i have searched the .org for answers to my problem, but nobody has exactly the same problem as me. similar, but not exact.

first of all, i have the fog rewire and an aftermarket HU on a bose system. these are a couple of answers i've gotten from friends. see if you can get the REAL answer!

since i bought the car almost a year ago, i've noticed a certain problem, not so much getting any worse, but more so worrysome. sometimes when i turn the key, nothing happens...almost like i didn't turn it all the way. try again, it cranks. whatever.

in a possibly unrelated problem, my car has been starting really sluggishly lately. as in, maybe it will start, maybe it won't. it started about a week and a half ago, i took my car to my friend's shop to see if he could figure out a clicking sound from my right front wheel (need help with that too, but irrelevant to this thread). we took it for a ride, i went back to work, then i got back to my car and it wouldn't start. no click, no crank...nothing. my radio was working, my AC was working, my door alarm was beeping, all the HUD lights were on like they should be. so, i spent like 20 minutes checking things like fuses (fuel pump), relays (ignition, starter), etc. then i got back in, it started right up. i then went to my gf's apartment, hung out for a minute, went to leave and it cranked, but took FOREVER to turn over. i got to my house, turned the car off, tried to crank it...nothing. not even a click. like before.

the next day, i took my other car (race me) to work...asked some friends about what it could be. the solenoid in the starter was the most popular answer. my gf's dad said it had to be the solenoid in the starter. my dad said the same.

i got home that day, tried to start it, and it started right up. turned it off, tried again, took FOREVER to turn over, but it finally started. turned it off, and tried one more time...nothing. no clicking, no cranking...nothing. radio, AC, HUD, everything like that was working, but i couldn't start my car. i sat there for a moment or two and waited...tried to start it again, started right up.

DUBYA TEE *****!!!

what could it be? i bought a solenoid for the starter today, but i can't get a refund once it's been plugged in, so i better be sure. i've also read in a couple threads that it could be the ignition switch, but i don't think that would make it take forever to turn over.

HELP PLEASE!!!

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EDIT: had the starter, alternator, and battery tested by 2 different shops, all "normal" or "good"

 

idk bout the long cranks but my ignition switch i s loose or damaged oe it might be becauase i dont have the original key but i have to move it around sometimes for it to start cuz if i just turn it it does notn

 

there is a lot of info about this actually, and it seems that your ignition switch is going bad.actually ,so is mine.this is in reference to the "nothing" when you turn the key issue, the sluggish starting could be a number of things such as,battery,alternator,and grounding problems.
when the car does nothing when you try to crank it,try to turn the key a little bit harder...this works for me now but I know eventually there will be no contact.hopefully I will replace it befor then but who knows...

 

i have the original key, no need to "move it around"...

i checked my grounding, everything seems fine...and i turn the key as far as it can go everytime i start my car

anyone else wanna pitch in?

 

just change the starter you be set

 

Pull the starter and have it tested. I'm thinking its the ignition switch failing.

 

You may have two separate problems. The "nothing happens" sounds like the ignition switch. When I had the problem, sometimes I had to turn the key 15 or 20 times to get it to fire up. I replaced one ignition switch, and that still didn't solve it. (Neither did a bunch of other things.) I finally pulled the ignition switch, put a little piece of electrical tape in the slot where the flange goes, and it's been perfect for 6 months now. I think after time these develop a little slop between the key cylinder flange and the ignition switch, and turning the key doesn't quiiiiiite engage the ignition switch. Adding a tape shim fixed it for me.

The sluggish starting sounds like either the starter is going or the battery isn't putting out enough juice.

 

Can you supply a lil more information?

 

UPDATE: it was the starter. got one from ORLY's, put it right in.

talk about easy fix

p.s. just a little side note......OMFG there are too many of these threads. when i started this one, there was not a single one answering my question!

 

swap the starter relay with a similar relay and you problem will go away! Make sure you have more the 11.5 b4 cranking!

 

I seem to have this problem also. I wondered if it was my clutch lock-out switch. I have a 5spd. Isn't there a switch that won't let you start if the clutch is not depressed?

 

<<You may have two separate problems. The "nothing happens" sounds like the ignition switch. When I had the problem, sometimes I had to turn the key 15 or 20 times to get it to fire up. I replaced one ignition switch, and that still didn't solve it. (Neither did a bunch of other things.) I finally pulled the ignition switch, put a little piece of electrical tape in the slot where the flange goes, and it's been perfect for 6 months now. I think after time these develop a little slop between the key cylinder flange and the ignition switch, and turning the key doesn't quiiiiiite engage the ignition switch. Adding a tape shim fixed it for me.

The sluggish starting sounds like either the starter is going or the battery isn't putting out enough juice.

Can you supply a lil more information?..>>


About what?

 

you have tested the starter before dont you..? and you said everything was normal so how come or how did you know was the starter........please let me know i am having the same problem

 

my car does the same thing and I tapped my starter and then touched the positive wire of the starter and the bolt on the starter with a screw driver at the same time and it should start....also have the car switch turned on to do this.....

 

First thing to check when you have a no start (nothing) is that you have power to the trigger wire on the starter solonoid,
if you do, that issue is EITHER the starter, or a POOR GROUND/LACK OF GROUND on the starter.
If you don't, they you can move on to other possible causes (bat, connections, Ignition switch, etc).

Keep in mind a lot of us (myself included) have replaced starters, had them fix the problem, only to have the issue reappear later on. The reason for this is when you replace the starter, the ground to the block is re-established, after a while, it goes to shyt again. Also because a new starter requires less effort to crank over, and as it gets worn a bit it relies on good connections to get maximum torque.

Solution to that: Install a good ground from the starter to the chassis. Also install a good ground from the engine (tranny) to the chassis.
While you're at it you may as well upgrade your battery ground (located between the battery and air box on the fenderwell)

 

Very, very good advice right there^

 

Yes, the 5spd has a "lock-out" switch. It is near the floor/firewall where the clutch pedal would depress to. I have this similar problem and thought it was the switch so I by-passed it. The problem persists. I do notice that early in the morning or when it is cold/cool i can start the car fine, but when the car is hot either from running or because of environmental temp the car doesn't do anything when the key is turned. I'm going to have to try looking into the ignition switch.

 

Cold/hot will affect connections, You'll also notice that wet weather affects connections. As the connections heat up, they 'dry' and if there is corrosion/poor connection resistance is increased, as well, more heat increases resistance. Enough resistance will not allow a connection at all.
Moisture will allow better connections.
Just a couple things to consider.
Also, bypassing the clutch pedal switch is just simply a bad idea, and waste of time. I've never heared of a clutch pedal switch messing up on a Maxima.

 

The problem with turning the key 5-20 times before it engages the starter is most likely the ignition switch - I just spent an hour poking around and found one of the two screws holding it on was a little loose. If I tweaked the position just a little it would engage on the first turn of the key every time. I took the switch out and used a screw driver and it worked every time. Then I reinstalled the switch and made sure each screw was well tightened. Now it engages the first time I turn the key. If it starts to take multiple turns I think I'll just buy a new switch. Man, that is a relief - I've been living with needing to turn the key 10-15-20-25 times when warm for like 4 months.

 

That's great, but both the OP and DBear have fixed their respective problems (DBear even posted that his problem was a worn ignition switch engagement pin on the lock tumbler), and this thread died 5 months ago.

 

True and true - but I apparently need to reply 15 times before I can post a new question and since I actually have experience with this problem and since I found this thread through a normal Google search and since the site search engine isn't working I thought me throwing in my own findings wouldn't hurt anything. 2 down 13 to go!

 

If you're going to postwhore to 15, you're going to get banned.

Just an FYI.

Why not ask your question in the newbie thread? This is exactly why it exists.

 

Post *****? - Uh, yea - seriously? My reply had useful information - well maybe not to you. But if I found my reply at the bottom of that thread than I probably would have done what I did sooner.

BTW - isn't bumping kinda the same thing?

If you seriously think I'm wasting bandwidth - well... man I don't know what to say.

 

If you dig up old threads and end your posts with 'XX until 15' then you're going to gain attention, and bumping old threads to get to 15 isn't looked too kindly upon around here.

Anyway, if you have a question, why not ask in the newbie thread? It's better for 3 reasons:

• You don't have to wait to get 15 posts to ask
• You up your post count
• You don't bring back old threads

 

that makes too much sense for some newbies, however, i am going to take his advice since i am having the exact described problem.

 

sounds like you're questioning pmohr's intelligence.

that's bad news. you may get banned, just for the hell of it...