Okay so I started my car today and I noticed that the brake and baterry light was both on and the air bag light was flashing. So I turned off my car and tried to start it again hoping the lights would go away, but with no luck, the car wouldn't even start again just kept clicking.. I know these lights mean a problem with the alternator but i replaced the alternator about 3 weeks ago and it was running and charging fine until this problem. Checked the voltage on the battery with car off and it was about 11.85V. Any ideas where the problem lies? Maybe I just need a new battery?

 

If u have power then its not battery. Battery voltage is supposed to be 12v. Clicking noise is usually telltale sign of failing starter.

 

clicking(not cranking)means battery is low, battery light on(when engine running)means alternator is not working. since your battery light is on, so the problem should be on alternator, and with no charge your battery will running low.

 

95% sure it's your alternator. I had similar thing - had pep boys put in an aftermarket alternator (yeah I know, but it was an emergency job on a weekend night while I was out of town). friggin crappy pepboys alternator turned out to have an internal soft short (meaning it would slowly drain the battery dead over a couple days). no codes or CEL. I kept thinking I had bad batteries or something. after 3 costco batteries I finally measured the key off current draw to determine the faulty alternator. went back to a pepboys in town. they gave me a hard time, but finally agreed to put in a new alt. I insisted on a OEM nissan part from the dealer. they did it (and charged me an extra $160 for the dealer part - ripoff I know, but I needed it done right and didn't have time to **** with it myself). everything's been fine ever since. beware aftermarket electrical components.

 

boosted my car and it started fine, checked the voltage of the battery when it was on....and it was around 14 V and with the car turned off it was 12.9 V. So it seems like the alternator is doing its job and charging the battery....now it starts fine again with no problems, i predict this happening again really soon, since this happened to me for the 3rd time in the past 2 weeks, although this is the first time my car wouldnt start....the other times i would just get the brake and battery light on while idling, but when i turned off the car and turned it back on it dissapeared. Note: the alternator should be good its only 3 weeks old. HELP dont want my car to die again..

 

another note, i only get the brake+battery lights during idle.

 

measure the voltage when the battery light is on and off, and see if there are difference, sometimes on sometimes off means loose connection. check the wire coming out of alternator.

 

I had 14V too and my alt was crap, and it too was new. new does not mean good. still betting it's the alternator, but check your connections and measure the key off draw next and tell us what you find.

 

Out of curiosity, where did you get your alternator from??

 

i would do this but this issue only happens like once a week or soemthing on a random day when im not at home or something , such a nuisance. Im bringing it in next week to get the wiring checked to see if there is a short somewhere in the system. i'll let u guys know, i hope my car doesnt die on me til then..

 

this might be of interest to you check it out.. maybe this will help http://www.automotix.net/autorepair/...n-maxima/1997/
or just google your year nissan maxima recalls i had a cavalier that i changed the FP on it and had been driving it for over a year when i found out that it was a recall and it wouldnt have cost me the 400 bucks i paid someone to do it