Brake & Battery Lights On Means Imminent Failure

[Gonzo]

Now that is a great example of great forum!

[Eric L.]

Awesome, the advice helped!

[Pilgrim]

It's a bit unusual that an alternator would die in 3 years, but not that unusual. I normally wouldn't put a Nissan alternator on it - that's one dealer part that's often 2x as much as a good aftermarket part. Rockauto lists the alternator for my 07 at $128 and up.

I've been known to have a dealer diagnose the problem, take it home and replace the alternator myself. If I have time, I pull the alternator, take it to a local electrical rebuilder and have them do it - usually for about 3/4 of a store-bought remanufactured alternator.

[njjoe]

Originally Posted by Pilgrim

It's a bit unusual that an alternator would die in 3 years, but not that unusual. I normally wouldn't put a Nissan alternator on it - that's one dealer part that's often 2x as much as a good aftermarket part. .

Pilgrim-

This thread is an oldie but a goodie.

You missed all the fun and games from 5 years ago. That's when Nissan finally acknowledged there was a manufacturing issue with the alternators and issued a recall. This thread was one of the first to pinpoint the problem signs. I am happy to see it is still relevant today.

-njjoe

[Pilgrim]

Whoops! OK, that rings a bell about an alternator recall I've seen mentioned here.

Mea tardy culpa.

[matts6887]

Yea; I too have heard about the alternator recall/issue they had on some of the first and second year models(04 and 05 like mine as mine is a 05) but fortunately, even though mine is a 05; they apparently corrected the problem in the series of vin numbers that my vehicle has as well as any other murano's in that same series that may have been recalled...i just hope i don't have to deal with getting a alternator replaced anytime before i decide to trade the vehicle in either for a new murano or on something else all depending on what works for me...

[santoshpawar11]

Hi,

I have a Murano 2005, had to replace the alternator last weekend, glad i checked on this Site and found that the charge and brake lights are the indicator ... spent 350$ ... fthough firestone was quoting 550$... if the alternator is recalled can i get the refund using the receipt.

regards
Santosh

[Eric L.]

Originally Posted by santoshpawar11

Hi,

I have a Murano 2005, had to replace the alternator last weekend, glad i checked on this Site and found that the charge and brake lights are the indicator ... spent 350$ ... fthough firestone was quoting 550$... if the alternator is recalled can i get the refund using the receipt.

regards
Santosh

You will have to call Nissan Consumer Affairs (use the 1-800 number in your owners manual) to figure whether you can get reimbursed.

[njjoe]

Originally Posted by santoshpawar11

Hi,

I have a Murano 2005, had to replace the alternator last weekend, glad i checked on this Site and found that the charge and brake lights are the indicator ... spent 350$ ... fthough firestone was quoting 550$... if the alternator is recalled can i get the refund using the receipt.

regards
Santosh

According to the attached excerpt from the recall bulletin (NTB05-059) you should get reimbursed.

-njjoe

[santoshpawar11]

Thank you for the replies....

[jlaudio]

Alright I have one for you guys. Made it to work yesterday, lights on, defrost with ac and radio. Go out yesterday afternoon and the battery is dead. No warning lights nothing. The only addition to the car is I purchased the HID factory headlights from ebay and added the switch to allow me to change from low to high. Get a new battery yesterday afternoon and the guy at Autozone says everything is good. I drive 45 mins home no problems. I try it this morning and the battery will not turn the car over. All dash lights come on and headlights work. Hook a charger up to the battery and its really low.

Any ideas? I will not be able to test anything till this afternoon but again no battery and/or other warning lights have been displayed at anytime. I did have the recall done when they sent the letter in 2005 about 76k miles ago.

[zebelkhan]

I can only tell you about my experience which was similar to yours:
When my battery died it was 3 years old. Given the history of Nissan batteries, I figured it was time so I replaced it. The new battery lasted only 2 weeks and it died suddenly. Just like in your case, there was no light and no warning. I figured the battery was bad so I got another one, but the second battery also suddenly died less than a month later after I parked for 20 minutes to get coffee. Again, no lights and no warning. I jumped the car to get it going and drove home. I hooked the battery up to a trickle charger while it was still in the car overnight. The next day the car started fine so I decided to keep driving a bit longer before returning the battery. That was 3 years ago and the same battery is still going strong.

I have no clue as to why...

[jlaudio]

Thanks Zeb I will give that a try I decided against leaving on charge this morning but will do so overnight and see what I get on a volt meter in the morning.

Edit just got home checked the battery it is NOT dead, checked at 12.8 volts. I tried to crank the car and it made a few clicks like it was a dead battery then dragged and turned over. I was able to crank the vehicle several times over after this without the dragging. I tested the battery while the car was running and got 14.85 volts.

Tried it after dinner and alternator and battery are fine, however now the car will not even bump over. Something with the starter or some relay. sigh

Last Update:

Took the starter out and had it tested, it tested fine. Get home and start polishing the terminals, any grounds, remove and check all fuses & clean off the metal legs and re-seat them all. Put everything back together and the car has started flawlessly since. Moral of the story even if the terminals look good, clean them till they shine. At least it was quick pulling the starter with the exception of having to remove the cvt dip stick tube. If you do this make sure all dirt, anything at all has been blown out and settled before removing the tube and then cover with a clean towel!

[Lohnes68]

I just recently had problems with my 2003, alternator went bad, so i replaced it, but the funny thing was when the alternator went, i had no warning lights at all, nothing, just died. Then after i put a brand new alternator on, the batter light and brake light is on, and has been on for over a week now. The car has been running great, starting great all week. Any ideas why these light would be on NOW after i put a new alternator on?

[jsmart]

Ok...I'm back y'all!

MO has been doing fine until recently. I have an 04 with 93K on it that has apparently had the alternator replacement done and doesn't need the intake recall according to the dealer (I've taken it there twice now with no resolution). However, I'm getting the brake light/battery light during low RPM situations (sitting in a parking garage waiting for a spot, low speed left turn, starting it this a.m and backing out of my driveway) and it's even stalled a few times. It starts right back up (doesn't sound like the alternator issue) though and if I leave it for 30 seconds and restart it or turn off the Heat/AC the lights go out it runs ok. It still feels like it is hesitating, but it will run and drive and I can go back out and start it the next morning without a dead battery. I'm thinking I'll just change the battery (maybe 1 year old) and alternator and see what happens but I hate to spend the money if it will not fix the problem, but after just replacing the a/c compressor and putting new tires on it I want it to go for a while longer. Any suggestions?