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Automotive/Nissan 97 maxima start problem

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Expert: - 6/30/2007


Question
maxima 97 170k mi - got starter replaced 1.25 yrs ago
now it does nothing when key is turned except make noises tape player clicks and the antenna goes in and out. when i jump with other car- nothing. when jump with my truck (two batteries) while running it starts right up

Answer
The most likely possibility is one that is quite easy to check and, if necessary, fix ...

What is the condition of the battery cable connections to your battery?  Are the connections clean - meaning, in this case, free of corrosion - and tightly fitted to the terminals?  How do the cables themselves attach to the battery connectors?  Is it a sealed bonded connection, or is it instead one in which the bare stranded wires of the cable are held captive under clamps on the connectors to the battery?

Looseness or corrosion in any of the above will create a high enough resistance that any large current - such as that drawn by the starter motor - will cause a substantial voltage drop across the battery/connector/cable joint, and thus limit the voltage available from that connection to the rest of the car to only a couple of volts or even fractions of one volt, resulting in panel lights dimming or going off, radios and audio equipment quitting except for the noise made by the transients when the connector takes on the starting current load and, finally, the antenna to retract because its power-off sensor reads the voltage reduction as its cue to park the antenna - something it is designed to do automatically when the ignition is shut off.

Take apart and clean those battery connectors, along with the wire ends of the cable if that type of clamp is used.  If the wire ends are frayed or missing strands, trim back the insulation and cut off the section with missing strands so as to refresh the ends.  Replace any battery connectors that are noticeably corroded; they probably have lost metal to the oxidation/reduction reaction that is corrosion (and which is also similar to the reaction within the battery, although THAT reaction is reversible by charging!)  Finally, use a good terminal grease (Fluid Film is a good product, but there are many) to coat all the interfacing connections when you reassemble the cables and clamps.  The purpose of the grease is to act as an oxygen and liquid barrier to keep the interfaces clean and at the designed milli-ohm range resistance.

An afterthought: it could also be that your battery itself is no longer holding a charge.  Test it, or get it tested.

The fact that clamping a set of jumper cables to the connectors allows the vehicle to be started pretty much isolates the problem to the above two causes.

Good luck ... EGK

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Ernest (Ernie) Kenward

Expertise

The challenges I most enjoy are thoughtful technical questions of a trouble-shooting nature in both electrical, power electronic and mechanical systems, mainly automotive but also machine control and small-machine PLC applications. Please note, however, that I am NOT a walking shop manual! I DO, however, make it a point to have those manuals and other service literature for those vehicles I DO own, and highly recommend that anyone serious about maintenance or modification of their vehicles do the same; MOST of your answers WILL be found there. For that matter, I do NOT go out of my way to acquire shop manuals for any vehicle I do NOT own! That being the case, any general query to me along the lines of "What is the meaning of this code read from the ECU of my 2015 XYZ?" or "Where is the fuse for the windshield washer pump found?" (try your car's electrical distribution panel for a start!) will not go far. What I do offer is a pretty good collection of literature, insights and hands-on experience with 1950s to 1980's Ford products (plus a developing database of information and practice with the Mercedes diesel cars), along with an engineering perspective and the ability to design and implement custom control, electrical and mechanical subsystems for vehicles. For that reason, I am happy to make my thoughts and efforts available to those who are of like mind and/or are seriously making a point of learning about their vehicles. Use the Opportunity to Learn!

Experience

A key skill in my work and hobby pursuits both is STRATEGIC TROUBLESHOOTING. I am a senior instructor in Electrical Engineering Technology at a leading Canadian polytechnic, my areas being Electrical Power and Industrial Control, electrical and electronics design and manufacturing, and AutoCAD and related CAD/CAE software - plus equipment problem-solving and new equipment design and prototyping. Hobby-wise, I have 30-plus years of experience in auto restoration, mostly in electrical and mechanical systems. Ongoing projects include a 1959 Edsel Corsair, my 1978 Ford E250 class-B motorhome conversion, and the care and upkeep of my Mercedes 300CD. My vehicles become engineering test beds for electrical and mechanical upgrades as ideas present themselves. This includes the design and production of circuit boards to restore or enhance features for which no OEM replacement parts are obtainable, or where better specifications or reliability can be had via newer concepts. Regarding the E250 RV conversion, I designed and continue to revise a custom power distribution system, managed by a Programmable Controller (PLC); this has made most revisions as easy as uploading new firmware as I develop it. The "mini" PLC is a powerful device for custom automotive control systems. One good example (there are many) would be the Moeller "Easy Relay"; these offer a wealth of control, monitoring and variable-and-status display options for such projects. A good example project which has worked well is that one for my RV noted above, which has been on the job - revised in firmware only - for a decade now. It is a load management and charging control system to avoid the sulfation-induced early failure that often befalls deep-cycle batteries used in RV power applications. The battery installed in 2003 lasted long enough to more tnan pay for the PLC that contributed to its longer life ... and the PLC will be there for the next battery as well!

Organizations
IEEE - senior member ... past WCC Student Activities; SME - senior member ... past chair, greater Vancouver chapter chair 318; Edsel Owners' Club - have served in various capacities on chapter executive during seventies; have been Power and Driveline resource on the Edsel Owners' Club "E-team" for more than a decade.

Education/Credentials
Graduate of UBC

Awards and Honors
Certificates of appreciation from IEEE and SME for work in student and chapter activities

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