 10.5V. After looking through the FSM (thanks, Fezzik, for that!), I checked all fuses and relays. They all looked good. One thing I noticed (or didn't notice) was the fuel pump coming on at startup like it should. I can never hear the "buzz" from underneath the right rear passenger side. I also "pinched" the fuel line in the engine bay when the car is turned on, and I never could feel the pulsation of fuel in the line.

Does anyone have any ideas? I'd be glad to offer more information if needed. Does the theft immobilizer system cut fuel or anything like that if it senses a problem (or maybe even if the car battery has remained dead for almost 3 months)? The Intelligent Key, I believe, is doing its thing correctly. I can't imagine it would need to be "rekeyed," since the car recognizes it when it's either in my pocket or in the ignition.

Thanks for any suggestions!!!
zinger11

eksigned

iTrader: (1)

Oh? Hm...that's a tough one. If all the fuses are fine, and the battery's holding charging, I can't image it'd be the starter, could it? Even if you're not hearing the small buzz (initial on position) from the fuel, the car should still crank should it not? Crank + continue to crank but not ignite (no fuel).

Have you tried resetting the ECU? I wouldn't be surprised if it was a program issue - car not cranking because ie theft mode, etc.. I'm really at a loss on this one Sorry I wasn't much use! Try the reset though (not from inside the car - but actually take the negative terminal off and let it sit).

zinger11

eksigned -

Thanks so much for the reply!

That's exactly what I was thinking - it's not getting fuel. The car will crank and crank, but never ignite/start. The fuel line feels hard, like it's pressurized. I followed what the FSM said to do and I pulled the fuel pump fuse, put the battery back in, and cranked the engine (several times). This was supposed to relieve the pressure in the fuel line. To me, it didn't feel like it made a difference. I then put the fuse back in/connected the battery and tried cranking again. It didn't start (as I suspected), and the fuel line seemed to remain hard and pressurized.

Regarding the ECU - to fully reset it, do you know what needs to be done? Should I keep the positive side of the battery connected and just disconnect the negative? How long should I keep the negative side disconnected?

I really appreciate the thoughts! Any input is GREATLY appreciated at this point! This forum has been great so far!

movinon

That seems like an awful long time for a body shop to have your car.

Since you state that the shop didn't have any problem starting and moving the car, the first month or so, my guess is that the last person that had their hands on the car, at the shop while it would still start, inadvertently did something that is causing the problem.
Find out who that person was and have them show you what they did. This should let you know the area you should be looking for an unhooked connection,etc.
Good luck,
Tom

zinger11

movinon -

Exactly! Four months is way too long for a body shop to be "working" on a car. I did call the shop back to find out what they could have done to put the car in that condition. They said, "We didn't do anything to the car that would have made it stop working. We didn't disconnect anything or touch anything." Well, I know that's not true because the hood latches were removed, the anti-theft horn relay was removed, and several other wire harnesses up front were disconnected. I'm still thinking they somehow tripped the theft immobilizer system, and now the system cut fuel to the engine.

Thanks much!
zinger11

Racer_X

Was it even a reputable shop? As in, one that your Infiniti dealer would recommend or did you go cheap? That sounds awfully suspicious...4 months...

zinger11

Racer_X -

It is a reputable (local) shop, but probably not one Infiniti would send their customers to. In fact, my family has used them for years. My dad and I have repaired wrecked cars for awhile now, and this body shop has always done frame work for us when we needed it. I think they just got so overloaded with insurance claims that they put my car on the backburner. That being said, I am still pretty ticked off about the whole situation.

Another piece of information to share -
I think the anti-theft system of the car may currently be active. The relays for the horn and anti-theft horn are always hot. When I hook up the horns, they constantly blare. Is there any way to make the relays/horns stop (without either disconnecting the horns themselves or the battery)?

Finally, does anyone know if you can manually reset the theft immobilizer system without taking it to the dealer or using the Consult-III diagnostic tools? You think there would be a way...

Thank you all!
zinger11