What aspect of a car could cause this?

[archcommus]

So my car's resting at home now since I'm at school and don't have it up there with me. It appears to need started about once every three to four days to be able to start normally. If five days or more go by without starting it, it becomes very difficult to get it to turn over. You have to try many times and give it some gas. Eventually you can get it, though, and after that if you don't wait too many days it should normally start fine.

What part of the car could be causing this susceptibility to sitting off for many days?

 

[dug777]

battery?...

fuel in the fuel line evaporating?

 

[vi edit]

How old is the battery?

 

[deadlyapp]

if the battery is slowly draining it may make it harder to start.

You can check the voltage on the batt with a multimeter. Another idea is that the starter may be going out, but that shouldnt make a time span difference...

 

[archcommus]

The battery's about 2 years and 3 months old. But I thought if the battery was low you'd hear nothing when turning the ignition? The engine is sputtering trying to turn over but won't. But once you get it going, it'll start fine if started frequently.

 

[db]

Fuel pump weak.

 

[archcommus]

Originally posted by: db
Fuel pump weak.

And that would make sense that it's okay if started relatively frequently?

 

[2cpuminimum]

two years can be old for a battery. Have you added distilled water to it in that time?

 

[Minjin]

I think there's confusion with your terminology. If the engine is sputtering it IS turning over, i.e the engine is turning. If its cranking just fine but not starting then its not the battery.

Might help if you told us details about the car. My crystal ball is out of commission at the moment...

Mark

 

[jlee]

When it 'sputters', is it cranking slowly, or cranking fast but refusing to start? If it's cranking slowly, I'd say the battery..

 

[MikeyIs4Dcats]

battery

 

[Heisenberg]

If it's turning over slowly, the battery could be weak. If it turns over fine, but doesn't start, then it's probably a fuel pressure problem. The fuel pressure will slowly bleed off as a car sits. Try turning the key to the on position and holding it there for ~10 seconds before you start it. That should let the fuel pump run and bring the pressure back up.

 

[rh71]

someone once linked a little solar device that's mounted on the dashboard for trickle charging the battery when parked. I think that would come in handy here.

 

[Minjin]

Originally posted by: Heisenberg
If it's turning over slowly, the battery could be weak. If it turns over fine, but doesn't start, then it's probably a fuel pressure problem. The fuel pressure will slowly bleed off as a car sits. Try turning the key to the on position and holding it there for ~10 seconds before you start it. That should let the fuel pump run and bring the pressure back up.

Most modern cars don't start the fuel pump until the engine is turning (as detected by a cam or crank angle sensor).

Mark

 

[C'DaleRider]

Originally posted by: archcommus
The battery's about 2 years and 3 months old. But I thought if the battery was low you'd hear nothing when turning the ignition? The engine is sputtering trying to turn over but won't. But once you get it going, it'll start fine if started frequently.

Just because YOU'VE had the battery 2 years, 3 months doesn't mean the battery itself is only that old. It's probably much older. Read an article that dated batteries bought for a testing situation and some that had been bought were well over a year old, just sitting on the shelf. One that was purchased was over 2 years old. When a battery sits that long, it undergoes chemical changes inside that dramatically shortens its life. This is why some battery companies, Interstate for one, routinely rotate their stock in the service centers/stores/stations, etc. that sell them.

There is a date code imprinted on the battery's case side, but I've long forgotten how to read it. If you have an Interstate or a DieHard, chances are your battery is fresh. PepBoys, AutoZone, Advance Auto, WalMart, et al, are nortorious for getting stock of batteries in and letting them sit until they sell them.

 

[Heisenberg]

Originally posted by: Minjin

Originally posted by: Heisenberg
If it's turning over slowly, the battery could be weak. If it turns over fine, but doesn't start, then it's probably a fuel pressure problem. The fuel pressure will slowly bleed off as a car sits. Try turning the key to the on position and holding it there for ~10 seconds before you start it. That should let the fuel pump run and bring the pressure back up.

Most modern cars don't start the fuel pump until the engine is turning (as detected by a cam or crank angle sensor).

Mark

The fuel pump in my 89 (I guess that's not really modern any more) Firebird runs with the key in the on position. I've never stopped to see if it does in my 99 Grand Prix. I'm still betting it's a fuel pressure issue though.

 

[funboy6942]

Originally posted by: MikeyIs4Dcats
battery

Battery has an internal shorts causing a slow drain or glove box/trunk switch is bad and the lights are staying on slowly draing the battery.

 

[archcommus]

Originally posted by: Heisenberg
If it's turning over slowly, the battery could be weak. If it turns over fine, but doesn't start, then it's probably a fuel pressure problem. The fuel pressure will slowly bleed off as a car sits. Try turning the key to the on position and holding it there for ~10 seconds before you start it. That should let the fuel pump run and bring the pressure back up.

This sounds plausible.