Odd behavior in our 2007 Nissan Frontier. Anyone know what's going on?

December 30, 2007 8:23 PM

Odd behavior in our 2007 Nissan Frontier. Anyone know what's going on?

A couple weeks ago, our truck started doing this weird thing. It beeps, and the odometer goes to zeros for a second, then it goes back to normal. It doesn't seem to happen in any kind of pattern--it seems totally random.

We called the Nissan place and they had no idea what we were talking about. We thought there wasn't much point in taking it in, as the behavior has been completely unpredictable. Tonight we were finally able to catch it on our camera.

video

(it happens about 40 seconds in)

We plan to take the camera up to the dealership so they can see it happen, but I thought I'd see if anyone on here had experienced anything like this.

posted by saucy to travel & transportation (11 comments total)

Here's a site that might have some experts lurking about: (Unofficial) Nissan Forum.
posted by bonobo at 8:31 PM on December 30, 2007

www.cartalk.com
posted by hammerthyme at 8:52 PM on December 30, 2007

loose battery connection? try tightening the bolts that hold the battery cables onto the posts.
posted by lohmannn at 8:57 PM on December 30, 2007

Hmmm, this doesn't answer the question, but those are not zeros. A zero would be as tall as the other numbers. My expert (pulled-outta-my-butt) guess is that may be an error code of some sort. I'm not just nit-picking, but if you explain this by phone to someone, it may make a difference to clarify that it's not really zeros, but more like the lower half of an 8.

This happens while driving as well as in park, I am guessing?
posted by The Deej at 9:14 PM on December 30, 2007

Deej is right, those are not zero's, they are lower case o's, which imply some sort of code.

Also, if your truck is outfitted with the trip computer, that shows average mpg and things of that nature, it seems to all come from that odometer display. Make sure it is properly reset?

Also the first time it changed to 5 o's, with the last slot vacant, then the second time 6 o's. Very odd indeed.

Hopefully with the video the mechanic will go "Oh, I see. It's...".
posted by Ynoxas at 10:06 PM on December 30, 2007

I have a 2006 Honda Civic. When the headlights are on and I adjust the interior lamp brightness using the + / - buttons on the dashboard, I get a similar response.

What happens is that there are a number of ooo indicators which show the brightness level, wiht a bunch of ___s following, showing how many more places the scale can go. That is, oooo__ is 2/3 of the way to full brightness. If the button is held down, upon reaching full brightness there is a beep, then the interior lights illuminate as if the headlights weren't on. That is, full brightness for the LCDs, etc.

I almost wonder if your Toyota is similar, and there is actually something wrong with the controls which handle interior brightness, and what you are seeing is this being turned all the way up or something, due to a faulty button or whatnot.

Then again, I may be completely off base...
posted by c0nsumer at 11:56 PM on December 30, 2007

Yeah in many cars that's a scale of some sort showing the level of whatever, in my parents' Citroen for example, that's how the oil level is shown when the car is started. Something is causing the display to display the level of something. This, I think, is supported by the fact that sometimes it's 5 and sometimes 6. Maybe you are accidentally fiddling some sort of switch or perhaps some switch is right there in the middle so it keeps switching. Check your owner's manual for what it is displaying.
posted by Authorized User at 12:15 AM on December 31, 2007

I found the owner's manual online, but it doesn't seem to say what kind of indicator this could be. My best guess would be the instrument panel brightness control. Try adjusting it (instructions on page 2-30).
posted by Authorized User at 12:39 AM on December 31, 2007

Some cars have senosrs that auto-adjust the headlights or wipers for changing conditions. Does this indication happen when you go through a tunnel or encounter some rain? It could be a safety "feature" telling the driver that conditions have change suddenly.

If it is an automatic shift/four-wheel drive transmission, it could be telling you that the power is being shifted to, again, accommodate changing conditions such as slippery roads.

You could also check your fluid levels to see if it is warning you of low oil, coolant or trans fluid.
posted by bugsoup at 8:52 AM on December 31, 2007

it almost looks like it is resetting, like, those pop up while it is executing some other process and then the numbers come up

it'll be good to get it checked out, as it may be a sign of a greater electrical of computer problem
posted by Salvatorparadise at 8:52 AM on December 31, 2007

It's still under warranty, right?
Dispense with the phone conversations and take the thing in. If need be, show them the video. They'll probably scan for error codes and, hopefully, something will pop-up.
posted by Thorzdad at 9:48 AM on December 31, 2007