So last Thursday after work I went to this car detail place to get my cars interior cleaned. The girl at the counter messed up and added a car wash to my bill by mistake, even though I didn't want that. I figured screw it, it needs a wash anyway, and she said it would be free, so I did it. Got my car washed, then they cleaned the interior, and I went straight home (takes me about 5 minutes to get home from that place). I turned the car off (6pm) and didn't touch it until the next morning (7:30am). The temp went from -3C to about -10C at night.

So Friday morning comes, I go outside at 7:30am to start my car and go to work, the car started fine but right when it started the horn started blaring constant like I was holding it down "RRRRRRRRR!". It wasn't even intermittent like when you press the panic button, just full on. I turned the car off but the horn just kept going, so I had to run inside, grab tools, open the hood, and disconnect the negative battery cable to stop it. That took about 8 minutes because I had no tools ready lol so I'm pretty sure I woke up everyone around my house haha.

I reconnected the battery cable, tried to start the car, and the car wouldn't turn over, it just kept trying to start but wouldn't. The security light on my dash that usually flashes was now on solid which it never is. Tried to start my car again but now I just got clicking sounds because the battery had no more juice, not a big surprise with what happend. Ended up calling a tow truck (I had no jumper cables around) and he tried to boost it with his booster pack but the car still wouldn't turn over. When we would try to start it though, even though it wasn't turning over, the horn came back on blaring constant, so we had to disconnect the battery again. I've never had a car do that before, so I found it pretty weird.

Anyway, had it towed to my mechanic near by. They hooked up their scan tool to the car to see what the car sees, and for some reason it thought my trunk was open even though it was closed. We figured that with the car wash the night before, some sensor must have froze and messed up the anti-theft system. They thawed it out in their garage, charged the battery, checked with the scan tool again and the trunk now showed as closed, no error codes on the car computer or anything else. Started the car, it started fine, and I drove it from there to my work with no problems. Around noon I went out to start my car, the car started fine, but now I had 3 lights on my dash, and the car was in limp mode. It idled fine, but even if I put the pedel to the floor the RPMs wouldn't raise over 1500RPM. Turned the car off, started it again, same thing. So I got out of my car, was about to go inside to call my mechanic but thought I would lock my car first. Pressed the key fob to lock it and "RRRRRRRR!" the horn started blaring constant again. I grabbed some tools that I left in my car, and disconnected the battery again.

I couldn't even get the car rolling because the RPMs would only slowing go up to 1500RPM and no more, so I had to tow it again. I got the car to the Nissan dealership near my work, they hooked it up to their code reader and the car was throwing a bunch of error codes. They had another Infiniti doing similar things a few days prior. They tested my battery and it tested bad so they replaced it with a new one. They told me that if the battery voltage drops below 9V on start up, a bunch of things will sometimes reset in the car, including the security, and everything would be thrown off. I guess this would explain the weird horn situation, and the security light.

Once they put a new battery in the mechanic was able to reset all of the cars setting, but each time he would try to reset the idle, he would get a bunch of error codes. The codes were pointing to a bad throttle body, not the throttle position sensor or anything else. The car would start fine and idle fine after he reset everything else, but he couldn't guarantee that it would stay like that. I guess that would explain why the car went in limp mode at my work, and it could do it again, which would mean ANOTHER tow. It was Friday at 5pm by this time, so I told them to just go ahead and order the throttle body, which would come in Monday, and left my car there.

Monday at 4pm they had my car ready, so I went to pick it up and it's good as new. It's now Wednesday and I haven't had any issues with the car at all, it's back to normal.

I realize that batteries go and maybe it was just a coincidence that it went the morning after I had my car washed. In regards to the throttle body, I kinda think that some water may have got sucked into it during the car wash, it didn't have time to evaporate or dry out properly because it was so cold, and maybe some of it froze in there, and still didn't evaporate properly when it was at my mechanic. Then froze again at my work and turned the error code on for the throttle body, throwing it in limp mode. It's too much of a coincidence that all this happend after a car wash to say that it had nothing to do with it, it must have.

I never usually wash my car in the winter at all because of stuff freezing, and I'll never do it again, even if someone screws up my bill and gives me a free one. The Nissan dealership actually gave me a coupon for a free car wash when I went to pick up my car, I threw it out lol.

 

I wash my vehicles in temps that are sometimes colder than that and never have a problem.

 

It's just weird that my car was running perfectly fine before that, I had a wash, and the next morning all of this happend. I'm not taking a chance lol.

 

Wow, that must have been a real PITA.
I really don't see the car wash been anything more than a coincidence though.
There's no way that moisture can get to the throttle body like that.

If I had to guess, I'd say it was the cold snap that stressed components that were borderline ready to go anyway.

 

I don't wash my car until it's below -15. This way it will stay clean! lol

 

Too true. Your IP must be looking a little grey-brown right about now, just like mine.

 

Very odd, never heard of anything like that. Good to know you found the problem.

Although alot of things occured with my G that i had never heard of before either... And usually coincidential circumstances like you... very strange.


As for the car wash, I wash onece a week during the winter, and usually to an indoor facility that charges by time, heated, so i can take my time and get all the salt off. Only issue ive experienced is the typical windows freezing. (*knock on wood)

How many kms on the car?

 

Brrrrrrrr....It must be really cold up there. I wash my car maybe 2 or 3 times in the winter here, but never had that problem.

 

Yeah it was a weird problem for sure.

I have just over 115,000KM.

 

My car is doo doo brown for sure. It's Bad.

 

I use optimum no rinse on days above 32 degrees, only because i dont want to get sick. But that stuff works wonders all year round.

 

LoL, my dad lives by this. Me, i will wash my car atleast every 2 weeks. I have washed it in -30 and in -5 and in 0, but nothing above that yet lol (because i just got the car).

Sucks to hear about your problems, maybe just avoid washing the endine compartment. Only problem I ever have is the doors freezing up - only driver door too, still trying to find where the water is sitting. its not even that its frozen closed, its that it is tough to close sometimes.

 

Yikes, that sucks. Personally, i wash my vehicles at least once a week in the winter while is around -15 or warmer. I can't stand the thought of salt in rock chips or door jams etc. I hate rust. I've never had an issue *knock wood*.

My guess is... Alternators can stop charging momentarily when very wet. They washhed you car, blasted the grill area and the alt got very wet. The ignition was left on "on" while the doors were open with the interior light on, headlights on, stereo on, trunk open and you blower motor was on full.

The car wash guy started your car and moved it to the interior bay. Doors open, blah blah blah. The detailer started it drive it 6 seconds to the front - battery still hasnt had a charge put into it. You start it, drive it 5 minutes home - still not much charging if any. Battery freazes over night, kills cells. You need a new battery.

Strictly speculation though.

Hope this battery lasts an keep your G rust free and wash it.

 

^+1

I was thinking the same thing before getting to your post.

Shame to have this be such a PITA playa.

 

Yeah it wasn't the best Friday figuring out all this stuff and then having to leave it at the dealership the entire weekend. Lets just hope it doesn't happen again haha.