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TD42 Nissan Patrol; Sub Tank Fuel Transfer
Topic Started: Tuesday 21-04-2009, 22:12 (861 Views)
Nightjar
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Hello Members,
Can anyone explain this?
We were heading to Leonora back in mid March and the Sub Tank warning light came on in the dash just after leaving home in Waikiki.
The Sub Tank button light was NOT illuminated?
Tried activating the transfer pump by pushing the button, no response.
We travelled to our camp north of Leonora, camped there for three weeks, starting the ute every morning to venture out to detect. The "Sub Tank Warning Light" glowed all the time and I was unable to transfer fuel from the Sub to the Main Tank????
We travelled down to Mt Celia and enjoyed the time with all then travelled back to Perth, all this time the "Sub Tank Warning Light" glowed in the dash.
Today I traced the wiring from the Sub Tank, opening each connection, back to the dash and could not find anything that may cause this malfunction.
At each connection (With the ignition switch ON) I tested the voltage at the joint. The nearest connection to the tank read 4.8Volts, the next connection read 6.8 volts back to to the fuse box where it read 10.6 Volts.
Resigned myself to the fact I could not fix the problem so I rang Magic Nissan and arranged for them to use their diagnostic machine to sort the problem.
Turned the key and the vehicle wouldn't start?
Using my hydrometer checked both batteries and all cells were either in the "white" or "red".

Knowing these batteries were four years old, elected to renew them both.
Once fitted, the engine was started and the "Sub Tank Warning Light" extinguished and when the "Sub Tank" button was pushed, fuel transferred as normal???

PLEASE!!!!!!! Someone, tell me how could we drive over 2500 km's from mid March to beginning of April, starting the vehicle every day and the "Sub Tank Warning Light" staring at us for a month, arrive home and over a week later both batteries fail and engine wouldn't start, new batteries fitted, engine starts and "Sub Tank" problem is now no longer an issue :'( :'( :'(

THERE HAS TO BE AN EXPLANATION???????


Even less hair now. ^o)

Peter

Good luck & safe travels
Peter


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Topcat
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Hi Peter,

Referring to your diagnostics data & the voltage drop you had between the fuse panel & the sub-tank I would say there is a bad connection
(either due to loose connection or corrosion ect) causing a resistance build up in the circuit.
When you took the readings did you physically disconnect the connection at each point to measure the voltage? All the readings should have been at least 12 volts at each connection if the batteries were fully charged - so to my reckoning would indicate that the power supply to that circuit was faulty since you say the voltage at the fuse panel was only 10.6 volts when I would say it should have read a minimum of 12 volts.
Since the voltage was less then this caused the warning light to illuminate so to me when you renewed the batteries the connection problem rectified itself, but that is not to say the fault will not re-occur again.
If you have a circuit diagram of the system I would check every connection from the battery to the fuse panel & to the subtank taking voltage readings at each connection point to see if there is a voltage drop when the circuit is open (i.e disconnected at the sub-tank) & closed (when connected at the sub-tank).
There should be little or no variation in the readings (12 volts +)
Battery load capacities can fail without notice so did you do a load test on the old batteries to see if they were actually causing the problem?
They still may be ok since you indicate the electrolyte readings were in the red & white which would say the batteries did need charging.

Hope this helps.


Cheers

Ted

Edited by Topcat, Wednesday 22-04-2009, 07:27.
Cheers,

Ted


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Nightjar
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Morning Ted,
In a nutshell both ZZ70 batteries are "dead/ unrecoverable"
I did as you mention and checked the voltage at each connection back to the main starting battery.
What mystifies me is the main battery must have dropped a cell during the last trip and for unknown reasons the power supply to the "Sub Tank Pump" was at reduced voltage causing the "error light" to glow and pump not operate. As yo well know my vehicle still operated and started every morning.
My guess today is the main starting battery was dead before we left and the vehicle system relied entirely on the auxilliary battery for the whole trip. BUT why didn't the aux battery supply full voltage to the pump?
With new batteries fitted the voltage is now 12V+ to every connection.
So yes if this problem ever occurs again I or anyone who owns a Nissan and reads this they will know they have pending battery failure if their sub tank warning light glows and unable to activate pump to transfer fuel.

Cheers
Peter
Good luck & safe travels
Peter


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Topcat
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Hi Peter,

I came across this while doing some research that might interest you & it was from a person
who had a similar problem where his sub tank error light came on & this is what he was told
which cured the problem:

"This is a common problem with Nissan Patrols. Remedy is usually to take the battery leads
off for 15 or 20 minutes and let the ecu reset.The sub pump is ground to the chassis and
there is no really good grounding unless you fit an extra grounding strap to the body and
chassis."

Cheers

Ted
Cheers,

Ted


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www.havewheelswilltravel.iinet.net.au
"I believe that if life gives you lemons,you
should make lemonade & try to find somebody
whose life has given them vodka, & have a party"!!!!

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