Starter keeps going bad
10-25-2011, 08:58 AM
#1
Starter keeps going bad
99 Maxima a/t Going on my 3rd starter in 3 weeks. Any idea what could be making them go bad? I verify the bad starter by having someone hold the key to start and when I tap the starter it cranks right up. Will keep cranking fine for a few more times then nothing again unless I tap the starter.
Bad part is I bought one from Advance auto it lasted a week got a replacement and the second one lasted a week. They said I got to pay for the 3rd as the lifetime warranty is only good for the original one bought and is a 1 time replacement.
Bad part is I bought one from Advance auto it lasted a week got a replacement and the second one lasted a week. They said I got to pay for the 3rd as the lifetime warranty is only good for the original one bought and is a 1 time replacement.
10-25-2011, 09:19 AM
#2
99 Maxima a/t Going on my 3rd starter in 3 weeks. Any idea what could be making them go bad? I verify the bad starter by having someone hold the key to start and when I tap the starter it cranks right up. Will keep cranking fine for a few more times then nothing again unless I tap the starter.
Bad part is I bought one from Advance auto it lasted a week got a replacement and the second one lasted a week. They said I got to pay for the 3rd as the lifetime warranty is only good for the original one bought and is a 1 time replacement.
Bad part is I bought one from Advance auto it lasted a week got a replacement and the second one lasted a week. They said I got to pay for the 3rd as the lifetime warranty is only good for the original one bought and is a 1 time replacement.
10-26-2011, 08:14 AM
#8
SO last night take starter back and got one somewhere else. Put it in worked fine. Started right up this morning stopped at store and it wouldn't start again. This time I moved the shifter to drive and slammed it into park and it started right up. Starting good again after that so far.
10-26-2011, 08:27 AM
#9
Member who somehow became The President of The SE-L Club
iTrader: (19)
Join Date: Jun 2001
Posts: 16,033
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting to get different results. The starts isn't your underlining issue. Stop replacing it and troubleshoot a bit more. Start by checking the park/neutral safety switch.
10-26-2011, 08:37 AM
#10
Well at the time time when the car wouldn't start I had to tap the starter and it would crank right up. To me and a few other people it had to be a bad starter. Tapping the starter to start the car would not have made a difference if another part was bad. Thats what has me and confused. I thought about the ignition switch or the saftey switch as well. Just can't figure out if the starters were good and something else was bad why would tapping the starter let the car crank right up? Will be checking other things as well this time though.
10-26-2011, 11:40 AM
#11
Member who somehow became The President of The SE-L Club
iTrader: (19)
Join Date: Jun 2001
Posts: 16,033
You tapped on the starter, the starter is bolted onto the transmission, the p/n safety switch is on the transmission. Three starters in a row going bad in 3 weeks is way out there.
Verify the start signal to the starter next time you have a no start condition. It's probably being interrupted by the p/n safety switch. The fact that it started once you "jammed" it back into park is a good hint the switch is failing.
Verify the start signal to the starter next time you have a no start condition. It's probably being interrupted by the p/n safety switch. The fact that it started once you "jammed" it back into park is a good hint the switch is failing.
10-26-2011, 11:45 AM
#12
You tapped on the starter, the starter is bolted onto the transmission, the p/n safety switch is on the transmission. Three starters in a row going bad in 3 weeks is way out there.
Verify the start signal to the starter next time you have a no start condition. It's probably being interrupted by the p/n safety switch. The fact that it started once you "jammed" it back into park is a good hint the switch is failing.
Verify the start signal to the starter next time you have a no start condition. It's probably being interrupted by the p/n safety switch. The fact that it started once you "jammed" it back into park is a good hint the switch is failing.
10-26-2011, 05:02 PM
#14
lol . wow ... do you guys have no experience with reman parts? it was obvious that p/n switch was bad AFTER op tried putting it in/out of park and that worked! However, it is not hard to believe that a reman part will have a ridiculously high failure rate.
and there is a reason they don't warranty a third starter yes that is correct but it is because they know there failure rate is high but they want to keep people coming in for that competitive warranty "lifetime" is the marketing word they need to sell you on!
someone in a boardroom said hey we have a problem, in order to increase our profits we needed to source lower cost parts but now they are coming back lowering our margins! wait i have it only replace the part once then give them a short guarantee!!! they wont realize they've been duped!
dont believe me? look up what people are saying about advancedautos "gxp" (i believe) axles!
why is it that the original axle lasts 10-12 years 150-250k miles! but the aftermarket new or reman in many cases only lasts 1-2 years or 30-60k miles!
and there is a reason they don't warranty a third starter yes that is correct but it is because they know there failure rate is high but they want to keep people coming in for that competitive warranty "lifetime" is the marketing word they need to sell you on!
someone in a boardroom said hey we have a problem, in order to increase our profits we needed to source lower cost parts but now they are coming back lowering our margins! wait i have it only replace the part once then give them a short guarantee!!! they wont realize they've been duped!
dont believe me? look up what people are saying about advancedautos "gxp" (i believe) axles!
why is it that the original axle lasts 10-12 years 150-250k miles! but the aftermarket new or reman in many cases only lasts 1-2 years or 30-60k miles!
10-26-2011, 06:26 PM
#15
Glad you responded I am having to replace my passenger side cv axle this weekend and was going to by the gxp axle from advance. Don't think I will now. I will have to research which brand to get on thst one.
lol . wow ... do you guys have no experience with reman parts? it was obvious that p/n switch was bad AFTER op tried putting it in/out of park and that worked! However, it is not hard to believe that a reman part will have a ridiculously high failure rate.
and there is a reason they don't warranty a third starter yes that is correct but it is because they know there failure rate is high but they want to keep people coming in for that competitive warranty "lifetime" is the marketing word they need to sell you on!
someone in a boardroom said hey we have a problem, in order to increase our profits we needed to source lower cost parts but now they are coming back lowering our margins! wait i have it only replace the part once then give them a short guarantee!!! they wont realize they've been duped!
dont believe me? look up what people are saying about advancedautos "gxp" (i believe) axles!
why is it that the original axle lasts 10-12 years 150-250k miles! but the aftermarket new or reman in many cases only lasts 1-2 years or 30-60k miles!
and there is a reason they don't warranty a third starter yes that is correct but it is because they know there failure rate is high but they want to keep people coming in for that competitive warranty "lifetime" is the marketing word they need to sell you on!
someone in a boardroom said hey we have a problem, in order to increase our profits we needed to source lower cost parts but now they are coming back lowering our margins! wait i have it only replace the part once then give them a short guarantee!!! they wont realize they've been duped!
dont believe me? look up what people are saying about advancedautos "gxp" (i believe) axles!
why is it that the original axle lasts 10-12 years 150-250k miles! but the aftermarket new or reman in many cases only lasts 1-2 years or 30-60k miles!
10-27-2011, 02:46 AM
#16
autozone isnt much better $60. napa is $$ and believe it or not now the same part as autozone sell we checked! my bro used to work at AZ!
courtesyparts has the real thing for $140 i think? if i had to do it again i would just buy orginal! even raxles are rebuilds of OEM and i think they cost the same or more than OEM!
courtesyparts has the real thing for $140 i think? if i had to do it again i would just buy orginal! even raxles are rebuilds of OEM and i think they cost the same or more than OEM!
10-27-2011, 04:35 AM
#17
That sounds like BS tell them it's not your fault there selling useless junk parts. I have swapped out alternators, starters, axles plenty of times and no issues. It could be a manufacture defect they can't really prove it. Unless they test it in front of you
10-27-2011, 07:26 AM
#18
Member
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Ottawa, Canada
Posts: 104
I know that some people have had bad experience with bad ground when dealing with the starter. I remember that when I was fixing mine I was reading posts from some members saying they had to get a second wire to the starter to ground it better. If it is not the switch, this is something else to look into, since you have this intermittent problem.
10-27-2011, 09:12 AM
#19
[quote=JEFF6898;8247292]99 Maxima a/t Going on my 3rd starter in 3 weeks. quote]
Guys I think your barking up the wrong tree. I this case the vendor was right to deny a second waranty. Two (or three?) new starters in three weeks? At any rate he found the underlying problem and the rest of the starters were probably fine. OP, did you have them tested upon removal?
Guys I think your barking up the wrong tree. I this case the vendor was right to deny a second waranty. Two (or three?) new starters in three weeks? At any rate he found the underlying problem and the rest of the starters were probably fine. OP, did you have them tested upon removal?
10-28-2011, 05:10 AM
#22
10-28-2011, 08:54 AM
#23
Member
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Ottawa, Canada
Posts: 104
When my starter went bad I did not bother to go and get a refurbished one for $130, but went ahead and took it apart. It is not a complicated piece of equipment. There I saw that the brushes were unevenly warn which was causing the pinion's shaft to wobble end it could not engage. So I ordered a set of brushes for about $40 with the shipping, installed it, lubricated it, tested it and still works after about 5 years now.
So if I were you I would at least test this thing at home. Just connect the battery terminals to it and see if the solenoid engages. If yes once it pulls and shoots the pinion, then the pinion starts turning. Remember the trigger is on the solenoid, but the "+" also goes to the electric motor. And the "-" is common for the whole assembly. Once the solenoid gets the "+" then it shoots and ...
Again there is not too many pieces that can just brake on this thing.
So if I were you I would at least test this thing at home. Just connect the battery terminals to it and see if the solenoid engages. If yes once it pulls and shoots the pinion, then the pinion starts turning. Remember the trigger is on the solenoid, but the "+" also goes to the electric motor. And the "-" is common for the whole assembly. Once the solenoid gets the "+" then it shoots and ...
Again there is not too many pieces that can just brake on this thing.
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