UPDATE ON BOTTOM POST


ok so i finally got my axles replaced after a bunch of little problems along the way. but now, when i try to start my car, the starter just clicks really fast and the lights on the dash dim with it.... i cant figure out what is going on

 

sounds like your battery is dieing, try getting a jumpstart or a new battery.

 

Hehe, thats what I was thinking. Dead battery.

 

the battery tests fine, now when i turn the key forward the dash light will hardly light up and i hear a really fast clicking sound coming from the drivers side front, its not the starter because it does it when the key is ON not START, i also just put a new starter on and it did nothing..... i just want to slam this damn thing into a guardrail..... ive never ever been so frusterated with a car

 

Did you look at the alternator? Starter i installed correctly? What were these "little problems" that you ran into before? Anything electrical or that would effect the startup?

 

little problems,stripping out the balljoint nut then realizing the balljoint didnt need to be popped, breaking the screw hole for the transmission speed sensor, breaking two rachets getting bolts loose, stupid things like these

 

that clicking sound is comming from a flasher/relay to the left of the clutch behind a panel, any idea what these do? for a while the windows wouldnt roll down and the seat wouldnt move, but now they do except the dash lights dont light?

 

Again, did you check the alternator? It seems like you just dont have enough power.

 

what can i check on the alternator besides the connections when the car is off? there is a positive wire going straight to the starter and its grounded on the block, how could the alternator affect it? also i have notcied a pattern in the symptoms..... if i let the car sit without touching the key for about 5 mins, i can turn on the headlights and theyll stay on for a while

 

when you say the battery tested ok, how was it tested? was it load tested against its cca rating? and did it hold up? just to check for 12 volts doesn't mean it's good. also be sure the cables on the battery are clean and tight. try getting a jump. while you were working in the car was the radio on, were the doors open? these little things can drain the battery. is the battery 3 or more years old? yeah, then get a new one.

 

Sounds like your battery, try and actually jump start it. Its for sure not your alternator. A car can still start with a dead alternator as long as the battery has power.

 

try jump starting the car, i was working on a 95 maxima once replacing the lower CPS sensor and it wouldnt start, cranked but wouldnt catch, hooked up the battery booster and it started right away. The cliking is a relay, i work at a dealership and 70% of our new cars are dead, they rarely get driven and therefore the batteries die. When you test the battery, simply testing the voltage with a voltmeter will not tell you much. Basically you need to test it while its under load with a AVR tester or something similar.

 

yea i jus had this issue yesterday its your battery. i have an optima yellow top and mine died i tried everything and my last resort was my battery and i got one last night and she starts up real well actually

 

ok now i feel really stupid, you guys are right it was the battery. when i tested it, i only tested for voltage, which measured 12.7v i thought there is no way it could be dead, it should at least crank the car, but i guess it wasnt putting out the ampherage, and i hooked up my voltmeter to the battery and turned the key forward to try to crank it, the voltage dropped to 4 - 3 volts! so thats kind of a dead giveaway... thanks guys

 

yeah so after test driving a little bit, i noticed that while accelerating and turning left there was a vibration. i jacked up the front and my drivers side axle has about 1mm of play left to right (away and from the transmission), the axle doesnt move in and out of the tranny, but the shaft moves indicating that autozone sold me a total POS replacement

 

i wonder if i have the same problem you do. Did your axle click in when you inserted it into the transmission? Or does a shoulder or lip prevent it from going all the way in? Mine wont click in either because of the shoulder/lip.

 

ya i felt it click in, i pushed on the axle to compress it then hammered on the end of it to click it in place, but the damn thing has play in the cv joint, letting the shaft move side to side independantly of the joints, albeit only a very small bit but i can feel it when i grab the axle and push and pull on it. im so sick of this i think im just going to deal with it until this axle blows up, btw dont buy axles at autozone