Wierd electrical problem

[hammerit 10]

Initially when I turn the ignition key nothing happens. After holding the key in the crank position there is a delay, anywhere from a fraction of a second up to 3 or 4 seconds before the starter cranks. It only happens after the car has been sitting all day at work or all night at home, never when car is warm. I have replaced the ignition switch and the solenoid. Any ideas? Thanks

[foothilltom 33]

This may not be as precise as you're looking for, but I would attack it in the following order:

 

* Battery - many a mystery has been solved by simply putting a fresh battery in the mix. Try replacing yours with one from another car so you don't have to pay the dough to rule this out.

 

* Starter - The hot/cold behavior you describe would lead me here next. This is a pretty expensive piece to investigate unless you have a parts car lying around :)

 

If you're getting desired behavior when the car is warm, I wouldn't suspect high-resistance shorts in the wiring, so this is probably not going to be a big mystery when it's all said and done.

 

My $.02,

Tom

[hammerit 10]

the battery is almost new and I had same behavior before new battery. The starter sounds like a good place to next. Thanks

[jerry69 10]

With a volt/ohm meter check the voltage of the battery after you drive the car, and again before you start it on you drive home from work or in the morning take another voltage reading....if it's lower you could have a short.... If you do see lower voltage what is it? If the voltage is lower do you by chance have an alarm system installed?

[hammerit 10]

With a volt/ohm meter check the voltage of the battery after you drive the car, and again before you start it on you drive home from work or in the morning take another voltage reading....if it's lower you could have a short.... If you do see lower voltage what is it? If the voltage is lower do you by chance have an alarm system installed?

Thanks, I'll try that and yes I do have an alarm.

[jerry69 10]

You might try to disconnect the 12 volt positive + to it...make sure your alarm is not set, that it is off.... Then see if you run into the same problem. I have seen an alarm system drain a battery in about 12 hours just from the alarm failing inside.... Try disconnecting the hot 12 volts and see if your battery voltage stays up...

[foothilltom 33]

That's dang good advice from Jerry: eliminate a variable with the alarm system. A more coarse approach would be to disconnect the battery before it goes to bed at night (assuming it lives in a secure area) and see if the next cold start goes good. If so, it totally supports a short that is draining your battery when the car is not in use. This would definitely manifest the way you've described it -- especially since the car starts well after it's been driven (charged).

 

Good luck.

[hammerit 10]

That's dang good advice from Jerry: eliminate a variable with the alarm system. A more coarse approach would be to disconnect the battery before it goes to bed at night (assuming it lives in a secure area) and see if the next cold start goes good. If so, it totally supports a short that is draining your battery when the car is not in use. This would definitely manifest the way you've described it -- especially since the car starts well after it's been driven (charged).

 

Good luck.

The battery is not draining, it always cranks strong. When cold there is no cranking at all for a fraction of a second to 3 or 4 seconds when the key is turned all the way to the right in the crank position. After several seconds or several turns of the key it fires right up.

[69RavenConv 286]

Hmm. Heat makes things swell which causes intermittents to make contact. I'd suspect either your ignition switch or a loose/damaged/corroded connection in the starting circuit. If all the connections at the battery, solonoid, starter and ignition switch are tight (including the ground wire from the battery to the block and the one from the block to the firewall!), try a screwdriver across the solonoid terminals (when cold) and see if it cranks right away. If so, I'd bet your ignition switch has issues.

[jerry69 10]

Ok so you have a strong battery, so lets say ok to that. So two questions.

1. When you replaced the ignition switch did you replace the whole unit or did you replace only the part where the wires connect to and your still using the same tumblers and key switch, that could still cause a problem, replace the key and tumbler.

2. What's the condition of your battery cables? If your old battery was leaking in any way the corrosion will travel up the wire from the battery and will start turning black and corrode preventing high current from reaching your starting components.

I'm thinking #1.

[hammerit 10]

Ok so you have a strong battery, so lets say ok to that. So two questions.

1. When you replaced the ignition switch did you replace the whole unit or did you replace only the part where the wires connect to and your still using the same tumblers and key switch, that could still cause a problem, replace the key and tumbler.

2. What's the condition of your battery cables? If your old battery was leaking in any way the corrosion will travel up the wire from the battery and will start turning black and corrode preventing high current from reaching your starting components.

I'm thinking #1.

Thanks everyone....lots of good ideas. No I did not replace the key and tumbler. I'll check that and everything else. thanks again