I turn the key and hear a click and then some tick tick tick. I can hear it try to start, but nothing. I thought it was the battery, but tried jumping it, and that didn't work. My headlights won't even turn on. When I try to start it, the dome light will even go off. Anybody have any ideas on what could be wrong? ie battery, alternator, or the starter?

 

You have a bad connection someplace. Check the battery wires on both ends. Battery and starter. Check your ground wires too.

 

Yes probalbly but if his battery is completely fried then jumping it off won't even help it.

 

Starter motor could be broken...that's worth checking out. This happened on my old '95 GLE. Its pretty easy to replace.

 

I've been talking to some of my friends, and they think it's my starter. Do you think most automotive shops will have starters in stock?

 

This clue tells us you have an electrical problem. Don't replace your starter until you get proper electrical functions back.
ie. Headlights, stereo, ect...
96se5spd has a point, disconnect the neg. terninal from your battery when you jump start your car. Taking your battery out of the circuit will eliminate that from being the problem. I'd look real hard at the connections at the starter. Look for corrosion or worn & fryed wires. Follow the positive wire from the battery and check everything along it's route.

 

Just got back from outside looking at the wires and all the connections. I checked my headlights and they work. Then I try cranking the car and all I hear now is clicking noises. Then I try to turn the headlights on again, and they don't work. I wait a couple minutes then they start to work fine.

 

Are your battery terminals corroded? Make sure that ground wire isnt chopped off, especially if you have some wierd intake.

 

I hate to state the obvious, but are you under the alternator recall for 97s?

http://forums.maxima.org/showthread....or+recall+date

 

check the ground. thats all it is. once the car is started, check for the alt. if the car does not shut off after 10-15 minutes then the the alt is fine. no need for the recall. later.


Ferhan

 

Yea the same thing happened to my car a couple days ago and it would not jump. I had to get it towed. My problem was the starter. Since your lights wont go on it could be your battery but my car made the same noises so you might wanna get the starter checked out too!

 

throw some pepsi on the battery terminals and then try to start it

 

There is definetly a need for the recall...the recall is for fires starting from an electrode connector inside of the alt., Not Alt failure, alt fire
-matt

 

If there isn't any corrosion at the connections (or loose connections) you battery is low/dead... caused by dead battery or failing alternator.

 

I don't think it's my battery, b/c I just got a new one a few months ago. I ended up getting a new alternator. I decided to call it a nite, b/c it started to get dark and I couldn't get one stupid bolt off. Since I had my intake off and all the tubing, I checked my ground and it's fine along w/ my other wires.

 

we never said battery.. we said terminals..

 

You got a new alternator......does that mean you went somewhere and bought one or you've had one installed?


I'm not sure why you would make life harder on yourself by not getting a defective part replaced by Nissan......

 

I hate to tell you this but even if his alternator is fried his car should still turn over, something else is wrong.

 

Assuming your ground is good, it sounds exactly like a bad battery I bought a few months ago.

There was some kind of internal short within the battery.

Try removing the battery from the cables and then running off of a new one. Just get a cheap-*** sears or something to prove the theory.


-RMB

 

Before you go out and buy things instead of jumping it off, take your battery out and put someone elses in (if it will fit) then try to start your car. If it starts you know your problem if not well, you have a lot of work to do.

 

oops sorry, I ment to say I got a new starter

 

does your car start now??

 

not sure yet. I finally got the old starter off this morning, but when I was putting in the new one. I tightened the bolt that connects the power wire and I broke that. So I'm waiting for my sister to get off work so she can take me to the store. I hope it's my starter....it better be

 

This tread is very confusing. If the starter is clicking it one of two things.
1)Either the battery is dead which you can check by turning on the lights and trying to start the car....do the light dimm out when you try and roll it over?
2) If that wasn't the problem it has to be either the solenoid or the starter itself. I went through 2 starters in 2 months so just cause you got a new one doesn't rule it out. Let us know what it was.

 

If your lights don't turn on...then your battery is dead. The cell itself is dead. If you want to be sure take the battery to Autozone, Pepboys, checker, have them test it. It is the battery or you don't have the battery hooked up to the car. Because if the battery won't hold a charge then jumping it won't do any good. I suggest you go have the battery tested before you go replacing things.

-John

 

Fixed it. I put in the new starter, and the car started right up

 

 

This sounds exactly like a starter problem to me..
I'll bet on it

 

Nissan is f****n w/ us cause i just got the exact same thing fixed today on my max!