HELP! - 2008 Nissan Altima Coupe Won't Start

[barlowc]

Hi guys! I need some help/input. I have a 2008 Nissan Altima Coupe. See signature. I just went out into the garage to move it so that I could get the lawnmower out and it won't start.

This vehicle has push-button start. The dash/cluster lights come on for a second as it tries to fire up, and then it just shuts back down. The interior lights all work and the headlights turn on. My mother-in-law's 2002 Civic did something similar about a year ago (in fact, one year ago tomorrow) and it was just the battery.

I'll pull the battery and take it up to the store to have it tested. Do you think that's all it is?

I bought the car new; I'll have had it 4 years in just a couple of weeks. It still has the original/factory battery which I had tested back in December. Thread on that here. (In summary, the battery is rated at 550 CCA but measured at only 409 CCA at the time.)

Fortunately, the car is in the garage and I don't have to go anywhere until tomorrow late-afternoon.

If it is the battery, what would you all suggest? I have AutoZone, O'Reilly, Advance Auto Parts, Pep Boys, NAPA, Costco, and Walmart all nearby. (Costco's JCI-manufactured Kirkland battery would cost me $65.89 + tax.)

Update: Quick little update. As I put it in neutral so that I could push it out of the garage and still get the mower out, dash lights started fading and doing strange things, so I'm guessing that it is indeed the battery. Test will tell.

 

[bretfraz]

Sounds like the battery to me. 4 years is about right for an OEM battery.

I guess everyone has an opinion on car batteries but to me, the only thing that really matters is replacement warranty. I've bought the last two batteries at WalMart because they had the best replacement warranty for the lowest price.

 

[HTSS_TR]

Costco battery has the lowest price and best warranty with 3 years replacement and prorate to 100 months.

 

[RoGuE]

Alternatively, you can get one online from Advance Auto, use a coupon that takes $30-40 off, and pick up in store. I got mine last year for about $60 doing it this way. On the flip side, there are more Wal-Marts around for warranty purposes if you tend to travel.

 

[dave1251]

When I need a battery. I just go to Autozone for a Duralast. All have served me well.

 

[NHGUY]

I would have the charging system checked after replacing the battery.Make sure the alternator is up to snuff.

 

[Oregoonian]

Originally Posted By: HTSS_TR
Costco battery has the lowest price and best warranty with 3 years replacement and prorate to 100 months.


+1....fully agree.

My OEM battery lasted close to eight years....but that is beside the point.

The price at Costco can hardly be beat, but its the warranty that sold me....as well as the fact that the Kirkland Brand is made by Johnson Controls.

 

[barlowc]

Assuming it tests bad, a Costco Kirkland Signature replacement is probably the way I'll go. $66 + tax and it has a 36-month free replacement and 100-month prorated. It's a Consumer Reports Best Buy, ranked #4 out of the 12 they tested in my size which is Group Size 35. Bosch Premium, EverStart Maxx, and Duralast Gold were 1, 2, and 3 respectively but are probably going to run $90+.

At AAP, an AutoCraft Gold will run $76 and a Silver $61 using coupon codes. OE from dealer is $95. From local shops, an Interstate will be $90 and an Exide $121.

Is there any reason to consider spending 2x on an Optima RedTop?

 

[Trav]

Quote:
Is there any reason to consider spending 2x on an Optima RedTop?

Google "optima battery failures" i think you will find enough reasons.
I never bought on and probably never will, the guys at my local parts stores report a lot of returns which to me is a pretty good indicator.

 

[CBR.worm]

Is the battery under warranty by any chance? BMW just replaced ours under warranty at 48K, it is also a 2008 that went in service 4/08

If you have a similar warranty you might still have a few weeks left.

 

[barlowc]

Originally Posted By: CBR.worm
Is the battery under warranty by any chance? BMW just replaced ours under warranty at 48K, it is also a 2008 that went in service 4/08

If you have a similar warranty you might still have a few weeks left.

I assumed that it wouldn't be. The vehicle is 4 years old and has 49K miles on it. While it's still under a powertrain warranty, the bumper-to-bumper expired at 3 years / 36K miles.

I took the battery to AAP and had it tested. Their printout said, "battery charge is low and must be charged to determine condition." So that wasn't much help and got me to worrying about the alternator. O'Reilly was just down the street so I stopped and had them test it too. Their tester said the battery was bad. So my next stop was at Costco just before close and I paid $70 for a new Kirkland Signature Group Size 35 battery. I'll put it in tomorrow morning and hopefully all will be good again.

 

[BIGJ552000]

Thats exactly what my 08 Altima did when my battery was bad. Also mine lasted 4 years too. So I'm sure that when the new battery is installed all will be back to normal.
BTW my wife's 04 Maxima's original battery lasted 8 years!?!?! So I don't know how some batteries last longer/shorter then others.

 

[barlowc]

I just finished putting the new battery in. The car started up without a problem and all the electronics seem to be functioning just fine. So as hoped and expected, that seems to have been the problem, but I'll throw the jumper cables in the trunk for safe measure until I'm 100% sure.

In this case, it wasn't a big deal since the car was at home, in the garage, and I didn't have to worry about going anywhere. But I consider myself lucky. I wish there were a good way to know when a battery is about to quit.

This has me thinking about the battery in our Saturn which is a little over 5 years old now. It still has its original battery, which tested just fine by AutoZone back in December. But it would suck if my wife and kids got stranded someplace if it gave out, or if it happened when we were on a family road-trip to who knows where. Maybe it's time to stow a set of jumpers to be safe?

While I was at Costco last evening, I had them look up a battery for the Saturn. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem that there is a Kirkland Signature available for that vehicle. So when it dies, or if I decide to do it as part of simple preventative maintenance, I'll probably go the AAP AutoCraft Gold route. With online coupon codes, that seems to be the next best choice.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

I replace every 4 years regardless.

 

[Vikas]

Often, there are telltale signs of battery dieing. They are hard to notice but they are there. If you are primary driver, you might be able to notice a slight more cranking and/or slow cranking. HOWEVER, do NOT expect your SO to notice these things.

Of all the things which can leave stranded on the road, battery is the cheapest and costs less than 2 tankfulls of gas!

- Vikas

 

[gizzsdad]

Batteries seem to offer less "clues" these days. I want to say that the last 4/5 batteries I replaced were so close to the 4 year mark it was almost eerie. I actually bought a W/M Everstart Maxx and put it in the back seat at 47 months.

After about 5 weeks I decided to go ahead and change out in the comfort of the garage rather than take a chance of it being on a cold dark highway.