Rash of these no start/rough start threads...might as well throw mine in.
10-25-2016, 05:15 PM
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Rash of these no start/rough start threads...might as well throw mine in. Been having an intermittent starting problem for the last few years. I will explain the situation and keep in mind that while all of this is occurring there are no engine or security lights. When the car runs, it runs normal. All guages are good. Lights do not dim or anything, voltage guage reads where it has always read since I bought the car new.
This problem started a few years ago when the weather was warm to hot. First start would always fire right up. Second would too. Third and beyond it would take longer to crank and start up but it would after a few seconds longer than normal. Again, driving was normal, all guages looked good. Everything functions fine. I would not have this issue in the winter so I just let it be.
Fast forward to yesterday when I'm getting home from work. The weather is cooling down and the issue should be going away. I had a doctor appointment that morning so this would have been my fourth time starting the car during the day. If it sits for a while, this issue isn't that bad. But this time the start was a little off than usual. The engine cranked real short, like one or two slow turns but the engine fired up. I figured it a fluke and drove home. Car will sit overnight and fire up normal the next day like always. Just that this time was a fluke. This morning for the first start of the day (should fire right up), it did the same thing but the cranking seemed a little weaker. Second start of the day around noon, it started the same again. I figured it would get me through today and I would have to do something for sure now. I go to lunch with the wife and when we leave, the car won't start.
Again, there are no security lights. I try to prime the car a couple times. Still nothing. There was an attempt at a crank but it didn't even turn over one time. Next time I tried a second later, the engine would not turn at all. The battery was recently tested a few months ago and checked good. It is only about 3 years old so I don't really suspect it. When the car runs, it runs fine. I've had an alternator fail on me while running and it is a slow death, lol. So I do not suspect the alternator.
Wife drives me back to our house where I pick up the jumper cables (I really need to get a second set). We drive back and try to jump start it just to rule it out. Still does nothing. I have the wife listen for the fuel pump priming, she does not hear it. I go to listen and I don't hear it. Just for ***** and giggles, I go to try it one more time. Short crank and it fired right up. I disconnected the jumper cables and drove the car home and put it in the garage. During the drive home, it ran fine. No electrical power loss, all guages looked good. No engine or security lights at all.
I of course suspect either the fuel pump or starter. I'm going to check relays and stupid stuff like that. Next I plan on taking the starter and battery off and having them checked at the auto store. While I'm there, I'll see if they rent out a fuel guage so I can check the fuel pressure but that might not be so good if the car won't start. Again, it runs fine once started. I would think it would just be the starter but we both didn't hear the pump prime. Of course it was outside and of course the lovely Oklahoma wind was blowing so it was hard to hear.
Sorry for the long post, but I wanted to be detailed and type this out while it was still fresh in my mind. I'll mess with the car this weekend but I wanted to post here to see if there is something else I can check to help find the problem and fix it. I'd rather not throw money at parts especially since my spare car was needing to be worked on this weekend but now I have to put the Camaro in the garage and figure it out instead.
UPDATE 1: I got home from work and decided to check if the pump was priming since it was in the garage out of the wind and away from roads. I tried it three times in a row and heard the pump all three times. I feel better thinking it may be the starter. I also checked the fuses and they are all good. Relays look good but can't tell if they are busted inside or something.
This problem started a few years ago when the weather was warm to hot. First start would always fire right up. Second would too. Third and beyond it would take longer to crank and start up but it would after a few seconds longer than normal. Again, driving was normal, all guages looked good. Everything functions fine. I would not have this issue in the winter so I just let it be.
Fast forward to yesterday when I'm getting home from work. The weather is cooling down and the issue should be going away. I had a doctor appointment that morning so this would have been my fourth time starting the car during the day. If it sits for a while, this issue isn't that bad. But this time the start was a little off than usual. The engine cranked real short, like one or two slow turns but the engine fired up. I figured it a fluke and drove home. Car will sit overnight and fire up normal the next day like always. Just that this time was a fluke. This morning for the first start of the day (should fire right up), it did the same thing but the cranking seemed a little weaker. Second start of the day around noon, it started the same again. I figured it would get me through today and I would have to do something for sure now. I go to lunch with the wife and when we leave, the car won't start.
Again, there are no security lights. I try to prime the car a couple times. Still nothing. There was an attempt at a crank but it didn't even turn over one time. Next time I tried a second later, the engine would not turn at all. The battery was recently tested a few months ago and checked good. It is only about 3 years old so I don't really suspect it. When the car runs, it runs fine. I've had an alternator fail on me while running and it is a slow death, lol. So I do not suspect the alternator.
Wife drives me back to our house where I pick up the jumper cables (I really need to get a second set). We drive back and try to jump start it just to rule it out. Still does nothing. I have the wife listen for the fuel pump priming, she does not hear it. I go to listen and I don't hear it. Just for ***** and giggles, I go to try it one more time. Short crank and it fired right up. I disconnected the jumper cables and drove the car home and put it in the garage. During the drive home, it ran fine. No electrical power loss, all guages looked good. No engine or security lights at all.
I of course suspect either the fuel pump or starter. I'm going to check relays and stupid stuff like that. Next I plan on taking the starter and battery off and having them checked at the auto store. While I'm there, I'll see if they rent out a fuel guage so I can check the fuel pressure but that might not be so good if the car won't start. Again, it runs fine once started. I would think it would just be the starter but we both didn't hear the pump prime. Of course it was outside and of course the lovely Oklahoma wind was blowing so it was hard to hear.
Sorry for the long post, but I wanted to be detailed and type this out while it was still fresh in my mind. I'll mess with the car this weekend but I wanted to post here to see if there is something else I can check to help find the problem and fix it. I'd rather not throw money at parts especially since my spare car was needing to be worked on this weekend but now I have to put the Camaro in the garage and figure it out instead.
UPDATE 1: I got home from work and decided to check if the pump was priming since it was in the garage out of the wind and away from roads. I tried it three times in a row and heard the pump all three times. I feel better thinking it may be the starter. I also checked the fuses and they are all good. Relays look good but can't tell if they are busted inside or something.
10-26-2016, 03:19 PM
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UPDATE 2: Swapped the fan and starter relays and it still did the same thing. No start, barely a turn on the crank from the starter. Pump primed as normal. I tried to start it without pressing in on the clutch pedal and got no attempt at a start at all. Pressed the clutch in and it tried but of course failed so I guess I can rule out the clutch safety switch.
I grabbed my OBD II scanner and hooked it up to see if there was some code kicked but won't trigger a SES light or something (not sure this can happen but wanted to rule everything out that I can). When I put the ignition to the stop right before the engine cranks, the light on the handheld got very dim and did not do it's download at all. So I guess the battery is dead or fucked somehow. But what was odd was that my car did not start when I tried to jump it with cables. Also on one of today's start attempts, I began to hear the rapid clicking sound that is characteristic of a dead battery. But again, yesterday's jump start did not work. Maybe the battery is okay and it is just getting weak from all of these start attempts.
I still plan on removing the battery and starter and having them both checked this weekend. I'll see if I can rent a fuel pressure tester just to rule it out. I am leaning on the starter being the culprit but again, I have so many other car maintenance as well as home maintenance to do I can't just grab the parts cannon and blast all this money away.
Still open to try anything I am overlooking.
I grabbed my OBD II scanner and hooked it up to see if there was some code kicked but won't trigger a SES light or something (not sure this can happen but wanted to rule everything out that I can). When I put the ignition to the stop right before the engine cranks, the light on the handheld got very dim and did not do it's download at all. So I guess the battery is dead or fucked somehow. But what was odd was that my car did not start when I tried to jump it with cables. Also on one of today's start attempts, I began to hear the rapid clicking sound that is characteristic of a dead battery. But again, yesterday's jump start did not work. Maybe the battery is okay and it is just getting weak from all of these start attempts.
I still plan on removing the battery and starter and having them both checked this weekend. I'll see if I can rent a fuel pressure tester just to rule it out. I am leaning on the starter being the culprit but again, I have so many other car maintenance as well as home maintenance to do I can't just grab the parts cannon and blast all this money away.
Still open to try anything I am overlooking.
10-27-2016, 11:00 AM
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Dude, I totally hear you man. I'm going through a similar situation right now. I've replaced fuel pump twice/fuel filter/MAF/TPS and both ignition and starter relays and I'm STILL having a hard start condition. Once it starts the car is fine, but it takes it a few seconds of cranking for it to start. Its driving me insane. No SES, nothing.
10-28-2016, 04:52 PM
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Battery and starter are out for a check at Autozone tomorrow morning. If I find that the starter is bad, what is a good replacement? I'm thinking of just getting a new AC Delco one from Rock Auto unless there are certain ones I am needing to stay away from.
10-29-2016, 09:14 AM
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Battery getting charged but confirmed that the starter was indeed the culprit. Again, any particular brand or PN to get? I'm looking at an ACDelco 337-1115 starter. It looks like it is the exact starter that I just pulled off of the car. Any issues with this one or is there a much better option out there?
11-02-2016, 07:56 PM
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New starter fixed it. I did also have to replace the battery as it did not recharge like it should have. It was on its way out the door anyhow as it was six years old. That new AC Delco starter sounds kind of nice.
