problems with just aquired 92 maxima
06-29-2003, 05:06 PM
#1
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 15
problems with just aquired 92 maxima
Hello maxima gurus, Im new here so go easy. And yes, I did use the search and found multiple answers that my problem could be, but still need to post since Im a little confused.
Patient is a car I got for just commuting, as Im tired of 11mpg in my land cruiser. 92 maxima gxe with 214,000 miles.
When buying the car(from a friend with all service records since new) I knew the battery light would come on when started, but would go off within 10 feet of driving.
Now the battery light no longer comes on when it starts, or when the key is over and makes most of the other lights come on(is that normal?)
THis morning, I went for a short drive to build up some confidence in the car, as I only have driven it about 50 miles in the week I have had it. I immediately noticed the digital clock was not working, but later came on very faded, and went back off. Then on the way back(this was only a 15 mile drive) the auto climate and radio were cutting in and out, I then noticed the abs light on. Made it home, shut it off and tried to restart it. It does one short crank, and then thats it. No matter how many times I turn the key, one short crank and thats all.
The battery measured 11.3 volts which I know is low.
I went back out about 4 hours later and tried to start it, and it started. I measured the battery and it was only at 11.75 volts, I know way too low.
But my question is why would it start now. If my alternator was dying and not charging the battery, why would the battery become ok again.
If I had a bad battery(it does look old) would it prevent the alternator from putting out 13-14 volts at the battery?
What do you guys think?
Thanks in advance
Joe
1972 FJ40
1990 FJ62
1991 Toy 4x4
1992 Maxima
1993 FZJ80
2001 Xterra
Patient is a car I got for just commuting, as Im tired of 11mpg in my land cruiser. 92 maxima gxe with 214,000 miles.
When buying the car(from a friend with all service records since new) I knew the battery light would come on when started, but would go off within 10 feet of driving.
Now the battery light no longer comes on when it starts, or when the key is over and makes most of the other lights come on(is that normal?)
THis morning, I went for a short drive to build up some confidence in the car, as I only have driven it about 50 miles in the week I have had it. I immediately noticed the digital clock was not working, but later came on very faded, and went back off. Then on the way back(this was only a 15 mile drive) the auto climate and radio were cutting in and out, I then noticed the abs light on. Made it home, shut it off and tried to restart it. It does one short crank, and then thats it. No matter how many times I turn the key, one short crank and thats all.
The battery measured 11.3 volts which I know is low.
I went back out about 4 hours later and tried to start it, and it started. I measured the battery and it was only at 11.75 volts, I know way too low.
But my question is why would it start now. If my alternator was dying and not charging the battery, why would the battery become ok again.
If I had a bad battery(it does look old) would it prevent the alternator from putting out 13-14 volts at the battery?
What do you guys think?
Thanks in advance
Joe
1972 FJ40
1990 FJ62
1991 Toy 4x4
1992 Maxima
1993 FZJ80
2001 Xterra
06-29-2003, 06:19 PM
#2
it sounds like a alternator to me. It probably cranked later because the motor was cooler and easier to crank.
Take your meter and measure the voltage with and without the car running. If the voltage doesnt go up then you have a bad alternator...It should be in at least the 13V range while running I believe.
a bad battery will not prevent the alternator from putting the voltage out.
Take your meter and measure the voltage with and without the car running. If the voltage doesnt go up then you have a bad alternator...It should be in at least the 13V range while running I believe.
a bad battery will not prevent the alternator from putting the voltage out.
06-29-2003, 07:10 PM
#3
You just experience what's called surface charge build-up. Basically if you allow a semi dead battery to sit for a while it might build up enough surface charge where it could get you going again, but not always. Actually with a colder engine will take more to crank than a warm engine. Just ask our NE friends who start having dead battery issues when the first cold weather comes around. It does sound like a alternator problem, but since you're a new 3rd gen owner be forewarn that our clocks have been known to fade and go out even with a properly working alternator. So don't be too surprise when you have your current issues resolved and months (or weeks/days) from now you notice the clock going out again. It's normal for us.
06-29-2003, 07:16 PM
#4
Yeah I know about a cold engine (CCA rating on a battery) but a hot engine will sometimes be harder to start than a cool (not cold) engine. I speak from experience. Now my problem was because of the heat buildup in the starter but that is still a problem because of a hot engine...once the engine cooled the starter cooled and it would start. I replaced the starter and that fixed my problem.
But yeah after I posted (and actually remembering why mine was hard to start when hot) I didnt think that the problem would be with the starter getting too hot so its probably because of what you said about the battery...the only reason I mentioned it was because when mine was messing up it would act just like a dead battery...cool it down and it would fire right up like it should.
But yeah after I posted (and actually remembering why mine was hard to start when hot) I didnt think that the problem would be with the starter getting too hot so its probably because of what you said about the battery...the only reason I mentioned it was because when mine was messing up it would act just like a dead battery...cool it down and it would fire right up like it should.
06-29-2003, 07:50 PM
#5
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 15
Guys,
Thanks for the replies so far. I guess Im a little stumped cause whenever I have had a bad or dead battery, the starting system will click click click, but not turn over. The car would crank once and once only. I could do this over and over. Turn the key and one crank over, no start. TUrn the key again and same thing, one crank. I would think if it were dead, it would click, no?
Something I forgot to mention was he said(and I did see it myself) the headlights started flickering about 3 months ago. Not on and off, but flickering in intensity. He had it checked by nissan and they said both the alernator and battery were ok.
Shouldnt I be getting the battery light on if the battery or alternator was bad? It never came on at all when I experienced the problems I wrote about above.
I did measure at the battery while running at idle and it was at 11.75 volts, again way too low.
Rather than swap out the alternator Im going to try swapping batteries since its easier. Ill then start it and measure the battery, if its at 13-14 while running I then know its the old battery.
Id still like to hear others opinions. I still dont get why the abs light came on, radio on off, auto climate on and off, but the car still ran.
I would take it for a drive but now I think I would get stranded.
Joe
1972 FJ40
1990 FJ62
1991 Toy 4x4
1992 Maxima
1993 FZJ80
2001 Xterra
Thanks for the replies so far. I guess Im a little stumped cause whenever I have had a bad or dead battery, the starting system will click click click, but not turn over. The car would crank once and once only. I could do this over and over. Turn the key and one crank over, no start. TUrn the key again and same thing, one crank. I would think if it were dead, it would click, no?
Something I forgot to mention was he said(and I did see it myself) the headlights started flickering about 3 months ago. Not on and off, but flickering in intensity. He had it checked by nissan and they said both the alernator and battery were ok.
Shouldnt I be getting the battery light on if the battery or alternator was bad? It never came on at all when I experienced the problems I wrote about above.
I did measure at the battery while running at idle and it was at 11.75 volts, again way too low.
Rather than swap out the alternator Im going to try swapping batteries since its easier. Ill then start it and measure the battery, if its at 13-14 while running I then know its the old battery.
Id still like to hear others opinions. I still dont get why the abs light came on, radio on off, auto climate on and off, but the car still ran.
I would take it for a drive but now I think I would get stranded.
Joe
1972 FJ40
1990 FJ62
1991 Toy 4x4
1992 Maxima
1993 FZJ80
2001 Xterra
06-29-2003, 08:21 PM
#6
Member
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Marietta, GA
Posts: 104
I've had the same thing happen to my son's 91SE twice in recent months. The first time he called me and said his battery was dead. I took a spare battery to him, swapped it out, the car started normally, and the battery light was not on after the engine was running. The next day, the battery died again. This time I put a volt meter on it and sure enough the alternator wasn't charging even though the battery light was not on. I had a junkyard alternator lying around, so I put it on, and it worked good for a month or so. A couple of weeks ago, while I was driving the car, the radio turned off, followed by the car running rough. I turned off the A/C and fan and was able to make it home. I put the voltmeter on it again and the alternator appeared to have died again, and the battery light wasn't coming on again.
This is when I noticed that the battery light didn't come on when the key was turned on and the engine off. I assumed that the bulb was burned out, but after tearing into the dash to change it, I found the bulb worked fine when I hooked it up to a battery to test it. I took the suspected failed alternator to Advance Auto Parts where their tester confirmed that it wasn't putting out anything. I purchased a rebuilt alternator with a lifetime warranty for about $80 and after installing it, the battery light now comes on when the key is turned on and goes out when the engine starts. The alternator puts out about 14.5 volts at the alternator and reads about 14.3 at the battery. The car had just had new factory battery cables installed before we bought it in Feb. 2003, and I had the battery load tested at Advance when I took the alternator in for testing. There was nothing wrong with the battery. I inspected all the wiring and connectors and couldn't find any problems anywhere. Everything was clean and in good condition, and the charging system seems to be working good now.
After looking at the wiring diagram for the charging circuit, it seems that the battery warning light has power to it all the time and recieves a ground through the alternator/regulator. I guess if the regulator fails, it can fail in a way that it can't provide a ground to turn the light on. The new alternator fixed it and it's been about 2 weeks with no trouble. I think the alternators on these cars are somewhat short lived. I would take yours off and have it tested if it's not putting out. It COULD be a wiring problem somewhere between the battery and alternator, but most likely the alternator is dead. Hope this info helps. Let us know what you find out.
This is when I noticed that the battery light didn't come on when the key was turned on and the engine off. I assumed that the bulb was burned out, but after tearing into the dash to change it, I found the bulb worked fine when I hooked it up to a battery to test it. I took the suspected failed alternator to Advance Auto Parts where their tester confirmed that it wasn't putting out anything. I purchased a rebuilt alternator with a lifetime warranty for about $80 and after installing it, the battery light now comes on when the key is turned on and goes out when the engine starts. The alternator puts out about 14.5 volts at the alternator and reads about 14.3 at the battery. The car had just had new factory battery cables installed before we bought it in Feb. 2003, and I had the battery load tested at Advance when I took the alternator in for testing. There was nothing wrong with the battery. I inspected all the wiring and connectors and couldn't find any problems anywhere. Everything was clean and in good condition, and the charging system seems to be working good now.
After looking at the wiring diagram for the charging circuit, it seems that the battery warning light has power to it all the time and recieves a ground through the alternator/regulator. I guess if the regulator fails, it can fail in a way that it can't provide a ground to turn the light on. The new alternator fixed it and it's been about 2 weeks with no trouble. I think the alternators on these cars are somewhat short lived. I would take yours off and have it tested if it's not putting out. It COULD be a wiring problem somewhere between the battery and alternator, but most likely the alternator is dead. Hope this info helps. Let us know what you find out.
06-29-2003, 08:25 PM
#7
The battery warning light is only for a faulty alternator and not a faulty battery. If you're only getting 11.75v while idling, take your current battery to a shop for a recharge (it's definately low) and changed the alternator. Forget about trying a new battery first it's a waste of time but it'll be a valuable learning lesson if you do.
06-29-2003, 09:01 PM
#8
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 15
Candiman wrote:>>The battery warning light is only for a faulty alternator >>and not a faulty battery. If you're only getting 11.75v while idling, >>take your current battery to a shop for a recharge (it's definately low) >>and changed the alternator.
Ok, so if the light is just for the alternator, and your saying I need to change the alternator, then why isnt my light on?
Im going to replace it anyway, but it doesnt make sense.
Joe
Ok, so if the light is just for the alternator, and your saying I need to change the alternator, then why isnt my light on?
Im going to replace it anyway, but it doesnt make sense.
Joe
06-29-2003, 09:09 PM
#9
the light could be out since it was on for so ofter...especially if you say that when you turn the car on that the light doesnt come on
have you checked the connection to the battery? Just for the heck of it check and see if the cable that goes to the post is cracked or messed up.
I still say its an alternator but if you dont want to just buy one then take it to a parts store like auto zone for testing. They will test it to make sure.
have you checked the connection to the battery? Just for the heck of it check and see if the cable that goes to the post is cracked or messed up.
I still say its an alternator but if you dont want to just buy one then take it to a parts store like auto zone for testing. They will test it to make sure.
06-29-2003, 09:36 PM
#10
About the ABS light. My dad's maxima had the ABS light come on when the alternator went bad. I can't remember for sure if the battery light also came on, but I don't think it did. But I remember us both thinking how weird it was that when the alternator went bad the ABS light came on.
Well after reading about your situation I took a look in my service manual. Under "Diagnostic Procedure 5 Symptom: ABS works but warning (light) activates." One of the checks is to: "Check whether alternator produces proper output." Also "Check whether battery has enough voltage."
My guess is that your alternator is probably bad and that might be why your ABS light is coming on. If you were only reading 11.75v from the battery posts while the car was idling I would bet it is your alternator. My advice is if the alternator is a OEM Nissan part ask a alternator/starter rebuild shop how much it would cost to rebuild the alternator. When my starter went out I ordered a "pinion shaft clutch assembly" and repaired the starter myself and it's still good 3.5 years/ 50,000 miles later.
When my dad's starter went out he went and got a rebuilt starter that was lifetime warranted. Well he has had so many problems. He has changed the starter at least five times in the span of 3-4 years (Once he had to change it within a week of putting on the new one). The starter will go bad and almost every time it does something different. Although it is lifetime warranted he still has to take it on and off every time. And put up with the crap he has been getting from the auto parts store the last couple times he has exchanged the old one (Their getting tired of him always exchanging the junk starters, since they have all the exchanges on record on a computer).
Since you bought the car as an extra for commuting you should be able to go without it for a few days while the alternator is rebuilt. If it doesn't cost too much I would just recommend having the alternator rebuilt (If it is a OEM Nissan Alternator). I have had problems with auto parts that weren't genuine Nissan OEM. I have also heard some bad stories about rebuilt electrical parts, like the one I told above. Although I'm sure there are people who will say they have rebuilt parts on their cars and have never had problems.
Also your digital clock acting up probably has nothing to do with your alternator/battery issue. Almost all maximas have faulty clocks, most of the time it just needs the internals resoldered. Here is a link for the repair: http://www.prism.gatech.edu/~gte671n/mymax.html
I just resoldered mine (didn't have to change the resistors) and it works fine. If you don't know how to solder you can sometimes find a replacement clock on eBay.
Sorry my post was so long but I wanted to put in my whole 2 cents.
Well after reading about your situation I took a look in my service manual. Under "Diagnostic Procedure 5 Symptom: ABS works but warning (light) activates." One of the checks is to: "Check whether alternator produces proper output." Also "Check whether battery has enough voltage."
My guess is that your alternator is probably bad and that might be why your ABS light is coming on. If you were only reading 11.75v from the battery posts while the car was idling I would bet it is your alternator. My advice is if the alternator is a OEM Nissan part ask a alternator/starter rebuild shop how much it would cost to rebuild the alternator. When my starter went out I ordered a "pinion shaft clutch assembly" and repaired the starter myself and it's still good 3.5 years/ 50,000 miles later.
When my dad's starter went out he went and got a rebuilt starter that was lifetime warranted. Well he has had so many problems. He has changed the starter at least five times in the span of 3-4 years (Once he had to change it within a week of putting on the new one). The starter will go bad and almost every time it does something different. Although it is lifetime warranted he still has to take it on and off every time. And put up with the crap he has been getting from the auto parts store the last couple times he has exchanged the old one (Their getting tired of him always exchanging the junk starters, since they have all the exchanges on record on a computer).
Since you bought the car as an extra for commuting you should be able to go without it for a few days while the alternator is rebuilt. If it doesn't cost too much I would just recommend having the alternator rebuilt (If it is a OEM Nissan Alternator). I have had problems with auto parts that weren't genuine Nissan OEM. I have also heard some bad stories about rebuilt electrical parts, like the one I told above. Although I'm sure there are people who will say they have rebuilt parts on their cars and have never had problems.
Also your digital clock acting up probably has nothing to do with your alternator/battery issue. Almost all maximas have faulty clocks, most of the time it just needs the internals resoldered. Here is a link for the repair: http://www.prism.gatech.edu/~gte671n/mymax.html
I just resoldered mine (didn't have to change the resistors) and it works fine. If you don't know how to solder you can sometimes find a replacement clock on eBay.
Sorry my post was so long but I wanted to put in my whole 2 cents.
07-01-2003, 08:45 AM
#11
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 15
Guys-
Do all 92 maximas use the same alterantor? I have the gxe model. Sory for being unfamliar with this car, I just got it. I can help anyone with toyota problems regarding land cruiser if needed! Does anyone have the part number handy?
Thanks,
Joe
1972 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ40
1990 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ62
1991 Toyota 4x4
1992 Nissan Maxima
1993 Toyota Land Cruiser FZJ80
2001 Nissan Xterra
Do all 92 maximas use the same alterantor? I have the gxe model. Sory for being unfamliar with this car, I just got it. I can help anyone with toyota problems regarding land cruiser if needed! Does anyone have the part number handy?
Thanks,
Joe
1972 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ40
1990 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ62
1991 Toyota 4x4
1992 Nissan Maxima
1993 Toyota Land Cruiser FZJ80
2001 Nissan Xterra
07-01-2003, 09:11 AM
#12
Measure the voltage on the battery when it's running. If it's less than 12V, the alternator is not charging the battery.
Not that anyone actually looks in this thing in the stickies but anyhoo..
http://www.cybrrpartspro.com/Chilton...61CH02_18.HTML
Not that anyone actually looks in this thing in the stickies but anyhoo..
http://www.cybrrpartspro.com/Chilton...61CH02_18.HTML
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