My Max was running fine, then all of a sudden last Saturday while I was at the pump my car wouldn't start. The lights all were lit fine exept the clock looked a little funny, but that's all. The enging didn't sound like it was turning over either, just this wierd rapid ticking sound when I turnded the key. It was starting ok then it cut off on me when I got gas again a week later. Now my car takes like 15 seconds of me holding the key in the start position to start. You know the sound of a turning engine, it makes that sound once every two seconds then slowly speeds up until the enging turns. I have no idea what's going on. Thanks in advance.

 

When I leave my car sit for a few days, more than 3, my engine makes that rapid ticking sound when I try to start it. I always need a jump-start after it has been sitting. After that its ok for me. I don't think my problem is caused by my battery, it is still pretty new. But maybe you need a new battery? just my 2 pennies

 

alternator...?

 

I don't think it's the alternator, becuase I can leave it a few days without a jump, but if I turn it on and off, it won't start, it's almost random. I takes forever to start. Sometimes it starts of with the rapid clicking and then slowly tries to turn over for like 15 to twenty seconds before it starts. I just don't get what's going on. I hope it isn't anything electric.

 

bump bump bump

 

Are you saying that when you turn the key, the engine doesn't crank at all...or are you saying that it cranks, but really slowly...?

 

Dude check your alternator. Then Check your battery. Then your starter might need to be re-greased.

 

I got my battery brand new in June, so I don't think that's it. My car cranks, just really, really slowly. Tody I timed it, I had to sit in my car with the key turned for 36 seconds befor the engine turned over. It started with the rapid ticking then the extremely slow cranking and it gradually sped up until the engine turned over.

 

vlave seals check and see if there is a puff of black smoke when it finally turns over there could be also be starting issues if your oil is too heavy ie 20/50( im sure there more reasons, thats just the first things that came too mind

 

You are confusing terms (or maybe I'm misunderstanding). To me turning over and cranking are the same thing. So this is my order, turn key, engine goes whirr-whirr - this is turning over/cranking... then after a a second or two of whir-whir, boom, the engine fires up and you stop "starting" the car with the key.

If the car is sluggish to turn over/crank, I would suspect the starter (especially if you know the battery is good). Does jumping it make any difference?

 

Yeah I can jump it and it will start immediately. My car's order is I turn the key, it rapidly clicks for a 10 seconds then goes whhuuirrrr, whhuirrrr, for like 25 seconds, making each noise like once every two seconds initially,then it slowly picks up unitil the engine roars to life. I never thought of the oil being too heavy unitil you said that. I changed the oil after putting about 20,000 miles on my car this year, and I burned through the oil put in after the change in about a month or two. I told my father that the same day and he put oil that he had for his 96 Nissan Pathfinder in it. I was wondering if that was the correct oil, but I anything is better than the wrong oil. Then we went to eat and that was the first time my car cut off on me. What's the correct motor oil for our cars, I think I still have his bottle in my trunk.

 

Use 5W30 or 10W30. Either will work. I would recommend Castrol GTX or Pennzoil if you choose to use a dino oil (I use Castrol GTX 5W30).

If the car jump starts fine, then I would have to stay its the battery. The alternator doesn't really play any part of starting the car. All the startup power is provided by the battery. Slow cranking is a sign of a dead (dying) battery.

I would recommend going to autozone (or similar) and getting your charging system tested. They should be able to tell you exactly what the problem is.

What battery did you get in June and from where?

 

DID U KNOW!? The Voltage regulator plays a huge role in starting the car. One of the possibilities is that it is not charging the battery properly and in result when the car is turned off there isn't enough power for it to start. Also a possibility.....I have changed my starter on my 97 maxima three times. There is a story out there that Maximas dont do well in electrical. Might be false, but ever since i replaced my starter the third time its been fine.

 

DID YOU KNOW that the voltage regular plays no part in the actual starting of the car. Yes, once the car has been started and the alternator is generating current, the voltage regulator plays a crucial role in regulating the output of the alternator and YES, if the alternator and or voltage regulator are bad, you could either not charge the battery (i.e. eventually kill it, so the car won't start), or you could overcharge the battery and that will kill it too.

 

I got mine from autozone. The wierd thing is that the lights aren't dimming. When I replaced my battery before I remembered that the dimming lights was a sign to me that the battery was going, but now everything is as bright as it always was. Even when the car wasn't starting at all. That's what threw me off. Do you still think it could be the batt?

 

Can anyone help me with this?

 

Bump again, this is really driving me crazy.

 

did you try regreasing the starter? that only takes an hour maybe 2 if you havent done it before.....