Hi guys,

My wife drove less than two miles in her car. Left it for about an hour then it wouldn't start.

It sounds like the engine is turning over rapidly, but it doesn't start. Also, it continues turning after the key is returned to position 2, which I thought was a bit odd.

After about 10 attempts and half an hour, it finally started. Then a mile down the road she stopped at some traffic lights and the engine stopped. Again it wouldn't start, but after a couple of attempts it did start (just as well given the intersection she was at and in peak hour traffic!)

When she got the car home we could not repeat the problem. Every time I tried it over the next couple of hours it started without any problem.

Then today, again after going less than two miles from cold I stopped at a shop and it wouldn't re-start. Again the engine seemed to be turning over rapidly but the engine wouldn't start. There was not even a hint of any combustion.

I had a look at the relays and found that several of them are the same, so are interchangeable.

I tried swapping the horn and fuel pump relays. That didn't make any difference. Then I swapped the horn and starter solenoid relay and tried the starter again and the engine started immediately.

Now it sounded like the starter solenoid was always being engaged, even when the engine wouldn't start. So it doesn't make sense that changing this relay would cure the problem. But I'm wondering if in fact the engine wasn't turning but it was just the starter motor and perhaps the starter pinion wasn't being pushed out to engage with the starter ring on the flywheel?

What do you think guys, is it possible I have found the cause of the problem, or do you think I just a coincidence and it's only a matter of time before the problem occurs again.

The other thing that puzzles me is why the engine stopped when my wife pulled up at some traffic lights. That shouldn't have anything to do with the starter relay, should it?

BTW, this car has already had the crank position sensor replaced, although it was a long time ago now. But from memory when the CPS was playing up the engine wouldn't even turn over.

Any ideas or suggestions?

 

The starting system on that vehicle continues to crank until the engine starts even when you let go of the key and it returns to the 2 position. So there is no problem there. If the starter pinion drive was slipping you would hear a totally different sound much like a high pitched motor noise rather than the normal cranking sound so I don't think that that is the issue. The odd thing is that no check engine lights are being illuminated. A check with a OBD2 scanner should come up with some trouble codes that should indicate the issues.

 

Sounds like you have a fuel supply problem. Erratic fuel supply could be caused by one of three things.

1. Choked fuel filter
2. Bad fuel pump
3. Sticking fuel pump relay

Seems like you have already ruled out the relay.

Ignition problems can also cause engine stall but you would normally get CEL error codes long before the stalling starts.

Fuel pump usually has a life of about 120k-150k miles.