Trouble Starting 01 SE

[benm_130]

Hey guys.. I've got one for ya. I've got a 01 Max SE, Automatic Transmission, 103K. Never had any problems out of it. The other day my wife was driving - she pulls up to our drive, and tries to turn the car off before she puts it in park. I guess she's used to driving a standard. Needless to say, the car doesn't turn off, she puts it in park and then shuts it down, no problem. She says this has happend to her two or three times. We go inside, come back out an hour later - it's been raining - and I try to start the car. All the lights that normally flash during startup appear, the radio turns on, ac, lights etc but when i put the key all the way to start all I get is a clicky sound. CLICK, CLICK, CLICK, CLICK...over and over real fast. So, I try it several times and nothing happens. What the heck? It appears the battery is good - all electronic systems work fine, and I tried putting it in neutral to start it and cycling it through the gears several times and putting it securely back into park, but it just keeps doing the same clicky thing and not starting. I've checked all the fuses I can find too - they're all good. Can someone give me an idea of what this could be? I'm stumped -

Also, the SES light has been off and on for about a year. I took it to get it checked out and Autozone says it's one of the O2 sensors. I haven't seen any loss in gas mileage so I haven't changed it out yet.

[johnnyd6404]

It sounds like you have no power I'd check the battery again make sure the posts are clean and connections are nice and tight.

[tHe iLleSt RiCe]

starter

[allensteiner]

^ sounds like a solenoid is going bad.

[MinisterofDOOM]

Were any dash lights aside from the SES light showing before this happened? Battery and/or brake lights?

Have you checked battery voltage? Try jumping it?

[benm_130]

IT sounds like it could be everything from the Battery to the Starter and all points in between. Hey, there is some corrosion on the battery terminals and they are a bit loose. Can this cause the no start? I would think that corrosion/loose terms would just cause a slow start scenario like a dying battery. Anyone have any thoughts?

[MinisterofDOOM]

It's possible.

Easiest way to clean up corrosion on battery terminals is to mix baking soda (not baking powder) with water and pour it over the terminals. It'll make a mess under the car, so be warned.

I would definitely test the battery voltage (if you need a multimeter and don't want to spend much, you can usually find budget ones at Harbor Freight or the like for a few dollars). Also, try jump-starting the car. If it starts from a jump, you can rule out the starter. And if you can get it started, you can pull out the trusty multimeter again and test voltage while the car's running. If you're not getting 14v with the car running, your alternator is likely bad. If you're not getting 12v with the car off, the battery might be bad.

Definitely clean up the corrosion and tighten/replace the terminal connections before troubleshooting, though.

[benm_130]

Thanks for the advice. I will try all of those things and let ya know how it turns out.

[benm_130]

Ok, here's an update. Thursday I went to try to start the car again and when I opened the door, there were several clicks and then nothing. So I put the key in the ignition and the battery was completely dead. I took it off and charged it for 24 hrs., cleaned off all the contact surfaces on the leads and terminal posts and tried again. SAME THING. All the dash lights and interior lights come on, but the ignition system only clicks repeatedly when I turn the key to start. I go back out the next day and the car had drained the battery again. I'm starting to think the car is somehow locked in a 'run' state where the electrical system has never turned off. That would explain why it won't let the starter engage. The car thinks that it is still running somehow. Anyone think this is anything other than crazy talk?

Thanks.

[NutriaforBreakfast]

Sounds like something is draining you battery. Haynes has aprocedure where you use a test light and pull fuses to seeif an electrical switch is staying open. You might try this firstcause an electrician will probably try this if you go into the shopand will charge you big $ for it.

[Mike G]

I would start with having the battery tested at your local favorite parts store. Asess that situation and move forward from there, could be that it was just on it's way out. Also, as a side note, I had an underhood light that stayed on and drained my battery, that one we found in the dark one night... --Mike

[benm_130]

Sounds like something is draining you battery. Haynes has aprocedure where you use a test light and pull fuses to seeif an electrical switch is staying open. You might try this firstcause an electrician will probably try this if you go into the shopand will charge you big $ for it.

That sounds like it makes a lot of sense. Which manual has this procedure?

[lightsout]

its not your starter, i believe. It sounds like your battery isn't pushing out enough electricity which causes your starter to freak out. charge the battery, or replace it. Check your batteries terminals, sometimes they are just corroded :-(

[pm_page6776]

I will put money on your battery having a dead cell. Parasitic draws on nissans are not very common unless you have incorrectly installed aftermarket parts. Not saying it never happens, but you charged the battery and it still would not engage the starter. This tells me your battery will not hold a charge.

[lightsout]

[benm_130]

Well... it was the battery. Dead cell indeed. Thank you for convincing me of this... I was trying to make it more complicated in my head. 100 bucks later i'm rolling again.

[D_roc]

sounds like a bad starter but the starter won't go bad that fast did you have problem starting the car before liek took a while to start it?