I just read this forum, but my problem is a little different.
http://forums.maxima.org/showthread....hreadid=157300

Ok, here goes...
so the other day i was driving and my lights dimmed a little bit, i didnt really think anyhting of it until yesterday morning.
I go to start my car and it wouldnt roll over. It would try to start, but it wouldnt make that last step. one time turning the ignition the little warning lights went off (both battery and check engine at bottom of dash) but then went right back on.
So after that I had my friend give me a jump. and it started up.

So, about a day has gone by with no problems.
this morning i go to start my car and i have that problem,
but this time I turn the ignition and then i gave it some gas, and after about a second it started up.
I was told it could be the alternator/battery (a new nissan battery was put in about 3 weeks ago) or maybe even a fuel or electrical problem.

if anyopne has had this problem and may know whats wrong or has any suggestions, please let me know.

Thanks,
Noah
noahm716@yahoo.com

 

Lets rule out the battery.

Check your battery cables, make sure there nice and tight.

Then get your alternator checked. Maybe you really didn't need a battery 3 weeks ago........

 

If you can start the car with giving gas, your Hitachi starter and Hitachi alternator are working fine.


What you must do is cleaning the butterfly openings at your throttle body. Go to autoparts, buy that $1 carb/throttle body cleaner, come home, take your plastic intake out, and clean the throttle body.

Then your max will start up normally.
I found that the hard way

The reason it doesn't start w/o gas is that b/c of the gunk at butterfly openings, it doesn't open up, thus not getting any air, which is necessary for the engien firing.

doh

 

Had that happen to me once in my old Cherokee. Was driving back from Buffalo when the lights started getting dimmer and dimmer. I luckily was able to make it into a rest stop before the car died.

It was the alternator.

Get it checked.

 

That was a Jeep.

and they don't use Hitachi alternator

 

what do you think about getting some fuel injector cleaner, should i do that as well, and then try the carb/throttle cleaner?

thanks for all your responses

 

Yeah, drop in fuel injector cleaner/carburetor cleaner if you have not already done it.

But make sure to drop it in with full tank of gasoline, Premium of course, is the preferred choice of .org members

Remember, that sub-90 AKI gas is only available in US: very degrading, you can't find anything like that anywhere else in the world.

 

ok,
ill give that a shot later today and let you know if the situation improves.(do you recommend any particular brand?)
hmmm.. i have a half tank of 89 in there, should i fill the rest with premium or keep the rest the same?
Thanks

 

Oh I forgot.

If you just got the car or something like that, take a look at your air filter too. And change it if it's dirty.

Then proceed to throttle body cleaning.

And when you drop by gas station for filling up, drop in fuel injector cleaner.

Then, I would do transmission fluid/filter change and oil change.

But if you don't have time for throttle body cleaning for some time now, start your car with the gas pedal trick.

This is done by flooring the gas while turning the key, then doing 1/3 gas pedal at RPM range above 2000 for about 5 sec to make sure the engine doesn't stall out due to lack of AIR.

 

Fuel injector cleaner will not take care of the starting problem.

Do the throttle body cleaning. It's not really hard. It took me 30 min last week, my first time trying that.

I've had the same symptoms as u have.

And yes, use 92+ premium gas. I work for gas station QuikTrip myself, and when the Kenan guy drop off his gasoline, he brings in only two types: 87 and 93. 89 is achieved my computerized mixing of the two fuels.

And consider this point: only 2 diff. bet. 87 and 89, and wow 4 diff bet 89 and 93.

 

I wont have time until friday or sunday to do the throttle body cleaning, but i am going this afternoon to the gas station to get some fuel injector cleaner(i read in another forum that fuel injector could corrode or damage the fuel injector??? know anything about this) and fill up the tank. about 3 weeks ago when the battery was replaced, the oil and transmission fluid was also replaced.

im pretty sure there is a newer air filter in there... i'll double check.

does giving the car gas while starting up lead or could lead to any problems... or is it harmful?

thanks

 

Also,
anyplace that has a quide on how to clean the throttle body?
thanks

 

This is an electrical issue, not fuel or intake/throttle body related.
Again, electrical issues, not fuel, not throttle body..

AND YOUR FINAL CLUE THAT IT'S AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM IS .........
A jump start means he was out of battery juice, not fuel, not throttle body related.

Your sending this guy on a wile goose chase with fuel injector cleaning and TB cleaning. Thats not his problem. He needs to find out why he's losing electrical power. My guess is his alternator is quiting on him and his battery isn't getting charged correctly. Most likely he didn't even need a new battery a few days ago, his alternator isn't charging correctly and thats why his car isn't starting.

 

Yep.

 

thanks for all your help

 

ALTERNATOR
had same problem , change it before you get stuck somewhere and regret it , then u have to waste time and money for tow truck

 

People, from my bitter personal experience, when both Pepboys and Autoparts ASE technicians told me after a 5 minute of messing with my car that my alternator was dead...

I bought the cheap worldwide made in taiwan alternator from Autoparts and put it in my car...still no start.

So I take my old Hitachi alternator to Billy's Batteries, and Mr. billy tested and says with heavy Southern accent, "son, your battery aint' the problem."

So what was the problem? Apart from those auto store suckers who want to rip you off, one cheap $1 negative ground wire was bust, and I had to pay $260 including towing.

Plus the crazy labor time I spent sweating and burning the midnight oil alternating the friggin alternators!

Simply put, "If you don't butcher your alternator with triple JL 12" or something, the alternator never dies."

At first, my car too started up with jumping, then nope. And even after my $260 repair, my car started up very hesitantly.

So I asked the mechanics and they told me to do a throttle body cleaning. And I went "ahhh..."

And now my car starts up fine.

Also the link on how to do the throttle body cleaning is found in this great website:

http://www.motorvate.ca/

then click on engine, then click on throttle clean.

PS why didn't you guys lend me a correct advice 2 months ago when I was posting like crazy?

 

Oh yeah, if your alternator is about dying, your "RECHARGING WARNING" light below your speedometer will pop up.

Duh, people, he didn't say it popped up.
You guys were of minimal help when I was going thru Max ordeal (no pun intended)

And now you are being Max pain.
Doh

NWMMA, you will see it when your alternator is at its last breath, because the battery will not be charged, and the ECU (computer) will sense it and make the orange warning light to go "pop" all the time.