OBEEWON

Forgive me if i missed this anywhere. Ive been looking but me no findey...

Anyway, sometimes when i try to start my car there is just a click and silence. It wont even try to turn over. If i turn the key of and press the clutch again it will eventually start right up. Battery seems fine. I thought it might be the starter but i figured it would at least make a noise. Thought it might have to do something with the button that the clutch engages but i dont know much about that. Please help...

kcidmil

Your starter's brushes are starting to wear down. Next time it just clicks, try TAPPING the starter witha hammer. I must stress tapping. Try the starting it again, and it should start right up. You can either have it rebuilt, or get a new one.

OBEEWON

Good advice, thanks. Have you had this problem before?

Wiking

...yess, mee too.

Several possibilities, one just as depicted.
- solenoid contacts burned, replace
- bad supply wire, grounding contacts
- battery has intermittent internal cut
- if the click is NOT solenoid, then inhibit relay is bad (very small clic)
- clucth switch bad --->you say exercising clutch changes situation

...many times feel hitting the vehicle, this stuck brush -fault is one of the few where it hlps.

kcidmil

I'm a mechanic for the airforce. I see this ALL the time.

Helps decide really quickly if it's the brush's or not. But if that doesn't do the trick... it's bound to be one of the things Wiking listed. Sometimes it's a combination. I've had one before that it was both the starter and loose battery connections.

Of course, I favorite term is... "if changing a part doesn't work... get a BFH... Big Faking Hammer"

OBEEWON

I like that... I like to smash things, Faken Shet

OBEEWON

It just did it again. I tried tapping the starter, no go. I kept pumping the clutch it just kept clicking with everypump. nothing else. then it just started.
When it started up it started off slow for a sec then it started. Sounded kinda like the starter was getting a really weak signal.

- solenoid contacts burned, replace
- bad supply wire, grounding contacts
these problems should be visable on the starter itself correct?

markmaxima

replace the starter befores it completely goes on you.

Wiking

Typical diagnosis before it goes totally dead...

"started off slow for a sec then it started."
- verify the grounding cable condition, see attached pic, might be totally rotten. (This condition might be quick tested with installing jumper cable from batt negative to engine.)

- solenoid has to be opened to see contacts. Can be cleaned. Once been burned, will burn soon again; at least my experience is that is short hlp. Some places sell solenoids also. But first the motor brush and collector condition has to be known: brushes may have to be changed, collector reconditioned; have done myself. Lots work, but not bad. DIY "cannot" produce worse job than the reconditioned that are been sold...

kcidmil

Some shops only charge around $30-60 for rebuilding a starter, your down only a day at most for rebuild. Doing it yourself is a good experience... but can easily go wrong if you don't pay attention to detail.

Wiking

Really, its not good business as DIY. As u say, experience is much better that changing studs... Sometimes its necessary if monney ish rili shoort.

OBEEWON

i took the starter out and all the contacts looked good. ground was good etc. so i took it to be tested at advanced. It was working but something didn't sound right so i just replaced it. I didnt realize how slow my startup was. Im pretty certain that was my prob. Thanx for the help guys.

-shock211-

iTrader: (1)

i had a very similar problem. it turned out to be the starter signal wire. must have been a break somewhere in the wiring. the signal wire runs from the starter to the ignition. so i hard wired it (with an inline fuse) to the ignition. been like that for a year and a half with no problems at all.

Schwagoo

I have been dealing with a similar issue. I have a reman starter that I got from Autozone a month or two ago...and it started doing just this. Click (sometimes just the TINY click) and I would try to start a bunch of times and it would eventually start. This morning I tried and it would NOT start. I pulled the starter and took it to Autozone for testing, it worked great on thier tester like 20 times in a row. I bolted it back on and checked ALL the connections. -Started right up.

I THINK I know what the problem was... my battery wasn't strapped down or anything and it must be moving a little from vibration, thus tweaking the connections.

I zip-tied that mother and put a bungee around it

america8371

I love my Maxima but I've had this problem for a long time now and I'm so tired of it. I try to start it and it just clicks then silence. But the thing is that I already replaced my starter and I still have the same problem. Advice would be greatly appreciated.

lalo

WE'LL NEED TO KNOW IF YOUR SE IS A AUTOMATIC OR MAUNUAL.
MORE OR LESS IT WOULD BE A WIRING PROBLEM (RELAY)

STARTING SYSTEM WIRING DIAGRAM

america8371

I have a manual. I also checked the clutch switch and it works fine.