IPDM issue really ECM relay?

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disallow
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IPDM issue really ECM relay?

Postby disallow » Sun Jan 24, 2010 2:18 pm

Can anyone verify the info in this ebay ad?

http://cgi.ebay.ca/Nissan-Titan-Xterra- ... 255827be7c

t


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SilverGhost
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Postby SilverGhost » Sun Jan 24, 2010 7:05 pm

Sounds like "snake oil" to me. What kinda problem have you had that would prompt you to buy this?

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Postby disallow » Mon Jan 25, 2010 6:38 am

SilverGhost wrote:Sounds like "snake oil" to me. What kinda problem have you had that would prompt you to buy this?
I haven't had any major problems, but have seen several people post on here about defective IPDMs and the problems associated.

Can't speak to the voracity of the ebay ad, but kinda wonder about the 'shotgun' approach that replaces the entire IPDM that costs $100+ parts vs a relay that costs $20...

Last winter I did have an issue in a car wash where my battery got discharged inside about 5 minutes. I only noticed when I heard 1 or more relays start click-click-clicking, and did this until I disconnected the battery.

From what I've read, this could be attributed to the defective IPDM, but it hasn't happened since so I have left it. I just want to gather as much info as possible so if it does happen, I can fix it quick! :)

t

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BMXPath
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Postby BMXPath » Mon Jan 25, 2010 4:10 pm

$1500 seems far fetched for this repair. I cant imagine a dealer charging that much for something that an experienced tech can do in probably 10/15 minutes.
I just replaced mine last week and it took me about 20 minutes. I dont think it is just a relay that goes bad, maybe it is the circuit board inside the IPDM box.

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Tech
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Postby Tech » Mon Jan 25, 2010 5:53 pm

I can tell you that there is a technical notice NOT to service or attempt to service IPDM parts. I can also tell you that the countermeasure parts are more than just a relay change. Consider this; If it was as easy as just a a relay, why would nissan change the entire IPDM in the warranty cases? I have envolvement in these issues....don't waste your time.

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Postby disallow » Mon Jan 25, 2010 5:56 pm

Tech wrote:I can tell you that there is a technical notice NOT to service or attempt to service IPDM parts. I can also tell you that the countermeasure parts are more than just a relay change. Consider this; If it was as easy as just a a relay, why would nissan change the entire IPDM in the warranty cases? I have envolvement in these issues....don't waste your time.
just askin..... :?

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Postby Tech » Mon Jan 25, 2010 6:01 pm

lol! sorry bro, didn't mean to come off as a dick - I just hear from ppl everyday getting scammed into stuff....trust me, if any news comes out about this and other R51 issues, the guys on this forum will be among the first to hear about it.

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Postby BMXPath » Tue Jan 26, 2010 9:42 am

Tech,

I understand you completely, I worked at a Dealership for 16 years. There are some crooked dealers out there that give them all a bad name, but the manufacturer is a different story when it comes to warranty issues and potential recall parts.

One thing for sure, your input and info here is priceless! I look forward to reading anything you post. You are doing a heck of a favor to all us Pfinder enthusiasts, thank you!

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Postby Tech » Tue Jan 26, 2010 10:50 am

Thanks BMXpath! Yeah, it's a fine line between saying to much and jeopardizing my job and helping guys out! I think the addage of, "if it sounds too good..." applies to alot of these "quick fixes". But yeah, as soon as anything concrete comes to light, this forum will be among the first to know.

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Postby deermjd » Thu Sep 02, 2010 10:41 am

I don't mean to resurrect an old thread but I search and there and already enough threads about the IPDM and this one seems closest to the problems I just had.

My pathfinder is an 05 SE with 61k miles. I have owned since about 41k miles. It has not had any previous issues with the IPDM that I'm aware of. I recently had my car shut off on me just as I was pulling into a parking space. I had been driving long enough for the engine to be warmed up. My pathfinder restarted without issues then died just as I was leaving the parking lot. It wouldn't restart this time. And the engine was very rough while I was trying to crank it.

Car had to be towed home and I began tinkering with it. I tried to locate a fuel pump relay but could not find one. I used the service manual listed on this forum to identify the relays located in the ipdm. The relay information is not listed on the ipdm box cover for some reason. ??? On a hunch, I replaced the relay for the ECM with the a relay that I knew was working(rear defroster). The car started right up and has been running fine for nearly a week now. Problem is now my rear defroster doesn't have a relay.

I have talked with several auto part stores and got the same answer. This relay is a dealer only part. Fine. I called two different dealers and was told that Nissan does not provide the individual relays, only the entire IPDM. They had no explanation as to why. I'd rather not spend $200 just because a single relay went bad. Has anyone else had a similar problem? Does everyone just bite the bullet and replace the IPDM? I have no reason to believe that my entire IPDM is bad. Has anyone been able to find a replacement relay for the ECM? I am not looking for one in a junkyard or some used one on ebay.

My only conclusion is that Nissan is trying to make a few extra bucks and/or the service departments are lazy and would rather replace the whole IPDM than try to troubleshoot and find the relay that is bad.

Sorry for the long post. I would appreciate any input.

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Postby BMXPath » Fri Sep 03, 2010 1:00 pm

Swapping relays is only a temporary repair to get you down the road if you are stranded. Besdies, like you said... you dont have rear defrost.

All your symptoms are exactly what the IPDM failure acts like. You need to bite the bullet and get the IPDM panel. Supposedly the Titan IPDM is cheaper and will work just fine. Do some research on that as well though. I bought the one listed for my Pathy.

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Postby deermjd » Sat Sep 04, 2010 11:27 am

Thanks for your input. Like I said, at this time, I am not convinced that the ipdm itself is faulty. If it continues to damage relays or if replacing the relay no longer fixes my problem then yes, I will replace the ipdm.

Has anyone replaced (or swapped) just a single relay on their ipdm? If Nissan never intended these relays to be replaced, why aren't they an integral part of the ipdm and non-removable?

Has anyone been able to trace what seems to be an ipdm problem down to a single relay? Or does everyone just replace the entire unit? I am not trying to avoid paying for a needed repair. I just don't believe that everyone who has one bad relay in the ipdm should be replacing the entire unit.

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Postby BMXPath » Sun Sep 05, 2010 3:49 am

deermj,

Unfortunately you are going where most havent gone before. Anything you find out by investigating/ testing the relay would be new info to this message board.

Whether the ipdm is faulty, or just a relay, fact remains that it is only serviced as a complete unit.

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deermjd
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Postby deermjd » Thu Sep 09, 2010 4:01 pm

Update on my IPDM/ECM relay:

As previously mentioned, it is impossible to purchase just the ECM relay...from Nissan. I searched online for the relay part number. This exact relay can be purchased from an online electronics website but only in quantities of 50 or greater. But, titan owners have the same ECM relay and I was able to purchase just a single relay from a member of a Titan forum. If you have any questions about how to purchase the relay, just PM me.

I popped the new relay in and everything is working fine.

e46bmw
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Postby e46bmw » Thu Sep 09, 2010 5:41 pm

sorry for bring this subject up again but im having the same problem with my path and i thinking of switching the relays on the ipdm board but i dont which ones are what is there something out there that shows what each relay is. i have searched all over cant find anything someone please help


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