Rich1995

this has happened twice in the past week..and i dont want it to happen for good...


i go to turn my car on and i just hear a "click" from the engine bay..the car doesnt actually turn over or even attempt to turn over..
usually you know that sound you get when you turn your key to accessory mode the hissing sound when **** is flowing into the engine or i really have no idea what that sound is...but it didnt happen on either occasion that i can remember...it happened today and the hissing sound only occured when i turned the key fully which is wierd...

takes 4 or 5 turns of the key for the car to actually crank and then it runs like a charm

now i just replaced the battery 2 weeks ago too if that helps

could it be the starter? battery? ignition? who knows im not a mechanic so any suggestion is useful

njmodi

iTrader: (4)

Check for voltage at the starter (unhook the harness and see if you get 12V) with with the key in the start position.

It's either the starter or the ignition switch (both of these are prone to failure).

If you get 12V at the starter, then it's a bad starter. If you don't see 12V at the starter (consistently) then it's a bad ignition switch.

Both are easy to replace yourself. Ignition switch runs about 30 bucks and take 15 mins to swap out.

Starter is 150-250 and under an hour (for a first timer) to swap out.

Rich1995

im just gonna go out on a limb here and say....its only acted up twice in the past week....so if its working fine every other time this test wouldnt work would it?

nonetheless ill try it this weekend

njmodi

iTrader: (4)

I see your point... typically, if its a bad ignition switch, it will get worse. Eventually, you'll have to start jiggling the key around to make it start.

Since you said you hear a click but no starting... that implies the ignition switch is ok, but the starter is bad... do you hear the click everytime?

Rich1995

every time i turn the key the click happens...it only clicks once and then something decides to load into the engine and it will work even without jiggling the key

but alas i hope it doesnt die on me

njmodi

iTrader: (4)

If hear the click everytime, then my guess is the starter is bad/sticking. That click is the ignition relay. (or at least I think it is).

JonnyCum Lately

I think its your starter bro. The same thing happened to me last month. I would turn the ignition key and just hear a soft click. I would then try it an hour later and it would start up no problem. At the same time the starter would make a grinding, high pitched noise when the engine was cold.

Next time it happens give your starter a light tap with a metal pipe and then turn the key. A slight tap will help the solenoid turn over. I got stuck at the gas station, so I used the 3 foot black pipe I keep in the trunk. A new starter will run you about $230 at the dealer, plus you have to put down a $60 deposit for the core exchange.

Rich1995

haha i dont exactly keep any lead pipes in my trunk butttt

i heard tonight that my mom had the same problem a long time ago when the car was hears and i was just a youngin....and it was the starter

i have also heard the high pitched noise on startup so im betting it is the starter...i have someone calling back with the price of a new one

the dealership wants a pretty penny to install a new starter...ballpark $450 so i normally add about $800 more to that for every other damn thing they find...bah

oh well ill see what the guy says maybe he will hook me up

njmodi

iTrader: (4)

If you are reasonably handy, the starter is quite easy to replace yourself.

You can buy a genuine Nissan starter online for 180, and it will take you no more than an hour from start to finish to install it...

Ookami

I believe this is occuring to my mother's Maxima as well, can someone point me in the right direction to instructions and/or service manual pages for replacement. Thanks.

njmodi

iTrader: (4)

www.motorvate.ca has a nice writeup on the starter re-greasing.. obviously removal/replacement is the same thing...

venturous

The first thing I would do is recheck the battery cables to make sure they are clean and TIGHT. A loose battery cable will do exactly the same thing.
Randy

Rich1995

well without my knowing my mom took my car to sears today to get the starter checked out and they said everything was fine..they cleaned the battery and redid the cables anyway even though i had done the same installing my new battery last week

they said it could be an electrical problem because the starter was fine


so unless they are complete n00bs im back to a square 1 but i have another mechanic that can test everything for me that i can trust a little bit more...and can probably get me a good deal on a starter if it is bad

Ookami

Replaced the starter on Saturday afternoon, had a hellva time breaking the lower right bolt free, once replaced it was a little hard to start the car up, but now it's starting great everytime. The check engine light came on after the first start but I believe it's probably due in part to the Frankencar intake. It's probably the air temp sensor warning I've gotten in the past.

Replacing the starter was fairly easy, I'd say 3-4 hours with going to the parts store for a new starter, which at O'Reilly's is $139.99 + tax + return the old starter. Steps are fairly simple, remove battery, remove intake, then move some of the wiring out of the way, for the harness attached to the starter just slide it towards the front of the car then you can unclip it then it's two bolts on the starter, one is 14mm the other is larger, can't remember the size... it was a pain in the butt to get off though.

Rich1995

yeah just cause i dont feel like doing it myself ill probably get the mechanic guy to do it for me cause hes not gonna overcharge me...and he can do it quicker and easier and make sure it works fine without problems