So my Maxima which I've had for umm 3 weeks with 19,700 on it now, had trouble starting last night. I walked to my car.. I opened the doors with the Fob. When I got to the car it was locked.. I unlocked it again got in turned the key and nothing. I tried to started it again then nothing. So I turned it off wait 3 mins and then it started... Yes I know I live in Maine and it was wicked cold last night. But it just didn't wanna start. It turned over but no fire.. Do automatics do this (in the cold) or is this something that I may wanna get checked out? Has this happened to ne one else? Should I be worried? Would it be covered under warranty?
This is my first car that I like owned from day one and I just wanna know what to do to make her happy and run.
I owned my '97 for 5 years.. it was a 5-speed SE and it "always" "always" started and I've always had it in Maine. So is this a thing that autos do when they are cold and when should I start freaking out??
Thanks for you help guys..
Oh it started fine today so i have no F'N clue!

I would make sure the battery cables are nice and tight. If it does it again, take it in. It's covered...

I second this. I'd also verify that the battery is good though. Several 20004 and 2005 owners have recently had battery problems. But yours eventually did start, so maybe not...

There is no such thing as a silly Question.

This maybe a long shot, but if you had troubles unlocking your car and had to hit the button more than once to unock it, sounds to me like it is battery realted.my initial thought.......i have just recently worked on an O4 Max.(MIKE) and the post were so gross i cant even imagine how in the heck it started let alone play his toons.Clean your post with sand paper/wire brush use a little coke or sprite and wipe off. Double check your terminals of the battery and tighten.

Hope this helps,

Chef

See if the battery posts are not corroded. Take of the clamps, clean them with wire brush (both posts and clamps) grease it up and reinstall.

I have an 04 and my battery was sweating (white salt stuff around the posts) went to the dealer and they replaced it. I had to pay 50% but the new one comes with like 7 year warranty. So far its perfect-o

Just out of curiosity, how cold was it?

like 8 degrees but that doesn't count the wind chill.

Was the immobilizer light on? If you crank and the engine turns, check the immobilizer light. It should be off. If its on, then the engine immobilizer does not recognize your key - see http://www.nissanhelp.com/Ownership/.../NTB03-031.htm. Dealer issue.

Bad contact in shift lever or car not in park?
Battery posts dirty, loose or

a damage ground wire to the transmission: http://www.nissanhelp.com/Ownership/.../NTB06-075.htm

New battery, etc etc ..

I've had a similar prob with my '04, very cold nights and or cold and rainy, the car never turns over right away. I got in the habit of turning the key half-way to "On", wait for lights and fuel line to start up, then turn the car over. Similar to a diesel truck when you got to "warm up the plugs". It starts much better, but I've twice had trouble starting in extreme weather conditions. I thought it was water frozen on my Fujita CAI, hence not allowing air in, but not sure. Nissan Tech says since they cant duplicate it, its not a problem. I'll look into the battery thing next time I bring the car in to get the struts looked at again!!

I doubt it would have anything to do with FUJITA. I have one on and couldn't sleep worrying about it. One day I was ready to take it off and just stick to drop-in K&N. I got all the tools and started removing it untill I got to the filter. 2months after installing it the filter looked brand new. There were no water spots on the filter or around it. I just put everything back on and have been enjoying the beast ever since.

Trvlstudent - You also mentioned the possibility of this being related to the fact this is an auto tranny. It is not. The tranny does not enter into this problem.

Neither is the wind chill a factor. That only affects living beings.

But the absolute temperature is always a factor. To start a car that has been sitting in an 8 degree environment requires a battery in very good condition, with a full charge, and with unimpeded connections to its cables.

If the engine won't turn over, the problem could be battery, cable connections, starter solenoid, or several other things. I would start by checking the battery and battery cable/clamp connections.

If the starter is turning the engine over slower than normal (I think your post may indicate this), we have either a battery strength problem or bad battery cable/clamp connections.

Clean the cable clamps and the battery posts thoroughly, and if the problem still exisits, have the battery checked for full power. If the battery is weak, then we have either a battery or alternator problem. If the alternator is putting out a charge, then the battery is not holding a charge, and must be replaced.

Of course, if the battery is turning the starter over at normal speed, and the engine still doesn't start, then we are in a totally different problem area.

When weather conditions are extreme, I help keep the battery fully charged by never using the auto-delay headlight off feature. In fact, I make sure everything is off before I turn off the engine. That leaves the battery fully charged.

Let us know what transpires.