For the past few months, it’s been having the same problem. One morning, I’ll go out to start the car and the radio will have stopped working, but everything else is fine. A few days later, however, the car won’t start or will click a bunch and start but then cut out. I’ll jump it off, and the car will be fine again for a few days but then will need more jumps and then lastly it will cut power steering while driving then not start again even with a jump. I took it to my Nissan dealership and they replaced the battery and replaced the cable ends and reset my alarm as I had an aftermarket key they though was tripping the alarm (engine cutoff system).
That was 2 years ago and now same problem does it sound like I need the serpentine belt replaced? fuses checked or alternator?
Personally, I’d start by looking real hard a a few things:
Battery cables and ends- should be clean, free of corrosion, and tight.
Battery check- check for volts and cold cranking amps.
Alternator- check for proper charging
Alarm system. Is this a factory alarm? or aftermarket? Aftermarket alarms can play havoc with starting systems. They are often low quality, and the installers ability is also questionable.
These things won’t cause this issue:
Serpentine belt, and Fuses. Both will either work, or won’t. there is no intermittent in either of them. You can check and see if they need replaced, but they won’t cause a sometimes no-start.
It is the factory alarm and I forgot to mention I replaced the battery already, when the issue first started a few weeks ago. After replacing it worked ok periodically but then still needed a few jumps before it shut down completely again. Thanks!
I’d guess alternator but I’d check the fuses anyway just because its so easy to do. And not how you think… a blown fuse won’t cause this but a current drain from a failure in some electrical system in the car could. With the car off and an ammeter between the battery negative cable and positive, check the current draw. More than about 30 milliamps is too much! The smaller, the better! If you are reading more than that, pull the #1 fuse and check to see if the current drops down to below 30mA. If not, Put #1 back in and remove #2 an so on until you find the system sucking your battery down. If you don’t find one, it may be the alternator itself with partial short to ground.
Almost any auto parts store will check the charging system for you. If it all tests fine Then I would replace the entire battery cables You said that the dealer replaced the cable ends two years ago. I presume they felt that they were corroded too bad. By now the entire cable may be too corroded to carry the heavy load of electricity for starting.