car wont start sometimes.............
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 6,694
Likes: 3
From: Less Talk, More WOT | Houston TX
car wont start sometimes.............
I have been having some difficulty gettin my car to start sometimes lately, and I am not sure what the problem is. Both the battery and alternator have recently been replaced and since then sometimes i go out to start the car and i hear the starter begin to turn and then it just stops.....kind of makes a click then silence. At first i thought maybe it was the battery from driving home on it after the alternator crapped out about a week ago, but since then i have drove it on and hour trip out of town and back and every day back and forth to school and such so i would think it would be charged back up by now....Once i jumped it and it started fine and another time i jumped it and first it made the click sound again and then it started.....Then this morning it wouldnt start so i got out the cables and when it was sittin there i tried one more time before i jumped it and i heard the fuel pump come on and then it fired right up. Oh i have also noticed that it once its jumped it seems to start fine until i let it sit for a long period of time (ie overnight) and then try to start it again.........
So what do you think??? Fuel Pump? Starter? Battery?? Something else??
[Modified by Wheelman, 11:49 PM 3/31/2003]
So what do you think??? Fuel Pump? Starter? Battery?? Something else??
[Modified by Wheelman, 11:49 PM 3/31/2003]
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 8,183
Likes: 3
From: Santa Maria, CA
Re: car wont start sometimes............. (Wheelman)
How are the chips on your keys? The VATS chips. Worn? Have a newer key with less worn chip on it that you can try?
Have you visually inspected the wires that feed the starter?
If ya wanna throw parts at the prob, the starter is VERY easy to do. Just 2 bolts and a couple of wires.
Have you visually inspected the wires that feed the starter?
If ya wanna throw parts at the prob, the starter is VERY easy to do. Just 2 bolts and a couple of wires.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 5,818
Likes: 2
From: Alive and well in Burlington NC
Re: car wont start sometimes............. (Wheelman)
I'd start from the battery and work out. Check your battery connections and terminals (my negative terminal had been overtightend at some point and cracked), grounds and connections to the starter.
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 54,124
Likes: 30
From: Cincinnati, Oh USA
Re: car wont start sometimes............. (Wheelman)
It's not VATS because the starter attempts to crank. You have a poor battery connection. Remove both battery cables (neg first) and clean the cable lugs and the battery posts and replace the cables (neg last). Also, buy a battery charger and charge your battery all the way up. Measure the battery voltage when cranking. It should not fall below 9.0 volts or the battery is discharged, the cable connection is poor, or the battery is at the end of its life. If after cable cleaning, battery charging, you still have cranking problems, remove your starter and have it tested and also look at the condition of the start solenoid contacts.
Heel & Toe
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 17
Likes: 0
From: Sayville New York
Re: car wont start sometimes............. (Wheelman)
Smells like VATS to me! Get new keys and a new ignition switch and say goodbye to the problem. I had the same symptoms when I had my 87. I would hear a small click at times and then nothing. Start with that and you should be fine. Good Luck :flag
