93VE30DE

Hello,

This is my 1st post to this forum. Have been reading the posts for a while - never posted before.

My Max is letting me Down. Recently I went to start and the all the power went out. Everything, no lights, no nothing! Wait about 20 - 30 seconds and I hear a click (Circuit Breaker), power comes back on. Try to start again, same thing happens. I did this for almost 10 mins. I would turn the key to on so all the dummy lights are on, and then turn to start and boom everythings goes out. I got it started by just turning the key to on and then getting under the hood, and running a hot wire straight to the starter solenoid plug. She cranked, ran....... and I drove it straight home. Checked the battery, fuses, etc. All good. Got out my factory shop manual and can not see a circuit breaker in the circuit for the starting system. I am completly baffled. What bugs me is this is and intermintent problem. After it happened tues and I got it home, it never did it again. I had this problem happen before and I had a bad starter relay (could'nt figure out how it was shorting). Replaced the relay and have not had the problem occur again until this week.

My only theory is my ignition key switch may be shorting out internally when in the start position.

Does any body have any thoughts or similar problems? Help!

Thanks!

kcidmil

There's quite a few possibilites.

1. The ignition switch.
2. The starter
3 Starter Relay
4 Loose Battery terminal
5 Fuse holder, or fuse for starting system is loose.

Just check all the wiring along the system. I've ran into similar problems before on other vehicles, and found a battery terminal loose.

Wiking

- Chilton is crap howdoudu manuellos. Just a smell of circ breaker.

- Nissan FSM is confuzeus blk hole. But there it is...

There are two circuit breakers under dash leftmost farthest corner. PITA access.

Look at the ign wiring at the end of this, to awsm link, thanks btw. Something that controls interlock relay has problems: bad contacts, theft system, clutch sw etc. http://forums.maxima.org/showthread.php?t=381131


Seems like there is at least two simultaneous problems. If u have three, they are typically masking each other. Hard to say from here.

- Ign key worn
- bad contacts, theft system, clutch sw etc.
- Short circuit somewhere, door systems?

93VE30DE

We'll, I can rule out the oblivious. Battery is new with cleaned new connections. Clutch Pedal Switch is new. All the fuse connections are clean and tight. Starter is fairly new (hhmm rebuild). It fact it is my third crappy Auto Zone starter in three years. I am having the typical 3rd Generation Maxima Lock Problems, but I can't see how the lock problems can be associated with the short when starting the car.

The last time this shorting occured, I thought my starter solenoid was shorting out the circuit. I replaced the starter, but still had the problem. When I swapped matching relays (for the starter relay) the short stopped. I replaced the relay and haven't not had a problem for the last 6 months.

Maybe I should concentrate my diagnosis on the ignition key switch, or Maybe it is time to get rid of the 3rd Generation Max, and move up to a newer one. I really don't want to do that!

kcidmil

Play around with each harness. Sometimes pushing or pulling on a certain harness will cause the problem to quit, or completely disconnect that system. Not too hard of course. But if the connection is where a problem lays, that'll bring it out in a hurry.

Wiking

Lock problems are related to the circ breaker sound u descibed.

The problem is where it was earlier - 90% chance. Clean and add contact grease.

Check that u get +12V to the starter solenoid. If not, connect the 4&5 together at ign sw.

Test with a jumper wire from batt to starter.

Any old car has to be loved:
see how: http://www.cardomain.com/memberpage/748507/14

.

MaDMaX024

heres what you do. take off your negative battery cable.
clean it, make sure it fits the terminal very tightly. you shouldnt have anymore problems. mine used to do this, i went nuts with 3 different batteries, tried a second alternator, checked all relays/fuses/wiring. turned out to be a worn out battery terminal.