Hey Folks:

I'm tracking down an electrical gremlin in my 91 SE-R.

Once every 5 starts or so, I turn the key and get nothing ... nada. No lights, no click, no dash indicators. I had the battery checked out and it is supposedly fine (although it is almost 6 years old). When this dead scenario happens, I can easily be on my way if I get a jump-start from somebody nearby. Sometimes, I can come back in about an hour and the car will start right up.

Questions:
Are these symptoms of a dying starter? My starter is an original, came with this car when I bought it in 3/91, and has 113K miles on it. I have had a starter die on my *** (twice), and it just failed completely without any hope of rescue. This situation seems different, but maybe it is the starter?

If not the starter, what else should I consider? A short in my electrical system somewhere? How do I track such a thing down?

I've got an autocross this Sunday, and I don't want to get stuck in the grid needing a jump-start!! Thanks.

John

Check the battery and the battery cables. Calum's car did this, and replacing the negative terminal fixed it. I was driving his car for a week, and got stuck at work when it happened.

Originally posted by eric96ser
Check the battery and the battery cables. Calum's car did this, and replacing the negative terminal fixed it. I was driving his car for a week, and got stuck at work when it happened.

How does one go about "replacing the negative terminal"? You mean just slicing the battery cable and crimping on a new terminal? I've never done it before. Is it a DIY thing? What parts would I need?

Yep, just cut the old one off, and put the new one on. You might try a car stereo shop for a good one. The one Calum bought was brass, and I cut the old end in half, and bolted that to the new one.

I would bet your ignition switch is the culprit. Next time it does this, jiggle the key around, bang on the ignition. Check your wires for cracks, crossing, etc. Check all related relays and fuses as well.

I wouldn't just replace the terminal, I'd replace the whole cable. They're not expensive, like $6 at any parts store. Plus you can buy one with a 10 gauge extra lead to ground to your sheetmetal. Solder a little extra length onto that, shrink tube it and ground it on the body. Whenever I've seen a car with a replacement terminal it's always been really corroded, and if your existing one is corroded, the corrosion can creep through the wiring deep into the cable where you don't see it unless you strip the insulation off. I've seen that happen a lot and on longer stretches of wiring than your negative cable, I'm talking 50' heavy duty machine cords, so I've no doubts it could go all the way through your ground cable.

sounds to me like the battery isnt holding a charge. since you can get a jump and its fine. id say borrow a battery from a friend/other car and id bet that will fix it up. check the connections but sounds like the typical dead battery/dieing battery. more than once ive seen nissans totaly refuse to start because of a weak battery, put in a new one and it purrs.

Alternator could be on its way out too. Usualy they go in pairs cause as one is dieing the care relies on the other heavly and they break easily, both of them. But since you can drive just fine id almost bet 20 bucks its the battery.

Oh you selling the ***???? send me some info. email in the profile will be fine. This is the Kevin that sent ya the corner light a while back if ya remember.