I took my car in for an oil change last Thursday before a long weekend trip. I noticed the next day that if I drove for a while, then stopped (say to get gas or lunch) for a short time, it had trouble starting. The key would turn and make a click, and the lights, radio, etc. would go on (so it’s not the battery), but the engine wouldn’t turn. Usually on the second or third try, it would start, but then after a long drive when I stopped for groceries, it took ten tries, then when I got home it wouldn’t start at all.
Then it started fine this morning, I drove it to the shop, and I checked and it would start again, but just barely.
What do you think might be causing this?
jrg
I had a similar problem once. It was the fuel pump, IIRC.
Dave N.
Sounds like the starter is going bad.
Maude
Might be the starter. Just guessing.
mistermix
Bad starter.
Brother Machine Gun of Desirable Mindfulness (fka AWS)
I’m guessing it’s austerity.
strandedvandal
I blame Obama
Ukko
Generally a click when trying to start is a weak battery, there is enough juice to engage the solenoid but not enough to turn the starter. If you are right on the edge sometimes it will start on the second or third try.
If the battery is good and new then I would look into the charging system–alternator, voltage regulator, alternator belt.
Lisa
My mom had this same thing happen with her car. Turns out, it was a bad sensor. It thought that the car was overheated, so it would not start until the engine was perfectly cold. Dumb sensor.
schrodinger's cat
I blame Tunch
01jack
I’m voting for starter.
KenBob
Probably loose battery cable.
hildebrand
I would still check the battery. The electrical systems in cars are far beyond my comprehension, but it seems that the battery is often the easiest (and cheapest) solution to a myriad of problems, especially if you have had it for a number of years.
RAM
More to the point, it’s probably the starter solenoid.
J.
Man, I miss Car Talk.
Actually, it’s the battery. Had the same thing happen the other week (though I hadn’t had my oil changed.) AAA came over, popped the hood, and discovered corrosion on the battery. Took the car in the next day. The mechanic cleaned off the battery and said it still had some juice, but I decided to replace it right then anyway.
Amir Khalid
I’m with the starter motor crowd. But I’m also wondering, just what happened when the car was in for the oil change?
Ukko
Channeling Click and Clack, can you make the clicking noise for us Doug?
Maude
@RAM:
Show off. I am not good with cars.
If it were electrical, the lights, radio etc wouldn’t come on after the click. He’d notice that the lights were dim.
Repeated tries to start the car will lower the battery charge.
jibeaux
You drove it to the shop, right? Did you ask them for an opinion, or just visit?
FrankTheTank
Easiest first step…take the car to an autoparts store and have them load test the battery. In alot of cases the radio and lights and dashboard will function, but there is not enough left in the battery to supply the couple hundred amps to turn the starter…If it turns out ok…then start looking at the more expensive items…starter, etc.
orogeny
Most likely the starter solenoid. When you have the problem, open the hood and let the engine cool off a bit. If it’s the solenoid, it will probably start again after it cools down. My understanding is that this is caused by the deterioration of the wire in the solenoid. At this point, when it’s cold it can still carry enough current to start the motor, but when it gets hot, the wire loses conductivity, and it stops working.
kirk
I had exactly the same situation twice – everything ran, but the starter would only click once. Turns out it takes quite a jolt to turn over the starter, while most of the other stuff will run at lower levels.
Once, it was the battery itself. The other time it turned out that I had an intermittent short that drained the battery. The first thing to do is test the battery itself, however. That’s fairly inexpensive.
raven
Could be the connection from the battery to the starter. Crawl under it and see if the nut holding the wire to the solenoid/starter is loose or corroded.
Warren Terra
Anyone else find that after an oil change seems to be an unusually fertile time for unrelated automotive problems to crop up? I sometimes wonder whether unscrupulous mechanics might seek to foster such, so long as there doing their minimally profitable discounted oil change special, to get more lucrative work later.
Karl Rover
We just had the same thing happen. After replacing the battery, it turned out to be the alternator. A mechanic should be able to tell that by testing if the battery is being charged or not.
Cervantes
You say “the engine doesn’t turn.” Do you mean there’s no grinding sound of the starter turning the engine?
If you hear a whirring, it’s a thing called your starter drive, or the solenoid that causes it to engage, that isn’t working.
If you hear nothing, you probably have a loose electrical connection somewhere. Frank could be right but if your battery is that low, it’s not going to happen after repeated tries, so that doesn’t seem to fit.
Anyway, it has nothing to do with the oil change.
Monkeyfister
Either the starter solenoid, or bad ignition contacts in the steering column. Best to hope it’s just the starter!
AutoZone will test your battery and alternator for free. I remember having similar symptoms from an old battery. Thought it was the starter, but the battery was too old, and not taking a charge.
Maude
@Warren Terra:
Nah, the car has a hissy fit when you get something fixed.
NotMax
Classic solenoid symptoms.
stickler
It’s the battery. (Or, at least, have it checked – cheapest option.) Modern cars behave like this when the battery starts to go: starts fine, until it won’t start. The days when the car would crank slower and slower until you knew the battery was dying are, regrettably, gone.
If the battery is six years old or older, just expect that it’s due to crap out.
raven
If you’re tempted to test an alternator by disconnecting the negative battery cable, don’t do it. A good alternator may indeed keep the engine running, but it was never a good test. In the pre-computer days, you could pull it off without damaging anything. Today, you risk frying every electrical device in your vehicle. The second you disconnect the battery, the voltage regulator pegs the alternator to put out maximum power. With no battery in the circuit to act as a buffer, the alternator can put out up to 150 volts, depending on engine rpm. When the smoke clears, that “simple test” could end up costing you several thousand dollars for new electronics.
Instead, get a cheap voltmeter (about $15 at any home center or auto parts store). With the engine off, battery voltage should be between 12.5 and 12.8 volts. If it’s below that, charge the battery with a battery charger before you conduct the test. Then start the engine and check for increased voltage readings as shown above. If you see higher readings, chances are the alternator is good (more sophisticated testing equipment is needed to detect an open or shorted alternator diode).
By the way, a dead battery in the morning is usually caused by a computer module that isn’t shutting down when you turn off the car. If your alternator tests good, get your vehicle into a shop and pay a pro to find the misbehaving module.
Robert Sneddon
Hit it with a hammer. The starter solenoid sometimes jams if it is wearing out or the lube has gone but a sharp tap will usually free it up. Replace it when you can though as it doesn’t heal up by itself.
The other possibility is an iffy battery connection, good enough to power the lights etc. but not enough to supply the couple hundred amps the starter motor needs to turn the engine over. Take the leads off the battery terminals, clean them up (that white fluffy stuff shouldn’t be there) and tighten them back in place firmly. I use Copaslip but any grease will do to protect the terminals from further corrosion.
Another reason for a bad battery connection is the earth clamp, the lead from the negative battery terminal which should be bolted to the engine block somewhere near the starter motor. See if that’s come loose or the lead is damaged.
Eric U.
depends on how old the car is. I had a honda that needed a new starter solenoid because the copper contacts wore out. Actually, the arcing sprayed copper contact material everywhere inside the solenoid. Nominally could be rebuilt, but it wasn’t easy, so new starter. Have had the same thing on a Ford that just went through batteries. Radio and lights will work when the battery is marginal for starting the car, the starter motor takes many times the amperage of the radio.
Wag
Whatever happened to the good old days when cars came with a crank on the front so you could use your God given muscles to start the car? Kids these days and their fancy electronic batteries…
Mark B
How old is the battery? If it’s over 3 years old, just replace it. Be sure to check your oil and all fluids. I don’t trust those quick change oil places. Also check to make sure the oil drain plug is securely tightened.
Soonergrunt
@Amir Khalid: Sir,
did you ever get my emails with my proposition? I’ve sent them several times in reply to the one you sent me, but I’ve never heard back one way or the other.
As far as the car, it sounds to me like the fuel pump. Since the car starts no problem when its cold, it’s likely not the starter motor.
But I’m just a dumb grunt/computer tech so I could be wrong.
raven
@Karl Rover: Most auto parts stores will test the battery for free while it’s in the car. ALWAYS the first thing to do in these cases.
raven
@Robert Sneddon: Earth clamp, is that like a ground?
FourTen
Oooh! I got one. This happened to me kinda.
Did they do that thing where they take out our air filter to try and sell you a new one? They may have not put it back in correctly and left a gap that’s letting too much air in.
5 minutes with a screwdriver and I was back on the road.
Eric U.
@Soonergrunt: fuel pump is an interesting theory, or even just a fuel filter(s). Not starting when warm seems to be a fuel filter symptom. But today’s electronic fuel pumps are a menace and a curse
Mark B
@Amir Khalid: The oil change monkeys might have disturbed the engine ground or the battery cables. Or it’s just a coincidence and it the couple of starts they had to make to check the levels and move the car were the straw that broke the camel’s back.
cleek
oil monkeys stole your old battery and gave you a weak one.
Lee Hartmann
I’ve seen these symptoms with my father’s car, and it was the fuel pump.
lojasmo
Check battery first, then starter (or solenoid)
It’s unrelated to the oil change, almost certainly.
Eric U.
@raven: I tried to earth my car once, but have you ever priced 300 miles of 2 gauge copper wire?
BretH
Happened to me after a Jiffy Lube change – after I chewed them out we found it was my fuel pump. Same symptoms *although I hope the oil change part was coincidental.
DougJ
@jibeaux:
Yeah, but I’m worried it might not be the best shop so I wanted a second opinion.
Cassidy
@Soonergrunt: Are you an African Prince or something?
It always helps to find a good, local, and honest mechanic. I have a regular person I take my car to who not only does oil changes cheaper than the chain stores, but just this weekend got a good deal on some fluid changes as well as doing my 60K check. Speaking of the air filter, he checked it out and said it was perfectly fine. They’re good people and I’m always happy to do business with them.
DougJ
@Cervantes:
I hear a whirring.
Higgs Boson's Mate
This is easy: the grailshims are worn causing the klootch kerfs to disengage from the henway.
PhoenixRising
I’ve got ‘loosened alternator cable when they checked the battery’ for $5.
If it was a Jiffy Lube, they handed you an 87 point checklist with everything they found to be normal up top while the gremlins in the pit were draining and filling. Usually that gives them about a 1 in 87 chance of failing to put something back, like the radiator cap or the valve stem covers.
I don’t have to go to JL anymore since I sold my F350 diesel, because the new car fits into the bay anywhere.
raven
@Cassidy: I do all my basic maintenance on my three rides. Keeps me young.
Cassidy
@Higgs Boson’s Mate: That’s about what I hear when people describe the mysterious magic of automotives to me.
gopher2b
There’s something run with the thing that makes your car go forwards and backwards.
Gin & Tonic
@DougJ: Well you sure got plenty of opinions. This place is good for that.
raven
@Higgs Boson’s Mate: Squids.
kindness
Demons. Doug you have car demons.
Most of us have angst demons of varying degree. Yours have decided to mess with your car psyche.
Cassidy
@raven: See comment 51.
TaMara (BHF)
I see as usual we have consensus here at BJ. Can’t wait for the site rebuild. Fun times.
Happy Monday everyone!
raven
@DougJ: Your solenoid is not engaging fully. Could be a bad couple of teeth on the flywheel or the solenoid worm gear is shot.
khead
It’s all ball bearings nowadays. You’re gonna need about 10 quarts of antifreeze.
BD of MN
@Higgs Boson’s Mate: (obligatory setup) So what’s a henway?
I’m with the other half a dozen people upthread who say starter solenoid… It’s usually a $10 part, get another one and see if it takes care of the problem…
Higgs Boson's Mate
@raven:
:-)
Higgs Boson's Mate
@BD of MN:
About three pounds.
Thank you, BD!
raven
@Cassidy: Gotcha, I’ve always enjoyed foolin around with cars and bikes. We’ve got some real mechanics here and I know my limitations but there is something about bleeding through caked on grease that is cleansing. I sanded down my Chevy in front of the house to get it prepped for painting. This is why I am so popular in the hood!
Omnes Omnibus
@khead: God, I admire you.
Hoodie
The battery and/or a loose connection. Look for corrosion at the battery terminals. If it’s there, clean if off and retighten the connections. May dad used make a paste out of vaseline and baking soda to slather on the terminals. I guess the baking soda was to neutralize acid, but that may not be much of a problem with modern gel electrolytes.
OT, may grandfather used to rebuild batteries in a shop on his alley during the Depression. He and my dad (as a teenager) would melt down old lead plates and and mold new ones, slap them in the case and replace the electrolytes (they’d jump the Union Electric meter at night to charge them). Gee, talk about toxic, dad said there was lead dust everywhere. I don’t think the lead killed grandpa, the coal dust did the trick. My dad did have some psychological issues (depression), I’ve always wondered if the early lead exposure had something to do with it.
a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q)
O/T, but, this seems like the right crowd. PBO plays drums.
NotMax
@raven
Tip learned from a mechanic some 50 years ago (which I presume remains applicable to today’s vehicles; at any rate something I still do) for eliminating/retarding corrosion and build-up on battery terminal posts:
Turn off engine and remove key
Disconnect the battery
Pour just a little spot of motor oil onto a paper towel
Rub over each of the terminal posts*, coating them with a thin film of oil
Wipe up any excess oil which may have dripped
Re-attach battery cables
*Obvious but necessary precautions:
Wear shoes or sneakers
Don’t be standing where it is damp or wet
Don’t touch both posts simultaneously
Don’t lean on the car or place a hand on the frame of the vehicle
Cassidy
@raven: I would love to know more about engines and mechanics, but I’ve never really had the time to learn or the chance to work with someone who does. My dad used to work on cars and always had something in the yard, usually a 65 Mustang, but I never got the chance to learn from him.
Omnes Omnibus
@Cassidy: Were you in light units during your whole army experience? In heavy units, vehicle maintenance and repair takes up 50% or more of non-deployed time
Scott Alloway
@Dave N.: I agree. If there is no clicking, it may be the starter. We just had ours replaced on the Accord. They also replaced the ground cable off the battery, saying it was insufficient. I trust these guys and they have done great work for us before.
chris
It took me a few weeks to sort out a similar problem in a Volvo.
Check battery – then starter – then alternator – then temp, oxygen sensors – and sometimes these check as fine, but aren’t.
Somewhere you have a voltage leak
In the end, i’m pretty sure mine was a combo of alternator and temp sensor.
Cassidy
@Omnes Omnibus: I started in Light Infantry. By the time I was in heavy units, I was the Senior Medic. Even still, I could go through a PMCS checklist with no issues, knew what to look for, and know what to do to fix it, but anything beyond -10 level inspections and maintenance is a mystery to me.
And honestly, my last 5-6 years, when in normal units, were spent keeping all the joes on task doing the maintenance and the paperwork portion. At some point, it became normal for only one NCO to be in the MP with the troops due to the evergrowing list of taskings.
Omnes Omnibus
@Cassidy:
Got it. You notice I have not weighted in on the topic. My knowledge is at about the same level. If it is beyond that, car goes to mechanic.
patrick II
@J.:
Don’t say that. Car Talk is still on. I just checked out their site. Get podcasts if your local station doesn’t carry it.
Cassidy
@Omnes Omnibus: Yup. I know my limitations.
Mary Jane Leach
I had a similar problem once and went through a number of options – replacing battery, cables to battery, etc. It turned out that the bolt to the starter was loose. I’d check all the connections, in case one got jarred loose during the oil change.
NotMax
@DougJ
In that case, stripped or broken teeth on the starter flywheel is a definite likelihood, and a new starter is in your future.
Calming Influence
If it’s an older Honda/Acura, it might be the main relay, which had a bad solder connection on one of the wires that would open up when the car warmed up.
I’m with Raven, though. I’d check the started solenoid first. Nothing to do with an oil change, unless they used a jack-hammer to remove the oil filter.
duckbilledplacelot
One other possibility that I didn’t see mentioned is a sticky throttle body – ethanol additives in gas can make the head of your throttle body, well, sticky; step one is getting one of those little bottle of fuel additives that promises to clean your engine, which sometimes works to clear it up. If you’re still having trouble, you can take out/clean the throttle body, which is usually pretty accessible and easy. And step three is to avoid ethanol-riddled gas, as much as possible. This problem is a much cheaper fix than the fuel pump, so I’d suggest trying it.
Lit3Bolt
One trick to engage a bad starter is for someone to get underneath the car, find the starter, and tap it gently while someone else is starting the engine. Only use this if your immediately driving to a mechanic though, because it may or may not work again (or at all).
But yeah, my fiancee had this problem and it was a bad starter that needed to be replaced. It happened right after an oil change for her, too.
West Oakland original
And not a single person asked him if he’s double checked the oil level.
Calming Influence
@Lit3Bolt:
Protip: You might want to review your relationships before volunteering to get under the car.
catclub
What color is the car?
Brother Shotgun of Sweet Reason
@Wag: My 1961 TR-3 came with a crank. There were a couple of times when I needed it, too, like when the starter motor was going bad. Surprised the hell out of any other people around.
FlyingToaster
With my old vehicle, this was the dying solenoid; with my new vehicle, it was a dead battery.
We jumped the old Microbus from another car and I drove it to the mechanic for a new solenoid. I got rid of that bus to a restorer after 37 years, when I couldn’t retrofit it with airbags (I was 5 months pregnant).
The battery on my Sienna took a charge (it turned out that WarriorGirl was turning on the lights in the back during the daytime and leaving them on), so it was not a big deal. I made her sit in the van with me, without the radio, iPad, or DVD player going while I ran it at 1500 RPMs to finish the charge after the portable charger jumped it. If the battery wouldn’t recharge, I’d have jumped it and driven to the shop for a new one.
I concur on the AutoZone staff; they’ll do an excellent job of checking the battery and voltage. And if you need to take the car into the shop because repairs are beyond your capabilities/toolset, they won’t give you shit for it. I get all of our wipers/tirecaps/pressure gauges there, because they don’t waste my time trying to sell me air fresheners or trucknutz, and they make sure HerrDoktor’s got the right wipers for his ancient, doddering Benz.
JoyfulA
@BD of MN: A henway is like what Betty got for her truck.
ricky
I gave up at about 60. Did anyone suggest a meme change?
Rex Everything
Sounds like a kicked solenoid to me too.
Morzer
Generally when you’ve got something gumming up the works, if you open up the hood you’ll find a bunch of Republicans.
Maude
@catclub:
heh
Sad_Dem
@Lisa: My first guess too–if it’ll start cold but not hot, it may be getting the wrong information.
rikyrah
Could be:
1. starter
2. does it shake? leak in engine.
Mike E
Hah! $5 sez it’s battery terminal corrosion. Get a wrench, some diet Coke and a metal brush/steel wool and getter dun.
srv
If it’s an older car, particularly older Accords, it could be the ignition coil. As the car gets hot, there’s a crack in the coil and breaks the electrical connection. Once it cools, it works.
Also just replace the distributor cap if you do anything ignition related. Bad seal/worn spark plug connectors can cause issues.
And clean the battery terminals, make sure the ground is wired to the frame still.
alhutch
What is the year, model and current mileage on the car? Are you pretty good at keeping up with maintenance? Age of current battery?
Fred
Have you tried wiggling all the wires to see if the connections are tight? Especially the starter connection as it might be close to the oil drain plug.
It is my expierience that oil changes are done by the dumbest guy in the shop and careless mistakes can lead to lots of mischief.
Jiffy Lube used to be great: change oil, grease job, check trans fluid- $17 bucks and in-out in 15 minutes on the way to work. Now they have a 35 point check done by some kid who just got fired by Micky D’s. The kid starts right in opening stuff up under the hood and forgets to put it back togeather (this happened to me, left a greasy rag on my seat and the window open in a down pour too)
I always change my own oil now or take it to a one man shop.
Mike E
I forgot to add: make sure to tap the gas pedal 3 times, then the brake pedal, then turn off yer NPR blastin’ radio before turning the ignition.*
*Actual derisive advice given to caller on Car Talk who had corroded battery terminals. Extreme hot/cold temps will make older batteries ooze and off-gas; better get Pep Boys to do a quick and simple batt/alt test.
Jim
loose battery cable connection or loose starter cable connection. Or simply a corroded battery terminal. Will all exhibit “power” by activating all electrical systems except the starter which requires vastly more amperage.
The audible “click” when not startingis a classic symptom.
matt
When this happened to my car it was the starter – had to be replaced. For a while I was able to get it to start when this would happen by hitting the starter lightly with a hammer.
brantl
Listen carefully when you start it.
If the starter spins but doesn’t engage the engine, it either isn’t turning fast enough or the worm gear-opposed spring combination is too gummed up to engage the flywheel. If the starter does not spin, any wiring, including the engine ground may be loose or oily. Take a meter to your battery in DC volts and see what is across the battery. Stick on lead on a frame ground, get somebody to crank the switch and see if you’re getting 12 Volts DC to the starter.
Jebediah
I haven’t read all the comments yet so maybe someone else has mentioned this, but it sounds like your bullypulpit terminal is probably gunked up with bipartisanshit.
ETA: My Honda Superhawk (garaged in the late fall) wouldn’t start yesterday. Turns out I hadn’t noticed that the kill switch was switched to kill. So no one should listen to me; I am buffoon.
Mark B.
@West Oakland original: Ahem. I did tell him to check. But it’s not a bad thing to reiterate that. Although, the oil level would have to be low enough to trigger the idiot light if it were the actual cause of these symptoms.
OldDave
You haven’t mentioned the make of car – some starter motors have a solenoid that engages the starter gear with the flywheel, and others have a spring mechanism. In any case, check the battery and its connections first.
Mark B.
@Brother Shotgun of Sweet Reason: Yeah, I crank started my 1955 MG-TF a few times because of a bad battery or bollixed starter. Always confuses people when they see it.
TAPX486
Back in the early 80’s before all of the electronics I had something similar happen in the winter. The car would start fine on a cold morning but if I drove it for awhile, turned the engine off and then tried to restart it, I would get that dying battery type sound. If I then let the car stand for a bit and the engine cool off, it would start. Eventually traced it to a gummy vanish like coating on the cylinders. When the engine was cold the gum was brittle and didn’t add any extra resistance to the starting process. When the engine was hot it was gummy and soft and acted like molasses in the cylinders. It wasn’t a problem in the summer since it takes less battery power to start in the summer than the winter. Once the gum was cleaned out the problem went away. Really weird
Bob In Portland
It’s been awhile since I got greasy that way. I’m from back when there were carburetors and not fuel injectors.
Could be starter, battery, or generator if it’s an electrical thing. If you get a thrrrrippping sound then it could be the fuel pump.
ljdramone
@West Oakland original:
An old housemate of mine was driving on I-495 (the DC Beltway) after an oil change when the drain plug fell out. Oil light came on, and he spent some time debating whether to pull over or not. He finally did. Just as he was reaching to turn the ignition off, the engine stopped all by itself. Scratch one engine.
If the oil level was low enough to cause trouble starting, there’s no way DougJ would have gotten it started and driven to the shop, let alone made it through his “long weekend trip”.
Kib
Senator Stevens car care tips:
“It’s not a big truck. It’s a series of tubes.”
Arclite
A weak battery will still power the lights and dashboard. Last year I could barely turned the engine over, but all other electrical worked fine. Brought it in and the battery had fallen down from 12 to 8 volts, barely enough to start the engine. I got it replaced and everything was fine.
Central Planning
I always assumed the U paid better so you didn’t have to get free car repair advice from a bunch of mooks on the internet.
Anyway, I vote battery and then starter. If the whir isn’t the fan in the car, definitely starter.
Any chance you drive a standard and can park on a hill?
Jebediah
If you take it in to a reputable shop, have them check the tension on the piston return springs and the preload on the muffler bearings.
Stuff’ll cause problems.
Missouri Buckeye
@raven:
I had a case where my car would be fine day-to-day, but then when I didn’t drive it over the weekend, when I went to start it Monday the battery was dead.
The trigger was that I had just gotten rear-ended, and this problem showed up immediately after getting the car back from the body shop.
After much puzzling, we finally figured out that the accident had jammed the mercury switch attached to the trunk light in the ON position, so that my trunk light never turned off when the lid closed. The power drain wasn’t enough to kill the battery overnight, but if left for an entire weekend, my battery was toast.
LT
That’s alternator. Or is sure sounds like it. Go to a shop with a good tester, have them see how many volts the alternator’s putting out. If it’s low – easy fix – just get a new alternator. If it’s good, then it could be the battery – so have them stress test the battery. After that shoot a horse. You’d be amazed how that relieves tension.
EDIT: You’ve been told this. Except the horse bit. So there you are.
Oh, and it has, almost certainly, nothing to do with your oil change.
Reluctant Militant
@J.: I agree with the battery diagnosis. Could also be corrosion on or in the cable. Corrosion means less voltage which, in turn, requires more amps to turn the starter. It can kill a battery quick. If it clicks, then power is getting to the starter, but it doesn’t have enough juice to turn it.
RevRick
The problem is clearly the cheapskate who’s unwilling to take/ get the car towed to the shop where a mechanic with a $75,000 diagnostic machine will be able to analyze the problem and fix it.
TEL
DougJ, you realize you’ll have to tell us what the problem is once you get it fixed now right? :) I also think this might be the solenoid/starter. I had the same problem where I could hear the whirring sound when I tried to start my car, and it was the solenoid. In my case the problem got progressively worse. When I had an electrical problem (bad alternator), I got the clicking sound but no whirring.
Chuck
A friend of mine had a Volkswagon Rabbit leaked exhaust from the engine manifold onto the starter motor. If he stopped the car after driving it would refuse to restart until it had cooled down (45 minutes to an hour later).
Bob h
Your foot is on the brake when starting, I assume? Sometimes I have had a brain fault in which the same thing happens and after awhile I realize my foot is not touching the brake.
West Oakland original
I wasn’t suggesting low oil might be the reason his car won’t start when warm; but I’ll never take my car to a place where idiots who can’t fill a crankcase up properly have access to things like starter solenoids, wiring, etc.