3rd Generation Maxima (1989-1994) Learn more about the 3rd Generation Maxima here.

Electrical woes

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 07-25-2008, 08:43 PM
  #1  
Supporting Maxima.org Member
Thread Starter
iTrader: (5)
 
Josh's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: NWI
Posts: 876
Electrical woes

Ok so here is the deal, more often than not when I turn off my car I lose all electrical power, as soon as the key is turned to off I lose everything and the key locks in the ignition. Now if I go and unplug the negative cable and plug it back on everything comes back. Also sometimes I don't totaly lose power just 90% of it, I can tell because if I turn on the dome light it is very dim. Finally I have also had this problem when I go out to the car in the morning it will have power until I turn it to start then everything goes out. It is almost as though I am tripping a breaker, anyone have any ideas on what I should check? Thanks.
Josh is offline  
Old 07-25-2008, 09:00 PM
  #2  
Senior Member
 
300zmax's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: NJ
Posts: 475
Sounds like you need a new battery, when you have it running put a volt meter to the battery, make sure your getting 14+ volts. turn off the car wait 5 minutes then put the meter bak on the battery, if you are under 12v you need a new one. only other thing is check the possitive cable, make sure it is not corroding and getting brittle. mine turned to green powder when i bought my 91. you can also take the battery and alternator to autozone and have them tested for free. good luck
300zmax is offline  
Old 07-25-2008, 09:08 PM
  #3  
Supporting Maxima.org Member
Thread Starter
iTrader: (5)
 
Josh's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: NWI
Posts: 876
Originally Posted by 300zmax
Sounds like you need a new battery, when you have it running put a volt meter to the battery, make sure your getting 14+ volts. turn off the car wait 5 minutes then put the meter bak on the battery, if you are under 12v you need a new one. only other thing is check the possitive cable, make sure it is not corroding and getting brittle. mine turned to green powder when i bought my 91. you can also take the battery and alternator to autozone and have them tested for free. good luck
The battery is good and the alty was replaced ~ a week ago. I have full charge at the battery, it is just being cut off (or restricted) by something it seems. There is no corrosionon the terminals either, it is almost like something is being reset when I unplug the - cable. Thanks.
Josh is offline  
Old 07-25-2008, 09:11 PM
  #4  
Senior Member
 
burhan92SE's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Surrey, B.C
Posts: 1,355
try to move ur battery ground to somewhere else....
burhan92SE is offline  
Old 07-26-2008, 08:49 PM
  #5  
mod or sell?
iTrader: (30)
 
internetautomar's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Skokie (look it up)
Posts: 19,760
I think you have a bad fusible link
internetautomar is offline  
Old 07-26-2008, 09:19 PM
  #6  
Member
 
KaneStyles's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Nj
Posts: 60
lol aight heres somethings u might wanna check
1 Check ya Ciruit Breaker, yes we have them its in your lower inside driver side fuse box look under witha flash light and take it out wait a 30 seconds put it back in.
2 Check ya ground from the igniton swtich make sure its tight and not loose.
3 Dont Check ya Fuseable Link! HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS PROBLEM
4 Check ya fuse box might be a bad fuse it doesnt have to be blown to be a bad fuse. inside the car.
Get back to me when u did all these things
KaneStyles is offline  
Old 07-26-2008, 09:20 PM
  #7  
Member
 
KaneStyles's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Nj
Posts: 60
o yeah forgot to mention ya breaker is a round tube looking thing, lol its black cant mistake for something else
KaneStyles is offline  
Old 07-27-2008, 03:35 AM
  #8  
Jesus was a Zombie.
iTrader: (7)
 
BenStoked's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: OKC, OK
Posts: 3,965
Originally Posted by KaneStyles
3 Dont Check ya Fuseable Link! HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS PROBLEM
internetautomar has probably owned more cars than you have lived in days. not saying your are a kid(although based on "you madd tipyng skylz yo!" you seem to be 15?) just saying he knows a thing or two about cars, maximas and diagnostics.
BenStoked is offline  
Old 07-27-2008, 03:36 AM
  #9  
Senior Member
 
burhan92SE's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Surrey, B.C
Posts: 1,355
lol
burhan92SE is offline  
Old 07-27-2008, 11:20 AM
  #10  
Supporting Maxima.org Member
Thread Starter
iTrader: (5)
 
Josh's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: NWI
Posts: 876
Originally Posted by KaneStyles
lol aight heres somethings u might wanna check
1 Check ya Ciruit Breaker, yes we have them its in your lower inside driver side fuse box look under witha flash light and take it out wait a 30 seconds put it back in.
2 Check ya ground from the igniton swtich make sure its tight and not loose.
3 Dont Check ya Fuseable Link! HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS PROBLEM
4 Check ya fuse box might be a bad fuse it doesnt have to be blown to be a bad fuse. inside the car.
Get back to me when u did all these things


o yeah forgot to mention ya breaker is a round tube looking thing, lol its black cant mistake for something else

What does checking the circuit breaker entail? does it ohm out at anything? unplugging it doesn't really seem to change anything.

Grounds are all good.

Why wouldn't it be a fuesable link?

Fuses are good.
Josh is offline  
Old 07-27-2008, 11:27 AM
  #11  
Supporting Maxima.org Member
Thread Starter
iTrader: (5)
 
Josh's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: NWI
Posts: 876
Originally Posted by internetautomar
I think you have a bad fusible link
Anyway to test those? They look good, where should I look for them besides the thin box next to the battery? Thanks.
Josh is offline  
Old 07-27-2008, 12:07 PM
  #12  
Jesus was a Zombie.
iTrader: (7)
 
BenStoked's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: OKC, OK
Posts: 3,965
Originally Posted by Josh
Anyway to test those? They look good, where should I look for them besides the thin box next to the battery? Thanks.
just grab a multi-meter, and check for continuity (the beepy setting on most digital ones. if it beeps/reads anything, its good)
BenStoked is offline  
Old 07-27-2008, 02:27 PM
  #13  
mod or sell?
iTrader: (30)
 
internetautomar's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Skokie (look it up)
Posts: 19,760
the optimum thing to do is grab the FSM and trace all the options not working back to whatever they have in common and start there
internetautomar is offline  
Old 07-28-2008, 02:19 PM
  #14  
Supporting Maxima.org Member
Thread Starter
iTrader: (5)
 
Josh's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: NWI
Posts: 876
Originally Posted by internetautomar
the optimum thing to do is grab the FSM and trace all the options not working back to whatever they have in common and start there

I won't have my FSM handy until this weekend but its not one or two accessories, its everything from dash lights to door lights. That being said it leads me to believe that the problem is pretty close to the battery since everything is effected.
Josh is offline  
Old 07-28-2008, 02:27 PM
  #15  
I can has?
iTrader: (14)
 
Pearl93VE's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: St. Augustine, FL
Posts: 2,860
Originally Posted by Josh
I won't have my FSM handy until this weekend but its not one or two accessories, its everything from dash lights to door lights. That being said it leads me to believe that the problem is pretty close to the battery since everything is effected.
My car did this a while back one time where you'd go to turn the key and it's like the accessories would start for a split second then everything would dim out and the car wouldn't start and it acted like the whole car's power just got depleted. Then I would wait a few minutes or mess with the battery terminal and it would act completely normal. It would also lock my key in the ignition and not let it out. I noticed since that day that my alarm system hasn't worked since. I still have yet to figure out what it is, but since my security system has been disabled it hasn't done it again.

I think it's tied to it somehow... Try unplugging it and see if it keeps doing it.
Pearl93VE is offline  
Old 07-28-2008, 02:30 PM
  #16  
Call me Wookiee Goldberg
iTrader: (8)
 
CapedCadaver's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Central NC
Posts: 43,324
Originally Posted by Pearl93VE
My car did this a while back one time where you'd go to turn the key and it's like the accessories would start for a split second then everything would dim out and the car wouldn't start and it acted like the whole car's power just got depleted. Then I would wait a few minutes or mess with the battery terminal and it would act completely normal. It would also lock my key in the ignition and not let it out. I noticed since that day that my alarm system hasn't worked since. I still have yet to figure out what it is, but since my security system has been disabled it hasn't done it again.

I think it's tied to it somehow... Try unplugging it and see if it keeps doing it.
i had a loose battery cable that would kill all power when i tried to crank the car. i would push on some harnesses on the cable, it would work.... then one night it stalled in traffic. no headlights, brake lights, hazard lights, nothing. i played with the harnesses... but saw a spark on the terminal. i was like "omg i'm stupid!!!" and then went and tightened the nut on the terminal. 2 minutes later i was on the freeway.
CapedCadaver is offline  
Old 07-28-2008, 02:38 PM
  #17  
I can has?
iTrader: (14)
 
Pearl93VE's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: St. Augustine, FL
Posts: 2,860
Originally Posted by capedcadaver
i had a loose battery cable that would kill all power when i tried to crank the car. i would push on some harnesses on the cable, it would work.... then one night it stalled in traffic. no headlights, brake lights, hazard lights, nothing. i played with the harnesses... but saw a spark on the terminal. i was like "omg i'm stupid!!!" and then went and tightened the nut on the terminal. 2 minutes later i was on the freeway.
Yeah, that has happened to me too because I was dumb and forgot to tighten down the harness all the way, that was on my GXE though. I'm overly paranoid about making sure my battery contacts are clean and tight, and I have a Blehmco ground kit I put on recently.

This is one of the issues that everyone posts about but can not get a real answer and I've searched countless times and nothing has ever helped. I suppose it could be that the securities fusible links was going dead, and now that it is completely dead it bypass' the alarm completely? I don't really know.
Pearl93VE is offline  
Old 07-28-2008, 03:24 PM
  #18  
mod or sell?
iTrader: (30)
 
internetautomar's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Skokie (look it up)
Posts: 19,760
Originally Posted by Josh
I won't have my FSM handy until this weekend but its not one or two accessories, its everything from dash lights to door lights. That being said it leads me to believe that the problem is pretty close to the battery since everything is effected.
Download it...
internetautomar is offline  
Old 07-29-2008, 12:02 AM
  #19  
Please. Call me John. I insist
iTrader: (7)
 
ColombianMax's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Chicago
Posts: 4,948
Originally Posted by Pearl93VE
My car did this a while back one time where you'd go to turn the key and it's like the accessories would start for a split second then everything would dim out and the car wouldn't start and it acted like the whole car's power just got depleted. Then I would wait a few minutes or mess with the battery terminal and it would act completely normal. It would also lock my key in the ignition and not let it out. I noticed since that day that my alarm system hasn't worked since. I still have yet to figure out what it is, but since my security system has been disabled it hasn't done it again.

I think it's tied to it somehow... Try unplugging it and see if it keeps doing it.
Most of what you have mentioned sounds like what used to happen on my 3rd gen before rewiring it...of course I wish it would've been a terminal jiggle that fixed the problem
ColombianMax is offline  
Old 07-29-2008, 05:38 AM
  #20  
Senior Member
 
burhan92SE's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Surrey, B.C
Posts: 1,355
i think u got a bad alternator...get it checked
burhan92SE is offline  
Old 07-29-2008, 06:20 PM
  #21  
Supporting Maxima.org Member
Thread Starter
iTrader: (5)
 
Josh's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: NWI
Posts: 876
Originally Posted by burhangondal
i think u got a bad alternator...get it checked
Nope.
Josh is offline  
Old 07-29-2008, 09:04 PM
  #22  
Senior Member
 
burhan92SE's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Surrey, B.C
Posts: 1,355
hmm....wat u have done checking so far?so i wont say check dis check that and i will know wat is working wat isnt.... then i can tell wat u r missing....
burhan92SE is offline  
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
Unclejunebug
5th Generation Maxima (2000-2003)
10
04-02-2016 05:42 AM
leatherneck
4th Generation Maxima (1995-1999)
1
09-30-2015 09:16 PM
HerpDerp1919
3rd Generation Maxima (1989-1994)
2
09-29-2015 02:02 PM



Quick Reply: Electrical woes



All times are GMT -7. The time now is 05:43 AM.