Car is an '01 formula. Car drives great at first then when i kill the engine and restart it adter a few minutes, it takes about 5 seconds to start it and it idles slightly lower and acts like it wants to die. Any ideas? Thanks.

 

What does your coolant temp gauge tell you when this happens?

 

Around 200-210

 

Probably not the coolant temp sensor, then. Does the problem always go away if you just let the car sit and cool down?

Have you noticed any changes with the ambient temperature outside?

 

Literally....after just a FEW minutes of being on from dead cold....it is hard to restart.....

So it never reaches full operating temp....and its hard to restart after a few minutes...?

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Yes, when it is a cold start, the car seems to run better all through the time i'm driving. Car gets to operating temps, then i turn it off, then if i restart the car and it hasn't had ample time to cool off, it idles low and acts like it wants to die. Outside temp doesn't seem to matter.
Sorry maybe i worded it a little strange. The car gets to full operating temp. I can drive it around no problem but then after i shut the car off and come back to it to start it again and the car has yet to cool off, then it is hard to start and has a low rough idle.

 

Go get your battery tested....

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^ Or loose battery cables.

 

Do you think it could be because my battery is relocated behind the passenger seat? But with the car running a volt meter reads 14 volts at the battery. So it seems the alternatoor is doing it's job. ???

 

The alternator can be doing its job...but if the battery has a shorted cell you will get the problems that you describe. Power is supplied by the battery, not the alternator. Alternator just charges the battery. Check for corrosion on the cables too.

All kinds of weird things happen when a battery starts to have trouble internally.

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Ok cool. Thanks. So i can take it to oreillys and they can test it for me? Sucks cause it's a optima red top battery and cost me two bills if i remember correctly.

 

relocated batteries need bigger diameter cables to carry the power. Hope you've upgraded them. Why would you have the battery in the passenger compartment anyway???

 

Yes, i have 0 ga wiring and a breaker switch by the battery terminal.

 

Yea...just drive there, pop the hood and pull the battery and carry it inside to test it. Takes 30 seconds to test it.

If you want a much better battery for much less money....get the AC Delco 78-7yr
$120.00 or less
5 year FULL replacement warranty.

Here's an old post of mine about it.

Yeah, I was considering the Die Hard Platinum...but for $190.00, thats just crazy. The AC Delco is stronger and comes with a longer 100% FREE replacement warranty. Also, they redesigned it from the last 78-7YR I had in there for 6 years...now it has caps you can pull off the top to check the water level. They still say its a truly sealed battery , but they can be taken off to check them. Plus it weighs 15 pounds less than the Platinum.

They upgraded it to 800 CCA from the old 750 CCA and it has the same 960 CA.

I spoke to Advance Auto and PepBoys...they said they get alot of the Optimas back. So forget them. Plus they are all weaker than the AC Delco.


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Ok yeah i'll definantly check the ac delco battery out if mine needs replaced. I'm going to have them check it tomorrow. Thanks for the advice and recommendation.