First off I'm newer here. Just got a maxima and has been great to me so far although I love it I still want a 6 speed. It has 175k and randomly it has an issue starting. As the motor is turning over the starter just stops and it makes a weird noise. I turn it over again and it starts right up. It's done it to me a total of 6 times in the last couple months. Last time I had this issue on a car it was a messed up flywheel. I've searched online and just see random opinions that don't seem correct. Like bad battery, etc. it has a brand new battery and I'm assuming it's the starter but I assume there's not a way to test it until it goes completely? Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated! I'm nervous I'm nervous it could be electrical and I can't afford that lol.

 

Sounds like either you have a lack of amperage, or your starter is on its way out. 175kmi isnt bad if its OEM.

If you can, give the starter a solid whack when it stops and makes the weird noise. If it starts spinning again, it needs a new starter fairly soon. You might need someone to assist you with that one.

Also, check the voltage at the battery terminal posts with a meter. You should see 12+VDC with the car off and 14.something VDC with the motor running. This serves two purposes.

One, you now know if the battery is to blame for the slow start/funneh noise, or if the starter is to blame.

Two, you now know what kind of amperage you alternator is putting out.

How long has the car been giving you this issue?

 

It's been doing it just since winter started a few months ago. I've only had the car long enough to put 4k miles on it. It's such a horrid noise when it does it. To me it sounds like the starter gear just stops or the starter just locks up randomly. Then the second I try it again it usually pops right off. The motor always turns over quick as normal. Also every time it's done it to me it's been as the motor is turning over, and never right away. It needs to get above 15 degrees one of these days so I can get to the starter and maybe see if it looks old.

 

If its starts to start (i know how that sounds) and the gear on the starter that engages the flywheel isn't retracting......thats...well,... bad.

Is the car an auto or standard?

The horrid sound you are describing is the teeth on the flywheel being chewed off by the stationary starter gear.

Buy a starter.

Also, if you have a 5speed and a slight hill, roll start it. Then drive to the parts store.

Good luck.

 

It's an auto. I had a talon that I swore had a bad starter, sold it an it ended up being ground down teeth on the flywheel lol bad deal. At least that starter made noise so I knew it was spinning but I just assumed it wasn't engaging. On the maxima it's a little different in the way that it just stops as if the power got cut and stopped it hard as it's spinning the flywheel. Last thing I want to do is mess the flywheel up, so I agree it might be time to get a new one and go from there.

 

Dont take this the wrong way but....

You're not one of those people that holds the key in the "start" position for unnecessarily long periods of time.....are you?

Mine fires up in less than a second. Like, twist the key and she turns over and hits high idle in an extremely short time frame. As in seconds.

 

Lol no. It starts pretty quick normally and I don't leave it turned long at all. It's weird cuz I think every time it's done it it's been about 1 second at most of turning the motor over and then it does it. It's only done it about 6 times since I got the car, I'm not sure if it's just a cold weather thing since I've had the car only since winter started. But I agree that I think it's time for a starter. Or at least try to get a day that's not so damn cold and inspect the starter.