# 2006 Murano - slow start + no throttle response + rattling at startup



## mmagliaro (Apr 20, 2011)

I have read around about "limp mode". I don't think that is this problem.

2006 Murano, 80,000 miles, 1 year old battery.
Oil, power steering, coolant all full.
No SES codes or other dash warning lights during this entire ordeal.

1 week ago, in unusually cold weather (for Portland, OR) in the teens, start-up on a cold morning, there was an odd rattling sound coming from the engine. It came and went as the engine idled and warmed up, and went away. I drove kid to school. Noise never came back over the next
week and there were no other problems.

Today, cold night, engine started with sluggish crank. Also started yesterday with sluggish crank.
Tonight, got the rattling sound while it idled and warmed up. Let it warm for 5 minutes. Temp = 20 deg F.
Drove 2 miles to supermarket (after sound went away). Driving was normal.

Came out, car barely started. In fact, first crank stalled and wouldn't turn engine over. Second try, it started with a very VERY slow
crank. I was surprised it managed to start.

Halfway across parking lot, lost all throttle response. I could push gas pedal down, engine did not rev, and the engine idle rpm 
was down at about 200 rpm (I didn't even think it could idle that slowly!). From the sluggish starts, and rattling noise, I started suspecting
the sepentine belt, which is OLD (original), or alternator bearings. I turned off the headlights and heater, let it idle for about 30 seconds,
tried the accelerator again (still in Drive), and it suddently bucked to life and I got throttle reponse again.

At next corner where I had to stop, same thing happened. Lights off, heater off, waited a little, got throttle back and drove down the street.
Made it home with no other incidents.

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This does not sound like a CVT or sensor fault to me, especially since I get no SES light (so no codes, I presume). The sluggish
starting sounds like it's a belt or alternator problem.

BUT... would that cause the car to go into this weird mode where it won't respond to the throttle? I am theorizing that turning the headlights
off for a minute and letting it run gets enough charge back on the battery to run the car normally, and that the extreme cold is
exposing a problem in the belt or alternator.


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