My 96 auto does not crank on first and some time after several tries. The problem get worse on a hotter day. I have replaced battery, fule filter, and starter but no luck. What else could possible be worng. Help!

 

Make sure all your starter, battery etc connections are clean & tight as well. Loose or corroded connections can do this......

 

It could be any of the safety interlocks in the starting electrical circuit. I used to have problems starting mine and it was difficult to troubleshoot. The problem was a defective P/N switch in the transmission. I think there is also a switch next to the ignition key.

If you have the ability to troubleshoot electrical problems you can buy a "Haynes" or "Chilton" repair manual fo the Maxima. It shows a schematic of the electrical wiring and how to perform the test. In this kind of tricky problems its a good idea to swap parts with a friends Maxima for testing before buying the suspected defective parts.

 

Is it labor intensive job or any DIY can do it? Where is the trans switch located? Any suggestion on how to go baout it. I do have a chilton manual.

Thanks

 

I really don't know how difficult is the job because mine was replaced by the dealer. They covered it under a major warranty repair.
I do know that the one in the ignition key is connected to the auto shift lever by a cable and that the shifter cables have an adjustment.

Even for the technicians at the dealer it was difficult to pinpoint the problem since it was an intermittent failure. If your car fails all the time or at lest under the same conditions it will be easier to find. You could start by checking the wiring as 69CHARGER_RT suggested. If it still won't start, check the adjustment on these cables. Both procedures will cost you nothing but time. Then, you could attempt to swap the P/N switch with a friend and test it.

Chekout this post:
http://forums.maxima.org/showthread....neutral+switch