Yes I know how many "no crank" threads there are. I have been searching them. Besides being a difficult topic to search because of the number of outcomes, many end with a new starter and I have already done that.

I put a new starter on about 5 months ago. Everything had been just fine. Then the wife called on Friday to say car won't start. No turn over but the power is fine on everything else. Battery checked at 12.6V. When the key is turned to start there is a definite click. Not sure if it is the selenoid or the gear hitting the flywheel but it is very audible. Seeing a starter just die with no warning days earlier, I pulled it and took it to the store figuring it was a poor rebuild. Tested fine but my previous two bad starters tested fine also. So they gave me a new one thankfully but it showed the same result. Click with no crank. Knowing you can have voltage without enough amperage, I cleaned the posts and checked the leads, both of which I had replaced less than a year earlier.

If the starter is getting power, then that eliminates the entire inhibition system. The alarm isn't killing or there would be no click. I bypassed the park/neutral switch to the same result. I pulled the codes just for the hell of it, only finding the rear O2 which I guess was stored and not tripping the light. I'm about to try jumping it just because there isn't anything else I can think of. I put it up and turned the crank with a socket just to prove it wasn't locked (someone gave me that scary idea). The only other thing mentioned is shims, as a fellow had seen a car bind on a starter without shims. But I haven't ever seen them mentioned and don't know if they even exists. I don't hear the fuel pump kick on but that won't affect the crank.

I'm out of ideas and stuck. Kids have school and the wife and I have work in the morning. I do have another vehicle but this is bad. Any way to test an ECU for validity? Those are too expensive to just "try another."

 

IIRC there is a relay that can cause this? It still sounds like a bad starter? hmmm

 

I did look at the fusible link and make sure it was not burnt but I did neglect the fuses/relays. I guess because I figured if the starter were cut off it would be all or nothing, not a click but no crank. Hopefully there is a similar relay I can swap or I will look up how to test it.

If it is the starter I am going to have to figure that out some way other than swapping it at the store. They already swapped me one and it gave the same results. I know there are bad rebuilds but to have an early failure replaced by a bad rebuild, they're not going to keep handing me starters unless I can find a working one on my own to prove it. And I don't have any friends that own a Max.

 

yeah, rebulids/remans suck as a rule. any junkyards in your area you could try one from a junked max? i have a napa alternator and it came out of the box whining just like the old one did, luckily it does'nt whine as much it only randomly whines, usually after warm up.

 

First thing I'd do is try jumping it manually, connect a jumper wire between B+ and the signal wire to the starter (the single wire with the connector). If it cranks then...that'd be odd.

Check for voltage drop between the B+ lead on the starter and on the positive battery terminal, there could be an issue with that lead (even though you replaced it a year ago, worth a check).

Then, check to see how well the starter is grounded. May be quicker and easier to start off with just temporarily running a ground wire from the negative battery post to the starter body.

If none of those work, pull it and bench test. I've seen some with internal issues where they'd actually only work in one specific orientation, but not as they sat in the vehicle (mostly the ND starters with the replaceable contacts, an internal ground wire or somesuch).

Also make sure the battery terminals are tight, I've seen far too many poorly fitting aftermarket terminals (usually those with two bolts and a strap to hold the OE leads in place), most of the time they don't adequately clamp on to the battery posts.

 

Had the wife bump the key while I felt the relay. Felt it click. I know that's not real official but sounds good enough that it's working. I guess I take it in for a bench test tomorrow but I don't really see the point. How would a starter get power but not crank, if the starter is fine? That is the major question. The starter is not a two stage process. If it gets power then the failure has to be in the starter unit. Is there any way the ECU could do this? As I stated I don't think the fuel pump is priming but that is a different problem. But when I turn the key on, the dash lights come on and stay on. Not sure if all of them staying on is a sign like Nissan likes to use. I never watched them before to know which stay on or go off.

 

If there's a large voltage drop between the starter and the battery, it'll act just like a dead battery (click and no start). Same with a poor ground connection.

No, the ECU really has nothing to do with the starter circuit.

No need to remove it to jump the signal wire, that can all be done in-situ. Bench testing is also easily done out of the car with some jumper cables and a good batter.

 

Went out at lunch. Did the jumper to starter signal, same result. Click, no crank. Checked voltage between + and - post and - post and starter connection. Read low on first time, but then came up to same reading. I'm sure it was just the way I made contact.

But I see how your going about it now. I was trouble shooting through the car and your going straight at them. The jumper just eliminated the entire ignition, relay, alarm and ECU. I don't really see how the ground to tranny is bad unless the mating surfaces were oily but now know to check the head to chassis point. I have an eyelet to eyelet cable from trouble shooting the starter the first time. Worst case scenario, as you said, run a dedicated ground, maybe replace the positive again and jumper it. There could be nothing else to fail but internally. The only reason I would replace the positive cable is because the one I did was a splice on. I cut it back to clean cable and it is still clean cable (opened and inspected). The starter end did not feel or appear damaged at all. I will have to crack the loom open and inspect. Already cleaned battery terminals. Clamps are one of each (strap type on +, thick chunker on -). They seem tight and I use battery jelly. Will test lines after work.

 

A lot of times the starter motor is still good but the solenoid needs to be replaced. Apparently, Autozone sells jus the solenoid too.

 

This just went from bad to WTF. Last night I tried building a temporary hot wire to eliminate the positive lead. Thought I had that all hooked up but no difference. Started pulling it apart to have every part tested. After Autozone tells me the battery is good and the starter is good, I take the starter to O'Reilly's and they say it's good too. So I decide to use the test cable and replace the positive lead. It was a 4ga line and I just replaced the test clamps with a battery terminal on one end and that's what I needed to replace the original line.

So just to be damn certain and since I have it all out I built a bench test right in front of the car. Starter clamped to a work bench, same battery from the car. I used the actual negative cable from the car, clamped to the starter flange. Ran my new positive cable from battery to starter like it will in the car. Jump it and it works. Three feet to the left, installed in the car I STILL GET CLICK NO CRANK. The ONLY addition to the bench system is another cable. My negative side goes battery post to chassis, to head and I have added a temporary chassis to starter bolt. That line is a 6ga instead of 4ga but these are all new or less than a year old, bolted together with battery jelly.

So an entire system bench tests fine out of the car, but shows symptoms of a voltage drop when installed in the car. I even separated the accessories lines from the positive and still click, no crank. I DID turn the engine by wrench so it's not locked. I should have some kind of turn. I am at my wit's end. I really can't afford the shop but really see no point putting it in for a mystery problem after I've trouble shot so far.

 

Starter may bench test fine cuz there is no load on it. It sounds like a weak starter to me.

 

Yeah but this morning it was the guy that gave me this as a new replacement on Friday. Don't think I'm getting another. Went back one last time around noon to see if he had any more guesses (no I do not rely on those guys, just pick them for info). Instead I got the old guy that asked if I had called the hot-line, that "they are master technicians." The number went straight to leave a message, we'll call you back.

I'm waiting for my call back.

Has anyone ever heard of shimming these starters? Maybe it can't move far enough to make strong contact. A worn contact would be the only way to explain why the first started did this suddenly. I don't know, I'm grasping at straws now.

 

I'm still thinking it's a starter problem.I like the idea of finding even a used OEM starter and trying it.I've seen that plenty on ND alternators.Good luck!

 

Well it's fixed but not intentionally. Surprisingly the company that provides the part also has good tech support over the phone. They gave me documentation for testing voltage drop and millivolt testing both leads. But I never got to that point. As I was putting it all back together I reinstalled the original B+ line since a new one did no different. While attaching the terminal at the solenoid I was making sure it was tight when I saw the solenoid body move against the starter body. I pushed it back, it was tight and not loose. I figured that surely ruined the starter but low and behold, it finally cranked. I finally put it all back together and it started right up. So four days of trouble shooting my brains out only to fix the starter by accidentally tweaking it. Doesn't explain why the other did the same thing. Can't really blame the old cable because it works now and it also didn't work with a new replacement cable. I am providing the company with the serial number so they can source the factory and "be aware" of this issue.

Didn't follow the typical rules. I'm sure I would have seen a major voltage drop on the starter and gotten another because of it, but it's over. Thanks for the help. Hopefully this helps for future searchers.