Okay, quick question to see if anyone else has had this problem. When i go to start up my car sometimes, it hesitates, and then just before not starting, it "catches" and starts. it almost feels like a bad starter, but that cant be it. ive only just now got 11K miles on it. anyone else having this problem? anyone even heard of this?

thanx

 

I think there was a TSB on the immobilizer system that caused symptoms similar to that. But, I think in that case the engine actually cut out all the way after starting....may be related though

 

i have this prob too....do you have the auto light turn onto auto? i found that when u start up ur engine in the dark and u have the light on auto....the light will turn on b4 the engine and it makes the engine stalls a lil. try turning ur lights to off first then start it. it works for me and if that dun work i for you it might possibly be the imbolizer system.

 

i didnt think about that but thats a good point. come to think of it, it usually only happens at night, and i always have my headlights turned to "auto". ill try turning them on myself iinstead of putting it on auto and see if that works. hell, it shouldnt do that anyway, maybe Nissan shoulda used a more powerful starter or something.

 

HMMMMM, this is interesting.....my engine hesitated to start today for some reason. this neva happen b4. i did it with the auto lights on and off but it still happened....but when i took out the key, and turned it and put it in the other way, it worked fine. you know how the max has an imobolizer system? well, the key has the switch on only one side and i think the other side is weeker to over right the imobolizer. if one side stalls, try turning your key around and it might work then as well. it worked for me. that way and i hope that solve ur prob too. if you find further prob, please post cuz we seem to be on the same boat.

 

Hmmm...never thought about the lights or the key. I only really noticed it after driving the car hard (accelerating fast and travelling at excessive speeds) .

 

i don't know, it's just my hypothesis....u could be right and i think today might be from excessively. i had my first race today and that might be the prob too....usually the stalling is only in the morning after a cold night...but this stall was during the day after the car have been driven for a while. so u could be right....actually, there might be more than one factor to this one prob.

 

Well, I think I have a similar problem too. It does not happen often, but it does happen. When I try to start the car, it does not "catch", and so I have to try and start it a second time. It struggles the second time, but then it will "catch". I have less than 7,000 miles on it.

2000 Maxima SE Auto (Sterling Mist)
No Mods yet

 

Mine does it frequently, maybe once a week. Other people have said you have to break it in quite a bit. All I know is alot of people hav ethis problem. Don't worry, it something we are doing. Keep right octane, and turn off everything.

 

mine does this too with nothing on..... i found that if i turned the key to the postion before start and let everything sit for a few seconds it starts up fine but if i throw the key and and turn it fast it will hesitate and not catch sometimes....... i think it may have something to do with the fuel pressure in the lines so when u turn it to the position before start the fuel has time to build up pressure....... thats my theory correct me if i am wrong..... hope this works for you!

 

Like WILLSE mentioned, I always let the fuel pump pressurize by leaving the key in the on position for a few seconds before cranking the engine. I have never had any problems starting...

 

My roommate (00 GLE all options except rims) has the auto light problem. He experienced it for the first time last night. Is this something to be concerned about? He's going in to the dealer to get the 6cd changer replaced (won't read anything) so I told him to ask the service guy. The car was cold; he doesn't race it.
Jay

 

I have had this problem to on occasion. I have had the auto light off when it happen so I don't think that that could be it at least on my car. But its still a good point. I will try the key thing. Thanks guys

 

I experianced this the first time today.

I went into Target to buy some cleaning suplies, Came out maybe about 15 minutes later, it had a hard time starting. I noticed that it cranked slower than usual and just when I let up on the key to give up, the engine started up.

1000 miles driven. No hard driving. Auto light was off. Didn't remember if I allowed time for the system to "charge up" though.

Green

 

I had this happen to my 2K1 within the first week of driving it. It happened about once a week after that too. But I read an earlier post on this and this is what I do.
Like WillSe said before, put the key in the slot and turn it to the On position. If it's really quiet around, there is an audible noise from the car. I think it is the engine pressurizing(sp) the fuel. After that sound has stopped, should be about 2 seconds, it should be ready to go. Also try leaving the key in On until the ABS light on the dash turns off. The ABS light and the engine noise go off at about the same time. Once this is done, the car should start. It's worked for me all the time now. It was only when I jammed the key in and tried to start in one motion that the car didn't start.

This is just a theory, but I think this is what happens:
When the car is turned off and the key is taken out, the Maxima's Immobolizer system cuts off all the gas so it doesn't start. When you put the key in, it takes a little bit of time for the system to recognize the key chip and start pumping gas into the engine. When you jam the key in and try to start it, you don't give the system enough time to recognize the key and pressurize(sp) the fuel lines and the engine can't start without enough fuel in it.
Hope this helps.

 

That sound like it could be the cause, but what explains the "slower" cranking though. I understand that you crank and no fuel to start the car, but why would the crank be slowed down?


Green

 

That's a good observasion poon. But there have been time when I have put the key in and started it right up without hesitation. But why would it only do it from time to time as oppose to all the time. Maybe it's a combination of both.

 

I too experienced several times with hard start-up. Went to the dealers three times and not able to reproduce the problem. my car had 7000 miles on it. Yesterday was the worse...started up after trying for 15 times. I've tried the theories you people mentioned (wrong key side, auto light switch on, day or night effect, etc) but does not seemed to solve the problem.

But I'll take this theory from Poondaddy007..... the next time I face this problem again.

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2001 SE auto
Sterling Mist
17", PIAA lights, 33% tinted windows
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Well, this is what i have noticed... (even though my car starts every time :-)

If you drive somewhere, turn the car off, and try to turn it back on within a few min, it doesn't start as "clean" (for lack of a better word)..

ie.. it usually [in the morning], revs to 3000, and then drops real quick... when starting it warm, however, it goes "gurgle, gurgle", at about 700 rpm, and then goes up to 1300 or so...

I have also heard someone mention here once, that if you just turn your car on, move it 5ft or so (ie. out of a driveway), and turn it off, it won't start on the first try, next time..


Checked up on it in the Nissan Manual once, and it says that if your car has been running recently, you should hold down the accelerator when starting...

-Tom

PS... about the lights... i noticed that if you have your headlights on, they go off when the car is starting... (pretty smart of the japanese!!)... The stereo does this too!!