PAREDLINE

After someone posted that year long thread about starting problems...

I never thought my car would take a crap like that. But it did.

Since most of our cars have the same problems at around the same time, (the 100th monkey phenomenon) I recommend everyone go outside, remove their battery, take off the battery tray and look at the negative battery cable where it attaches to the body of the car.

If there is ANY corrosion either clean, repair, or replace that cable.

I never ever ever imagined in my wildest dreams that this could happen but my car had been running on 13.4 volts instead of the usual 14+. I swapped alternators. Same deal. I left it alone...

A week later, my starter went dead. Turns out continuous low voltage will kill your starter. I got a starter from a company called "original equipment" which SUCKED ***** and shorted out. Then I got one from NASTRA and it's a rebuilt nissan starter which works great. Surprisingly it had 11 teeth.

With the voltage tip, I traced all my ground wires and sure enough there was a lot of corrosion. Took a half day to replace the starter, clean off the corrosion, change the battery, add some extra wires to ground the engine block, the alternator, and the body, and now the car is running great.

AND now it's putting out 14+ volts. It was that crappy ground wire all this time.

Dont get stranded. Check your ground wires.

konak85

iTrader: (10)

good advice. on my list of to do's

MDeezy

iTrader: (27)

Good advice indeed. Will add to my check list for when I do my own multi point inspection.

Swazey

looks like i have something to do tomorrow

99grnmaxgxe

iTrader: (11)

There's only one ground wire hooked up to the negative terminal of the battery right? Does that ground hook up to anyother? I'm asking this b/c my dad's truck has two grounds for the negative battery terminal.

whitegold

iTrader: (1)

Some GM cars have the dual post which sometimes have two grounds hooked up. Im not sure where they go.

darklegend06

iTrader: (11)

Hmm something to do after I'm done replacing my CV-boots for both sides and both lower control arms. Thanks for the tip.

Juicey

It wouldn't hurt for you guys to read over that "year long" thread before you do extra grounding because I believe some people have found the gauge of the wires matters as well as how well you sand your connection points. Also has good pics of where people have run ground wires.

http://forums.maxima.org/showthread.php?t=452286

It never fails that a change in the seasons always bring on new car problems!

PAREDLINE

I agree. I used 8 gauge wire for my extra wires and the stock nissan wire (0 gauge) for my negative to body under the battery box and to the transmission.

I can post pics if you want but it should be self explanatory. Just find bolts where you can access and think they are good ground spots.

Two other spots are a must.

1) Run wire from the negative battery post under the radiator support to the other side. Right above the alternator, behind the radiator, there is a grounding post. It's a little 10mm nut holding a wire. Ground that spot.

2) From the above spot, run a wire to the body. There are 2 wires going to the body directly to the right of the alternator. Remove these two wires. Grind down the paint on ONE of these sites, then use that one point to ground the 2 factory wires in addition to your new 8 gauge wire.

This spot alone took care of my voltage problem. I had 40 feet of wire so I randomly chose 2 spots on the engine to ground as well.

Walmart has an "Amp Install Kit" in the auto section that comes with 8 gauge wire. 40 feet of it. For $20. And you get a few connectors too. 50 cents a foot for 8 gauge cannot be beat.

If you need thicker wire like 0, 1, 2, 4 gauge- try your local boater's world or West Marine.

If you guys want pics I can post some.

HallKemar

^pics pleaseeeeeee

99grnmaxgxe

iTrader: (11)

on pics, PLEASE!