V35 Is Dead, No Lights, Locks, Alarm, No Anything...

[Dreadnought]

Hey SAU,

Any help appreciated... I'm not sure what the problem is, nor how best to solve it.

I'm just back from a few weeks of leave, left the car in the garage for 20 days. Got my folks to start it once, with detailed instructions, and was all ok from their feedback.

Yesterday and, as usual, tried to unlock using the viper alarm fob and got nothing. Unlocked the door manually and tried to start it, still nothing.

- no response from the transponder on the alarm fob

- no lights on the dash or on the alarm LED

- drivers window is slightly down as per normal opening, and mirrors are still tucked in

I quickly checked the forum and have replaced both the Nissan key battery and alarm battery, then checked the car battery as well, all seem fine.

Does anyone know what this issue is, or recommend someone who does house calls in Melbourne?

Cheers - Andrew

(2003 V35 coupe manual nismo/anniversary edition)

[Vimana]

How did you check your car battery??? Try jump starting it because if you dont have a battery load tester or a hydrometer, you have not tested the car battery.

[Vimana]

also, why is the drivers window down at all? This would mean that the door was left open until battery drained, then the door was closed after that. Otherwise the windows would be closed as per normal.

[Dreadnought]

How did you check your car battery??? Try jump starting it because if you dont have a battery load tester or a hydrometer, you have not tested the car battery.

Hey Vi, thanks for the swift response, I tried both jump starting and disconnected the battery and checked it with a multi meter.

also, why is the drivers window down at all? This would mean that the door was left open until battery drained, then the door was closed after that. Otherwise the windows would be closed as per normal.

Its is only down as far as is needed to break the seal to open the door. I dont think that indicates the door was open until the battery drained, and the window motor was replaced in May

[The Max]

If your battery is measuring in OK (no less than 12V without load and no less than 10V when attempting to crank the vehicle), that still doesn't explain why you don't have any dash lights. Have you checked all relevant fuses? If they're all ok, my next suggestion would be to check the Viper alarm itself. Are you using an Xpresskit DBALL? If so, try disconnecting it, if it's easily accessible in case it's upsetting something on the CAN bus.

[Deep Dish V35]

i'd be checking for a fuseable link on the main + cable near the battery. on other cars they are contained within a black plastic shielded part on the main power cable directly after the battery clamp.

not sure about the v35 tho. it is either within the red battery clamp shield.... or i think it is within the fuse box behind the battery. it'll possibly be a big fuse, square, maybe pink or white with clear top. may even be bolted in.

you can check all this if you have the right tools (which im guessing you wont) or just do a visual inspection of all big fuses (which is not easy in that location)

Edited August 5, 2012 by Deep Dish V35

[Deep Dish V35]

from what i can tell, there are 5 main fuseable links before any power gets to anything else. 1@10amp, 2@40amp, 2@80amp. the 80 amp ones are the ones id be looking for first.

oh and also, wire brush or file the contact surfaces of the battery clamps and posts

Edited August 5, 2012 by Deep Dish V35

[Deep Dish V35]

oh and theres also a 120amp fuse within the red battery clamp shield. that one will kill everything if blown

[Deep Dish V35]

^^make sure the nuts that hold everything together inside that shield are tight too. theyre live. you can test if the 120amp fuse is blown by checking both nuts with a multimeter for 12v+

[Vimana]

Now that you have admitted to jump starting i would agree with deep dish..... Sounds to me like you perhaps connected the jumpstarter backwards briefly which would blow the main fuseable link. This is one of the most common mistakes i see when called out to a car yard or dealer... eventually i get the mechanic or car sales person to admit that they tried jump starting and they remember doing it wrong or a large spark when connecting it.

I still think you got a flat battery and tried to jump start it which has blown a link and that i why the window is down and you have no lights.

20 days is a long time for a modern car to be left without a decent run or a trickle charger, and you have a viper alarm which cause more current draw than most alarms. Also starting a vehicle and letting it run for 5-10 minutes will actually drain the battery more than just letting it stand, because the cranking of the engine drains the battery far more than the alternator can charge it within a short period.

[Dreadnought]

If your battery is measuring in OK (no less than 12V without load and no less than 10V when attempting to crank the vehicle), that still doesn't explain why you don't have any dash lights. Have you checked all relevant fuses? If they're all ok, my next suggestion would be to check the Viper alarm itself. Are you using an Xpresskit DBALL? If so, try disconnecting it, if it's easily accessible in case it's upsetting something on the CAN bus.

Thanks Max, battery is within the ranges you've noted (except the starter wont turn over at all), and I agree the fuses and alarm are the next suspects. I did have a good look in the fuse box, couldn't see anything out of the ordinary, but will look again. I'll look to add information on the viper alarm too, in case that assists with diagnosis.

i'd be checking for a fuseable link on the main + cable near the battery. on other cars they are contained within a black plastic shielded part on the main power cable directly after the battery clamp.

not sure about the v35 tho. it is either within the red battery clamp shield.... or i think it is within the fuse box behind the battery. it'll possibly be a big fuse, square, maybe pink or white with clear top. may even be bolted in.

you can check all this if you have the right tools (which I'm guessing you wont) or just do a visual inspection of all big fuses (which is not easy in that location)

+1 mate, really useful info in all your responses and appreciate the time you took to detail the systems and loads. I will look at each section of your suggestions closely tonight and report back. I have some tools/access to others, but almost no expertise with the V35 and its electrical systems in general unfortunately, beyond the basics and common sense, as I'm sure you can tell If you're talking motorbikes though, that's another story!

Now that you have admitted to jump starting i would agree with deep dish..... Sounds to me like you perhaps connected the jumpstarter backwards briefly which would blow the main fuseable link. This is one of the most common mistakes i see when called out to a car yard or dealer... eventually i get the mechanic or car sales person to admit that they tried jump starting and they remember doing it wrong or a large spark when connecting it.

I still think you got a flat battery and tried to jump start it which has blown a link and that i why the window is down and you have no lights.

20 days is a long time for a modern car to be left without a decent run or a trickle charger, and you have a viper alarm which cause more current draw than most alarms. Also starting a vehicle and letting it run for 5-10 minutes will actually drain the battery more than just letting it stand, because the cranking of the engine drains the battery far more than the alternator can charge it within a short period.

Vi, appreciate the response. You did suggest jump starting it in your initial post, and I never claimed I didn't, so I'm sure you meant to say something like "informed" rather than "admitted". Unfortunately, I definitely didn't screw up negative / positive on the jump either, which would have made for easier, if somewhat more embarrassing trouble shooting. It was started mid-way through the 20 days and driven, not just idle'd to warm. I have queried the test pilot (my father) extensively and cant seem to fault him on this either.

The battery still seems to show charge even now too, albeit unable to be tested under starter motor load. Am I right in assuming the car should have turned over while jump starting, unless fuses had blown or fused a link or something? I didn't even tick over once... and I still had no dash, interior or alarm lights, and was still receiving no response from the alarm transponder...

I think the general consensus is right though, fuses, fused links and alarm/transponder are the next things I'll look at.

Thanks all for the help so far, hope to solve this shortly and report back. If not I'll have to call out a professional with I guess. Welcome any additional ideas/suggestions too

[Dreadnought]

Ok, some progress, with many thanks to Deep, Max and Vi! A fuseable link was blown, and a dead alarm transponder, all of which I am replacing now. Loose cabling and degraded casing looks to have shorted or arced, fusing the link (could this have fried the transponder too or was that just bad timing?)

Hopefully that should get it back up and running... I did reconnect the battery and get dash lights, window etc working, but the engine is still immobilized currently.

Again, thanks for the assistance all, really appreciate it.

[Deep Dish V35]

its a serious thing when a main fuseable link blows. do lots of checking for melted parts before driving any further. this is a good reason to remember to use adequate insulation or conduit when doing any aftermarket electricals...

i can remember way back in 1991 we were driving to the gold coast and while passing a Jaguar at about 125kmh the main fuseable link at the battery popped for no reason. left us travelling at 125 with no lights, ignition, power steering. the jag continued driving back past us while we were in the wrong lane facing oncoming traffic. luckily just 1km out of a town where we could call the NRMA (this was before mobile phones). the guy just bypassed it with heavy gauge wire and we went on our way with no other problems - which was stupid because it couldve been a serious electrical fault that wouldve set the car on fire...