2000 Xterra Electrical Problem?

dencorp · Dec 15th, 2007, 06:57 PM

From time to time my 2000 Xterra will completely go dead; no power to anything. It always happens after the car has been running - never after it has sat for a while or overnight. Yesterday it did it again. I pulled into a parking lot and turned off the motor, but before I even removed the key from the ignition I got a call on the cell telling me to be somewhere else ASAP, so I turned the key to start it back up. No dash lights, no alarm, no anything. Completely dead. The last time this happened, I had it towed to the nearest Nissan dealer. A few days later they got in it and it started right up. They were unable to find the problem. Now it has done the exact same thing again.

I went back to the car this morning, and when I put the key in the ignition the alarm light came on, as did the usual 'ding-ding-your-door-is-open' alarm. I breathed a sigh of relief - but the minute I turned the key everything died again. So, what could be going on that makes it completely dead one minute, but let it sit awhile and things start trying to work again????? It may start tomorrow, it may not ever start.....but the good folks at the Nissan dealership here don't have a clue what this could be.

Any suggestions would be appreciated. Everything you hear about women going for car repairs is true - every time I go, they want to tell me 100 other things that MUST be fixed. The last time I went in for this same problem, it wasn't fixed, but $850 worth of other stuff was. So if anyone can give me any ideas on what this probably ISN'T, it might help me at the dealership!

Thanks!!!

thezman · Dec 15th, 2007, 10:50 PM

lol clean the battery terminals and make sure all accompanying wires have good connections. 9 out of 10 times that is what this is. get a terminal cleaner from the parts store to do the job it is a circular wirebrush for cleaning the inside of terminals and the posts on the battery. also get some corrosion inhibitor, after you put clean terminals back on use inhibitor sparingly (should come in a small spray can) i get 2 uses per can. if you over do it and get it in the battery vent or water fill area it can neuralize the acid in your battery rendering it worthless (have only ever seen this happen twice so not a common occerence but these things happen).