On Monday our Long Term Nissan GTR went back to Nissan of Santa Monica for a recurring "Check Engine" light. The first time we reset the gas cap and cleared the code ourselves. The second time we brought the car in, they read the gas cap code tightened the cap and cleared the code. On this, the third go around, we sat them down and told them to fix something or we weren't going to leave.
We couldn't just go in blind at this point, not with a car with more computer processing ability than Russia circa-1992. No, one of the neat things about this business is our Rolodex is bursting at the hinges with phone numbers, email addresses, fax numbers and blood types of engineering types at the manufacturer level. While we won't ask them to pull any strings, we have no issue calling them in to appease our own curiosities.
When we heard back from "our guy" he said that, given our symptoms, the Evap Vent Control valve was most likely the culprit, but the dealer would know more once they scanned the car. As much as we trust the guys over at Nissan Santa Monica, there's no sense in giving them partial information. I blacked out the pertinent names and associations and gave them a quick summary of the potential problem. They said they'd call when they had a diagnosis.
Sure enough when we got the call late that very same Monday we dropped it off, they had read the codes and the evap vent control valve was faulty. Good news was that the part was in stock and was being installed as we speak.
This is the part that perked up my ears. In stock? Why? I doubt they have a front license plate bracket for the car, but they have vent control valves? "In stock?" I asked. "Yeah, it's the same one for almost all of our cars. Never seen one fail before." Interesting.
Unfortunately, the car would not be available until the following day. He requested verbal confirmation that I authorized a tech to road test the vehicle. I didn't have any choice but to agree.
Tuesday morning came and I got an early call from Doug, the guy in charge of all GTR service and 300zx owner. "We're having a bit of an issue, Mike. The valve isn't talking to the car right. It should take 3-minutes but it's been 30 with no response. I'll call you when I know more. Sorry." Later that day he called with the good news that the GTR was fixed, responding correctly, road-tested and Nissan approved.
In the time between picking it up from Nissan and today we've put over 300 miles on the car, including 30 hard miles during our routine instrumented testing (results of that forthcoming). No warning light has appeared and the car feels as strong as ever.
Mike Magrath, Vehicle Testing Assistant @ 5,300 miles
stovt001 says:
03:55 PM, 08/29/08
I saw my first GTR in person yesterday driving down the freeway. My first thought was "My God, why would someone ever do that to a 350Z!? Then I realized what it was. The GTR really does look like some 12 year old kid selected random pieces of body kit from a ricer catalog and slapped them on a 350Z. Sad.
cjasis says:
05:41 PM, 08/29/08
Glad to hear the issue was properly diagnosed and handled. Please keep us updated as the miles pile on.
carmizvi says:
09:20 PM, 08/29/08
Great summary: this should be required reading for anyone who needs to learn best practices when going into the dealership.
But what's with the Rolodex? You haven't transferred everything into your BlackBerries or iPhones?
(Kidding.)
daveslk says:
10:47 PM, 08/29/08
It's funny the tech told u that he never saw a vent control valve fail before.I have a 2001 nissan sentra and that same part failed on my car. It was 90.00 from the dealer and I put it in myself.How much was the part? Just wondering.
billt9 says:
12:09 AM, 08/30/08
i can't believe a bunch of asian ricers slapped on a bunch of go fast parts on a 350Z and actually made it go fast. Usually the parts just flop around ridiculously in the highway speed wind.
Bob Holland says:
11:47 AM, 08/30/08
Just saw my first GT-R in the flesh today. One of the guys at the gym I go to has one. Actually he has three! The other two he's going to sell, and make a few coins while he's at it.
I gotta say—much like Subarus—this car looks much, MUCH better in the flesh than in photos. Maybe it's the color (Titanium w/almost matching wheels)? Regardless, it really is quite good looking.
louiswei says:
12:36 PM, 08/30/08
This is why this car shouldn't be carrying a Nissan badge...
Dealer experience.
stovt001 says:
12:34 PM, 08/31/08
Bob, maybe it is the color. Picturing it in titanium color, I think it would look OK, and it looked better in red. To me the white just makes it look ricer-ish. Maybe that's because in my area white is the favored color for ricers. Either way, whether in person or in pictures it just doesn't look great, in my opinion.
Bob Holland says:
06:26 AM, 09/ 1/08
I do think color has a lot to do with it.
It's not drop-dead gorgeous as in an Audi R8 sort of way. Think of it not as a woman who's has a classic natural beauty, but rather more of a woman who is still very attractive due to the way she carries herself, her makeup, hair style, clothing, etc.
I think Subarus are much like this as well.
dougtheeng says:
06:04 AM, 09/ 2/08
I hope your servicing experience would have been the same even if you didn't have a rollodex to use. Either way, its good that the car is back in action.
dougtheeng says:
06:04 AM, 09/ 2/08
PS thats a pretty eerie picture.
jerrywimer says:
07:40 AM, 09/ 2/08
This is funny. The guy'd never seen one fail before, yet they have them in stock. If it was really a rare thing, they wouldn't waste space or money keeping them stocked (just like your point about the license bracket).
prndlol says:
08:27 PM, 09/ 2/08
That photo make the car look especially ugly.
e34bmwlover says:
09:08 AM, 09/ 8/08
that tech guy probably kept it so he could drive the car all day long.
beansnrice213 says:
03:04 PM, 09/12/08
if you want to the drive the car like a race car !!! take care of it like a race .you better have your pit crew standing by beacuse you can blow up a brand new engine and or transmission in less then 500 miles .... did you inform everyone you drove the car from TENNESSE to Los Angeles when the car was brand new right of the lot?????? what idiot would drive the car cross country befor breaking it in... The GT-R is a nice car have some respect for the car try to know your car and know what it can do befor you can expect more then the car can give .
CLASSIC CAR GUY