noob-e
15+ Year Contributor
- 62
- 0
- Aug 16, 2004
-
Lawrenceville,
Georgia
I have a relatively stock 97 GSX. As of a few months ago, I have been having intermittent trouble getting my car to start. However, I think I have found a trick that allows me to get it started...but it doesn't make sense to me. Let me explain the situation.....
The Problem:
When I turn the ignition, I just hear a click coming from under the hood (near the starter)....that's it, just a click. But it is intermittent. It seems to happen randomly (mainly when the engine is warm).
The Details:
When I try to start the car while the engine is cold (i.e. in my garage), it seems to start fine. However, when I go somewhere (like the grocery store) and park the car for a short time, the car might not want to start up again. I don't drive my car very often, so it may just be a coincidence that the problem only seems to happen when the car is warm. In addition, it doesn't ALWAYS happen when the car is warm. Sometimes the car starts fine when it is warm.
Where it Gets Weird:
The first time this happened, I was stranded at the gas station. I got my wife to bring me a portable jumper battery, thinking that my battery might have been acting up. That didn't work....so I just kept trying to start the car every few minutes until it finally started.
The second time this happened, I was parked on a hill outside my dads house. I figured I would try to push the car down the hill & pop the clutch to see if I could get it started that way. The hill wasn't very steep, but I started to push the car as hard as I could. The car got rolling at a speed of about 4 or 5mph. I knew that wasn't fast enough to get the car started, but I popped the clutch anyways. The car simply stopped rolling when the clutch grabbed the flywheel....no start. However, when I tried to start the car after that, it started right up with no problem.
Since then, every time the car won't start, I put it in neutral, push the car and get it rolling, hop in the drivers seat & push in the clutch, put the car in gear & then release the clutch. After the car comes to a stop, I turn the ignition and it fires up right away.
My Question:
Is there some logical/mechanical reason that my car wont start until I roll it a few feet and stop it by putting it in gear? Is it possible that the engine/gears are getting stuck in some bizarre position that prohibits the starter from spinning? If so, wouldn't I hear the starter making some kind of noise besides a quick click?
The Problem:
When I turn the ignition, I just hear a click coming from under the hood (near the starter)....that's it, just a click. But it is intermittent. It seems to happen randomly (mainly when the engine is warm).
The Details:
When I try to start the car while the engine is cold (i.e. in my garage), it seems to start fine. However, when I go somewhere (like the grocery store) and park the car for a short time, the car might not want to start up again. I don't drive my car very often, so it may just be a coincidence that the problem only seems to happen when the car is warm. In addition, it doesn't ALWAYS happen when the car is warm. Sometimes the car starts fine when it is warm.
Where it Gets Weird:
The first time this happened, I was stranded at the gas station. I got my wife to bring me a portable jumper battery, thinking that my battery might have been acting up. That didn't work....so I just kept trying to start the car every few minutes until it finally started.
The second time this happened, I was parked on a hill outside my dads house. I figured I would try to push the car down the hill & pop the clutch to see if I could get it started that way. The hill wasn't very steep, but I started to push the car as hard as I could. The car got rolling at a speed of about 4 or 5mph. I knew that wasn't fast enough to get the car started, but I popped the clutch anyways. The car simply stopped rolling when the clutch grabbed the flywheel....no start. However, when I tried to start the car after that, it started right up with no problem.
Since then, every time the car won't start, I put it in neutral, push the car and get it rolling, hop in the drivers seat & push in the clutch, put the car in gear & then release the clutch. After the car comes to a stop, I turn the ignition and it fires up right away.
My Question:
Is there some logical/mechanical reason that my car wont start until I roll it a few feet and stop it by putting it in gear? Is it possible that the engine/gears are getting stuck in some bizarre position that prohibits the starter from spinning? If so, wouldn't I hear the starter making some kind of noise besides a quick click?
