Hey guys. I just installed a new starter and it cranked perfectly fine immediately afterwards. I got in 20 minutes later, started it, and the starter wouldn't disengage even after removing the key. I had to hurry and disconnect the battery cables. As soon as the battery is connected, you can hear the starter screaming. Can anyone help?

 

Not much to a starter. Pull it and inspect it.

 

Check to make sure the cables are not touching or loose on that last start and caused it to stick and cross terminals. Either way its new, Swap it out and Roll On.

 

For starters (no pun) why did you replace the previous one? Perhaps what caused that to fail is still a problem. Aside from a direct connection to the battery there is only one other wire going to the starter and seems like it is always energized. If you PM me I can send you the PDF from the ESM for the starter.

 

Ok... Well I don't know much about these things. This was the first starter I've ever installed. Thankfully, it was way easier than I thought it'd be. I assume I did it correctly...? I didn't know if there was something that I could have messed up.

What exactly am I looking for when I pull it?


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It wouldn't start on and off for a few months. I'd turn the key and it would click. Just one click. I could wait a second or two, turn the key, and it would usually start. Sometimes, I'd have to try for a few minutes, but it always eventually started. Then one day last week, it wouldn't start at all, no matter how long I waited in between the click and turning the key. I thought it was the battery, so I bought a new one. Then I Googled and it brought me to the solenoid possibly being the issue. I figured I'd just get the started and the solenoid together. Now here we are.

 

This. Double check your work/retrace your steps.

 

Ok. I'll have to do that tomorrow when I'm off of work. It seemed pretty straightforward. Just a couple of bolts and wires. It didn't look like it could go on and connect any other way. Is there anything else I should know about installing it?

 

Exchanged the starter, and it seems to be working just fine. I'll update if that changes. Thanks y'all

 

Lotta cheap junk out there. Definitely have to factor that in as a possibility whenever you do a repair.

 

I’m not fully confident if it’s applicable to the 5th Gen, but in the 4th Gen, the mating/contact surface b/t the starter and the engine block is also a grounding surface and both surfaces need to be clean and bare.

I’d suggest, removing the starter and fully cleaning the block mating surface (with steel wool or a scotch brite) and do the same to the starter’s mating surface.

With regard to the starter, don’t just ensure it’s clean, make sure it’s bare as many new and/or remanned units have paint or coating on this surface. Be sure to remove any paint or coating to bare metal.

 

Most starters ground to the block.

 

Then the point I’m making is even more relevant.

 

I'm curious what brand you bought I don't remember you stating that info! Sounds like an Autozone Duralast situation etc....

 

This is normal when the solenoid sticks. Usually, they fail open, but I've had it happen, too.

 

Not that soon? Unless the brand is suspect!

 

I can tell you the brand when I get home, but it was from O'Reillys. 120$ I believe. The guy who took the return insisted that he had never heard of anyone having this problem, and was VERY argumentative about me returning it. When I went back to pick up the new starter, he said he Googled it, and was surprised to see that it actually is a possibility.

 

O'Reilly', AutoZone, and Advance are all the same as far as I'm concerned. NAPA will have the better quality brands. I think the junkyard it better than AutoZone especially if the parts are OEM. I order most of my parts from Rock Auto. but I do have an extra alternator, starter, p/s pump, Fuel pump and several other things just In case I have an issue I have a temporary component until the new part arrives!

 

It's quality Chinesium. Anything is possible.

 

I just bought a New, Not ReMan, Wilson Brand Starter from PepBoys ..... has a Nissan Logo on it and looks exactly like OEM

 

And how much did it cost? And does it come with a lifetime warranty like Autozone?

 

Online Special was $120 + $10 core + Lifetime Warranty

 

Nice! Good to know. Thanks. I'm gonna need a new starter here soon. Have to hit it with a pipe to get my daily max to start now...

 

 

Great movie BTW.

 

a little tappy tap tap taparoo, hahaha the alternator tap is probably one of the weirdest car remedies ever. =)

 

I just shove a screw driver in there till I hit both power terminals.

Back in the day the solenoid was mounted on the firewall for easy replacement. The starters rarely fail. It's another scam. And they should be sued for billions along with all of the other design choices that are anticonsumer and antirepair. But the govt is too busy being millionaires with bribes.

 

We need to ban the .gov.

 

i feel ya haha i actually replaced my starter 1 year ago, but i thought it was pretty good run for a 2002. 18 years for a starter with 260k, but I do wonder if this aftermarket/replacement one will be any where long lasting as the OEM

 

Nope. Parts store one lasted not even 40k mostly highway miles on one of the G35s.

 

Here in CA, my offer from Pepboys for the same starter is $108.74 + $40 core.

 

sighhh! well see than ! i guess i have 30k miles left

 

on the maxima i had it clocked 350,000 kilometers and no major starter issues, still had the original one when it got retired. here in oz replacement starters list 2 different gear drives, can remember the amount of teeth on each gear drive listed. could this be a potential issue as well like gear drive jammed into flex plate with wrong teeth count?

 

I’m in 100% agreement on this, based on my personal experience.

The historic touting on here that the 11 toothed starters are the better option is B.S.

These have caused nothing but problems in the two I’ve tried.

But the 10 toothed, on the other hand ...

https://maxima.org/forums/4th-genera...hing-else.html

 

The Denso starters from Rock auto have lasted well over 100k.... on both the 5.5th/4th Gens Maxima(s).

 

Did 5th gen OEM starters also have 11 teeth, the same as 4th gens?

I believe 4th gen OEM starters have/had 11 teeth, hence the consensus that 11 teeth are better than 10.
In your example, how did you determine that it was the number of teeth causing the issues and not other starter related issues? I read your threads, and there is no conclusive evidence. Seems you simply switched brands, and once you had success (and the starter happen to have 10 teeth), that you automatically blamed all your starter issues on it having 11 teeth. Please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

 

1st off, I honestly don’t know anything about the design/configuration of the 5th Gen starters so my statements may have mis-applied to begin with.

2nd, I can’t say you’re completely wrong in your statements and questions but I don’t think I was as hit-or-miss as all that.

The OE starter in my ‘99 SE-L included/includes a 10 toothed pinion gear ... I counted ... and it’s still in a box in the garage. Based on that, and unless my car is an oddity, it’s my assumption that an 11 toothed starter was not OE.

If anyone cares, I’d be happy to outline my experience and the consecutive and identical issues I had with starters (of the same brand, as a matter of fact) having 11 toothed pinion gears as opposed to those having the OE 10 teeth.

I guess these and maybe my previous statements should also be qualified with this regardless of the year of your car ... put back in what you take out ... if your OE starter is a 10 tooth, replace it with a 10 tooth, if it’s 11 stay with 11. For me anyway, the attempt to “upgrade” didn’t work out.