Q: vdc and service engine soon lights on
I was driving my used 2011 NISSAN ALTIMA 2.5/2.5 S (CVT) 133,000 miles when I noticed both the "service engine soon" and VDC lights on. Soon after the car started to jerk forwards in quick successions of like 3 times when I try to go above 20 mph (called engine misfire??). , I drove it by selecting "D" and shifting to the left of the "D" where the + and - signs are. (At the time I didn't think this mattered and didn’t know this meant I was putting the car in manual mode.) I drove off and the car didn’t jerk or anything and everything was normal for the first 10 miles or so. But during that time, I noticed a few things: car revved loudly, service engine soon light and VDC lights were on, speedometer was 50/60 but car wasn't going as fast, the car would slow down really quickly when I took leg off accelerator, after all this then car started to jerk. Dealer came, shifted to "D" and started to normal without jerking but when he hit the accelerator hard, the car would start jerk. Advice?
My car has 133000 miles.
My car has an automatic transmission.
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The VDC (Vehicle Dynamic Control) is part of the vehicles traction control system. The traction control system monitors the steering and stability of the vehicle and engages when loss of traction has been detected. This is done by the use of electronic sensors at each of the four wheels that communicate with the Powertrain Control Module (PCM) regarding steering performance and stability in adverse weather conditions. The traction control system works by reducing engine speed and determining which wheel to apply brake pressure to in order to prevent the vehicle from sliding. The anti-lock braking system and the traction control system work together to maintain the stability of the vehicle. The computer uses this information received from electronic sensors regarding the rotational speed of each wheel, the horizontal motion of the vehicle, and the vertical motion of the vehicle to determine how to direct the traction control system or the anti-lock braking system to best control the vehicle when needed. When this warning indicator light comes on in the dashboard, this could be an indication of several issues such as faulty wheel speed sensors, a faulty steering angle sensor, a faulty rotational speed sensor or a problem with the steering rack. In some cases, the traction control system may simply need to be reprogrammed. In addition, when any of these symptoms are detected, some vehicles may go into limp mode rendering the vehicle unable to accelerate beyond about ~30mph. I would recommend having a professional from YourMechanic come to your location to diagnose and inspect your vehicle.
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