Hi, I have noticed on a couple of occasion that the tach and speedo needles flicker when starting the car in the morning. It only has happened on cold starts and the engine hesitates to turn over for a couple of seconds before finally starting. The needles flicker at a high rate for a few seconds then return to normal. I also notice that the range field (miles remaining for fuel) dashed out before returning to normal after a few seconds. I suspect that it has to be electrical related but not quite sure. Has anyone experienced this? When it happened the first time, I cleaned my battery posts. There was a buildup of corrosion on the positive terminal.

Any recommendations on what I can do to check any voltage issues? I have a 2017 Maxima with around 42,000 miles.

Thanks in advance!

edit: I checked my battery voltage and it shows 12.6 V. I also checked the voltage after starting my car and the value remains constant. I do not see a voltage drop while the engine is idling.

 

dam..cant say that i have had in issue like this on my 2018 Max, anyone on the forums have had these problems?

 

I've noticed it before when starting the vehicle. It stops once the engine is warm. I don't think it's anything to be too concerned about

 

Thanks. Yeah that’s my line of thought as well. This is the first time I’ve noticed this behavior, so it’s a bit disconcerting. It has happened when it’s cold, but I live in Texas so the winters are not brutally cold. Plus the car is garaged. The garage is not insulated, but it’s probably a little warmer than outside.

How frequently has this happened to you? Have you ever taken it to the dealership to have it checked?

 

When the car starts I think the speedo and tach both go max and back to normal as a built in test. Is this what your seeing?

 

No, the needles begin at their “zero” state, then jitter at a high frequency before displaying their correct values after a few seconds. The needles stay at the lower end of the scale when vibrating. I don’t recall if the needles go max at first, but I think they do. It’s really odd.

 

Test your battery under a load 1st. My 2016 with 38 K was also acting wacky. Replaced the battery and all went back to normal. The batteries these cars came with don't last very well and are also a bit under powered. The positive terminal oxidation is the clue it is failing.

 

No prob.s like this with my '17 SL but I'll add this: typically, oxidation of the positive terminal is due to overcharging. Oxidation of the negative terminal is due to undercharging. When you cleaned the positive terminal of oxidation did you also clean up and tighten the negative terminal as well/? Also, did you apply a film of dielectric grease to the positive male and female terminals? This will tend to prevent further accumulation of crud. My bet is either your battery is going south (of course you are already South aren't you?), or your + and - terminals are not making good contact. The quivering needles could be due to one of several electrical gremlins, including a bad ground somewhere, and remember, one of the main ground points is right at that battery. CHECK TO MAKE SURE THAT GROUND IS CLEAN AND TIGHT. Write back and let us know what you find out. Me thinks not normal operating.

 

I think that's normal, mine does it. Its just repositioning for the fancy needle start up animation. Nothing to worry about. Now your engine not tuning over after a couple seconds I would get that looked at. Maybe the starter is going out the door.

 

I tested the battery before, during, and after running the engine and it maintains around 12.6 v steadily. Yes, there was a large amount of oxidation on the positive terminal. I cleaned both positive and negative posts, applied oil based battery terminal treatment, installed battery terminal washers, and resecured the terminals ensuring that they were attached snuggly. This issue occurred before and after I cleaned the posts.

My battery is about 3.5 years old. I heard somewhere that car batteries typically last around 4 years. So I am guessing my battery is nearing it's life expectancy but it seems like it is still performing solidly.

 

It has been my experience, and actually true for all 4 sedans I own, that "running" voltage for a good battery should be in the neighborhood of 13.4 VDC.

 

I also have a 2017 SL! I replied to another post but wanted to also reply to yours. I tested the battery before, during, and after running the engine and it maintains around 12.6 v steadily. There was a large amount of oxidation on the positive terminal. I cleaned both positive and negative posts, applied oil based battery terminal treatment, installed battery terminal washers, and resecured the terminals ensuring that they were attached snuggly. This issue occurred before and after I cleaned the posts. Is there another ground that attaches to the battery? I don't think I noticed it.

 

No other battery ground that I know of. I does sound like you cleaned up the battery and maintenanced it exactly as I would have. The 12.6 volts steady "during running" seems low based on my experience.

 

Hi guys. Just wanted to write an update. The issue occurred a few more times since starting this thread. My car would not start after work today. Definitely the battery. Had to get jumpstarted. The irony was that I was on my way to Auto Zone to get the battery checked and eventually a new battery. New battery installed. Now hopefully I should be good to go and no longer encounter any issues. Thanks for everyone’s inputs.