1997 Maxima starts intermittently

[Shawn]

My sister-in-law has an old Maxima that starts intermittently. Sometimes it will start up right away other times you could be turning the key for 20min before it will finally start.

I thought it was the ignition switch, but now I'm not sure. Every time the key is turned there is a clicking sound from the relays and the ACC components turn off while the key is in the start position.

I checked with my voltmeter to see if there was continuity when the key is turned to start and it does appear to work.

Not sure what else it could be. If it's the starter wouldn't it make sound every time the key was turned? It doesn't make a sound until it finally works and then it turns over like normal.

The only other thing I can think of is maybe a relay is defective.

Thoughts?

 

[Doppel]

Well a turned key with clicking and nothing else is a tell tale sign of a dead battery, but if it does eventually start after 20 min there's no way the battery is magically charging itself...so, I guess I don't know 🙂

 

[Shawn]

Yeah, the battery is fine. When it does decide to work it turns over easily.

 

[SearchMaster]

It still could be the starter (getting power but not turning over) or solenoid. Both should be relatively cheap fixes if you have to take it to a shop.

If you have a voltmeter, you should check to see if the starter is getting good power when the key is turned. That should help narrow down where the problem is. If you don't, you're probably not qualified to fix it anyway 🙂

Go Noles!

 

[AdamK47]

Is the engine warm when the slow starting happens?

A dying starter has much greater resistance hot than it does cold.

 

[CraigRT]

I've been through a random crank scenario and it was a bad connection at the starter motor. Used some emery to clean the green off the connections and worked perfect every time afterwards.

 

[xeemzor]

I had the same problem on my 98 maxima(still drive it) and it was the starter.

 

[kevman]

same problem with my father's 98 Maxima, it was the starter, $65 and some wrenching it was good to go.

 

[Funyuns101]

same problem with my father's 98 Maxima, it was the starter, $65 and some wrenching it was good to go.

same here... take a look at the starter~

 

[Shawn]

Hmm... I think the starter was replaced a year ago.

 

[dawp]

sound like a dead winding in the starter. it only happens when the starter stops at the contact for that winding, anyplace else it acts normal.

 

[JCH13]

Hmm... I think the starter was replaced a year ago.

All the more reason to check for a loose connection. Someone might have spun a nut in place and never tightened it.

 

[njmodi]

Next time it happens, give the starter a whack and try to start it again. Could be a sticking solenoid. It can also be the ignition switch but my money is on a bad starter.

What sort of starter was used as a replacement?

 

[mvbighead]

I'd also add that you might check your battery connection. My Jeep did something similar to what you describe. Some days it'd start fine, sometimes the next start would take for ever for things to click.

One day, it finally just would not start for about 5-10 minutes. I was at a gas station and grabbed some pliers and a wrench from the teller and quickly brushed up the connections. Started right away, and never had a sporadic start problem again.

Granted, eventually the starter did up and die, but that was several months later. In any case, at this point, it sounds a lot like what mine was doing before I cleaned the battery connections.