electrical or battery problems

[kkerr]

I have a weird thing going on....randomly my 95 Pathfinder will lose all electrical functions when I turn the key - a quick beep like it's going to start, then everything dies, won't even turn over. Then I open and close the driver's door and things will come back on. Sometimes I have to do this 5 or 6 times and the car will finally start. I just got a new battery and it started happening after that. Is it battery related? It will happen even right after I have ran the car for a while, I turn it off, then back on again and it loses all functions. I live in a cold climate, would that have anything to do with it?

I need some mechanical guru to tell me what's up with that?!?!

[carnut]

A few years ago my 87 wouldn't even turn over, so I did the usual, checked the battery, replaced the battery cable (this is a common problem in older cars as the battery cable tends to build up corrosion where you can't see it, and though you have continuity, it wouldn't be able to handle the load of the battery to run the starter). I even went as far as changing the starter. Sometimes the dash lights would come on but no cranking, and other times no lights and no cranking. A few weeks ago it started again and throwing the auto stick into park and neutral would help but not all the time. I finally just took the steering column cover off and found the switch loose on the column (one mounting screw) I tightened that up a no more problems. I don't know if that was the actual fix, but judging by you closing your doors, that might have settled the switch in temporarily? Electrical gremlins are bad.

[olgaocon]

I've been having the same problem with my pathfinder,
I also got a new battery....and finally figured out when I wiggled the harness attached to the positve side of the battery my car would start...so I replaced that part and the problem is gone...