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Battery replaced car computer needs to be replaced

Tiny
TEENAADKINS
  • MEMBER
  • 2010 NISSAN SENTRA
  • 4 CYL
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 59,000 MILES
I went to a Nissan dealer to get my oil changed. I left with 4 new tires and a new battery. They said my battery was not charging correctly and since it was the original battery it would need to be replaced. Thursday I drove it off the lot, went home, ran an errand about 7 miles away and returned home. Monday morning the car was dead.
They just called and said the computer must be changed ($1,010.00). It seems to me that there were no lights on my car warning me that something needed to be looked at and it was running fine until they worked on it.

He said, "well you drove it off the lot just fine, so it is nothing that we did". Good point, but really? Did they do something to my car to cause this? I just don't understand how my car could be running perfectly and now this. Please explain it to me. Thank you!
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Tuesday, July 7th, 2015 AT 3:40 PM

21 Replies

Tiny
JACOBANDNICKOLAS
  • MECHANIC
  • 108,179 POSTS
The battery had nothing to do with charging. So if it was working fine, then it was fine. Listen, if everything was dead the next day, something drained the battery, and it wasn't the PCM. I strongly recommend getting a second opinion. If all you wanted was an oil change, they had no reason to even touch the battery. Tires, yes, they could show you that they were bad and you made that decision. Electrical? You had to trust what they said.

Was there any issues with the electrical system prior to taking it there?
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Tuesday, July 7th, 2015 AT 8:05 PM
Tiny
TEENAADKINS
  • MEMBER
  • 11 POSTS
Thank you for your response. I did not experience any problems with my battery. No warning lights or anything. The tires were the original tires and he said they were dry rot and needed to be replaced. The car was running fine until they worked on it. There was only one thing that stopped working and it was when I clicked on my clicker to lock the doors the car did not beep. It would lock the car it just wouldn't beep while doing so. That's the only thing otherwise it was fine. Does that tell you anything?
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Tuesday, July 7th, 2015 AT 8:19 PM
Tiny
JACOBANDNICKOLAS
  • MECHANIC
  • 108,179 POSTS
Lets put it this way, not being there, it makes it hard for me to check the computer, but I feel strongly it should be checked by another shop. IF the computer is bad, I would contact NIssan's customer relations. The number is in the rear of your owner's manual. If the computer is bad, I would argue that it never should have gone bad at such a low mileage and only 5 years old.
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Thursday, July 9th, 2015 AT 7:55 PM
Tiny
TEENAADKINS
  • MEMBER
  • 11 POSTS
Hello again. Well we have a new development. They called and said the computer is covered under the warranty and I would need to pay $175 to reprogram the keys. I told him what you said and he told me you were wrong. He said lightening may have taken the computer out. Then he called me today and said my car would not be ready because they couldn't get it right. They will have to keep checking. I'm not sure what they are going to charge me for now. However, I certainly do appreciate you! I will fight this because my vehicle was fine until they worked on it. I will keep you posted. Once this ordeal is finished I will absolutely want to donate to your organization. You have provided information that has helped me speak intelligently. So thank you again.
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Thursday, July 9th, 2015 AT 8:11 PM
Tiny
JACOBANDNICKOLAS
  • MECHANIC
  • 108,179 POSTS
Lightening. Wow! Do you remember getting struck? LOL Let me know how thing work out for you.
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Thursday, July 9th, 2015 AT 8:41 PM
Tiny
TEENAADKINS
  • MEMBER
  • 11 POSTS
Good morning. Just received a call from Nissan. Now the transmission module needs to be replaced. They ate absolutely sure now that lightening hitmy car. I told him, "No I don't think so. None of my neighbors have had any problems with their vehicles. " He said they will keep looking. This is so unbelievable!
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Friday, July 10th, 2015 AT 7:43 AM
Tiny
TEENAADKINS
  • MEMBER
  • 11 POSTS
Question: is it possible that they installed a non compatible battery and when I drove it for an hour that day that it caused all of this damage to my car?
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Friday, July 10th, 2015 AT 8:02 AM
Tiny
JACOBANDNICKOLAS
  • MECHANIC
  • 108,179 POSTS
I would have to say no to the battery. Cars all use a 12 volt battery. They come in different sizes and amperage, but that wouldn't hurt anything. Have you contacted your local Nissan Zone Rep?
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Sunday, July 12th, 2015 AT 7:51 PM
Tiny
TEENAADKINS
  • MEMBER
  • 11 POSTS
No I have not contacted anyone. How would I contact the Nissan rep?
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Monday, July 13th, 2015 AT 4:41 AM
Tiny
JACOBANDNICKOLAS
  • MECHANIC
  • 108,179 POSTS
It should be in the rear of the owner's manual. If not, try this:

Nissan Consumer Affairs
P.O. Box 685003
Franklin, TN 37068-5003
Phone: (800) NISSAN-1 (or 800-647-7261)

Monday through Friday:
7:00 AM to 10:00 PM CST

Saturday:
7:00 AM to 5:00 PM CST
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Monday, July 13th, 2015 AT 6:51 PM
Tiny
TEENAADKINS
  • MEMBER
  • 11 POSTS
Ok. Thank you. I will contact them in the morning. I haven't heard from the local Nissan since Friday. Thank you! I will let you know what they say.
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Monday, July 13th, 2015 AT 6:56 PM
Tiny
JACOBANDNICKOLAS
  • MECHANIC
  • 108,179 POSTS
Keep in touch.
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Monday, July 13th, 2015 AT 7:14 PM
Tiny
TEENAADKINS
  • MEMBER
  • 11 POSTS
Hello again. Update: Nissan called yesterday and said that they installed the computer, they installed the transmission module but now the Unified Met or Assembly. He spoke to all 3 certified mechanics and they all agree that the only time they have seen this type of damage is when lightening has hit the car. They don't think the warranty or extended warranty will cover the damage. However there is no visible damage to the car to support that theory. What is your expertise telling you concerning this?
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Friday, July 17th, 2015 AT 5:49 AM
Tiny
JACOBANDNICKOLAS
  • MECHANIC
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I really feel you should contact Nissan Customer Assistance (not the dealer). Tell me, were you driving during a lightening storm after the oil and battery were replaced that this could have even happened?
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Friday, July 17th, 2015 AT 8:14 PM
Tiny
TEENAADKINS
  • MEMBER
  • 11 POSTS
Hello. Ok. I will contact them Monday. No I was nit driving the car through any type of storm. I drove it a few miles the day of the oil change and then it was parked in my driveway Friday, Saturday and Sunday. On Monday morning I got into it ti go to worj and it was dead.
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Friday, July 17th, 2015 AT 8:22 PM
Tiny
JACOBANDNICKOLAS
  • MECHANIC
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Contact them and ask for assistance. Let me know what they tell you.

Joe
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Friday, July 17th, 2015 AT 8:28 PM
Tiny
TEENAADKINS
  • MEMBER
  • 11 POSTS
Ok. I will. Thanks Joe!
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Friday, July 17th, 2015 AT 8:50 PM
Tiny
THIS IS MIKE
  • MECHANIC
  • 686 POSTS
Teenaadkins
Aug 18, 2015.

Hello. The following is the status. I hope you remember me. I called and filed a claim like you suggested. The service manager and the employee called me and began yelling at me. One would yell at me and then he would give the phone to the other guy and he yelled at me. They said how dare I call and file a complaint! And they are sticking to the lightening story. Then they said I owed them $109.89 for a diagnostic test. First time I heard this. Then they lied and said he heard his employee tell me I owed that. They had me in tears! A friend of mine took one of my checks to pay the $109.89 and then they began to question him on what relation he was to Ms. Adkins. They showed him the battery and said there is no way the battery was installed backwards. Maybe YOU can explain this to her. My friend told him the cables are long enough. That all they had to do was hit the negative to the positive. And he asked them to show him where the lightening hit the car. They couldn't. I spoke to the claims rep and she was shocked at their behavior. I called her last week and today but she has not returned my call. This is a horrible nightmare. However I believe I need to take my car to another Nissan place to get repaired. They have lost more than what they realize but apparently they don't need me. I was getting this car ready to give to my daughter and was planning to buy a new Nissan. That will not happen now. This is the status at this point.
Teena
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Tuesday, August 18th, 2015 AT 9:41 AM
Tiny
INVNTRR
  • MEMBER
  • 3 POSTS
If there is any way possible for you to get that car out of there do it. I have found that when service managers are rude that they are used to being confrontational (probably due to the quality of work that's done there).
A little background on computer controls. Every plane that Boeing has built for the last Decade has no linkage to the control surfaces. The pilot's hand controls only have a wire (Fly-By-Wire) that goes to the computer. MY POINT IS : if Boeing trusts 400 lives on a computer then they are pretty darn reliable. The mentality at your repair facility is of dumb-teaching the stupid. Automobile computers are quite reliable. In fact cars getting hit with lightning is not that uncommon and most suffer little or no damage due to the car's rubber tires insulating it from ground. I suspect the sum of computer expertise is that a mechanic got 100,000 points playing a video game. The latest Computers (OBC) can be replaced in sections. Not a complete swap. BTW. Computers are not "selective" when they fail and a computer won't even come on if it fails. This means that you can't start it because the computer controls everything from the injectors to the anti-theft systems. Usually what fails is an input or output "I/O" and these are very well protected from short circuits. Good Luck
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Tuesday, September 8th, 2015 AT 5:20 AM
Tiny
TEENAADKINS
  • MEMBER
  • 11 POSTS
Good morning. Update: I received an email stating my claim had been closed and asking me to take a survey.I immediately called and had the claim reopened. The General Manager at Lynch Nissan in Auburn called me and supported his staff! I told him that I do not trust anyone there at this point. He asked me where I wanted to have it moved to and I told him Montgomery Nissan. They had it fixed in just a few days. It seems to be running good now. It amazes me that they would all stick to the lightening theory when in fact I believe their tech either connected the positive to the negative or vice versa OR they installed the battery in backwards and it blew some of the electrical components.

It looks like you and I are on the same page. It looks to me like dumb, dumber snd stupid are running the Lynch Nissan service department in Auburn. In this day and time (social media) you would think they would take the humble side. All my friends and family bith state side and international has been on pins and needles. Several who was thinking about buying a Nissan has changed their minds and purchased something else. I had planned to buy another Nissan but after this I can't seem to do that.

I want to thank all of you for your assistance in this matter. You have been
such a great help to me and others! Thank you so much! Teena
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Tuesday, September 8th, 2015 AT 5:44 AM

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