healingduck

My car is having problems starting and it started happening about 3 months ago. I dont think it's the battery since it was replaced in december and all the lights on the dash/radio come on. It doesnt happen all of the time and can really find a pattern. When I does happen there is on click(the dash lights coming on) and then makes no other sound. Sort of like it's on acc. then after turning the key a few times it will start. Sometimes takes one turn others 3 or 4. But a couple of times I have sat there for a few minutes until it finally worked

So does anyone have any suggestions of what it could be? Maybe the starter? It seems to have gotten worse because it used to happen maybe a handful of times a month but today it happened everytime I tried to start it and happened twice yesterday.

chrome91

iTrader: (1)

sounds like the starter to me

cashoit

this can be a few things.

U need to test battery, starter, and starter circuit.

If all u hear is click when u turn the key, chances are the starter is bad.

If u jump the starter with the Key in the ON position, and the car starts everytime, then u know the starter is good.

If the stater is good, u need to test the starting circuit. This includes the ignition switch, inhibitor/clutch interlock relay, the anti-theft relay, and parking neutral switch.

EDIT:

Jus re-read orignal post...yea man your starter bad.

chrome91

iTrader: (1)

should have also said get someone to help you, one of you crank the key and the other gently hit the starter with a hammer. if it starts then, its the starter.

however if your starter is really gone, hammering wont even get it going

healingduck

Yea I just tried that today when it wouldn't start and it worked so Im pretty sure it's the starter.

Thanks guys

chrome91

iTrader: (1)

yep probably the starter if hitting it got it to start

CDHeflin21

I got a 1998 Nissan Maxima with a 3.0 (V6) and I got more problems. At first,my starter went bad, replaced that and the battery. Now it won't start at all. When I go to try and crank it, all it does is click click. My battery was fully charged and then I took the starter off and had it tested at an auto parts store and the guy there told me that my starter needs to be replaced. I tried buying a new starter and putting it on there, hooked everything up correctly, but it still does do the same thing. I'm wondering what deeper problems I could be experiencing with my car?

BenL

Start by cleaning/adding grounds (if you haven't already), those are a common problem on our cars. Also make sure the battery cables and terminals are clean of corrosion.
If that doesn't help then I'd look into testing/replacing the ignition switch.

You're probably just not getting enough power to the starter for one reason or another.

healingduck

Forgot to update this thread. I took it to a guy to look at the starter and the guy said that the starter had been replaced prior to me buying the car.(probably because the guy thought it was the starter) But it ended up being the ignition switch that needed to be replaced. Had that replaced and have had no more problems.

DennisMik

iTrader: (2)

Get a voltmeter and check the battery voltage before you try to start the car. It should be 12 volts. If the voltage is less than 12 volts, you have either a battery problem or an alternator that isn't charging the battery.

Get some jumper cables and see if the car will start. With the engine running, use the voltmeter and check the voltage. If the alternator is working, the voltage should read about 14.2 volts.

4thGENMaxima

i have a 97 gle and had the same problem it seemed that i could turn the key for 10 15 minutes and nothing then some days it would start right up. The back of the ignition switches are plastic with a t looking hole the switch on the steering column is metal. After so many turns metal on plastic isnt good. The metal t rounds out the plastic causing a loss of connection. i spent tons of money new battery starter everything and it ended up being that switch.

Swazey

There are a ton of threads on this, search is your friend. I'll try and help considering my car wont't start and maybe, just maybe me helping you will get my car to start

smack the starter solenoid with a screw driver or wrench and see if there is a change in the way it starts. If not, take the starter out (you will need a 14mm and 17mm socket and an extension for the 14mm bolt) and bring it to Autozone or Advance Auto and have them test it. It won't cost you anything and you'll know right away. Plus if it's bad, you can buy one on the spot. The one I bought from Advanced came with a lifetime warranty.

OR you are going to have to check:
Battery
CPS
CKPS POS and CKPS REF
Fuel Pump and fuse
Starter Relay
Ignition Switch
Coils
Spark Plugs
Neutral Safety Switch
IACV
Throttle Body
MAF
Ground Wires

I'm sure there's more but that's a start. As you can see from the list above, there are many possibly reasons why your car is not starting the way it should.

If your car is a a 5sp and you had the clutch replaced... and the person who replaced the clutch did not clean the mating surface between the bell housing and transmission, you will ALWAYS have a grounding issue and subsequently, a hard start.

imotion s14

Having similar if not the same problem. When cranking the engine I'd hear a single click then nothing. Dash lights blink once, then I crank again and it turns on. Couple of weeks ago it started to really struggle to turn over. It cranks and sputters for a sec. Takes 2-3 cranks to start up. I replaced the ignition switch this weekend and it resolved that but now it's back to the original issue again.

smai555

add a ground (6 bucks at auto zone for the 4 gauge cable) from the top starter bolt (14mm bolt) to the neg terminal or the engine ground (make sure you give it a good cleaning ) in front of the motor im pretty sure that solves 75% of peoples starting problems

DBear

The click with just the dash lights coming on is pretty common. There's a T shaped piece on the lock cylinder that fits into the slot on the ignition switch. What apparently happens is that, over time, the lock cylinder wears enough so that there's a little slop between the T piece and the ignition slot. What I did originally was put a piece of electrical tape in the slot to shim it up. See my picture at #18 here: http://forums.maxima.org/4th-generat...ml#post7075437.

Since then, I found that the electrical tape would slip out over time, so I went to SlopFix 2.0. I cut a little piece of a coke can to fit in the slot, and crazy glued it in. It's been fine since. Someone else duct taped the cr@p out of it. See #36 here: http://forums.maxima.org/4th-generat...start-car.html. Basically anything you do to eliminate that slop should fix it.

When this happened to me, it never struggled to turn over. It either clicked and did nothing, or caught and started fine. You might have a different issue, or two separate issues. (Or maybe the key is juuuuuust contacting the starter switch. But I don't know if the actual starter voltage goes through the ignition switch.) An easy way to test is to take the ignition switch out of the column and use a screwdriver in the slot to start the car. If it starts consistently, fix the slop. But remember that it's a lot easier to steal , until you put it back together...

imotion s14

I'll try those suggestions this weekend. Odd thing happened today, went to start my car after work and had my door ajar. I heard very loud *thunk* sound when I turned the key.

heathbresee

good luck