intermittent starting?!

[kwak88]

ok, so im not sure WHY, but today my car decided to not start..at all.

battery is alive, for sure. tried getting jumps from others, no luck.


key turns all the way to the "engine ignition" part but i dont hear anything. i heard a clicking from my starter engine so my assumption is/was that THAT was the problem...

this went on for 2 hours, even the professional with the truck jump starter had no f**k clue!

so i called for a tow truck, left the car to go eat for 30 minutes.

came back, thought.."what the hell" so i turned the ignition on and LOOK, car started. and i just started it 5 hours later and its ok...



my dad thinks its something to do with an "anti-theft" device, i think the ignition is messed up, i have no idea, but id prefer to figure out the problem without having to go to a dealer/mechanic.

ANYone else have this problem before??

[wannabe]

did u put the clutch down?

[kwak88]

lol yes of course..

[AHTOXA]

When you turned the ignition, did lights come on on the dash? If so, most likely you have an intermittent starter issue. Perhaps a ground issue but likely that starter is on the way out. It's possible the ignition lock is malfunctioning.

If no lights came on on the dash, I would guess it was the ignition lock.

Locate your starter and if this happens again, try tapping on your starter with a hammer or something alike. It if starts - replace the starter sooner than later.

Anything else potentially relevant like any recent service or anything else?

[mtheis]

You can always push start it in an emergency.

[potownrob]

The three times i or someone else had trouble starting their car, the solution was to take the keys out of the ignition and reinsert them and then it started right up. This has occured in a friends 97 Eclipse, a guest at the hotel's old school Saab and my Maxima.

[theholycow]

It could be an anti-theft issue, but the starter or solenoid is more likely.

When you say you think the "ignition is messed up", do you mean the key switch or the system that supplies electricity to the spark plugs?

[Rope-Pusher]

A car that won't start reliably isn't much use. I tend to err on the side of replacing an aged starter as soon as troubles show, rather than trying to eke by a few months longer. Same goes for nursing along an old battery - not worth the trouble.
Also, check cables between the starter and the battery. Many times, there is corrosion between them that limits the current flowing through the connection. Probably need to disconnect the wires to see if there is corrosion. Get a battery terminal cleaner brush if you don't already have one.

[kwak88]

thanks for the advice, my assumption is that the starter is going on the way out too.

im going to take it to the dealer today

[Rope-Pusher]

thanks for the advice, my assumption is that the starter is going on the way out too.

im going to take it to the dealer today

For what the dealer will charge to replace your starter, you could put in a kick-start lever. It would be just too cool to throw open your hood, kick at the engine and it starts up. Folks who see this would really grow to respect you as the bad mofo of the neighborhood.

[noob5,000,000]

Yeah, just pick up a starter from Autozone or something and install it yourself. It's really easy on a RWD car.

[watkins]

Keep a midget in your trunk to crank it too

[theholycow]

Midgets are out of date -- even too out of date for use with "old school" configurations. Use a trunk monkey!

[kwak88]

still waiting on a respones from the mechanic

it might not be the starter motor itself, but my assumption is the wiring or connection somewhere that is faulty..

[Tinton]

It sounds like the starter solenoid is going bad. When your starter gets hot something gets temporarily disconnected, so when you turn the key it just "clicks". My old slush 88 Fiero did that shortly before I sold it, and I replaced the starter even though it just needed a new solenoid.

I agree with Rope-Pusher, starting problems aren't worth the trouble when parts actually do fail, the first sign you see of them about to go out you should replace them. This includes starter, battery, alternator, and a few other things. Usually each of these parts give warning signs before they fail completely, like your starter only working part of the time.

For the past couple months my '88 Fiero has had an issue with the starter teeth sometimes missing the flywheel (maybe teeth broke off or something? not sure...). Just this past weekend I changed the starter, it only cost me $55. noob5,000,000 said its easy to change on a RWD car, my cars have a FWD drivetrain in the back and it still wasn't that hard, the hardest part is bench-pressing the starter to hold it in place with 1 arm while the other aligns the shim and puts the bolts in. Other than that, its one of the easiest bits of work you can do to a car. You should just go to Autozone or w/e and replace the starter yourself.