speedy

I have a 95 gxe auto tranny. I have 2 problems. Yesterday after driving all day i got into the car and turned the ignition and nothing hapened. Have power on everything. Tryed jumping it and same thing so cranking. came back 2 hours later starte and it started fine. drove it home turned it of and re craked it and it soundsed like it was working hard. tryed it again and nothing again. I cleaned al connections and i assume it is the starter.

2nd problem got in the car today and tested the started again and now it turned over but it wouldn't start. Just kind of stumbled never caught. turned over alright but didn't catch. if anyone has any idea i wold appeiated it a lot

thanks

Eric L.

Well, the first problem you described sounds like the starter solenoid has gone south. If the solenoid doesn't work, the starter never gets the signal to crank when you turn the key. I'm not sure if you can replace the solenoid separately from the starter, though. If it's not the solenoid, then it's the starter itself. Try this...the next time your car fails to even crank, take a wrench, and rap the side of the starter lightly several times. If the car then starts, then it's the starter itself that's defective. The reason behind hitting the starter is sort of complicated, but it does work so try it out as a diagnostic test.

The second problem you describe (the sputtering after starting) is more common. The current theory is that either there is insufficient fuel pressure built up for starting, or the coolant temp sensor is reporting a warm start when a cold start fuel mapping is necessary. There is really no solution to this problem. One helpful technique is to turn the key to "on", wait two seconds (you will hear a click), and then start the car. I do that and have never had the sputtering problem ever since.

Daniel B. Martin

Buy a can of starting fluid. This is a spray can of ether or equivalent. You can get it at any auto parts store or K-mart or Wal*Mart for about US$2. Spray a ten-second blast into the engine air intake. The starting fluid serves as a short-term substitute for gasoline. Crank to start. If the engine starts readily, runs for two seconds, and then "dies" you have a fuel problem. If it still won't start you have a spark problem. Knowing which (fuel versus spark) is an important first step in making a diagnosis. Making a correct diagnosis is an important first step in making a successful repair.

speedy

any other ideas?

max95

Speedy, I bought a 95 GXE Maxima in May 15, 1998 with 36,745 miles on it. Around the end of July the car began having the same problem that you are having now. The car would start without any problem, and after I stop it, sometimes it would not start again. After awhile it would start and would keep on working for several days.
Tired of this, I took it to L.P Evans the Nissan dealer closer to my house . There they told me that the problem was the starter, and that it would cost $360.00 to replace it. I didn't replace it because I know it was a rip-off. That was more that my car payment.
In the next occasion that the car didn't start, I call my old mechanic car that is a friend of mine, and he hit the starter with a wrench. It worked. We remove the starter and took it to a workshop where they rebuild starters and alternators. The owner tested my starter and said that it was working fine. We put it back and it did not work. We went back to the worksop and and got a rebuilt starter. The owner of the worshop told us that we were waisting our money, and that he was going to keep my old starter in case we want it back, because that was not the problem.
My mechanich told me that the problem was the selenoid, and that he could fix, but I was tired so I kept the starter.
I live in Miami where temperature are always over 90 degree, and I have never have a problem again. In these XMAs I went to Georgia's mountains where the car would cover with ice in the morning. No problem with the starter. I'm talking of January, 2001
My advise take to a dealer, and find a good mechanic to replace the starter, Emax95.