Major Problem starting car :(
07-31-2004, 10:13 AM
#1
Major Problem starting car :(
I'll try to make this as clear as possible as it is somewhat hard to describe. My car is a '97 Maxima with 121K on the odometer now here's the story.
I was filling her up at a gas station about 1 week ago, and I had the car turned off as I usually do when I'm filling it up. I go to start it and it didn't start the way it usually does with just a turn of a key, instead I had to turn over the key 3 TIMES to get her started. That's when it started, the car would not turn over with one key. It took sometimes 2-3 keys to start her. I did not smell any fuel or other odors, I did not hear any weird noises. Often I would hear the starter like make a "clink" type sound when I consistently kept turning it, but the starter was turning over the car the engine just wasn't turning over. Then all of a sudden the problem disappeared the car was starting just fine up until tonight.
I go to start the car and I hear the starter overcranking while attempting to start the car for e.g. it went (Ch Ch Ch Ch Ch overcrank overcrank) and the car had started. I parked the car attempted to start her again same scenario just that this time it didn't start I heard a pop from the exhaust. Now I kept turning it off and trying to start it and then I heard like a metal to metal clunk type sound I'm assuming the starter. Now the car was not starting at all, I would turn over the key and nothing like the car was in fail safe mode or something, no click, no sound no nothing. Then I took out the key waited a few seconds and it started up but again not the way it should, it was having a hell of a time starting up. Now I'm getting EXCELLENT gas mileage, I don't smell anything, my idle is fine, she's running absolutely fine, I don't understand what it is. I'm praying it's either a crankshaft position sensor, or starter relay switch. I really hope it's not fuel related. But I still don't know why I heard those pops, maybe because I kept trying to start it and fuel was getting dumped? This is really starting to worry me as I want to keep the car as long as possible as it's the ONLY car we have in the house, and I have insane amounts of $ dumped into it. Any and all input is grealy appreciated.
One more thing, I remote started it and it tried turning over but it didn't it sounded as if the battery was dead or something because it was turning over EXTREMELY slow. So when I go to manually start it with the key again it turned over but not normally the starter overcranked and turned over way to many times.
I was filling her up at a gas station about 1 week ago, and I had the car turned off as I usually do when I'm filling it up. I go to start it and it didn't start the way it usually does with just a turn of a key, instead I had to turn over the key 3 TIMES to get her started. That's when it started, the car would not turn over with one key. It took sometimes 2-3 keys to start her. I did not smell any fuel or other odors, I did not hear any weird noises. Often I would hear the starter like make a "clink" type sound when I consistently kept turning it, but the starter was turning over the car the engine just wasn't turning over. Then all of a sudden the problem disappeared the car was starting just fine up until tonight.
I go to start the car and I hear the starter overcranking while attempting to start the car for e.g. it went (Ch Ch Ch Ch Ch overcrank overcrank) and the car had started. I parked the car attempted to start her again same scenario just that this time it didn't start I heard a pop from the exhaust. Now I kept turning it off and trying to start it and then I heard like a metal to metal clunk type sound I'm assuming the starter. Now the car was not starting at all, I would turn over the key and nothing like the car was in fail safe mode or something, no click, no sound no nothing. Then I took out the key waited a few seconds and it started up but again not the way it should, it was having a hell of a time starting up. Now I'm getting EXCELLENT gas mileage, I don't smell anything, my idle is fine, she's running absolutely fine, I don't understand what it is. I'm praying it's either a crankshaft position sensor, or starter relay switch. I really hope it's not fuel related. But I still don't know why I heard those pops, maybe because I kept trying to start it and fuel was getting dumped? This is really starting to worry me as I want to keep the car as long as possible as it's the ONLY car we have in the house, and I have insane amounts of $ dumped into it. Any and all input is grealy appreciated.
One more thing, I remote started it and it tried turning over but it didn't it sounded as if the battery was dead or something because it was turning over EXTREMELY slow. So when I go to manually start it with the key again it turned over but not normally the starter overcranked and turned over way to many times.
07-31-2004, 10:29 AM
#2
From what you're describing it's sounds like a starter problem. If you can give the starter a moderate tap with a hammer it will probably start. The popping noise is probably from the fuel pump priming each time you turned the key but nothing happened so all of the fuel from each turn of the key just sat there until it fired and then it was pig rich for a few seconds. Was there dark smoke when it started? Good luck with your car.
07-31-2004, 10:31 AM
#3
Originally Posted by SEDaveMax
From what you're describing it's sounds like a starter problem. If you can give the starter a moderate tap with a hammer it will probably start. The popping noise is probably from the fuel pump priming each time you turned the key but nothing happened so all of the fuel from each turn of the key just sat there until it fired and then it was pig rich for a few seconds. Was there dark smoke when it started? Good luck with your car.
No, no dark smoke from what I could tell, no funny odors, excellent gas mileage and yeah I really am hoping it is the starter. Because it's really overcranking the car, and not engaging it. But then again it might be a ground, or sensor, or anything else
. Which is what's worrying me.
07-31-2004, 10:42 AM
#4
You may want to just pull the starter and take it to Autozone and have then test it for you before you spend money on it. When you say overcranking do you mean that horrible metal to metal grinding sound? The starter may be missing some teeth and it's not catching on the flywheel/flexplate.
07-31-2004, 04:43 PM
#5
Originally Posted by SEDaveMax
You may want to just pull the starter and take it to Autozone and have then test it for you before you spend money on it. When you say overcranking do you mean that horrible metal to metal grinding sound? The starter may be missing some teeth and it's not catching on the flywheel/flexplate.
Problem fixed it was the starter :-D
07-31-2004, 05:18 PM
#6
Originally Posted by HarrisH
I'll try to make this as clear as possible as it is somewhat hard to describe. My car is a '97 Maxima with 121K on the odometer now here's the story.
I was filling her up at a gas station about 1 week ago, and I had the car turned off as I usually do when I'm filling it up. I go to start it and it didn't start the way it usually does with just a turn of a key, instead I had to turn over the key 3 TIMES to get her started. That's when it started, the car would not turn over with one key. It took sometimes 2-3 keys to start her. I did not smell any fuel or other odors, I did not hear any weird noises. Often I would hear the starter like make a "clink" type sound when I consistently kept turning it, but the starter was turning over the car the engine just wasn't turning over. Then all of a sudden the problem disappeared the car was starting just fine up until tonight.
I go to start the car and I hear the starter overcranking while attempting to start the car for e.g. it went (Ch Ch Ch Ch Ch overcrank overcrank) and the car had started. I parked the car attempted to start her again same scenario just that this time it didn't start I heard a pop from the exhaust. Now I kept turning it off and trying to start it and then I heard like a metal to metal clunk type sound I'm assuming the starter. Now the car was not starting at all, I would turn over the key and nothing like the car was in fail safe mode or something, no click, no sound no nothing. Then I took out the key waited a few seconds and it started up but again not the way it should, it was having a hell of a time starting up. Now I'm getting EXCELLENT gas mileage, I don't smell anything, my idle is fine, she's running absolutely fine, I don't understand what it is. I'm praying it's either a crankshaft position sensor, or starter relay switch. I really hope it's not fuel related. But I still don't know why I heard those pops, maybe because I kept trying to start it and fuel was getting dumped? This is really starting to worry me as I want to keep the car as long as possible as it's the ONLY car we have in the house, and I have insane amounts of $ dumped into it. Any and all input is grealy appreciated.
One more thing, I remote started it and it tried turning over but it didn't it sounded as if the battery was dead or something because it was turning over EXTREMELY slow. So when I go to manually start it with the key again it turned over but not normally the starter overcranked and turned over way to many times.
I was filling her up at a gas station about 1 week ago, and I had the car turned off as I usually do when I'm filling it up. I go to start it and it didn't start the way it usually does with just a turn of a key, instead I had to turn over the key 3 TIMES to get her started. That's when it started, the car would not turn over with one key. It took sometimes 2-3 keys to start her. I did not smell any fuel or other odors, I did not hear any weird noises. Often I would hear the starter like make a "clink" type sound when I consistently kept turning it, but the starter was turning over the car the engine just wasn't turning over. Then all of a sudden the problem disappeared the car was starting just fine up until tonight.
I go to start the car and I hear the starter overcranking while attempting to start the car for e.g. it went (Ch Ch Ch Ch Ch overcrank overcrank) and the car had started. I parked the car attempted to start her again same scenario just that this time it didn't start I heard a pop from the exhaust. Now I kept turning it off and trying to start it and then I heard like a metal to metal clunk type sound I'm assuming the starter. Now the car was not starting at all, I would turn over the key and nothing like the car was in fail safe mode or something, no click, no sound no nothing. Then I took out the key waited a few seconds and it started up but again not the way it should, it was having a hell of a time starting up. Now I'm getting EXCELLENT gas mileage, I don't smell anything, my idle is fine, she's running absolutely fine, I don't understand what it is. I'm praying it's either a crankshaft position sensor, or starter relay switch. I really hope it's not fuel related. But I still don't know why I heard those pops, maybe because I kept trying to start it and fuel was getting dumped? This is really starting to worry me as I want to keep the car as long as possible as it's the ONLY car we have in the house, and I have insane amounts of $ dumped into it. Any and all input is grealy appreciated.
One more thing, I remote started it and it tried turning over but it didn't it sounded as if the battery was dead or something because it was turning over EXTREMELY slow. So when I go to manually start it with the key again it turned over but not normally the starter overcranked and turned over way to many times.
However I will have Autozone bench test my starter and see if that could be the problem. At any rate im changing the EGR pipes when I install Cattman headers this winter. I already got a cleaned EGR pipe for free so its no biggy to change it out, so im not to overly concerned with the problem right now.
07-31-2004, 08:16 PM
#7
Originally Posted by 98SEBlackMax
I have the same problem sometimes on my '96. When my engine is hot it has a hard time starting on some days. When starting it takes a few seconds of holding down the key to start. Sometimes I get some back firing and a small cloud of black smoke coming out of the exhaust. I thought it might be an clogged EGR problem cause of its age and today I got a 0302 CEL which is a problem with the EGR.
However I will have Autozone bench test my starter and see if that could be the problem. At any rate im changing the EGR pipes when I install Cattman headers this winter. I already got a cleaned EGR pipe for free so its no biggy to change it out, so im not to overly concerned with the problem right now.
However I will have Autozone bench test my starter and see if that could be the problem. At any rate im changing the EGR pipes when I install Cattman headers this winter. I already got a cleaned EGR pipe for free so its no biggy to change it out, so im not to overly concerned with the problem right now.
Well say it is the starter then you should be overly concerned because then the car can die on you anywhere, any place, at any given time. Definantly get it checked out man.
07-31-2004, 09:24 PM
#9
Originally Posted by HarrisH
Well say it is the starter then you should be overly concerned because then the car can die on you anywhere, any place, at any given time. Definantly get it checked out man.
08-01-2004, 07:16 AM
#10
Member
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 34
Had the same problem with my 97 cefiro. Turned out the starter carbon brush needs to be replaced. Thsi caused the starter to malfunction intermittently (no crank). This caused another problem later on: a burned out solenoid (causing erratic engagement of pinion gears and gear ring). Had them both replaced for an equivalent of about US$150 labor included.
My advice though is have it checked professionally.
My advice though is have it checked professionally.
08-01-2004, 08:35 PM
#12
Member
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 34
Originally Posted by SEDaveMax
Hey MaxCefiro do you have any pictures of your car?
Front View:
Front View (Wider Shot):
Semi-side View:
Engine Shots (while under repair, no radiator and intake system):
Sorry the engine shots are fuzzy. I used my mobile phone to take those pictures and the image quality of the built in camera is not that good.
How about yours?
08-01-2004, 10:10 PM
#14
Hmm the insert hyperlink feature doesn't seem to be functioning. Anyways here's the link to my Cardomain page.
http://www.cardomain.com/memberpage/560870/4
http://www.cardomain.com/memberpage/560870/4
08-02-2004, 01:41 AM
#15
Member
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 34
Originally Posted by SEDaveMax
Hmm the insert hyperlink feature doesn't seem to be functioning. Anyways here's the link to my Cardomain page.
http://www.cardomain.com/memberpage/560870/4
http://www.cardomain.com/memberpage/560870/4
Hmmmm. I tested it now and it says there is something wrong with the server. I can't access it too. It's in my yahoo briefcase. Just keep on trying till you get through.
How do you post pics in the message? I've tried it but it doesn't show up as pics, just links.
I'm from the Philippines. The pictures were taken at the transport show from last year. The engine pictures taken 6 months later when I installed my custom designed 2 row radiator and oil cooler.
08-02-2004, 02:53 AM
#16
Originally Posted by HarrisH
Problem fixed it was the starter :-D
I just was there because of similar starting issues and wanted to have the battery/alternator checked out. They said it was "probably" the battery... new battery didn't change anything. i think I'm going to look at the starter next.
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