Hello, we have a 2013 Nissan Sentra that has been having some issues with the gas gauge not working but normally if we shut the car off and turn it back on it resets. Recently though we had a flat tire on the passenger front side. My husband took the car with a spare tire to a local tire shop and had them replace the flat. Directly following the change of the tire the odometer and speedometer stopped working completely, though the tachometer is fine. Also, the tire inflation, traction control, abs brake & engine warning lights are all on now. We are on a “barely holding our heads above water” budget and know the dealership is going to charge a lot so we’re hoping someone might have an idea what it might be (a sensor maybe?) that we could repair ourselves?
Are all the tires the same size? It would throw off the wheel speed sensors if one tire was a different diameter. This would cause the ABS and Traction control to see a problem.
You haven’t given us enough info to diagnose the problem. That leads me to think we couldn’t direct you to the right repair nor could you handle it on your own even if we could. Changing a tire shouldn’t cause any of the original problems. Find a local independent repair shop. They should be cheaper than the dealer. Good Luck.
It’s possible the tire change operation damaged the wheel speed sensor. That could turn on the ABS and traction control warning lights. And might turn on the tire inflation light too. You need to have the engine computer diagnostic codes read out to determine what’s causing the engine warning light to come on. It would make sensee to check the car’s fluid levels of course.
You may still be covered under warranty. If there is an engine control module problem you should not be charged to fix it. If there is to be any free help, the dealer is a good place to start. Stop worrying. Emissions related things like engine control modules may have a longer warranty due to emissions rules.
I suspect the tire that was replaced was driven to shreds and damaged the ABS/wheel speed sensor wiring. This type of damage is not covered by your warranty.
If there’s still warranty, then use it. To me it sounds like a classic case of a bad ground, probably in the instrument cluster, and nothing at all to do with tires. Depending on the skill level of the owner, you could try cleaning all the ground contacts (battery, engine), or check the wiring of the cluster itself. If that sounds like something that’s far over your head, and the warranty is expired, then find an automotive electric shop.
Thank you to everyone who posted. My husband was driving down the road the other day, hit a deep pothole that he didn’t see in time and all the warning lights went out and the odometer and speedometer started working again making us think it may be a loose wire/connection.
Thanks for posting the result. Driving over potholes apparently has benefits in some cases. It does seem like some kind of electrical problem is the culprit. Hopefully it will stay away for good.