KentuckyBredGal

I finally got the starter out. It's connected. It still.wont start? All the wires are hooked. I don't know what else it could be. Any suggestions?

DennisMik

iTrader: (2)

When you say the car won't start, there are 2 different problems for that.
1 - the engine is not cranking, the starter is inoperative.
2 - the engine cranks over but does not run.

I will assume no cranking.

What you need to check is whether the small wire that is attached to the starter has 12 volts on it when the ignition key is in the start position. You need a volt meter or a test light for this.

If you have 12 volts, then the starter is questionable.

If you don't have 12 volts, the ignition switch is the first suspect. But there is the park/neutral switch on the transmission (both auto and manual trans), and the switch on the clutch pedal (manual trans only).

Read this thread. It has lots of troubleshooting and explanations. It is a 5th gen thread but it is the same as the 4th gens.

http://forums.maxima.org/5th-generat...rt-thread.html

matts95max

iTrader: (11)

Ive bought a handful of starters from auto parts stores over the years. One time I got a bad one.. took it back and the next one worked.

If all of your wiring is correct and nothing else got disconnected, maybe you got a bad starter.

chrome91

iTrader: (1)

so what exactly is up? do you get lights etc, but no start? as said, in that case it could be the ignition switch or something

if you 100% know its the starter, reman starters and alternators can be bad right out of the box.

maxgtr2000

iTrader: (29)

Make sure you are getting juice to the solenoid wire, if you have a 5 speed and are not it is possible the inhibiter switch or relay is bad.

maxfever1987

iTrader: (93)

Do your dash lights come on when ur in ignition? Does the car crank? Will it start with a boost?

KentuckyBredGal

No crank. I have to press the brake in order for it to started up.after I banged it a couple of times buy that can't be good either. Are the testers very expensive?

KentuckyBredGal

Hey yeah it started after I banged it. It cut off while I was driving which it did with the previous starter too. I have one bad valve gasket cover I have to replace. Its leaking oil. Would that cause the car to cut off?

KentuckyBredGal

Hello, yeah lights are cool.I tested my battery. It wont hurt to check the ignition switch or the relay. I went to auto zone but they couldn't use the diagnostic tool.

KentuckyBredGal

Good evening. Inhibitor switch?! Oy vey! What's that do and where is it? Sheesh!

KentuckyBredGal

Hi. Lights on. Radio on, while I'm answering this "crank" means doesn't make a sound right? At first it was light buzzing then hesitating until I banged it and after a couple of tries it started up

2brosgixxer

If it started after you tapped the starter, then the starter is junk. If you turn the key and you hear only a click with each key turn, or you hear rapid clicks with a single turn of the key, you need to check the battery and/or the Alternator. If the alternator is shot, your battery will not get the proper charge and your car will eventually die on you. If you turn the key and the motor cranks over but the car will not start, you have other issues.

I don't know where you are, but most local auto stores like Auto Zone of Advance Auto will check your battery, alternator or starter for free. Leaking valve cover gasket in and of itself, will not cause the car to shut off unless it is so bad that it is leaking directly into your electronics.

Claybob86

iTrader: (3)

A starter won't cause the car to stop running. But if the starter needed to be hit/tapped to fire the solenoid, then it is a bad starter and should be returned.

4th gen maxi

iTrader: (1)

if your having trouble simply starting the car, when i got tired of returning starters i followed it back behind the fuse box on driver side and the rear white fuse box has a bolt in middle that when i loosen that a bit must of made a better connection and started right up. you could easily just be having a poor connection. let me know if this helps.
_yea i was suprised too

DBear

If the car is dying while you're driving, that's something you need to fix. You lose power to the brakes and steering when that happens. If it goes out when you're taking a curve at speed things will get interesting in a hurry.

Check all your grounds, make sure your cable connections are clean and tight at the battery, and look for corrosion up inside the battery cables.

maxinout93

sounds like you have a few issues going on, gonna have to fix one thing at a time and move to the next. I have replaced 3 starters in less than a year on my car/ being cheap with junkyard starters lol, My last one died on me when I was out of town about an hour from home, luckily i had a spare in the trunk with the right tools to take it off. Is your check engine light on?? That could tell you if your ignition switch is bad, or sometimes ects will cause car to shut off also while driving as mine did the same thing, and it also would not turn over at times because of a bad ECTS, but I had no check engine light for that. just some things you should look for, also with a bad leaking rear valve cover gasket, be sure to check your oil level at least 3 times a week until it gets fixed.