This may be old news to some, but I'm making a post about it for the next people that search. Hopefully my response will come up and save someone a lot of headache.

I just finished working on a 1996 Maxima that would take forever to start when cold, but would start right up fine after it was warmed up. Lots of cranking with no start, and when it did start it was sputtering and choking.

I checked all the usual suspects like dirty MAF, carbon in the IACV, vacuum leaks, and especially the fuel pump & filter. I have a stash of good used parts, so I was only out my time. Nothing seemed to make any difference though. I also know about the engine/transmission grounding issue, but this car had not been worked on like that at all.

I am about to start adding grounds to the engine (which isn't a bad idea BTW) when I suspected the ignition switch. Apparently the power for this circuit also goes through this switch, but the car would start perfectly otherwise. No jiggling of the key necessary.

When checking the circuit I was led to this fuse in the Service Manual.
I immediately suspected this may be the culprit, and sure enough, it was. The funny thing though is that the fuse was missing entirely. Someone earlier had been messing with the car for an unrelated problem and removed it I guess.

This circuit tells the ECM to make the fuel mixture rich for cold starts. It WILL eventually start without it, but it makes life a lot better when it is working.

So if you have an engine hard start condition when cold, check the 7.5A fuse in position 33 in the fuse panel. It is labeled Start Sig.

Thanks for reading. END

 

Nice finding! Checking fuses always helps. I remember I forgot to put that fuse back one time and had the same issue. I cleaned my IACV for a second time for no reason lol

 

+1
I experienced this same problem when I bought my very first Maxima 10 years ago. I gave up on the problem and stumbled on the missing fuse when I was checking them for something else.

 

I would like to seek some advice here. I have been reading threads on hard starts and this start signal fuse for like 2 hours this morning and I think this thread is most applicable to me. The symptoms that you mentioned (oldngivout) matched that of my 96 max perfectly several months back. After changing the fuel filter, fuel pump, cleaning/replacing both the cam and crank shaft sensors, cleaning the throttle body, and even adding grounds, I thought this nightmare was over.

I have been driving several weeks with no starting/electrical problems. IT WAS A DREAM. Yesterday however I woke up to find my battery voltage weak. The weather is a bit chilly and I tried to crank with no success. I then recharged my battery but still was not able to start. I then had a less abused starter lying around so I said there could be no harm in changing that too since I never did that yet. The car now cranks stronger but still does not start. After checking the fuse box, I discovered with my tester that the start signal fuse does not receive any current with the ignition on nor off. This incident just happened so sporadically and I am lost.

There are probably other details that I should have mentioned but here is an outline. Any ideas as to what may be causing this short/electrical issue?

Best,
M3

 

The start fuse should probably only be hot while cranking. But I'm only guessing.
Have you changed the ECTS?

 

Hi asand1,

Thank you for your quick reply. I will have to check that this weekend - whether or not I get signal when actually cranking and I will report back. I think the ECTS should be good because I did an engine swap recently to a car with less wear and tear. I did also discover that all the items in the row with the start sig do not receive a signal with the ignition on or off.



And the weird part is my tail lights do work so I am definitely confused? Any thoughts/comments/suggestions anyone?

Best,
M3

 

The tail lights have power all the time. How you you using the volt meter, your reference should be chassis ground.

 

Hi njmaxseltd,

Thank you for your contribution! The only thing is I am not exactly sure what you mean...sorry, could you explain a little bit more?

I only used a tester, since I don't have a volt meter yet, and I was unable to get a reading from any of the fuses in the highlighted row above with the ignition off, on acc, and on. (It MIGHT be worth mentioning that my interior lights [clock, digital temp reading, dash, etc. ] go off/dim when I put my headlights on. I am not trying to address this now since I have already looked at threads on this topic. For me, being able to start my car is a much higher priority lol. I just want to give as much info as possible since I am not sure if these issues may be connected in some way.)

Best,
M3

 

Did u ever find out what the problem was?

 

The owner has probably sold his car since the last post Five Years Ago.

So you must be having a problem.
So why not tell is about it, so we can help you?

Don't be shy.

 

I ended up getting another 4th gen Maxima, but if you have a specific question or concern I could try to help.

~M3

 

Juat having the same problem and it doesnt help i cant check for new codes cause my odb2 plug isnt getting power now for some reason.

 

The OBD connector gets its power from fuse # 17, middle column, 6th from the bottom. It is a 10 amp fuse with the label ENGINE CONTROL.

 

So to slightly piggy back on what was said above, I highly suggest doing one out of two things for starters (I personally would do the second and still purchase a tester that buzzes and lights up... AutoZone or Advanced Auto usually has this)

1- Buy a tester and a small assorted pack of fuses and change all the fuses that don't work with the ignition in the on (not acc) position. Turn the car off though when actually changing the fuse, then put key back in on position and continue checking.
2- Buy a large pack of assorted fuses and change all fuses to the suggested rated amp fuse that's on the removable panel. This option sounds like overkill but this is a way to ensure every fuse under the dash is working and has the correct rating while having a couple extra fuses you could put in a Ziploc bag and keep in the armrest or glove box in case of emergency. (I personally went this route as it helps you to become familiar with all the items powered from this section of the car. )

Good luck and keep us posted!

~M3

 

So i get power to the engine control fuse but still none to the plug. The row abouve that fuse labeled on left tail lights, int ill and start sig get no power but my tail lights work.

 

The tail lamp fuse and the internal illumination fuse will not have power until you turn the headlight switch on. The start signal fuse will only have power to it when the ignition switch is in the START position.

If you had the above conditions met and did not measure any voltage in the fuse block, something about how you were going about it was wrong. A common problem is that the probe is too thick to go far enough in and touch the metal contact.