I'm working on a 2003 Maxima. I removed the brake pedal assembly to clean one of the switch contacts as it was intermittently keeping the car from starting. You would have to exorcise the pedal if all you heard was a "click" to try and get the engine to turn over. After reassembling the switch, I reconnected it to the car harness prior to installing the pedal assembly to make sure my fix was successful and the car started repeatedly without issue. During the pedal install, a black wire must've been snagged and pulled loose from somewhere. It is a single wire with a 10 amp inline fuse and a bare wire end that looks like it was previously crimped in a connector. I can't for the life of me find where it came from. The car now will not turn over. Fusible link? If someone could locate this wire on their car and let me know where it connects, I would be most grateful. It is just behind the dash and under the steering column.


Thanks, Greg

 

With the fuse untaped

 

There was or still is an aftermarket system of some sort spliced in.
And who knows if it was even installed properly.

Check to see if it has power when ignition is on. If it does, then it sounds like some retard put a fuse on the ground of an alarm/remote start.
If it does not, then it needs to go to power. A switchable source should be fine, since you're not using w/e bull**** it is. There's plenty of power wires down there.

 

Thanks for the response. I bought the car new and the only work I have had done on the car was motor mounts while it was under warranty. Otherwise it has always been me. It is a large fuse, about 3/4" wide and doesn't look like a factory item. I have no idea why it would be there as there are no aftermarket systems on the car. I forgot to mention it has no power with the key on. I guess my next move is to apply power and see what happens...

 

wtf...

 

That is not Nissan wiring. If you bought the car new, then the dealer installed some aftermarket something without you asking for it.

Looking at the first photo that you posted, there is a big wire at the top of the photo that is not Nissan wiring. Maybe if you trace it back under the dash, you will find the module that the little wire goes into.

 

Thanks to you both for the help. Since I bought the car new, I was struggling with the idea that there would be an aftermarket device on the car my wife has been driving for nearly 13 years. Good eye for Dennis to note the harness at the top of the first pic. It is part of a theft prevention "key" that must've been installed at the dealer. This wire was tied into that device. I finally found the squeeze splice that the wire pulled from and was supplying keyed power. It was hiding behind some black electrical tape on the cruise control switch at the top of the brake pedal assembly. Definitely not a factory item! Car now starts and runs without issue. My back is wrecked from arching over the door sill for so long but there is the satisfaction of troubleshooting & fixing something myself. Apologies to my neighbors for the colorful language emanating from the garage.



Thanks again, Greg