Erractic difficulty starting Maxima
06-27-2012, 10:04 PM
#1
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Huntsville, AL
Posts: 89
Erractic difficulty starting Maxima
Okay ladies and gentlemen,
I've been putting this off far too long, so I'm turning to your collective knowledge and experience to help me figure this one out.
I have a 1995 Maxima, automatic transmission, that's been having difficulty starting for quite awhile now. I purchased the car about 2 1/2 years ago, and since purchasing the car I've replaced the fuel filter, the starter, and the solenoid. (I'm just listing the items I think have to do with ignition. The only other maintenance items have been the regular oil, oil filter and air filter changes every 3,000 miles. The only repairs have been new tires and brakes.)
The car began having difficulty starting about 2 years ago, perhaps a year and a half ago. I had it towed to Sears and they charged me a small fortune for a new starter and solenoid. About a week or two after, the car had difficulty starting again, so I took it back to Sears. The mechanics couldn't repeat the problem and found nothing wrong with it.
Recently the Check Engine Light (CEL) began throwing off these two codes: 0304 (knock sensor) and 1101 (neutral safety switch). The first code indicates the knock sensor, which should have nothing to do with ignition so we'll skip that (unless someone has evidence indicating otherwise). The second code indicates the neutral safety switch, which seems to explain why the car sometimes won't respond at all -- no turning over, no nothing except for dashboard lights -- unless I turn the key to the "On" position, move out of the parking gear and then back into it. The car will then start...usually.
The problem is, on any given day the car will struggle to turn over. As long as I hold the key to the right long enough, the car will eventually catch and rev to life. This isn't a daily occurrence (though sometimes it does happen daily for awhile); it's something that happens erratically. Sometimes it takes so long to start that I can't hold the key long enough, since I'm afraid I'll burn out the starter. So I'll wait for about a minute and then give it a shot again.
I'm ready to begin troubleshooting this in the hopes that I'll avoid that day when the car won't start at all. My girlfriend is the primary driver of this vehicle and I don't want her to find herself stranded.
Where should I begin my testing?
I've been putting this off far too long, so I'm turning to your collective knowledge and experience to help me figure this one out.
I have a 1995 Maxima, automatic transmission, that's been having difficulty starting for quite awhile now. I purchased the car about 2 1/2 years ago, and since purchasing the car I've replaced the fuel filter, the starter, and the solenoid. (I'm just listing the items I think have to do with ignition. The only other maintenance items have been the regular oil, oil filter and air filter changes every 3,000 miles. The only repairs have been new tires and brakes.)
The car began having difficulty starting about 2 years ago, perhaps a year and a half ago. I had it towed to Sears and they charged me a small fortune for a new starter and solenoid. About a week or two after, the car had difficulty starting again, so I took it back to Sears. The mechanics couldn't repeat the problem and found nothing wrong with it.
Recently the Check Engine Light (CEL) began throwing off these two codes: 0304 (knock sensor) and 1101 (neutral safety switch). The first code indicates the knock sensor, which should have nothing to do with ignition so we'll skip that (unless someone has evidence indicating otherwise). The second code indicates the neutral safety switch, which seems to explain why the car sometimes won't respond at all -- no turning over, no nothing except for dashboard lights -- unless I turn the key to the "On" position, move out of the parking gear and then back into it. The car will then start...usually.
The problem is, on any given day the car will struggle to turn over. As long as I hold the key to the right long enough, the car will eventually catch and rev to life. This isn't a daily occurrence (though sometimes it does happen daily for awhile); it's something that happens erratically. Sometimes it takes so long to start that I can't hold the key long enough, since I'm afraid I'll burn out the starter. So I'll wait for about a minute and then give it a shot again.
I'm ready to begin troubleshooting this in the hopes that I'll avoid that day when the car won't start at all. My girlfriend is the primary driver of this vehicle and I don't want her to find herself stranded.
Where should I begin my testing?
06-28-2012, 08:18 AM
#2
Sounds like you have 2 separate problems, no cranking and cranking but no starting.
The first one does sound like the park/neutral switch since you say you move the shift lever and it will crank. The park/neutral switch will allow you to start the car then the transmission shift lever is in neutral position, so try starting the car from the neutral position and see if you have any problems.
The second problem is more difficult to diagnose. The CPS (crankshaft position sensors) and camshaft position sensors are possibilities. Other possibilities that are less likely in your case are the ECTS (engine coolant temperature sensor) and the starter. Try cleaning the CPS sensors and checking their resistance, but if the sensor is truly bad, cleaning won't help.
The first one does sound like the park/neutral switch since you say you move the shift lever and it will crank. The park/neutral switch will allow you to start the car then the transmission shift lever is in neutral position, so try starting the car from the neutral position and see if you have any problems.
The second problem is more difficult to diagnose. The CPS (crankshaft position sensors) and camshaft position sensors are possibilities. Other possibilities that are less likely in your case are the ECTS (engine coolant temperature sensor) and the starter. Try cleaning the CPS sensors and checking their resistance, but if the sensor is truly bad, cleaning won't help.
06-28-2012, 10:51 AM
#4
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Worcester, MA
Posts: 4,011
Okay ladies and gentlemen,
I've been putting this off far too long, so I'm turning to your collective knowledge and experience to help me figure this one out.
I have a 1995 Maxima, automatic transmission, that's been having difficulty starting for quite awhile now. I purchased the car about 2 1/2 years ago, and since purchasing the car I've replaced the fuel filter, the starter, and the solenoid. (I'm just listing the items I think have to do with ignition. The only other maintenance items have been the regular oil, oil filter and air filter changes every 3,000 miles. The only repairs have been new tires and brakes.)
The car began having difficulty starting about 2 years ago, perhaps a year and a half ago. I had it towed to Sears and they charged me a small fortune for a new starter and solenoid. About a week or two after, the car had difficulty starting again, so I took it back to Sears. The mechanics couldn't repeat the problem and found nothing wrong with it.
Recently the Check Engine Light (CEL) began throwing off these two codes: 0304 (knock sensor) and 1101 (neutral safety switch). The first code indicates the knock sensor, which should have nothing to do with ignition so we'll skip that (unless someone has evidence indicating otherwise). The second code indicates the neutral safety switch, which seems to explain why the car sometimes won't respond at all -- no turning over, no nothing except for dashboard lights -- unless I turn the key to the "On" position, move out of the parking gear and then back into it. The car will then start...usually.
The problem is, on any given day the car will struggle to turn over. As long as I hold the key to the right long enough, the car will eventually catch and rev to life. This isn't a daily occurrence (though sometimes it does happen daily for awhile); it's something that happens erratically. Sometimes it takes so long to start that I can't hold the key long enough, since I'm afraid I'll burn out the starter. So I'll wait for about a minute and then give it a shot again.
I'm ready to begin troubleshooting this in the hopes that I'll avoid that day when the car won't start at all. My girlfriend is the primary driver of this vehicle and I don't want her to find herself stranded.
Where should I begin my testing?
I've been putting this off far too long, so I'm turning to your collective knowledge and experience to help me figure this one out.
I have a 1995 Maxima, automatic transmission, that's been having difficulty starting for quite awhile now. I purchased the car about 2 1/2 years ago, and since purchasing the car I've replaced the fuel filter, the starter, and the solenoid. (I'm just listing the items I think have to do with ignition. The only other maintenance items have been the regular oil, oil filter and air filter changes every 3,000 miles. The only repairs have been new tires and brakes.)
The car began having difficulty starting about 2 years ago, perhaps a year and a half ago. I had it towed to Sears and they charged me a small fortune for a new starter and solenoid. About a week or two after, the car had difficulty starting again, so I took it back to Sears. The mechanics couldn't repeat the problem and found nothing wrong with it.
Recently the Check Engine Light (CEL) began throwing off these two codes: 0304 (knock sensor) and 1101 (neutral safety switch). The first code indicates the knock sensor, which should have nothing to do with ignition so we'll skip that (unless someone has evidence indicating otherwise). The second code indicates the neutral safety switch, which seems to explain why the car sometimes won't respond at all -- no turning over, no nothing except for dashboard lights -- unless I turn the key to the "On" position, move out of the parking gear and then back into it. The car will then start...usually.
The problem is, on any given day the car will struggle to turn over. As long as I hold the key to the right long enough, the car will eventually catch and rev to life. This isn't a daily occurrence (though sometimes it does happen daily for awhile); it's something that happens erratically. Sometimes it takes so long to start that I can't hold the key long enough, since I'm afraid I'll burn out the starter. So I'll wait for about a minute and then give it a shot again.
I'm ready to begin troubleshooting this in the hopes that I'll avoid that day when the car won't start at all. My girlfriend is the primary driver of this vehicle and I don't want her to find herself stranded.
Where should I begin my testing?
I dont have an AT so im not well versed with the nuetral switch. Its prolly fawked and need to be replaced. This is prolly the cause of the hard starts and definitely a cause for no starts.
However, slow cranking can be a number of issues. Clean your maf and TB. Replace the ECTS, PCV, and fuel filter. this is all jus part of a tune up.
Check the crank sensors on the tranny side. Wipe if off with a clean towel, not wet or damp. the test for the crank sensor is a voltage test and u need a second person to do it. Add a ground wire from the negative battery terminal to the tranny bellhousing.
report back.
06-28-2012, 05:05 PM
#5
Supporting Maxima.org Member
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 161
I would like to note that I had a warm no start issue a few years ago and the CPS would show proper resistance at room temperature and only stopped working while hot... So you may want to test it hot in addition to cooled.
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