mdj21

i'm trying to fix my mother-in-law's 89 maxima (automatic trans). when you turn the key it does nothing except that you can hear a relay under the dash doing its job. all of the fuses under the dash are good. when i put the meter to the one for the starter, it shows 12V when you try to crank it then drops to 0V when you let off the key. the battery is only a few months old and i don't think it is the problem. i even tried to jump the car with my truck so i know that the battery is not the trouble.

i then started working from the starter back through the system. there is 12V at the large wire going to the seloniod. i checked for voltage on the small seloniod wire with the key turned and got nothing. i traced then further back to a relay which the cover over the relay says "inhibit". on the contact side of the relay there is 12V ready to go down to the starter, but when i check the coil side there is no power there to activate the relay when i turn the key. i was unable to trace the wiring any further back than that as i do not have the wiring diagram. if anybody has the wiring diagram for the starting system of an 89 maxima that they could send me, i would very much apperciate it.

i have a haynes manual, but it is only mildly helpful.

from there i decided to check the switch down on the trans that only lets you start the car when it is in park or neutral. according to the checks i followed in the book, it is working properly and when i check it for voltage i get 12V going down to the switch.

i wasn't entirely sure what fuseable links were associated with the starter, so i checked all of them on the drivers side (there were only four). they were all fine.

the haynes manual says that there are two relays for the ignition under the dash. the one next to the fuse seems to be working and i can here it. the other one should be mounted to the side of the car down by the drivers feet (acording to the book). i have not checked this relay yet.

i'm running out of ideas. are there any other parts in the ignition system that i should be checking? if any body has any ideas, i would very much appreciate hearing them.

jwmaxse

iTrader: (1)

Have you tried to just tighten the battery cables? I had two different cars that had issues with them this winter, all of the sudden the car wasn't starting, stuff was clicking but not enough power to start it, both times it was the battery cables loose on the terminals.

mdj21

well, i didn't try that but i will tomorrow. didn't think about since i can measure 12 volts here and there.

i'll be pretty pissed off if that is all it is. spent 2 hours up to my elbows in grease and filth tinkering with this car and it's not even mine.

my old 200SX would do that only it would behave more like the battery was dead. the engine mite turn over once or twice then nothing. clean up the posts on the battery and she would start right up.

actually, that may not be it. i accidently jumped the two large wires on the starter seloniod together with my tester lead and the engine did try turn over pretty well.

i'll check it anyway just to be sure.

thanks for the ideas

jwmaxse

iTrader: (1)

That's kind of funny, one of the cars that I was talking about was my 95 200sx. I would say it's worth a try, it does sound like it's getting power, just not quite enough to get it going, maybe a bad ground or something.

lalo

have you tried testing out the starter? autozone tests them for free... im no expert though..

To tell the truth i have the same prob, i turn the key and all you hear sometimes is the blue relay near the fuses click...click....click everytime you turn the key.

I did replace it with one from a junk yard so now that happens alot less, but still very irritating. if you ever find out whats cousing it let me know.

maxzella

Have you tried turning on the headlights and then crank, if the lights go out you don't have enough juice in the battery or your grounds to the frame need to be cleaned. The ground from the battery to the engine also has a grounding point in the middle of the cable under the battery tray that bolts to the frame. Clean it!

mdj21

that's a good idea. it mite also prove rosamax's bad battery connection idea.

i don't think the battery is bad. it's only a few months old. i also tried jumping it with my truck and it had no effect.

which relay did you replace, lalo? there is one by the fuse box and annother one is supposed to be mounted on the side wall by the drivers foot.

i'll have to keep trying with this thing this afternoon when i get home from work.

thanks for the ideas.

Wiking

Read your Private Message.

Cabling may be oxidized, do as suggested with the lights on...

My bet is the inhibit relay control. You may bypass it with a jumper wire. The actual reason may be bad gear selector switch or car alarm on. Or ign sw.

You may start the engine with a jumper from starter to batt +12V. Or with a screwdriver hitting it between those poles. But be prepared to loose its edge due to sparking...

Your quite kind on the hay-Ness chilton's hillarious joke collection... Now forget what haynes tells and immediately receive a bunch of new, REAL ideas... Btw, youre quite good at troubleshooting...

mdj21

yea, there is juice at the "inhibit" relay it's just that nothing wants to activate the coil to let it get to the starter. inhibit relay is good. i checked it. checked the trany switch. seems to be good. didn't think about the security alarm. it's factory installed, i think.

electronics has always been a hobby of mine, so i have a little experience with electrical gremlins. would rather debug my own circuits though than some one elses (Nissan's).

i'll go check mesages now......

....... ok, i give up, how do i check private messages arround here?

Wiking

hmmm. scroll to top. "mid right under u name"

Actually I have had no problims here. Been just tracing for others: the door switches possibly play games so alarm inhi-bit is on.

mdj21

ok, i still don't see it. only thing under my u-name is calendar, quick links and log out.

i am having trouble with one of the doors not always closing the switch. maybe i should work there as well and see if it helps clear up this no start problem.

Wiking

--->PM is above the words "quick link".

Hey this is importAnt: Your browser has 'seek' -command. Use that. Write in that box word "Private" and bang...


Door sw problems? Sounds familiar.

mdj21

not on my screen it's not......

seek? is that kind of like search?

yea, the door switch. it's killed one battery already now. thought i had it fixed, but maybe not. will have to check again.

Wiking

all browsers have edit/find -feature... high time to kick that in. Best feature of all...

There are multiple 'modes' on .org; i have the std setting. Go to your account, you will not be here if u cannot find that. There is also PM click possibility.

Try this, bottom of page:
http://www.cardomain.com/memberpage/748507/1

mdj21

checked the FAQ's on PM, tied to get to PM's from there, screen says that i am not allowed. i thought i was a registered member? why would it be disabled for me?

found the edit/find thing.... pretty cool..... no luck.

Wiking

Go to your own account. Edit/options. There YOU set up your account. At current setTings YOU have barricaded uself into 'jail' =no communication.

AGAIN, click on this, GO bottom of page:
http://www.cardomain.com/memberpage/748507/1

mdj21

ok, i changed the settings. they still won't let me in to view PM's.

that looks like a pretty good web site. i'll have to get in to it further after work......

thanks for the help.

lalo

Forget exactly wich one i replaced, but turn the key and put your finger on the Blue Relay next to the fuse box (either second from bottom or third from bottom), with my problem i could FEEL it click. It was Blue but I also replaced the Alarm one in the engine bay, I think it was Brown. So either one solved my problem.

The car would not turn on sometimes and would leave me stranded, but it was not the battery or the starter, because i bought a new batt and starter. Once when I was straded at grocery store I took a Screw driver I had in the trunk and tapped the relay that was clicking and then the car started.

Sorry if im not much help but I never really completed the diagnosis, my car still has the problem, but now will actualy turn on. I just have to keep hearing the click of the realay alot less.

Im thinking that the rellay was just part of the problem and there still somethign else I have to replace/fix.

mdj21

well i've made a little progress. this time i tested the coil side of the inhibit relay. while turning the key to crank the engine, i read only 1.3 volts there. clearly not enough to do the job. if i pull the transmission out of park and do the same i get nothing at all so i know that the transmission switch is doing its job. so something between the trany switch and the inhibit relay is shorted, grounded, or maybe the anti theft system relay is bad.

does anybody know where this relay is located? it's not the one on the drivers side in the engine compartment with the fuseable links. that one flashes your headlights.

does anybody know where the smart entry controler is located?

(again, this is an 89 max)

by the way, wiking, i saw the link to factory service manuals but the only two that would be close enough for me to use were not available for down load. thanks anyway.

Wiking

Bypass that inhibitor relay with a jumper wire. Relay box is under the water reservoir.
Btw. Schematics are 95% the same with the -94 model, real cheap to verify that...

mdj21

i thought about that, but you would be bypassing the switch on the transmission. would like to avoid that if possible. would rather fix the anti theft trouble or bypass that anti theft relay instead. i will bypass inhibit relay only as a last resort. or maybe run a wire directly from trany switch to inhibit relay......

the 94 max FSM was not available for download from that site shown at the bottom of the page you showed me. i don't suppose you have it and could email it to me?

my only other option, short of going to the dealership, is an 89 max FSM on ebay which is at about $15 the last time i checked it. that's a pretty good deal as i seem to remember these types of manuals going for $60 and up from the dealer.

Wiking

But of course I do not have such things, all I have got on paper is the haynes toalett set... Btw. that site is available time to time.

Get first your private messages running. IT will after hitTing it hard enough...

Its like this, autozone.com:

mdj21

wow, autozone??? i didn't think to check that one out. Autozone was where i picked up my Haynes toilet paper. didn't think they had access to schematics like this at Autozone. so now i have three choices; the manual on ebay, the subscription to that site at Autozone, or maybe the dealer..... tough call.

that diagram is very helpfull. thank you very much. i can clearly see now how to bypass the anti theft and still keep the trany switch operable.

i don't suppose you know where the anti theft relay is located do you? i know it's not the one on the drivers side in the engine compartment. that one says anti theft but is for flashing the head lights not working the inhibit relay. found that out by trying to bypass it and seeing the headlights come on.

i checked that spot that says "recieve email from other members" and still nothing. is there something else i have to do?

Wiking

Log on the www.autozone.com ; free login. The toiletpaper manual is all there... There actually is very similar schema for 93 or smtg...

BTW! This autozone link sits also on my first page I mentioned... just read C A R e f u l l y...

Dunno relay location - it is under dash. Maybe !smdy! here gives it? I dont have it (maybe), anyways I've different sec system.

Make new account? Try hitTing head on curRent ACcount? Any software info is NEVER newbie -friendly. And later its not needed... like childtons manuellos terribleses.

mdj21

cool, i just found the autozone schematics area. i think i like Autozone again....

unfourtinatly, they don't seem to have anything on the anti theft system. oh well. maybe i'll just bypass it....

lalo

thanks Wiking I think I found my Problem, im going to replace the theft warning realy, since I already replaced the Inhibitor

mdj21

do you know where the Anti theft relay is? it's not the one on the drivers side in the engine compartment there with the fuseable links. that one flashes the head lights.

i would love to test mine as well, but i don't know where it is.......

Wiking

...this is dangeRous: my friend starts to like cHilton... "unfourtinatly, they don't seem to have anything on" ...any tRouble

"oh well. maybe *** just bypass it..."

mdj21

you mean that's from Chiltons? well, i guess Chiltons is a better brand of toilet paper than Haynes. there are very few diagrams like this in the Haynes manual. next time i have to wipe my a**, i'm gettin a Chiltons.

actually, i spent some more time on that carfiche site. starting to figure out how that one works. i think i may have found out where the anti theft relay is. from the picture, it looks like it is behind the dash on the upper right corner of the fire wall. hopefully it is there and is bad. i would rather replace a bad relay and have the car work as intended rather than runing new wires and bypassing things. besides, replacing a relay is much easier than soldering in new wires. guess i'll be doing that afternoon.

Wiking

Yes, only the chiltons picture address pasted on this post...

Haynes is UK, and readily available here. Dont like its paper, pigs, shoddy info, anything... So I ordered Chiltons from amazon. First thing I read from the book was: Haynes-Chilton... Oh boy. Its one and same, different covers, still maybe one worse than the other. Now they seem to have monopoly on glob all market. And can afford selling this crap 'cause no real options/competition on that price range. Now that does not matter as autozone gives that free. But really justabout any of its info causes confusion.

mdj21

Chiltons/Haynes?!?!?!?! wonderfull. and a UK company to boot. well, no matter. for the cars i tinker with that actually belong to me, i have the original FSM's. well worth the money.