Are there any codes?

I wouldn't throw more parts at it without getting some data that will point you in the right direction. We get this symptom description or something similar occasionally. One free and easy thing to check that gets frequent comments is the intake air tube from the filter box to the throttle body. It's gets old and cracked in the folds of the accordion section and seems to produce symptoms like no throttle response and won't go and things like this. It's easy enough to remove and check for air leaks. If you have a code reader, I would think the MAF reading would be way out of whack as well if you have a giant air leak. I've never really understood this issue and how it can cause the behavior described but many people here discuss this as a source of similar symptoms. It's no doubt the torn air tube is common as I've had that myself (although my car ran fine) and if you have that problem, you should fix it so it doesn't confuse any other troubleshooting you need to do.

Scan for codes and get a reader that can read various engine PIDs and preferably some of the transmission ones as well. CVTZ50 app (android only, car scanner elm is good for iphone) and an obd dongle works well to read codes and data from the transmission. Cross your fingers that your problem isn't in there. You can check the transmission fluid level while you're debugging as well. Free and easy to do and if you don't see anything on the stick, it might cause behavior like you're seeing.

Good luck and let us know what you find.

 

Is it possible you installed a bad APS or installed it wrong or didn't reconnect the wiring securely? Blown fuse? Bad Relay? In my experiences, a bad throttle body (not to be confused with a cracked rubber air intake boot) can result in the engine starting normally but then you can't accelerate forward or backwards when placed in D or R.

The slipping icon you mentioned I believe relates to VDC/traction control, so perhaps you have a bad ABS speed sensor on one of the wheels? Go to a decent auto parts store and they can pull the code(s) for you for free and tell you which speed sensor is bad (if one is bad) as well as provide you with other codes related to other problems.

Guessing is okay up to a point. Check the basics, test the basics, then have the ECU/ECM and TCM read for trouble codes before spending any real money on parts.

As for for the whining noise, it could be related to the CVT or the power steering pump or the serpentine belt or timing chain, etc. Try to record the sound and place a link to the clip here. Try different things to see if you can make the noise change, such as by turning the steering wheel side to side or spraying a little water on the serpentine belt, etc.

 

Thanks guys, I took a gamble to took the guys word for it and didn't bring my scanner with me on my just over a hour trip north. Its at The PO Apartment complex. Im going back with my scanner & some CVT Tranny fluid, one thing I read is where that whining could be the Transmission, I ran it about 5 mins and it subsided mostly, with no difference in moving the steering wheel. I hoping for a low fluid level turned it into Limp mode. I should know some answers in a couple hours. Thanks again and don't gamble like I did. If thre tranny's toast, so am I.

 

I'm not sure what "took the guy's word for it" means, but most drivers don't have a clue how a Murano works, much less a CVT. My fingers are crossed for you, but I'm not encouraged.

Don't put anything in that transmission but Nissan fluid. Make no assumptions about using any other fluids.

 

I think he's referring to the person who may have sold him the car and said the pedal sensor needed to be replaced, so he took that person's word that he knew what he was talking about.

When it comes to 1st and 2nd Gen Muranos especially, you really need to do some homework and perhaps interface with the TCM to get a clearer picture of what you may be getting yourself into, mechanically.

 

I took his word for it that it was the APS, (He said a shop said it so, I bought that part, thinking it was the fix, (Its not) that the tranny was fine. I will soon see. Going back up in a few here.

 

Does the engine rev when shifted to P or N, but doesn't when in R or D?

BTW, have you tried removing the NEG wire to the battery for a few seconds then reconnecting it? Doing that could "reset" things to a better place. Always worth trying because it's simple, costs nothing and it sometimes works.

 

Yes tried that, once hen installing & another time to try & reset it. No go yet.

 

Just came back scanned P2123, The Accelerator Pedal sensor. Do these need to be relearned? MY advanced auto Part didn't fix it.
I was able to back it up a few feet & back in its place, but no revving is Park or drive/reverse.
I checked the tranny fluid and it was filled, but had a brownish tint.
No squealing sounds this time, but after idling for a few minutes & me turning it on & off, its started to run rough, before stalling 2-3 times before restarting & return to a smooth idle, but still no revs...IM stressed, its a good hour north of me at an Apartment complex & Im hoping its not towed, the guy took his plate off it.

 

Oh, my cheap scanner was unable to erase that code?

 

Since you have no way to clear that code, there's no way of telling if the new APS is any good. Let's assume it is...

Based on a little light reading, you might have to perform some kind of relearn of the APS. Below are a few procedures you can try that aren't specific to Muranos. They might help, or they might not. It shouldn't hurt anything to at least try it. Beats getting your vehicle towed or car-carried (if AWD).

Option #1

Option #2

1 - Disconnect NEG battery lead for five minutes
2 - Depress brake pedal to flush power from everything
3 - Reconnect NEG battery lead
4 - Be sure accelerator pedal is fully released and don't touch it
5 - Turn ignition “ON” and wait at least 2 seconds
6 - Turn ignition “OFF” and wait at least 10 seconds
7 - Turn ignition “ON” and wait at least 2 seconds
8 - Turn ignition “OFF” and wait at least 10 seconds
9 - Start the car and see if the pedal works correctly.

Option #3

01 - Disconnect NEG battery lead for two minutes
02 - Press brake pedal to discharge power
03 - Reconnect NEG battery lead
04 - Turn ignition to position #1 (do not touch gas pedal and do not start the engine) - wait 20 seconds
05 - Depress gas pedal slowly from full release (home position) to full throttle (floored). Repeat this four times so the ECU can learn the full range
06 - Without touching the gas pedal, start the engine and let it idle for about ten minutes. The RPMs might jump and then gradually come down and fluctuate as the ECU learns how to maintain proper RPMs
07 - Hopefully now the RPMs are holding steady at idle of about 650-700
08 - Place the shifter it N and set the parking brake
09 - Begin to slowly press the gas pedal in small increment and HOLD at 2MM increments to see if RPMs can hold steady. Proceed to next increment and hold, etc. Repeat until you reach 3000 RPMs
10 - You can repeat step nine a few times to be sure the RPMs are steady at various pedal positions.

11 - Take it out for a test drive and hope for the best...

 

Thanks, I had it disconnected when installing, tried to go to on position, then off, but with a push button start, It was going from on to Start. I check the connection & hear it click when Installing. Im getting ready for another road trip north to see if I can get her going. Thanks for all the help guys!

 

Thanks, I had it disconnected when installing, tried to go to on position, then off, but with a push button start, It was going from on to Start.

To prevent the car from starting, don't touch the brake pedal when you press the ignition button. Just push the button once or twice to activate all the electronics and then do the gas pedal position relearn procedures.

 

There are PIDs for both accel pedal position sensors that you can read if your scanner supports them. Useful for figuring out what the car is seeing and why it's not happy. I don't know if they're both physically in the same housing or are two separate sensors but there are two signals set up to report voltage inversely relative to each other and the signals have to correlate or you'll set a code (should set dash lights as well) and the throttle will be disabled or severly limited to prevent the throttle by wire system from falsely reading FULL THROTTLE due to a single failed sensor. Similarly there are PIDs for the calculated/commanded throttle position and the sensed throttle position and all that has to correlate to your accelerator pedal position or you'll set a code and disable the throttle for the same kind of reason. I charted all 4 of those sensor readings in my normally functioning car and posted them in this thread (post #17) if you want to see what they should look like:

https://www.nissanmurano.org/threads/2016-murano-new-transmission-problems.227843/?post_id=784001#post-784001

 

Unfortunate. But good update. I hope you stick with it until you figure it out and let us know what you find eventually. Sometimes we get these and then never hear the end of the story. I'm interested in how much you end up paying for the tow as well. I'm thinking of buying a Sequoia with a busted transmission that would have to be towed a long way....

 

Well I got her home Tow was $300 for 46 miles...I need to get the battery charged fully and see if it will start, it seemed flooded, maybe because very little air was getting through the air box because of the mouse nest.

 

I pulled 4 codes all APS related. Im wondering if my new Advanced Auto Part APS was bad? Im going to try to find a junk yard part to see if there is any diff there.

 

It might be a good idea to post whatever codes you're finding so members can help you identify problems and solutions. Codes aren't always as black and white as they may appear.

 

Right, Its a P2123 P2127 and P2138.
Today wasn't too productive, found out my battery charger was toast & was worried my window wouldn't get back up from lack of power. Had to jump just to do that & would only fire for a second & stall. Got some wax on the ole gal though!

 

Does your scanner read the live data PIDs for pedal sensor? You can hook both of them up and see what kind of signal is coming out of them and compare the codes produced by both. Maybe the mouse nest was made by chewing up the wires in your wiring harness.... If every sensor you plug in reports the same data, the problem may not be in the sensor.

 

No it doesn't, just the basic codes & it wouldn't erase them ether.

 

Yeah, how did a mouse (or mice) get into the air breather canister? I doubt it chewed through the rubber air intake boot, so it must've crawled in through the ducting pathways that tie into that air system near the grille area or wheel well. It's possible you may have one or more obstructions throughout those plastic compartments that may hinder the engine's ability to run correctly. You might want to dismantle every part of that plastic ducting, shake it to listen for noise, then run a wire or stick through it to make sure it's clear. Maybe even flush things out with a garden hose. The ducting on my 1st Gen is fairly maze-like, and the 3rd Gen looks even more convoluted.

 

Strangely enough, it ran great (Idle) fired up instantly when I heard it run while doing the inspection & buying it, now, now at all. Drats...

 

Maybe a stupid hunch, but you never test drove it because the car wasn't registered (had no plate) by the previous owner and he told you he didn't want to take a chance having it driven on the road?

My 2003 AWD that's sitting beside my shed after 304,000 miles of use still fires up and idles fine, but when I step on the gas it spews white smoke rings, and when I place it in drive the SES light comes on and it can't move forward without shaking itself apart. Even now, the paint looks awesome and the body is rust-free with only a few minor dings, but the car runs like crap. I'm sure I could convince some unsuspecting person to buy it just by starting the engine and letting it idle... But I wouldn't do that.

Well the story is it needed an Acceleration Pedal Sensor. ( I got one from Advanced Auto & its still throwing the same codes & they can't be erased) Yes I read that on your tag, sorry to hear about yours. NO smoking (when it ran) Im thinking my next move is to perhaps find one (APS) @ a Junk yard, to try & see if my new one is in fact bad? Swap it out? Any idea's if the 1st & 2nd gens are the same? (APS)

 

Well the story is it needed an Acceleration Pedal Sensor. ( I got one from Advanced Auto & its still throwing the same codes & they can't be erased) Yes I read that on your tag, sorry to hear about yours. NO smoking (when it ran) Im thinking my next move is to perhaps find one (APS) @ a Junk yard, to try & see if my new one is in fact bad? Swap it out? Any idea's if the 1st & 2nd gens are the same? (APS)

You might want to bring that new APS back to Advanced Auto and tell them it doesn't work, and have them give you a new one, possibly even a different brand. If two new ones don't work, you'll know there's likely an issue somewhere away from that sensor. Getting one from a junkyard won't conclusively tell you anything, as that used part could be partially defective and you'll still have the same problem.

 

There's a real possibility that you have wiring damage caused by gnawing rodents, as @jbarnett250 suggested. The air canister sits practically in line with where the gas pedal is on the other side of the firewall. Maybe the mice were trying to find a way inside the car and were chewing at everything in that area.

Here's an interesting question... How hard would it be for a mouse to crawl through the air intake boot and push open (or pull down) the butterfly to the throttle body to gain access? What if a mouse (or mice) are living or dead within the intake manifold and clogging everything? On my stored 2003 MO, I disconnected that boot and covered the butterfly area with a rubber cap to prevent anything from potentially getting into the engine.

 

I was up, not sleeping, last night, thinking that same thing...What if...Geez it ran fine when I bought it, not now...

 

Oh, but I did check the air filter was a K&N Drop in air filter in decent condition, it didn't get past it.

 

Yeah, I think I remember K&N having a metal top lattice piece that possibly acts as a rodent deterrent to prevent them from getting into the intake. Although I thought you said the nest was inside the air box, meaning it got past the filter. I'm guessing the nest was actually on top of the filter under the air box cover.

 

I like the color of the older one & the styling of the new one!

 

Looking quickly at your codes, the problem could be related to the throttle body module going bad or having a bad electrical connection where it won't communicate correctly with the APS. You might want to pull that connector and check the pins/wires for any problems.

 

Pull the TB connection? I had thought all were related to the APS, but 2123 can result from a bad TB too I see.

 

BTW, if you rub a little Marvel Mystery Oil over that UV-damaged headlight, it should make it clear for a couple of weeks before it starts to fog again. I don't remember if I tried WD-40 and it didn't work well so I tried MMO.

 

I tried the Maguire's headlight Lense clearing stuff and had good results in the past, but I didnt see any difference this time. Good eye. Never tried MMO?