HONKER24

iTrader: (2)

Hello, I've had an issue today that I never have had before regarding starting my '89 Maxima. I went to the gas station to vacuum some leaves that have been festering at the bottom of my front windshield where the windshield wiper arms are. Upon clearing out the mulch, I start the car to leave and get no crank! The lights and radio all come on but the car is silent when I turn the key. I check the cabling from the battery and remove the connectors to remove what little corrosion was there to no avail. I then go around pulling and checking fuses where ever I can find them, everything looks good so I go around looking under the hood to see if I may have knocked something off, over or out while vacuuming but everything looks normal. I'm stumped so I call AAA and a tow truck driver is there within 15mins.
Now, I tell the tow truck driver the issue and what I already looked through, and he closes the driver's side door, locks and opens the door with the key and hands me the key to try again and IT STARTS and I look like an ***. He explained to me that this happened to me because my factory alarm kicked in and that was the way to disarm it. I thought everything was cool again until I went to Pep Boys to buy some replacement bulbs for my tail lights.
I come back out to the car and it won't start, and the tow truck driver's advice IS NOT WORKING
So I go at it again for about 5-10 mins checking fuses, checking battery cables/corrosion but this time I am also locking and unlocking the driver's side door with the key as instructed to no avail. Frustrated I take a break from that and decide to change out the bulbs I bought. I then try to start the car again and it works
Does anyone know what might be causing this frustrating issue with the car? Anything else I should check or test to try and pinpoint the problem?

Here are somethings I should point out:
-It has a new battery, less than a month old
-It also has a aftermarket alarm with remote entry and remote start which worked fine for over 3 months
-This is my first car
-Battery cable connectors/arms were replaced due to rust/corrosion about 3 weeks into owning it

Thanks!

Greeny

iTrader: (43)

Just unplug the factory unit...

internetautomar

iTrader: (30)

or you can do what I used to do. always double unlock the doors, if all 4 doors unlocked then the alarm was disarmed. If not then the alarm was still armed. it's a fool proof test.

Alex_V

my car isnt starting when its hot. maybe its the theft unit on mine too. but Im going to change my coolant temp sensor tomorrow. It runs rought and wont start when its hot, doubt it'd be that but Ive seen stranger.

~Alex

Wiking

Lucky man! I had to start my 'trbls-hoot career' with MINI...

If starter & starter solenoid is ok, 'all' boil down to inhibitor relay. Alarm, A/T gear selector sw an/or M/T clutch sw control startup via this relay.

As problem comes ON, to tst, try bypassing this circuit and give +12V direct to starter solenoid wire, gray connector. If it starts, then the problem is in this relay or its ctrl. If relay jammed, hit him and/or swap. If its ctrl, Do as suggested above and/or move gear selector bck/fw (sw bad??)

For details, see page http://www.cardomain.com/ride/748507/5

Wiking

Tst by taking MAF connector off.

HONKER24

iTrader: (2)

That unfortunately has not been working for me 100%. And now, the car won't start again tonight. Yesterday, I parked it, turn it off, then on, then off again, waited a few minutes then turned it on again and it ran fine all of those times. Now, no crank again


Any ideas on what I could use for the external +12V?

Thanks for the help guys! I am going to go back out there and first check for eggs, then try to get this thing running again.

HONKER24

iTrader: (2)

Well, the car started just as quick as ever, and there were no eggs to be seen on my or my neighbor's cars (this is my first Halloween in this neighborhood). It's too dark for me to do any actual work (no garage ). So my inspection may have to wait until the weekend as I don't get home until after dark.

Thanks again!

Wiking

Find any scrap electrical appliance, gut -get- 'any' wire. With 2ft piece of wire, strip ends bare, touch it firm to this starter solenoid connector, touch to batt positive (its somewhat wrapped in, do open first). Small sparking & startup will be the result if starter/solenoid is ok... This 12V cannot kill or harm any way, just dont swallow the battery.

Verify first that the wire/connector youre about to use, really physically comes from starter solenoid terminal as it does in my maxima.

This connection is what the relay (under water reservoir) does, connects batt +12V to this starter solenoid -wire.