Continual Throttle Problems

Purchased this car in 2014. About a 1 1/2 later, I was driving it and the check engine light came on and the light with a car with two squiggly lines underneath it (sorry can’t remember what that’s for) then I lost most of the power. Took it to a Nissan dealership, was told it was the throttle assembly and replaced it. Three months later it happened again. Back to dealership, told it was the throttle body. Replaced it. Three months later, it happened again so they replaced both of them. Again, it happened. Took it to a new dealership the next day and was told they couldn’t find anything wrong that the code was a past code. Any idea what could be going on? Anyone else had this problem?

Please clarify. Is this a 2014 model year Altima? Which engine does it have? What type of transmission? Look it up & tell us what that dashboard light with the car and the squiggly lines underneath means per the owner’s manual. What codes are being stored? Absent that info, maybe a couple of complete guesses …

One guess, this isn’t actually a problem with the throttle ass’y, but a problem with the brake pedal//brake switch/brake lights. Ask Nissan for a copy of TSB 14-107 for an explanation.

Another, if the vehicle uses an electric throttle, how that works is you press on the accel pedal, and the computer reads how hard you are pressing using sensors. And then the computer programs the throttle motor to do its thing, the one in the throttle body. Your techs seem to be working on the problem as if it is in the throttle body, the throttle motor in other words. But the problem could be tha the computer isn’t reading how hard you are pressing on the accel pedal, and there’s nothing wrong in the throttle body. In other words the throttle position sensor is the actual problem. Any Nissan dealership shop should have the test equipment to figure that out. It might require one of the more skilled and experiences techs though.

I can’t tell you where the issue lies but one thing for sure; you need to look elsewhere for a solution. You really need to provide the trouble codes before any attempt can be made at a wild guess.

Any shop that replaces the same item 3 times in a matter of a few months is not on the right track so to speak.

I’d love to be behind the scenes and listen in on how they’re trying to warranty those throttle bodies. That’s assuming of course they actually replaced it twice more and are not simply providing a line of BS to make you think they’re trying.

I’m getting this info from the carfax report. 2014 Nissan Altima 2.5 S 2.5L I4 F DOHC 16V Front wheel drive. The indicator light is the Electronic Stability Control Light. We were told after the three times of taking it the dealership not to bring it back.

What was the reason for that statement? Is the thing out of warranty or are you not authorizing diagnostic or repair work? You may need to look in your manual for the corporate contacts for help.

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This is what we got from the 2nd dealership. IMG_3316

How about turning the image?

i think the Nissan tech needs to DROVER it for longer than 10 miles. :smiley::smiley:

I have a Chevy work van doing this intermittent electric crap, and it is very frustrating- both for the owner and for the mechanic.
It looks as though you have some very different issues though:
p2138 is Accelerator Position Sensor- this is what @GeorgeSanJose was talking about in post #2

c1130 The code means that the Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) control unit has detected that there is a problem with the Engine Control Module (ECM) (per https://www.engine-codes.com/c1130_nissan.html)

B0002-13 Driver Airbag module? If the Restraints Control Module detects a short between the driver air bag stage 2 circuits and the circuits of another SRS component, it sets this DTC and the Detected Trouble Code (DTC) of the corresponding SRS component.

These are important things. Perhaps @VOLVO_V70 suggestion of looking in your manual for Nissan corporate phone numbers is a good idea.

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They said anything else they do, Nissan would not pay for it. They had been in communication, supposedly, with Nissan. Nissan would no longer feel obligated to pay for anything having to do with that problem. I kinda think that maybe they couldn’t fix it, so they used an excuse.

I agree. Time to contact corporate or maybe try another dealership

The car with the two squiggly lines under it means the traction control system is malfunctioning.
The SES light in the shop printout should come on for between 1 and three minutes after starting the car. It’s the Supplemental Restraint System (airbags) self-testing.
And these morons changed the throttle body? Three times?

These guys don’t know what they’re doing. They’re looking in the poultry isle for pork chops.
Sorry, but you need the manufacturer’s rep. Or a competent shop.

They are correct that Nissan would likely not pay for anything. I’m very skeptical that Nissan paid for a throttle body 3 times.
Warranty simply does not work that way as warranty is not carte blanche.

The tech is not going to give a dxxx. The Sub Total pretty much says that as he apparently has been shoved into another freebie exam or repair. That is a quite common occurrence which is not good for customer or mechanic.

The fact that Carfax says a TB was replaced 3 times does not mean that it actually WAS replaced. CF only reports what they are told; truthful or not.

You can contact Nissan corporate and ask them to verify the 3 TB swaps.

Code is for throttle position sensor. All they did was look at connector and wiggle wires? Yep, time to call mfr help line and complain if this is Nissan dealer. Is this new car warranty work? If so, time for lemon law threat…

I genuinely appreciate all the words of wisdom and advice. I sent an email to Nissan. I have a case number and I’m supposed to be getting a call by tomorrow.

The traction control system disabled icon is a result of the other problem. That’s a safety issue, the stability system requires the engine and transmission to be functioning flawlessly. When they aren’t, the stability system is automatically disabled. Almost all newer cars do the same thing, not just Nissan. Don’t work on that, once the throttle problem is fixed that light will almost certainly turn off.

re: the throttle problem … As posted above the techs seem to be working on the wrong part. They may have a valid reason, but if so they didn’t state what it was on the paperwork you showed us. There’s two parts involved, one down by your feet, the accel pedal sensor, and the other at the top of the engine in the engine compartment, the throttle body actuator motor.

It appears to me the problem is the accel pedal sensor. The computer reads it, and uses that info to program the throttle body. But if it reads the wrong value from the sensor, it will incorrectly program the throttle body. But it’s not a problem with the throttle body, it’s a problem with the accel pedal sensor.

The computer software is very adamant the throttle movement matches the accel pedal correctly. That’s so the car doesn’t go 80 mph when you only want to go 30 mph, so it’s a good thing it checks carefully for that. It may be on this car that diagnostic code means there’s not a match between the accel pedal and the throttle, and isn’t specific which is right, and which is wrong. Otherwise, I can’t explain why the techs have decided to fix the throttle body on an accel pedal position sensor fault. I think you’re going to have to bring a third party in to resolve this. Suggest you review the following prior to discussing this problem with the third party …