Just put in new battery into my wife's '95 Maxima, but now we can't get the starter to turn. Checked charge on new battery, checked engine bay fuses, checked Park/Neutral switch, even ran jumper from battery (+) to solenoid ... still nothing. Think I can hear the solenoid click so I'm pretty sure it must be the Anti-Theft relay the factory put on the '95 models. Problem is my wife lost her Owner's Manual..Does anyone know the procedure to disable the anti-theft relay?

 

maybe it's a lose battery connection?

 

Car powers up...dash lights, stereo, windows, wipers all work normally with ingnition On, so I know the new battery is installed well. Just read in Haynes manual that there's a 10A in the Fuse Box (Fuse 17 in '95 models) just prior to the Anti-Theft relay...so I'm on my way back to AutoZone to check that fuse (I'll be ****ed if that's all it is)

 

Are you sure there is an Anti-theft shut off capability? My understanding was that the "Anti-theft" was merely a rudimentary sound alarm with no form of deactivation.

 

even ran jumper from battery (+) to solenoid ...

This jumper bypassed all anti-theft devices. If the battery is good, and the cables are good, and the connections are good, and the starter is good, it had to crank. Is this the original starter? There have been complaints about weak starters in the '95s.

 

Yes, has shut-off capability by means of the Anti-Theft/Start relay (located passenger side of engine compartment near Wiper relay), but only on cars that have the Anti-Theft system (security light on dash-board)...I've attached the ignition sequence from the service mannual...notice the step that says "If the theft warning system is not triggered..." Either way, I jumpered past the anti-theft inhibitor relay last night and still nothing.

So, I also found a Nissan Technical Bulletin (NTB98-008b) that talks about random Engine Stall/No-Starts due to wire breakage in the EGI Wire Harness as the master trunk bends "over the right rear of the engine next to the right strut tower" (passenger side). I'll be performing some continuity checks tonight and let y'all know.

Ignition Sequence on A/T Models:

Power is supplied at all times to ignition switch terminal(1)through 3O A fusible link (letter (d) ,located in the fuse and fusible link box).

With the ignition switch in the ON or START position, power is supplied through 10 A fuse (No. (17) ,located in the fuse block in the HEC) to theft warning relay terminal (1)

Also, with the ignition switch in the START position, power is supplied from ignition switch terminal (3) to inhibitor relay terminal (6)

If the theft warning system is not triggered, power is supplied through theft warning relay terminal (4) to inhibitor switch terminal (1) through inhibitor relay terminal (1), with the selector lever in the P or N position to body grounds (F18) and (F19).

The inhibitor relay is energized and power is supplied from ignition switch terminal (3)to terminal (1) of the starter motor windings through inhibitor relay terminals (36) and (37)

The starter motor plunger closes and provides a closed circuit between the battery and the starter motor.
The starter motor is grounded to the cylinder block. With power and ground supplied, the starter motor operates.
If the theft warning system is triggered, terminal (2) of the theft warning relay is grounded and power to the inhibitor switch is interrupted.

 

You're correct. Good catch. I looked through the service manual last night (after my original post) and realized the genius at AutoZone had me jumping between battery (+) and the Ground cable! (explains why the jumper got hot so fast). I'll try the jumper correctly tonight to verify the starter, as I think it may be the wire harness bend (see my reply post to Mishmosh)..but I hope not, cause that's a lot of surgery. By the way, you're "HELP: 90 Nissan Maxima Starter Problem" reply post was helpful also. Thanks.

 

I have seen th is a few times.. IT is the ground.. See your starter draws (-) off the engines ground.. Try attaching your jumper cables to the negative on the battery and then to the engine block.. It should start now..

 

If you can hear the solenoid click, then all the wiring is good. If any relay is bad, then the solenoid wouldn't get any power and there would be no click.