im only 16 i dont have a card; 2004 nissan maxima se

When you turn the key does the engine turn over but not start? And can you hear the fuel pump come on?

Yes and idk what it suppose to sound like

It should sound like a buzz or a humm. Did your car backfire or make any unusual noise before it stopped running?

should i hear it before i try to start it like when allthe lights come on? And no it just cut off with no noise and signs at all

Yes, you should hear the fuel pump when you turn the key forward to on position just before cranking it up.

[quote]Yes, you should hear the fuel pump when you turn the key forward to on position just before cranking it up.[/quote]

Not necessarily.......Many Asian cars only power when cranking.

All "crank, no start" conditions are approached in the same way. Every engine requires certain functions to be able to run. Some of these functions rely on specific components to work and some components are part of more than one function so it is important to see the whole picture to be able to conclude anything about what may have failed. Also, these functions can ONLY be tested during the failure. Any other time and they will simply test good because the problem isn't present at the moment.
If you approach this in any other way, you are merely guessing and that only serves to replace unnecessary parts and wastes money.

Every engine requires spark, fuel and compression to run. That's what we have to look for.

These are the basics that need to be tested and will give us the info required to isolate a cause.

1) Test for spark at the plug end of the wire using a spark tester. If none found, check for power supply on the + terminal of the coil with the key on.

2) Test for injector pulse using a small bulb called a noid light. If none found, check for power supply at one side of the injector with the key on.

3) Use a fuel pressure gauge to test for correct fuel pressure, also noticing if the pressure holds when key is shut off.

4) If all of these things check good, then you would need to do a complete compression test.

Once you have determined which of these functions has dropped out,
you will know which system is having the problem.

The fuel pump is only activated for 1 second when ignition is turned on so it is not easy to detect its operation due to the short time span.