Has anyone else had this problem? I have a 95 GLE in Toronto.

Sometimes I will try to start my car, but the starter doesn't even try to crank the engine - not a sound. The radio, climate control, keyless entry, interior lighting will still function. Five or more minutes later, when I try again, the car starts no problem, no effort.

This typically happens after the car has been sitting for 10-60 minutes after a 10-40 minute highway drive. I don't think that cold weather is a contributing factor.

The local Nissan dealership wants $80+ for a diagnosis, and I'm not sure where to find an honest Maxima mechanic in the east end of Toronto (Scarborough/Pickering).

Any ideas what the problem is, and about any good mechanics?

 

Replace the solenoid for the starter.

 

First, clean the battery terminals and check the water level. Fill only with distilled water.

If that doesn't fix it, take the starter off and have it checked for free at AutoZone.

 

If the starter checks out fine, then it must be your ignition switch. It's easy to change and costs like $54 at the dealership. I had to change mine out this past weekend becuase I had the same problem. I would tunr the key, the lights would come on and so would he radio but no crank. After several tries, it would crank with no problem. Now, the problem is fixed.

 

ive had the problem for 2 years now.... ignition switch huh??

 

Yeah. I took it to an auto electrition who is a freind of my dad. He tested the starter and the ignition switch and found out that the ignition switch was bad. It's really easy to change. If I had known how easy it was or that it was the problem, I would have done it myself. I watched him do it. Just unscrew the plastic panel covering the steering wheel. The igniton switch is on the other side of the ignition cylinder. I forget whether there's a screw holding it to the metal cylinder. The other end is connected to another wire via a plastic socket; it looks like a white circular socket with a black wire. Just unplug and switch out. You can even test the new one by trying to start it to see whether that's the problem.

 

Hey Slartibartfast! When you go to start the car, do you hear a fast "tic-tic-tic" sound? My car won't start this morning. I have 12.12V in my battery but get that sound.

You should drop by the Cdn. forum. There are a bunch of us from the GTA there.

 

I don't think that I heard any ticking. I'll listen more carefully if it happens again. In the meantime, step 1 is to clean my battery terminals. If that doesn't help, I'll get a repair manual and have a look at replacing the starter.

I'll check out the Cdn. forum - thanks!

 

Try to move the key when it moves to start position. If it works then it is most probably you ignition switch. I had the same problem and found out that my ignition switch had worn out connectors. It cost around $25 from autozone and around $30 from the dealer. All you need is the electric part and not the key part. Good luck!

 

Do you mean try to remove the key after it is inserted and turned to the "on" (ignition) position? I assume I should only try to do this if the engine won't start. Is it quick work to replace the electric switch part? How long should it take?

 

Yes, when you move the key all the way for a crank and hear no crank, hold the key in that position and wiggle it a little a little up and down. All you are doing in that case is making the worn out contacts. It would take less then an hour to do the job. Just open the screws from the bottom of the steering column and the switch is on the light switch side. Make sure to unplug the battery before you change the switch or you will short out the battery by touching the high-power wires going to ignition.

 

I'll give it a try if I have the problem again. This only happens once every few months. I cleaned my battery terminals today, but from this discussion, it looks like the starter switch will eventually have to get replaced. I suppose I should do it before I get stranded somewhere.

By the way, is that how people hotwire cars?