Have an 01 Pathfinder and two days ago, totally out of the blue and after commuting for an hour I couldn't restart the car after getting gas. Engine didn't turn over at all...only got a clicking noise. Lights, radio etc worked but couldn't start.

The station had cables with a jump the car started immediately, so I figured it probably was the battery even though I had no trouble before that and given the car was running for an hour there should at least be enough juice to crank it.

No trouble yesterday but tonite, same thing...just clicking noise and started right up with a jump. Didn't turn over.

So must it be the battery or could a jump somehow boost a dying starter ?

 

99.9% chance that it's the battery. How old is it? If it's original, it's definitely the battery, as 9 years is plenty of life out of one.

I had the same thing happen to me once with a Ford Taurus wagon. Out with the family one day at a park. Got in the car to go home, and it would do nothing but click when I turned the key even though all the lights, radio, etc. came on just fine and even though it gave no prior sign of trouble.

Called AAA, they came over and jumped it. Started right up. Took it right over to a garage and got a new battery. They tested the old one and said it had a bad cell. No problems at all afterward, and the old battery was nowhere near 8 years old. More like about 4.

At least take the battery out and take it somewhere to have it tested. My money says it's bad.

 

thanks...will get it tested. Hopefully Autozone's tester doesn't come up 'battery low' no matter what...to sell you a new battery.

 

So how old is your battery?

 

My Nissan Skyline R34 did exactly that. Computer operated cars don't give you much warning when the battery is about to die. Like Jaunty's, mine was a bad cell. I had driven 300 miles non stop, turned the car off at a motel and 20 minutes later it wouldn't kick the car over without a boost. New battery fixed the problem.

 

Ironically, my Caddy is the only car that DOES give a warning. Monday it just sounded weak - very weak, but started. The next day it sounded weak but not as bad. Battery voltage dropped a LOT during cranking and took several seconds too long to recover. (It did this 4 years ago - BARELY started though.)
On Wed. I went to Oreilys and had it checked - sure enough - BAD.
On the bright side, since it was a 72 month battery and only lasted 48, the new one only cost me $17. Full regular price was 85!
I changed it in the parking lot and left happy, too.

Of course not all batteries go bad the same way. Some just die some short out internally.
My bike battery was fine for 5.5 years, then just would not start, out tof the blue. - luckily in the garage...

 

well Autozone's tester cited bad battery but 100% charged...which the guy suggested probably meant a bad cell.

Not sure how old the battery is yet. I didn't take it out yet....sticker on it says Nissan but I know the prior owner got the car serviced at the dealer so I figure they would have put in a replacement Nissan battery if it had needed one.

Anyhow...thanks all for the wisdom.

 

How long have you owned the car? You know it's at least that old.

 

Hopefully repacing the battery will fix your problem. You can also have the auto parts store check your alternator with the car running.

 

Jaunty...just a few months

 

So you're pretty much in the dark when it comes to the history of this battery. It'd be interesting to know if it's original, if you're able to figure that out. But even if it's the second battery and the first one was replaced after 4 or 5 years, it wouldn't be out of the realm of reason that it could be time for a third battery, especially if the prior owner was in a climate requiring cold-morning starts.

I just had the battery replaced on my daughter's '05 Sentra. She parks outside at school. It tested weak, and I didn't want her to run into problems on those 10 degree mornings. Out came the original and in went a new one. We got five years out of the original one. I'm not complaining.

 

Well I did the swap at Autozone during my lunch break and didn't have alot of time so aside from it having a Nissan sticker on it that's all I will ever know. I gave them the batt to get the $12 core credit and rushed back to work.

Funny thing is, I was in such a rush I forgot that the clock would lose track of time with no battery connected...and as I drove back to work and looked at the clock...I thought I had time to spare...Turns out I was 45 minutes late.