Nissan = &^^%#@$@$!@
Posted: Sat Sep 02, 2017 6:00 pm
/rant
I'm in the middle of trying to correct some severe corrosion around the battery and the positive battery terminal on Kay's car. Here's one of the problems (guess which is the new one :GR:: ):
It wouldn't be so bad if the car was 10 or 12 years old. It's Kay's 2015 xTerra. That's right, Nissans can eat their electrical systems in two years. Kinda makes you think they may have used one of Takata's airbag designers for this connection.
Now I find out they don't have a replacement battery holddown clamp any more - discontinued - so tomorrow it's off to find a generic which can't be any worse. Probably.
I'm also replacing the fusible link holder "just because", plus I really don't want to buy a new computer. Interestingly the ground cable had a little corrosion but cleaned up OK for reuse.
Baking soda did a good job - found places over, under, around and through the battery holder that had some corrosion. Derusto spray can got a workout after i dried it off.
I think the lead-acid battery leaked around the little vent caps and caused the problem; I found it by looking at the battery area while I was filling up the windshield washer fluid. The car is supposedly still under warranty but not going to add insult to injury by taking it to the dealer.
The internet abounds with examples of the same corrosion on Nissans of all models, going back in some cases over ten years. Nissan chooses to ignore this problem, although it got bad enough at one point they did actually recall a few cars. They still haven't changed their setup so others will continue to experience the severe battery terminal corrosion.
In a few cases, the rot progressed far enough to destroy the car's computer. What a bunch of tooth fairies (insert your own epithet here).
I'm going back with an Optima battery so no leakage will occur, NoCo pads under each terminal and much grease to protect the other parts. I did this with Kay's prior xTerra several years ago and as of yesterday it is still fine.
/rant off
Tom
I'm in the middle of trying to correct some severe corrosion around the battery and the positive battery terminal on Kay's car. Here's one of the problems (guess which is the new one :GR:: ):
It wouldn't be so bad if the car was 10 or 12 years old. It's Kay's 2015 xTerra. That's right, Nissans can eat their electrical systems in two years. Kinda makes you think they may have used one of Takata's airbag designers for this connection.
Now I find out they don't have a replacement battery holddown clamp any more - discontinued - so tomorrow it's off to find a generic which can't be any worse. Probably.
I'm also replacing the fusible link holder "just because", plus I really don't want to buy a new computer. Interestingly the ground cable had a little corrosion but cleaned up OK for reuse.
Baking soda did a good job - found places over, under, around and through the battery holder that had some corrosion. Derusto spray can got a workout after i dried it off.
I think the lead-acid battery leaked around the little vent caps and caused the problem; I found it by looking at the battery area while I was filling up the windshield washer fluid. The car is supposedly still under warranty but not going to add insult to injury by taking it to the dealer.
The internet abounds with examples of the same corrosion on Nissans of all models, going back in some cases over ten years. Nissan chooses to ignore this problem, although it got bad enough at one point they did actually recall a few cars. They still haven't changed their setup so others will continue to experience the severe battery terminal corrosion.
In a few cases, the rot progressed far enough to destroy the car's computer. What a bunch of tooth fairies (insert your own epithet here).
I'm going back with an Optima battery so no leakage will occur, NoCo pads under each terminal and much grease to protect the other parts. I did this with Kay's prior xTerra several years ago and as of yesterday it is still fine.
/rant off
Tom