Desperately in need of help. Car started and drove fine this morning. Went to leave my sisters house and wouldn't start. I have power from battery, had it tested. Cleaned terminals as well as grounds and cleaned terminals on the starter, still nothing. Won't even crank, one click is all I get. Nothing dims when trying, can hear fuel pump prime. I figured it was probably the starter or a relay, possibly clutch safety switch. So I decided to bump start it. Well, it fires up and runs for a second then dies and I have absolutely no throttle response for the quick second it's running. Please help. I'm thinking maybe the ecu is fried cuz of the multitude of issues. 2000 maxima, manual trans. No codes

 

could be CPS (crank position sensor and cam position sensors , 3 total)
could be starter w no clicking
could be MAF

keep us posted, maybe a 5th gen guy would have better ideas

 

I'd first check fuses, then I'd start with the starter, easy enough to figure out, helps with figuring out no start if the starter works, and answers some questions either way.


If you remove the air filter assembly down by the starter is a grey plug with a single IIRC black wire going to the starter. Pull that plug apart and with the car in neutral, and the ignition fuse removed apply power(12v) to the end going to the starter. The starter should crank, if it does not crank check voltage at the big cable connection on the starter(use the starter body as the ground not the battery) while applying power to the small wire. If it moves from 12+ but stays above say 10, then you need to replace the starter. If it drops much lower then 8, then you have a power supply issue(battery, cable, or ground). If it cranks just fine, then I'd next leave a jumper wire on it, put it back together, put the fuse back in, turn the ignition on, and try and start it like that.


FWIW for stuff like this, this is one of my favorite gizmos, it's just a fancy momentary switch on leads, so you can make it yourself, but it's soooo handy.



EDIT...
Ohh and I wouldn't jump strait to ECU, for one the ECU and starter have very little relation, two it could all also be caused by a bad ground wire(this is why you use starter body as ground when testing), you just don't know.

 

Thanks for the responses. I will try what you suggested with the starter, I know exactly what wire you're talking about. Car is currently stuck at my sisters house 45 minutes away. It never seems to break down anywhere near my house. I guess this flood of problems with the car should be expected from a $300 maxima. Lol

 

Funny, over the holiday my brother and I were talking about how my mothers Max and our current Fords never strand us. But that some are just trouble, like some cars have good souls and some don't.

 

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