Some trouble starting...

[drewski59]

The PT has been giving me some grief in the past month. About nine out of every ten times, it won't want to start. I took it to the dealer right when it started and they told me that everything(battery, alternator, starter) was fine. So I thought it was just a hiccup.

But then it kept happening, and it wasn't temp. dependent(it would sometimes not start when it was 40* and after it sat overnight, as well as when it was 65* and the engine was already warm). So I took it to Autozone and got the battery/alternator tested again. They also told me they were fine. So what was it??

I just bit the bullet and bought a new battery since the OEM one was 4 yrs. old, and I'm not sure if it could handle another MI winter. After this, it started up perfectly for about a week.
Then yesterday, it took me THREE times to get her started! Argghh!

I'm planning on taking it back to the dealer(a different one, though) to get it looked at again, but have you guys ever had this problem? What could it be?

Thanks for your help!

[Amused]

spark plugs, wires, distributor cap and rotor...did you make sure all those items were still up to spec? maybe your ignition wire is loose?

[ebpcivicsi]

Is there a Honda dealership close by?

[drewski59]

Well, I replaced the spark plugs at 24k(right now it has 34k miles) with Champion Platinum ones. But I didn't replace the wires.

It doesn't have a distributor, it has a coil pack(do those go bad?).

As for the Honda thing, I'd love to get a new Civic Hybrid if I could afford one. But I love the Cruiser and this is the only trouble I've ever had with it.(knock on wood)

[GTScott]

It sounds to me from the brief description that you have a fuel issue. If available, you might want to check your fuel pressure at the rail. I don't know the PT's system, but a clogged fuel filter, leaking injector, bad gas cap, dying fuel pump, or a bad check valve at the fuel pump can all cause these issues. It is my experience that the gas cap and fuel filter are typically not the problem.

Clogged Fuel Filter - obstructs the free flow of fuel and at starting conditions you may not get enough fuel to the rails

Leaking injector - system is not maintaining pressure and thus when you turn the car off you lose pressure and it is slow to build up

Bad Gas Cap - not likely, but also does not allow the system to create adequate pressure

Fuel Pump - Any number of things in the pump can cause an issue, often an integral check valve will go bad and cause the pump to not maintain system pressure

Best of luck!
-GT

[KevinA]

Does your key have one of those sensors in it that ensures the correct key is in the ignition? You may want to try your spare key. It could also be whatever sensor that "reads" it is going.

*Just trying to suggest something other than the usual suspects.

[fstop128]

yes, coil packs do go bad. not sure how many u have.. when 1 goes they all tend to go, cheaper on labor to replace them all at once....the sympotms r similar to a fuel problem.. u will be fuel rich, lots of black smoke out the tail pipe..change out the o2 sensor and plugs then also.. could be your ignition switch.. with cold weather any parts with metal contacts that r going bad will not make good contact in the cold, they will need to warm up to make contact.. like the contacts in the starter... fuel main relay usually acts up in the summer months..not really seen in the winter.. the contacts in this relay corrode or just break off their welds..this relay has 2 funcitons its talks to the ecm to prime the fuel pump and it signals the fuel injectors to start working..