Modern cars are smart and sometimes they seem to be smarter than us. The error messages in vehicles should be designed to help the driver to easily locate the problem and maybe stop the car until it’s too late and the problem became fatal. But what if your Nissan Qashqai just says “Warning System Fault” and shows some pictogram that you can’t understand?
“Warning System Fault” with a certain pictogram or phrase in between means that your Qashqai spotted a problem in the certain system. You have to decode the pictogram and then you will know the root of this issue. If the pictograms are changing, it may mean that the battery is low or dying or the BCM needs resetting.
Here’s what I will cover in this article:
- What are the multiple warning system faults in your Qashqai?
- What are the most common system faults in the Qashqai?
- How can you deal with a certain system fault in the Nissan car?
- Can you drive if you see “Warning System Fault” in the Qashqai?
Multiple warning system faults in the Qashqai
Nissan Qashqai is not the most reliable yet very popular vehicle in the UK and Europe. It has a thorough self-diagnostics system that may locate certain problems and give you hints about the issues. Usually, those warnings are clear and hard to misinterpret. But the “Warning System Fault” message has a lot of possible meanings.
The actual meaning depends on what you see between the words “Warning” and “System Fault”. This may be a phrase like Chassis or a pictogram like the letter A circled by an arrow (stop-start system).
But what if those different system faults are just changing each other? It means you have two possible problems:
- Low 12V battery. If the 12V battery is low or dying, all different kinds of error messages and warning lights may come on the dashboard. It may be very misleading and scary, but you should just check the battery voltage under load.
- BCM failure. The BCM is the Body Control Module. It controls all the functions but the engine and transmission, so it’s a very important electronic unit in your Qashqai. If it’s faulty or has a glitch, you may see all kinds of “System Fault” messages.
So, to deal with this problem, you may try charging or replacing the battery and also resetting the BCM. Later in this article, I will tell you how you can do that. Thank goodness, this is not something you should pay the garage mechanic or dealer for.
But this won’t work if the Qashqai shows the same warning message all the time. This may mean that a certain system requires your attention and may not be working properly right now.
What are the most common System Fault messages in the Qashqai?
So, this compact Japanese SUV has a lot of possible system faults and each of them has a separate pictogram or phrase that the vehicle will use to inform you about the issue. You may find the explanation of all those error messages and lights in the manual for your vehicle, so I will just outline several most common messages.
Here they are:
1. Emergency braking and collision warning system fault
When you see two cars crashing in the pictogram, it means that the emergency braking and collision warning system may not be working properly.
In most cases, it’s connected to the front radar sensor that may be covered in snow or mud. Also, you can see this message after installing some tuning parts in the front end of the vehicle. If your vehicle is equipped with the front radar sensor, make sure you don’t cover it with anything and the front grille area is always clean.
2. Chassis control system fault
In this case, you will not see any pictogram. The actual culprit of this message is almost always the BCM – body control module. It may have problems with electrical connections or software. It may have a glitch or something. If resetting doesn’t help, you will need to reprogram or even replace the BCM.
3. Stop-start system fault
This pictogram is the letter A circled by an arrow. The error message means that the stop-start system is active but can’t work properly because of a problem with the battery, engine temperature, climate control settings, or whatever.
If you don’t need the stop-start system right now, you can deactivate it and the message should be gone. Also, this message very often means that the battery needs your attention. If the battery voltage sharply drops, the system will not use the stop-start technology to avoid discharging the battery completely.
4. Key system fault
You will see a key pictogram, but the message will still have the word “Key” in it. This error message is very tricky and can mean a problem with the key fob or with several other units. If it’s not about the key, you will need a proper diagnosis in the dealership. They will read the codes and tell you why the message appears on the dash.
5. 4WD system fault
This one is pretty straightforward – this message means that the 4WD system can’t be applied even though all the sensors tell the ECU it should be applied. In many cases, this still may mean a low battery. But sometimes, there is a real problem with the 4WD system that you should address immediately.
How can you solve the problem with system faults in the Qashqai?
Well, I know three good ways to deal with this issue. I will start with the easiest one (and the cheapest way apparently) and then move on to tell you about more expensive and complicated solutions for system fault error messages in your Qashqai.
Here’s how you can try and solve the problem:
1. Charge or replace the battery
You need to check the battery voltage. It should be around 12.5V when the car is off. But check the voltage when the car is being started. Doesn’t it drop below 10 volts? If it does, the battery is most likely very low and needs replacement.
If the battery is young and you think it should still work well, you may try connecting it to a good charger. Maybe, you just drive a lot in the city with the stop-start system activated and the battery doesn’t have the needed time to recharge after each engine start.
But if the battery is 4 years old or even older, you should just replace it.
2. Reset the BCM
The body control module is quite expensive, so replacing it is not the first option to try. You may reset it and see if this works with your Qashqai.
For this, follow the simple instruction:
- turn off the vehicle;
- locate the 12V battery;
- disconnect it – first comes off the cable from the negative terminal, then from the positive;
- wait for 10 minutes;
- press the honk or turn on the light to let the residual power get used up completely;
- connect the battery – first comes the positive terminal, then the negative;
- turn on the engine and see if the error messages disappeared.
By doing this, you will reset the ECU and the BCM. In most cases, it’s enough to let it deal with a certain glitch or some other problem. Also, you should know that almost all the settings in your vehicle will reset to default. Like your radio will not have preset stations and the clock will need a manual setting.
3. Go to professionals
Unfortunately, independent garages appeared to be helpless when it came to multiple error messages and system faults in the Qashqai. Although I personally associate Nissan dealers with “too expensive”, I still recommend going to the dealership and asking for a proper diagnosis.
They have proper diagnostics equipment and can clearly find the culprit of any system fault using Nissan’s original scanners and software. But after you get the diagnosis, you better find a good independent garage that will help you solve the problem.
Can you drive when you see the “System Fault” message in your Nissan?
If your Qashqai has a system fault on the dash, it’s not always that dangerous. In almost all cases, you can still drive further and shouldn’t stop the vehicle on the roadside. Actually, when there is a problem with a battery, you mustn’t stop the engine because it may not restart after that.
I would be careful with the chassis system fault message because it may mean that the body control module has a glitch and isn’t working properly. All other messages are more informative and don’t tell you about serious problems.
But it’s not a good idea to ignore these messages as they may develop into fatal issues with electrical units or control modules in your vehicle.
To wrap up
If the Qashqai tells you that there is a system fault, you still can drive further. But you should be careful and notice any changes in the way your SUV drives. Also, you should identify the system fault and understand what exactly your Qashqai tells you.
There are three ways to solve the problem: check the battery, reset the BCM, or just go to the dealer to have the car inspected. Have any questions or something to add? Welcome to the comments below!
