I have an 05 maxima which no longer wants to start. I’ve tried jumping it but that’s no help. When I put the key in the battery and brake light come on and when I try to start it there’s a clicking sound from the passenger side and before the lights on the dash would flash but it has just been doing the clicking sound lately. Any guesses on what the problem may be?
remove and clean all battery connections. they may not be allowing enough current to pass to turn over the engine, because of corrosion or oxidation. often there is enough current for the lights to work tho. starter relay may also be suspect
…also have battery tested
The clicking sound is a sign of a battery that is too drained to turn the starter. It still has enough juice to power the lights, but not enough to turn over the engine.
You could have a parasitic drain on your battery, a malfunctioning charging system, a battery near the end of its life, or you just might have left something on, like headlights or a dome light.
I recommend you jump start the car and drive it to an auto parts store that will test the battery for free. Advance, Auto Zone, Pep Boys, and NAPA all test batteries for free, and most of them will install a new battery and not charge you for labor, with Pep Boys being an exception. I believe Pep Boys will charge labor to install a battery.
" I’ve tried jumping it but that’s no help."
It could be a really dead battery. If cleaning the posts doesn’t work, install a new battery (you almost certainly then really need one).
“I’ve tried jumping it but that’s no help.”
Ah, I missed that.
I’ve noticed that when I jump start a vehicle, it often takes a while for the dead battery to get enough charge to start the car, especially if the running vehicle has a smaller engine and a smaller battery.
You could hook up the jumper cables and let the good vehicle run for 10-15 minutes before trying to start the dead car, maybe giving it a little gas while the battery charges. You could also hook up a charger and attempt to charge the dead battery. Either way, once you get it running, I’d drive it to the nearest auto parts store to get the battery tested before replacing the battery. You never know whether it’s the battery or something else until you get it tested.
I think that the OP should not be too surprised if it turns out that he needs both an alternator and a battery.
There’s quite a few things that could cause this. All the above advice is excellent and should be considered as top priority. If all that checks out ok, it could be a problem w/the starter motor. Like it’s solenoid contacts are kaput. That will produce a clicking sound when you turn the key from on to start, but the engine won’t crank.
It’s normal for the brake and battery light to come on when the key is “on” but the engine isn’t started. That’s so you can verify the warning bulbs are working each time you start the car.
A speculation: The reason the dash lights don’t flash (or maybe you mean dim) when you try to start now is b/c when the solenoid contacts get worn, the starter can’t pass the normal 100+ amps of current from the battery. i.e. it doesn’t crank, but it also doesn’t use as much battery power. With less load on the battery, the dash lights won’t dim as much as they would if the engine actually was being cranked by the starter motor.
Diagnosis of a bad starter motor is a common thing, car repair 101, for a good shop. Best of luck.
Second vote for the starter. Have someone tap on it with an extension as you try to start it. Quick method of starter diag, not 100%.
Turns out it’s the battery which sucks because I just bought it not too long ago thanks everyone
Get a 12V digital meter to plug into an accessory receptacle:
It should read over 13.5 volts when the engine is running. (Remember to remove it if it doesn’t turn off with the key out.)
@Kcee, how long ago did you buy the battery? Many places offer a 2yr or 3yr free replacement warranty on them. Then prorate the remaining warranty up to 6 years. I had one battery go bad on me 1 year and 10 months in, and got a free replacement for my truck. My Supra had a battery go bad 4 years in, but the battery had a 5 year warranty. Prorated, i got a $90 replacement battery for $38.
If you just bought it not long ago, it may still be under warranty. This is one reason I prefer to buy my batteries at one business, going back to them to get it tested. It helps if it’s a national chain, so if the battery dies prematurely while I’m on a trip, I’m not paying the full price for the replacement.
I got it last December so it hasn’t even been a year just yet