Random Starting problems- 2002 Xterra
Posted: Mon Oct 01, 2018 12:55 pm
Hi all
Some may remember me- I’m the guy from out west that keeps an Xterra as a summer vehicle at our Rideau lakes cottage. I change the oil before winter after 3,000 -5,000 km of summer driving and then X becomes a garage queen for the winter. After 13 years, it now has 160kkm and has been completely reliable except for 3 random starting issues in the last year. The last one was this morning.
I get in to start the car and get one ‘click’ (starter solenoid?) when I turn the key, but no turning of the starter. There is no indication that the problem is about to happen. This morning, the truck had worked fine and the engine was still warm. Last time it happened, the motor was cold.
- Dash lights, radio and headlights work no problem and at the usual brightness
- battery is one year old
- I’ve sanded clean the battery posts, connectors and engine ground
- strangely , twice when this has happened, it started with a boost. Yet the battery shows no sign of being weak. If the problem is like before, it’ll keep starting fine with no jump until it randomly stops working again... which could be weeks from now.
lazy starter/ solenoid? Maybe it’s not related, but the truck works fine in the summer but this problem has always happened in the ‘ colder’ weather
Any suggestions? Thanks in advance
Some may remember me- I’m the guy from out west that keeps an Xterra as a summer vehicle at our Rideau lakes cottage. I change the oil before winter after 3,000 -5,000 km of summer driving and then X becomes a garage queen for the winter. After 13 years, it now has 160kkm and has been completely reliable except for 3 random starting issues in the last year. The last one was this morning.
I get in to start the car and get one ‘click’ (starter solenoid?) when I turn the key, but no turning of the starter. There is no indication that the problem is about to happen. This morning, the truck had worked fine and the engine was still warm. Last time it happened, the motor was cold.
- Dash lights, radio and headlights work no problem and at the usual brightness
- battery is one year old
- I’ve sanded clean the battery posts, connectors and engine ground
- strangely , twice when this has happened, it started with a boost. Yet the battery shows no sign of being weak. If the problem is like before, it’ll keep starting fine with no jump until it randomly stops working again... which could be weeks from now.
lazy starter/ solenoid? Maybe it’s not related, but the truck works fine in the summer but this problem has always happened in the ‘ colder’ weather
Any suggestions? Thanks in advance