I'm trying to help a neighbor fix their 2010 Maxima SV and need some help. The battery was stolen, negative terminal cut off, while the driver's window was down. I replaced the terminal and we put in a new battery. The interior lights come on but the exterior lights do not, nor will the window go up. The dash says the headlights/foglights are on but they are not. I can't get the car to start either. I have a 2014 Maxima and was wondering if the key fob not being programmed could cause this. He mentioned he was having issues before the battery theft so I'm not sure if it's that related and they only have the one key fob. I put the key fob in the dash slot but it still doesn't do anything. Before I go down a bunch of internet rabbit holes troubleshooting various issues I thought I'd throw it out here and see what advice you guys might have.

 

The fob doesn't have to be reprogrammed after a battery change. Does the fob work on locks, panic alarm? If not try changing the batt in the fob. Are there any CEL codes, as he was saying he was having previous problems.

 

I'm going to go over and check again this afternoon because I can't remember about the locks exactly. When I would push the start button it would click like it wanted to start but wouldn't turn over. I was able to get it to communicate with my scanner but I couldn't get any codes out of it.

 

I know that the key fob battery was changed right before the battery was stolen so I think it's good. I didn't get the missing key indications either. I think there's a bigger issue but once I get over there I will post a specific run down of what I find. Any ideas of what I can check as I'm going through it is appreciated. If I can get some codes I will post them as well.

 

You said the negative terminal was cut off, is it possible something else was cut in the process causing a bad ground? I would take a look around that whole area thoroughly just to make sure. A bad ground can cause things to go all out of wack.

 

I looked yesterday and didn't see anything but I'll double check today just in case. The positive terminal was pretty corroded but i scrubbed it up.

 

Was he able to start the car after he changed the fob battery, before the car battery was stolen. Just trying to rule out an incorrectly installed fob battery. Also was the new car battery fully charged prior to installation as an off the shelf new battery is rarley fully charged.

 

I’m headed over there now to start troubleshooting and figure out what’s going on. I’m going to start with the basics, I’ll check the key fob battery, battery wiring, and then install the car battery. Since the window won’t roll up I took the car battery out last night in case the thieves came back. Once I get a baseline I will post my findings. I appreciate the ideas so fair and I’ll let you know what I find.

 

Okay, I made sure the key fob battery is good but the door locks don’t work from the key fob or the door switches, neither do the windows. The car beeps constantly, like the lights are on, unless I put it in the “on” position or close the door. I tried to start it but nothing happens, the key indicator flashes but then goes out. I’ve put the key fob in the dash holder and nothing changes. The radio and HVAC will not come on, no power. The interior lights work. I hooked my scanner up and I have the following codes: U0164x3,P0463x2, P0011, P0021, P0463. I looked at the wiring around the battery and it looks good.

 

And the car didn’t start before the car battery was stolen either.

 

Could a bad BCM cause these issues? I've looked through the FSM and did some internet searching and what the car is doing sounds a lot like it. Any help is appreciated.