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'96 Nissan Maxima starting problem

This has been an ongoing problem with my '96 Nissan Maxima. A couple of years ago my car starting acting funny on the startup. I would turn the key sometimes and I would have to hold the key there for a second in order for it to turn over. Sometimes it would start fine and other times I would have to turn the key a few times to get it to start. It progressively got worse until one day it would not start at all. I had the car towed to a repair shop and the next day it started fine for them. Eventually they told me I needed a new starter. This seemed to correct the problem until a few months later it starting doing the same thing as before and eventually would not start again. I had the car towed back to the same repair shop and they told me that Nissan Maxima's were having a problem with some of the aftermarket starters causing this problem and installed a new one that was higher quality. About 8 months later it started acting funny again and took it back to the repair shop and this time they told me it was not a starter problem and they could not detect what the problem was with their computer diagnostics machine. They told me I needed to take the car to a Nissan dealer and have them evaluate the problem. The Nissan people told me that the aftermarket starter that was installed was causing this problem and I needed to install a Nissan starter which was going to be $600 plus the $95 diagnostic fee. Since I had already paid the other people to fix this problem I took the car back to the original repair shop and explained to them what Nissan had told me. They said the starter they had installed was a Hitachi starter who actually makes the starters for Nissan and that this should not be the problem, but they again installed a new Hitachi rebuilt starter. Now about a week later it is acting funny again where I have to hold the key for a second or two before it will turn over. I don't know what I should do now. I have already spent a considerable amount of money on this problem and am reluctant to take it to Nissan and pay them $600 for yet another starter which may or may not correct this problem. Has anyone ever heard of this happening before in a Nissan Maxima or have any idea what might be causing this problem?

Reply to
jim_ry30
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I would look at your ignition switch or perhaps your crank position sensor. Un-plug the sensor, clean the contacts, plug it back in. For the ignition switch, just replace it. This maxima has the more advanced distirubutorless ignition system so the car's computer is much more dependant on the crank sensor to know how the engine is turning over.

CD

Reply to
codifus

Hey, I have a 96 Max GLE with over 290k. I had the same issue forever. Let me ask you this: Does it act worse in the Spring/Summer times than Winter? Does it seem to work in the morning and not after it has been sitting, especially in the Sun?

I ask because this was my problem. It seemed like I, or my girl for a while, were the only ones that could crank my car. Shop techs used think I had a kill switch on it. They couldn't crank it to move it. I had to do it and they would always ask me how did I do it.

Finally, it just wouldn't crank at all one day. This was last year and I had had the car since 98. It sat days till I figured it out.

It was the ignition system. The switch was fine, it was the lock cylinder. The metal part that recognizes your key. At the end of it, there is like a little tab that fits into the actual electric switch. It is like a flathead screwdriver fitting into the switch and just turns it.

I removed the column, unscrewed two little screws to separate the switch from the lock cylinder and just cranked my car over and over again. Apparently, the switch is plastic, the cylinder is metallic and with the combination of the Georgia sun it really heats up that metal. This causes the plastic to expand and over the years, it just doesn't fit tightly over the cylinder anymore.

I found something that would not change from the heat and placed it between the two and screwed it up tight. Has worked just fine since.

By the way, I used a folded piece of chewing gum foil.

Hope this helps.

Reply to
Charlie 3

Yes, I meant to add that to my post but as a matter of fact it does seem to act up more when it is hotter outside. The first time it completely died on me was on a hot summer night when i parked it inside a mall parking garage. After I had it towed to the repair shop it started right up for them early the next morning when it was much cooler out. I still don't know how they came to the conclusion it was the starter. I'm not sure how you figured out what was causing this problem for you but I am praying you are right about my car to. This whole thing has been driving me crazy and I am tired of paying for new starters especially since they want to charge me $600 at the Nissan dealership. I won't be able to thank you enough if this is the solution. I will let you know what happens.

Reply to
jim_ry30

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