Who can help me with this car starting problem?

[rh71]

Starting the car, it would SOMETIMES choke for a quick half second and then nothing (silence). But the 2nd try ALWAYS starts the car. This went on for months.

Tonight was a different story. It choked for a quick half-second about 3 consecutive tries. 4th try it started half way, just when it was about to start (turn over), it was silent again. A few more tries and it finally started.

Is this a sparkplug problem? Battery? What can it be ? It's a 95 vehicle and the sparkplugs have already been changed once or twice in the past. Maybe it's due for another? Would like your ideas. Thx.

EDIT>> If you guys know of any car trouble discussion boards (awesome concept, isn't it?) ... please let me know!

 

[Pepsi90919]

how does the air filter look? how much mileage and how much since the spark plugs were last changed?

 

[rh71]

I don't know much about car maintenance so the only thing I do for it is the scheduled oil changes. But my dad says that the car had it's last tune-up in 98. Sparkplugs have only been changed once in its life (probably the same time). And the air filter was just recently changed. Then he tells me the manual may have said to change sparkplugs once a year. It's no wonder it's always cranky when I try to start the car. Can u guys confirm?

 

[Thegonagle]

I don't know what you mean by choke. Chokes are and obsolete item found on carburetors. If you mean crank, as in the starter motor is turning over the engine, it sounds like a starter solenoid problem, in which case you should get a ?new? rebuilt starter to solve the problem. I recommend Napa parts, since they have a lifetime guarantee on a lot of their stuff, and that?s where most professional mechanics get their third party replacement parts.

 

[rh71]

Do they check / replace this start solenoid during a routine tune-up? And how much would this "rebuilt starter" cost ?

 

[TopGun]

Yeah change the plugs, takes about 20 minutes tops, even if you've never done it.

 

[HappyPuppy]

Has it ocured to you that there is more to the ignition system than spark plugs? Ask around.

I would have provided more information, but your didn't.

 

[Thegonagle]

<< Do they check / replace this start solenoid during a routine tune-up? And how much would this "rebuilt starter" cost ? >>

Again, please clarify what it is doing. No, they don't get checked, because it's not routine for these things to go out. A rebuilt starter would be about $100-200, the labor, if you can't do it yourself or don't have a friend to do it for you, would be $50-150. Basically, pretty small potatoes as far as car repairs go.

 

[Cyberian]

Give us a little more to go on.
Make, model, year of car and mileage would help.

Like Garfang said, a little better explanation of what is actually going on would also help.
You don't need to know any fancy terms, many of us understand whirr, click, vroom and thud just fine.

 

[rh71]

Ok, I apologize... 95 Isuzu Rodeo (SUV) with 69k miles on it.

It cranks as if it's a normal start sound but it only lasts 0.5 seconds, whereas a successful crank-to-start takes about 2 full seconds. I've heard comments that even the successful starts sound weird and lengthy but it's always sounded like that to me (at least for the past couple years).

As far as maintenance, 1 tune-up back in 1998 (only time plugs have been changed I suppose), but it gets a regular oil change. Alternator was recalled back in 97 I believe and that has been fixed.

We probably won't be able to do any work on it ourselves, but I just wanted to get an idea of where to at least start looking. The mechanic knows my dad, but that also mean he runs a business for profit. Thanks guys.

 

[Kadarin]

Could also be a fuel delivery problem (once it cranks over a number of times, enough fuel pressure gets to the injectors for the system to work. You might look at the fuel filter if it's never been changed. More rare, a problem could be occurring with the fuel pump. You might look into this if the ignition theory doesn't pan out. Good luck!

 

[Thegonagle]

Yep, sounds almost surely like the starter, but it could also be the battery, the battery cables (corrosion), or the key switch (bad contacts inside).