11 problems related to battery cable have been reported for the 2008 Dodge Nitro. The most recently reported issues are listed below.
The total integrated power module has gone, car won't run, anti-theft alarm won't stop going off. The car is stationary, only way to stop alarm was to unhook battery cables. Lights flashing, windshield wipes going, windshield fluid pouring out, horn blurring, this has happened 6 time, now car won't start, but the anti-theft alarm keeps going.
Since I purchased the vehicle in 2010, it's had strange electrical issues. First, the door locks have been malfunctioning. After a couple of uses, they no longer respond to the remote, or door lock button. Nor will they automatically lock while the vehicle is in motion. That's very dangerous. The second issue is that the horn would randomly honk. The honking stopped for about a year. Tonight, the honking started at random and wouldn't stop. The key wasn't in the ignition and the car was parked. I had to remove the negative battery cable to avoid a visit from the police for disturbing the peace. The third issue is that the airbag light came on. Yet another strange issue. When starting the engine, there will be s long start as if the starter stays engaged for too long. Sometimes , the engine will start, not idle and just stop. The engine has started and barely had any power and would barely move.
The vehicle randomly turns on headlights, wipers, sprays wiper fluid, horn blows, lock/unlocks itself, windows and power lock button will not function during these episodes. This has happened with no one near the vehicle, upon opening the doors, and driving down the road. This has been occurring for a couple months very rarely. It's not done it daily for the last week. Now it has added not starting to the list of issues. You can unplug fuses and put them back and sometimes will start. Occasionally battery cable has to be pulled off and put back to finally get it to start.
I clicked the unlock button on my key and the horn started blowing constantly, doors were locking and unlocking, wipers were going really fast with washer fluid going everywhere. I crank it up thinking it would stop. It all kept going. I cut the key off and took the key out. The engine kept running, the horn was still blowing, wipers still going with washer fluid spraying and door locking and unlocking. I took the battery cable loose and this all kept going on! it ran for about 5 more minutes and then stopped. I left the battery unhooked over night thinking it may reset. The next day I hooked the battery up and it ran fine for 1 day. All of the same problems started again one morning while heading to work. Then it started doing it on me while going down the road one night on a major hwy!! I have had it in 2 dealerships and they both are not sure whats wrong. But I had to pay them to look at it and give me no answer!! the last one told me to just drive it and when it done it again bring it to them and they will look at it again. I have been without a vehicle for 2 weeks now and still no answers. All while still having to pay someone to tell me nothing, I just went and got it yesterday from the Dodge dealership. It acted fine last night but on the way to work this am it started acting up again while driving it on a major hwy while raining, the wipers were spraying fluid everywhere, then they just stopped while its pouring down. The doors started unlocking and locking by themselves. The horn did not start blowing this time because the dealership unhooked it yesterday. I have googled problems with this and it all shows a faulty tipm. They have recalled the tipm in the newer models of the Dodge Nitros but not in the 2008s. It will cost $900 to replace the part!!! I can not afford this!! I shouldn't have to pay this when it is the company's fault this is very dangerous!.
Was driving on highway; engine died, windshield wipers and washer came on, dash lights flashing all over the place. Managed to coast on to shoulder and pulled battery cables loose to make the electrical circus stop. When it had cooled down some, I re-attached the battery and it started and ran normally. Has happened 2 times since then, and today, it won't start.
My thirteen year old daughter and I were leaving a store parking lot when I started the vehicle. After starting I attempted to turn on the air conditioning, blower motor would not work. While pulling onto the road horn started blaring, wipers fore and aft started going without being activated. Windshield wiper fluid spraying uncontrollable, again, without my activation. Pulled into a parking lot and shut of vehicle, all problems stated above persisted. Left parking lot in an attempt to get the vehicle the seven miles home. Halfway home, all problems stopped. Wipers stopped in complete vertical position, horn stopped blaring, washer fluid stopped spraying. Upon reaching home disconnected positive battery cable in an attempt to somehow "reboot" the system. After reconnecting cable, started vehicle and up to this point all seems normal, for now. In my opinion under different circumstances this could have been a very dangerous situation. I just purchased this vehicle three weeks ago and do not feel it is safe to drive if this should happen again, potentially causing injury to me, my family or the public in general.
Driving down the road, the horn started blowing steady, wipers came on, washer fluid squirted, lights went off, engine would not shut down. This continued for 10 min as I drove it home to get tools to disconnect the battery. It seems to have fried the horn as it started making funny noises then quit while others continued. I could smell burnt electrical. The keys would not shut the car off. I disconnected the positive battery cable and after about a minute everything stopped then the engine shut off. The pcm relay was very hot. Car is currently in my driveway with positive battery disconnected.
This is my third incident with a faulty tipm on my 2008 Dodge Nitro slt. Lights, horns, front and rear wipers as well as the washer fluid spraying out of control. I remove the fuse for both the left and right horns to silence them, then remove the positive battery cable to reset the tipm. It has been successful so far. Looking for a replacement unit for preventive measures.
Tl-the contact owns a 2008 Dodge Nitro. The contact stated that while driving 55 mph on a downhill road, the horn and windshield wipers went off on their own and the entire instrument panel illuminated intermittently. The contact pulled the vehicle over. When the contact attempted to turn the vehicle off and take the key out of the ignition, the vehicle was still running. The contact had to disconnect the battery cables to turn the vehicle off. The problem recurred 60 times. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 122,000. Cs.
Windshield wipers start by itself once vehicle is started even though they are switched off. The only way to correct is to disconnect the battery cable and reconnect. This has been happening intermittently since purchasing the vehicle in 2011 but has been occurring more frequently in the past year. I am concerned that the problem could get worse or occur while driving the vehicle thus causing an injury or accident.
Intermitent problem only corrected by removing the battery cable and reconnecting, the windshield wipers will start working at start up of engine, no lights will respond, signal lights, horn, headligths and wipers cannot be turned off. Car is able to be driven during this malfunctions making it unsafe in case of emergency. Also during normal driving door locks unlock and lock on intervals of one second or two, radio changes stations on its own continuously. Problem has been happening more often now, almost daily.