well my car always has these ingenius ways of creating little things to **** me off (rattles, etcetc) and the most recent one has taken the cake..

so when I was in louisville, my car was pretty much a night only car, i'd take it out prolly 50-100miles a night of just playing , almost every night.. that was by option bc i had a better car for the daily stuff haha. now, I am forced to only drive it at night haha, but it sucks because now it is my only car

the reason it's nights only now? IT WONT START DURING THE DAY hahaha

I had thought i had a loose park/neutral switch or something that would keep my car from turning over, I'd have to try the key like 5times before it would finally turn it over and start. i tapped that switch again so its 100% now, and that didnt help. it has become worse now, and I figured out 1 connection to the starting problem.

IF THE CAR IS HOT, IT WON'T TURN OVER. by car, I mean CAR, NOT engine.. if i drive the car around, it will start again no problem. if i try and start it at night where the sun hasnt made it into a furnace, it will start. if i try and start it during the day when its hot and been parked in the sun, NO CHANCE.

someone suggested maybe my actual key-switch is messed up and just dying when it gets hot.. i can turn the key 500times (ive tried) when its hot , and nothing. but open the hood and doors (dont know if interior heat or engine bay, but im thinking interior b/c the car starts like a champ even if i drive it for 5 hours and the engines on fire), let it cool off, and 20minutes later it will start.

please tell me someone has had this problem before and knows the answer? because today i didnt park in my garage or carport, and the sun made it too hot to start GRRR that sucks when i had to be at work (thanks malik!)

 

I've never heard of a problem like that, but troubleshooting is always the hardest part of fixing a car.

1) Have you tried push starting the car to take the starter out of the equation

2) Have you taken the starter out to have it tested at Autozone?

I had starter problems myself, but my starter was basically seized so it was drawing an insane amount of current and blowing fuses. The starter circuit isn't very complex, so it's either the starter, ignition switch, or starter solenoid.
-hype

 

push starting does work. regardless of hot/cold. if i can get it to turn over, then it will start fine. it's just getting it to actually turn over. oh and the clock etc dims when i turn to start.. which is normal i dont know if that helps diagnose?

it's not the actual starter, it has been replaced twice thinking that could be it.. its almost new now, and tapping it doesnt "unlock" it when it wont start, but it is like a dead starter that seizes. until the car cools off.

 

That's really strange Hal. The lights wouldn't dim and the car wouldn't start if the ignition switch wasn't working. If the starter itself was seized then you'd probably blow fuses like I did.

My only guess is that maybe something is wrong with the solenoid. If you replaced the whole starter though the solenoid comes with it Have you perused the starter section in the FSM; pages EL-25-EL28 in my '99 FSM. It's a pretty simple circuit.
-hype

 

i don't have a fsm, do you have this online or anything possibly? thanks for the help! the starter isnt seized also because i can turn the key 500 times (this morning) and then tonight on my first turn of the key it will go.

 

Speaking of the park/neut switch i threw that code is this something i should worry about???? also how hard is it to get to in order to fix???

thanks
Jon

 

ok well tell me... do you hear a *click* sound when you try to start it? If so... I'd strongly suggest you check the wires. Hot/Cold wires can lose conductivity and if there's a bad connection, it doesn't provide enough juice for the starter to turn. good luck!

 

no "my battery is dead" click it does notthing except dim my clock, etc

 

well if the starter clicks, it doesn't mean the battery is dead. Does it start immediately if you jump it?

 

jumping it does no good, the battery is perfect.

the thing that just crazy boggles me, is, why does outside temperature effect it? ahhh !

 

because the starter is dead! when the heat goes up, your solenoid gets "sticky". Sticky solenoid! time to replace the sucker

 

dangit, this is two new starters in a row, this one is barely used.. grr, thank goodness for warranty on them! i guess i can try lucky number three now? but i get the feeling its not that? b/c wouldnt the starter be HOT after driving my car (and my car start on the first key turn once driven, engine hot, etc)

 

I went used to go through starters like that on my old car... till i realized what the problem was. It was the wiring. Have you checked all your wires and connection from battery to ignition to starter? or also the direct connection from starter to battery. I'm not saying your battery is the problem, but rather the connection to it!

 

ok tommorow i'm going to let it get roasting hot in the sun, and then im going to take jumper cables from my battery positive to the starter. if it starts, then i know its wiring gosh darnit, tooo much wiring

maybe i'll just rewire completely the starter, and use a push-button , then i would KNOW there are no sensors or any BS keeping it from starting. nah, i dont like this idea !

 

http://forums.maxima.org/showthread....ight=Hot+Start

help at all? run you codes again

 

check the grounds to the starter and the alternator.

my car lagged at start and had problems with draing the battery until i rewired the main ground wire off the battery and off the alternator with 0 gauge wire.. it's been 100% perfect ever sense, and i could see nothing wrong, it was just something i tried.

good luck.

 

After the car has been roasting in the sun, break out the muti-meter or test light. When the car is failing due to the interior cabin heat, have some hold the key in the start position while checking some key points.

1st check to see the starter solenoid is getting the correct signal.
2nd check to make sure you're not loosing the direct 12v at the starter battery post.

If it's getting the signals and you're convinced it's not your starter check your engine to chassis ground cable

If it's not getting either one of those signals at least you have a better idea where to start.

Since your failure is base on high interior cabin temps and not eng temps it's propably related to the ignition switch

 

hey hal, i actually have the same problem recently on my vacation to san deigo. after a long drive from LA to a view point on hwy 5, i stopped the car jus to take some picture and went back to my car tried to start it. jus like u said the clock dim, no "click" sound from the battery or watsoever. i was hella ****ed cuz i didn't want to get a tow truck. it was really sunny, about 80F. after i tried to turn the key 10 times the car finally started... scared the sh*t outta me.

it happened again few days later infront the bank... is it really the starter?

 

ok well, hal, i still say you rig up a direct connection to the starter. All you have to do is disconnect the starter wire (wire connected to ignition). Then all you have to do is take 1 peice of wire and touch the starter terminal to the positive terminal. At least you'll know if the starter cranks everytime and confirm if the starter is bad or not.

 

Summer SoCal nights get hot.

You need to move up north.

 

 

Fuesable links! or a short somewhere.. If its not your battery is HAS to be either of these!

 

Relay could be getting hot.

 

that's true too... sticky relay. check all the electrical components connected to the starter

 

my mom's 95SE auto had the same problem, except that it would not start in the heat! same symptoms just the opposite time of day. this went on for over a year until the starter finally died this winter. i replaced the starter but the car still won't start. the starter has been ruled out by putting the positive directly to the starter and cranking the ignition key. now, whenever the ignition is turned to START the lights/clock dim, but no sound at all. it's like the solenoid isn't even getting current. at least with the old starter it clicked and the starter motor made a grinding noise, this time with the new starter, nothing. i'm thinking it's a relay somewhere i can't locate. are there any microswitches by the auto tranny lever? i'm at the point where i'll have it towed to the dealer.