Flashing Slip Light

[Snafu]

I have read a number of threads on the topic elsewhere but not much here. My truck started doing the Slip light slashing and loss of power. The VDC even chimed in once. Aside from the flashing light, the loss of poer is normal when it thinks there is a traction problem.

The 'slipping' occurs on long turns usually right hand turns (ex. the on-ramp to a highway) but I have recreated it with left turns. Turning off the VDC stopped the flashing and the truck accelerated like normal with no obvious tire slippage. In one case turning off the VDC triggered the code warning and both VDC off and Slip lights stayed lit (they disappeared after a rest and a restart).

Trying to track down the issue or at least try possible fixes to see if I can track it down to something or if I will just have to live with it.

Truck history:
2007 S, 265/75/16 Duratracs (Load rating E), Pro-comp rims (slight offset to the outside),
3" overall suspension lift (rear: 1.5" shackle + 1.5" leaf, front: 2.5" spacer with 0.5" adjustable Bilstein shock). Poly bushings in the rear. Sway bars connected with a relocation kit in the rear. Note the 1.5" leaf was not done until this year (between alignments)
The alignment was done last year as best as possible with the existing cams in the front (i.e., freed up enough to adjust).
With this set-up there was no flashing slip light.
I installed the 1.5" leaf and the new bushings. Still no flashing slip light.

After a year I noticed a bit of odd wear on the front tire. Brought it in for an alignment. Old cam bolts would not come out so in went new cams, bolts and a new lower control arms*. Alignment done and tires rotated: the front tires were cupped: worst on the passenger side, but the tires were not worn out.

This is when I started to notice some flashing of the slip light. I believe this is simply due to the more worn tires on the back. I started to pay more attention and tried to recreate the problem.

With the cooler weather and days with damp roads I am able to recreate the problem fairly easily. The easiest way to get the light to flash are on long accelerating turns (ex. on-ramps to the highway). I can also make it flash with wide left or right turns while accelerating. Acceleration is just normal acceleration (no WOT).

First fix tried: top up brake fluid. For some this was the fix. When the fluid was lowish, the long right turns caused the fluid to fall below the sensor on the one side and trigger the slip. I topped up the fluid but it did not fix the flashing slip light.

Next fix: new tires and abs sensor cleaning. I have a set of winter tires coming. Once they are one I will see if the slip light still flashes. While the tires are off, I will inspect/clean the ABS sensors, hoses and wires. Perhaps after this many years there is just a build up of gunk making the sensors a little more sensitive.

I will post up more after I get the new tires installed.



* I still have the old lower arms if folks wish to try to rebuild them. Need to find the bushings (I have not started looking yet).

[the x kid]

Maybe try some blinker light fluid.

[Snafu]

Might work. The muffler bearing was changed.

[Drizit]

No I bet you havn't switched the tires over to winter air. Leaving that summer air in will cause all kinds of issues.

[Drizit]

Seriously though, jeep jks sometimes get similar issues, generally it's caused by one of 2 things. First is the steering wheel not being perfectly centered so the traction control thinks you are always turning a bit. Second is a bad abs sensor.

[Snafu]

Getting the winter air out into the winter tires

Thanks for the ideas.

The steering angle is a possibility as Slip tends to trip more when making right turns than left (or it's my imagination).

If an ABS sensor were going then you would think this would trip a CEL. I have applied the ABS a couple of times. Seems to work and no ABS light comes on. I think they are okay.

[Adam]

ABS sensors would trip the ABS light, not the CEL. Actually on my parents maxima bad sensors made the Brake, ABS, SLIP, and VDC light come on.

[Snafu]

Yeah,that's what I meant

[Morpheus]

Might work. The muffler bearing was changed.

The radio got tuned, and the 710 cap got rotated.

[Drizit]

I don't know about in a Nissan but bad sensors in a jeep sometimes go unnoticed by the computer. Except to cause weird stability control issues.

[Snafu]

Yeah, all the usual culprits were done.

Will have a look underneath to make sure connections and wires with the sensors are still good.

[BigRed44]

mine did that when one of my front hubs started going. it was doing it before i could even feel or hear a whine in the car but took the wheel caliper and rotor off. pulled the cv out of the hub and spun the hub and could feel a slight grinding. replaced the hub kept the sensor and all was good.

[Miner]

mine did that when one of my front hubs started going. it was doing it before i could even feel or hear a whine in the car but took the wheel caliper and rotor off. pulled the cv out of the hub and spun the hub and could feel a slight grinding. replaced the hub kept the sensor and all was good.

I had the same issue, except mine growled for a long time before it was bad enough to effect the sensor.

While you're swapping tires check the bearings.

[Snafu]

Thanks guys. Will get under there to check it out

[Morpheus]

I was thinking we should reset the steering angle sensor.
The steering was pretty far off before the alignment got done iirc.

[Snafu]

Ok.