# Now it won't start



## khatrisa (Aug 23, 2004)

In a previous post entitle "loss of power" I detailed the problems I had with my car until I changed the alternator...everything worked fine after this. 

It's been a week, and now my car will not start. No crank at all, just a low humming sound. If I keep the key turned or repeatedly turn the key, the humming sound also goes away. Then all I'm left with are the lights that come on on the dash and the radio comes on.

It's really cold here in Cincinnati and it's snowed a bunch last night. I drove it in the snow and parked it last night with no problems at all. Now it just won't start. Any help would be nice. 

Thanks,
sk


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## Asleep (Jan 19, 2003)

what happens to the headlights when the key is turned on to start the car? do they dim or do they stay bright? how many miles are on the starter?


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## BadBoy91 (Jan 21, 2005)

also does the car make a strange rapid clicking sound? if so sound like the Battery.


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## khatrisa (Aug 23, 2004)

headlights remain on and with same power when I turn the key. Wipers, radio, windows, etc. all work just fine.

The starter I believe is original (225,000K)

No clicking sounds...my battery is new.


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## Asleep (Jan 19, 2003)

im thinking your starter is gone. doesnt sound like its getting any kind of signal which leads me to believe the solenoid is shot.


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## BadBoy91 (Jan 21, 2005)

Sounds starter related. What kinda car? could possibly be relay problem as well.


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## khatrisa (Aug 23, 2004)

AsleepAltima said:


> im thinking your starter is gone. doesnt sound like its getting any kind of signal which leads me to believe the solenoid is shot.


Why would it go out all of a sudden...I haven't had any problems with it for the week since the alternator repair. No indications at all. I went out last night without any problems. 

Why all at once, and is there a test that I can do to make sure that's the problem?

Thanks,
sk


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## khatrisa (Aug 23, 2004)

BadBoy91 said:


> Sounds starter related. What kinda car? could possibly be relay problem as well.


altima 95 225K 

How could I check for a relay problem?

THanks,
sk


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## Asleep (Jan 19, 2003)

khatrisa said:


> Why would it go out all of a sudden...I haven't had any problems with it for the week since the alternator repair. No indications at all. I went out last night without any problems.
> 
> Why all at once, and is there a test that I can do to make sure that's the problem?
> 
> ...


starters can go out - just like that. mine went to work, went to lunch and dinner and even the store one day and then wouldnt start in the morning. before you condemn it though, what do your cables look like? 
heres something you can try - get a pry bar or metal bar and get underneath your car and tap the body of the starter with it. then try and start your car. if it starts, you need a new starter. if it doesnt, then youll have to find a way to get it to checker or auto zone and they can check it with their tester for free.


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## khatrisa (Aug 23, 2004)

AsleepAltima said:


> starters can go out - just like that. mine went to work, went to lunch and dinner and even the store one day and then wouldnt start in the morning. before you condemn it though, what do your cables look like?
> heres something you can try - get a pry bar or metal bar and get underneath your car and tap the body of the starter with it. then try and start your car. if it starts, you need a new starter. if it doesnt, then youll have to find a way to get it to checker or auto zone and they can check it with their tester for free.


I'm not sure which cables you're talking about.

Where is the starter?

Can autozone check 95's?

sk


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## BadBoy91 (Jan 21, 2005)

how mechanicaly/electricaly inclined are you? There is a relay box under the hood( if memory serves me correctly) should say "Starter Relay". the eaisiest way if you dont have an idea what you are doing would be to find the relay, relace it, if the car starts great, if not, take it back for refund. But the proper way to diagnose this problem would be with a wiring diagram and multimeter or test light. if relay does not fix, 99% chance its the starter.

carson


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## BadBoy91 (Jan 21, 2005)

autozone is safe bet as long as the person "helping" you isnt a total moron, or you could go and flirt with a nearby mechanic. tell um how you luv the smell of motor oil on a man. lol/ jk sort of


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## khatrisa (Aug 23, 2004)

BadBoy91 said:


> how mechanicaly/electricaly inclined are you? There is a relay box under the hood( if memory serves me correctly) should say "Starter Relay". the eaisiest way if you dont have an idea what you are doing would be to find the relay, relace it, if the car starts great, if not, take it back for refund. But the proper way to diagnose this problem would be with a wiring diagram and multimeter or test light. if relay does not fix, 99% chance its the starter.
> 
> carson


I appreciate all your help...from the sound of it, it is the starter or the relay. and I do have a test light, but just don't really know how to use it (it belongs to my father) I'll likely find someone who's willing to come to my house to fix it or have it towed somewhere. 

One last question, how do I find the starter or know where it is?

BTW, you last name's not Palmer is it, QB for the Bengals???


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## BadBoy91 (Jan 21, 2005)

the starter is attached to the transmission on the back side of the engine, kinda tricky to reach. and no im just a lowly nissan tech in Florida w/ the day off. good luck to ya.---Oh, and the flirty thing does work, im sucker for it myself. lol


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## BadBoy91 (Jan 21, 2005)

the starter is attached to the transmission on the back side of the engine, kinda tricky to reach. and no im just a lowly nissan tech in Florida w/ the day off. good luck to ya.---Oh, and the flirty thing does work, im a sucker for it myself. lol---- that was odd sorry for the wasted space guys :dumbass:


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## Asleep (Jan 19, 2003)

find the black box that holds your air filter. follow that down to where it connects to the engine via the throttle body. thats the squarish round metal thing with the linkage attached to it. underneath that, almost directly below it, is the starter. you cant see it, but you can feel it.


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## KA24Tech (Feb 2, 2004)

Is your car a manual or automatic?
Because I don't think we have ruled out the clutch interlock relay (manual) or the inhibitor switch (automatic)...
But first use a voltmeter on the battery and have someone try to start the car observe the voltmeter if it drops below 10 volts at any time on a fully-charged battery then the starter is drawing too much current. The cable should be checked by testing the voltage drop at the starter or the source voltage. To test voltage drop you would place the positive lead of the voltmeter on the battery and the negative lead on the starter positive termainal. If the measurement is more than .2 volts then a problem exists in the cable. The other way is to just measure the source voltage at the starter. Also before you do the testing ensure the connections are clean on the battery. If the voltage drop or source voltage tests good with a fully charged battery then a drop in the battery voltage when you turn it over then the brushes in the starter are worn out. 
If the battery voltage stays up when you attempt to turn it over or the lights don't dim and there is no audible click then the starter solenoid is not working correctly or is not getting power or the start signal. To test this raise the vehicle and properly support it. Climb under it and unplug the solenoid it is just a slide on connector with a voltmeter or test light plugged in the connector and grounded properly. Then try to start the car while oserving the meter or the test light, if it lights then the problem is in the starter solenoid. If not the problem is elsewhere in the starter circuit as I suggested in the opening statement.

Troy


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## khatrisa (Aug 23, 2004)

KA24Tech said:


> Is your car a manual or automatic?
> Because I don't think we have ruled out the clutch interlock relay (manual) or the inhibitor switch (automatic)...
> But first use a voltmeter on the battery and have someone try to start the car observe the voltmeter if it drops below 10 volts at any time on a fully-charged battery then the starter is drawing too much current. The cable should be checked by testing the voltage drop at the starter or the source voltage. To test voltage drop you would place the positive lead of the voltmeter on the battery and the negative lead on the starter positive termainal. If the measurement is more than .2 volts then a problem exists in the cable. The other way is to just measure the source voltage at the starter. Also before you do the testing ensure the connections are clean on the battery. If the voltage drop or source voltage tests good with a fully charged battery then a drop in the battery voltage when you turn it over then the brushes in the starter are worn out.
> If the battery voltage stays up when you attempt to turn it over or the lights don't dim and there is no audible click then the starter solenoid is not working correctly or is not getting power or the start signal. To test this raise the vehicle and properly support it. Climb under it and unplug the solenoid it is just a slide on connector with a voltmeter or test light plugged in the connector and grounded properly. Then try to start the car while oserving the meter or the test light, if it lights then the problem is in the starter solenoid. If not the problem is elsewhere in the starter circuit as I suggested in the opening statement.
> ...


Thank you, I am going to try it today or tomorrow (when the weather warms up a bit) and let you all know what it was. Also, is changing a starter a diy or should I get help? I've done alternators and distributors, so I'm atleast a little mechanically inclined.

I appreciate all the help. 

By the way, I hate Altimas. Is it just me or does everyone's crap out every other week???

sk


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## KA24Tech (Feb 2, 2004)

The starter is something you should be able to do yourself but I would get a Haynes repair manual first to make sure it looks like something you can manage. 
Your car is 10 years old and has 225K miles, so of course it is going to have things go bad. Very few cars wouldn't have any problems with that kind of mileage.

Troy


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## khatrisa (Aug 23, 2004)

Troy,
Maybe it wasn't the starter?

The car didn't start for a week. Then I got underneath it to fix it myself, loosened a bolt, and decided not to mess with it. I hit the starter a couple of times as you suggested, and started it. Started right up. So I drove it to the mechanic so that he could replace it. He was closed so I left it there overnight. The next morning I go back and try to start it, it starts right up. Over and over and over. I decided to let the mechanic figure it out and I left. He told me the same thing. That he didn't need to change the starter...he simply tightened the bolts and it started 50 or so times. Now its been a couple of days without problems. 

So my questions. 
Can the starter still be bad even if it's continually starting like this? 
Could it have originally been not starting due to cold and snowy conditions?
What could have caused it to not start for a week if the starter is not bad?

Thanks for all your help with this,
Very relieved,
sk


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## KA24Tech (Feb 2, 2004)

It sounds like there was just a poor connection and since they were cleaned and / or retightened I don't think they will be a problem for a while at least.

Troy


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## khatrisa (Aug 23, 2004)

KA24Tech said:


> It sounds like there was just a poor connection and since they were cleaned and / or retightened I don't think they will be a problem for a while at least.
> 
> Troy


Thanks a lot....It helps my sanity to have such a valuable resource as this forum.

sk


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## Asleep (Jan 19, 2003)

so problem all solved.  good job.


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