I have been having problems with my Maxima for the last week. At first it was starting hard and I figured that was because of the cold weather we have been having. Then on Sunday when I started it up to leave work as soon as I released the clutch it started misfiring really bad basically until the engine was warmed up. Then everything was fine. Today I borrowed it to a friend and at first everything was fine. then he stopped a few places and when he went to start it he had the same problem I was having. He then started driving down the road and all of a sudden he couldn't get the rpms above about 1000 and after that it just wouldn't start.

We got it to my house and checked a few things. It looks like I probably have a bad battery. But that is probably just the beginning. We put a good battery in and it started up fine but as soon as i took my foot off the clutch (with the transmission in neutral of course) it started misfiring badly. I then shut it off and went out 10 minutes later to start it up again. By that point the battery was drained so bad it wouldn't start the car.

My friend is on the way to get his multimeter right now and we are going to test a few things like the alternator and the wiring. I was wondering if anyone has any other ideas as to where I should be looking. I basically have tonight and tomorrow to figure this out then I have to get to work this weekend. Any ideas would be appreciated.

 

Finally had a day off work this week (I work on a weekend shift) and I went out and tested a few things on my car. I got my battery fully charged and tested the voltage with a volt meter. It read 13v (my volt meter only displays whole numbers not decimals). I then started the engine with everything electrical shut off and it dropped to 12v. I then tested with a load and still got 12v. I only had the engine running long enough to take the readings then shut it off. I then put the battery back on the charger and the charger said it had an 86% charge. I then tested the battery before I charged it and it read 12v then after it was fully charged it read 13v again.

At this point the results of my test are leading me to believe I have a bad alternator. My next step is to pull the alternator and the battery and take them both to the auto parts store to be tested and if needed replaced. Is there anything else I should check before I do this? If not could someone describe the easiest way to get at the alternator to remove it?

Edit: I just tried 2 more things. I got the engine up to higher rpms while testing with the volt meter and it stayed at 12v. I then disconnected the battery cable with the engine running and it instantly died. This makes me almost 100% sure I have a bad alternator. Now I just need to figure out how to remove it.

 

Remove the front passenger wheel, along with any coverings, and access it through there with metric sockets.

 

You're right, it does sound like the alternator, but have you tried something as simple as cleaning the terminals? Also inspect the wiring between the alt and the battery itself. Any cracks? Loose connections? Check that before you go through the trouble of taking out the alt to have it bench tested. It should charge 12.8 -13.5 but under 14v. As you said your multimeter doesn't have decimals. IMO, I'd try those cheaper alternatives before dropping your alt. And if you do have to, its not that difficult. Jack up the car and drop it out of the bottom. Takes about an hour. Good luck, keep us posted

 

After looking for a few minutes I figured that was the easiest way to access it and just got done jacking the car up. I can't believe I missed this (although today was the first day I have had to look at anything) but the alternator belt is gone. I am putting money on that being my problem. However since I am gonna be in there anyways and have to go to the auto parts store I think I'm gonna pull the alternator and take it with me to have it tested anyways. I would hate to get the belt on and everything back together only to realize I actually did have a bad alternator. I am also thinking about just replacing all 3 belts (again since I am gonna be in there anyways). Are there any issues I may come across dealing with the other 2 belts?

 

Well I started to work on removing the 2 remaining belts last night but it was getting dark and cold so I didn't get far (I don't have a garage and it was about 10 degrees outside). I got to the point of loosening the tensioner for the first belt and ran into a problem. When I turn the tensioner bolt instead of the pulley going down the bolt comes up. In other words it seems that something is seizing up. Anyone have any good ways to deal with this? Now that I have some daylight I am about to go out and see if I can figure it out but any ideas would be appreciated.

Edit: Got another unrelated question. Does anyone have the recommended torque for the oil pan bolts? I have a small oil leak coming from there and I figure while I am under the car I might as well make sure those bolts are properly torqued (I plan on replacing the gasket when the weather gets better).

 

You have to loosen the center nut that the tensioner pivots on as well. Get a new crush washer for the oil pan bolt.

 

I figured that out after I saw how the alternator was mounted. After I figured that out I had the 2 remaining belts removed pretty quickly. Now I am inside letting my fingers thaw (it's about 15 degrees out today) before I put the new belts on.

Is this a common cause of an oil leak? If this is causing my oil leak rather than a bad gasket maybe this is something I can take care of today. Also do you know what the torque should be for the oil pan bolts? I don't have a repair manual for this car so I can't look it up myself.