Intermittent start...don't tell me bad battery or bad alternatior, here's the situation:

Question

Sometimes the car starts just fine. An hour later, it goes "click-click-click-click" when I turn the key and doesn't start. During this process, with each click all the lights and instruments go out, and the clock goes to 12:00 and preset radio stations are erased. I'll come back an hour later, and the car starts. This happens at completely random intervals. It can't be a battery or alternator problem, or the car would never start..it can't magically charge itself. What's causing the elctrical system to get wiped out, and random pick-and-choose when it starts?

Answer 1

My best guess would be loose battery connection, mabey at the starter exhaust heats up wire to close to exhaust but not close enough to short out. thats my best guess

Answer 2

Have the ignition switch checked.

Answer 3

Remove and clean your battery cable ends.  Take them off the battery, clean them with a terminal brush and re-install.    

Answer 4

i think the key is that the clock and radio reset.  they are somehow not getting power when you try to start the car.

the radio would be tied into the ignition switch while the clock does not.

two thoughts, either the power from the battery is being interrupted or the voltage is being pulled down below the minimum required by the radio and clock.

use a voltmeter to check the battery voltage across the terminals.  recheck it across the cig lighter or some other always on circuit in the car.  an analog meter works best.

look for a voltage drop when you try to start the car.

inspect the connections to the battery, alternator and engine, body grounds.

a wiring diagram will help you locate potential trouble spots.

you may need to test during different times such as when it is working and not.

a little logic will help you isolate the problem.

is the clock seperate from the radio?  i assumed it was.  if not, you may have problems with the ignition swotch

Answer 5

a bad ground wire or a bad connection on the starter,my daughter has one of those cars and we done went through this with it,check the ground on it real good that will make it reset all the time,we eventually had to replace the starter on hers,good luck.

Answer 6

Sounds like the power is being interrupted. If the starter and alternator checked OK, I would work back toward the battery looking for bad connections- loose, and/or dirty plugs and terminals or frayed wires. Metals, which all the electrical parts are made of, expand when hot and shrink when colder. Use that hint if it makes sense in your situation. All connections must be clean and too tight to shake off.

Answer 7

Definitely sounds like a main power cable. Disconnect your Negative cable from the Battery first. Then disconnect and clean all of the following;  Negative Battery cable at both ends, and then find ground strap between  engine and chassis. Positive cable at Battery and Starter, and if it uses a Power Distribution Center, disconnect, clean and check all connections in there very carefully. Reconnect all, Negative Battery cable last.

If all else fails, buy a digital voltmeter, and start doing voltage drop tests of those cables individually, while wiggling the one you're testing. You may have a break in one of them.

http://www.aa1car.com/library/voltage_dr...

Answer 8

Check your charging system...most likely your alternator, you may need to replace you battery...

You just described what happened to my 05 Ford Freestyle, just two months ago.

Good luck!

Answer 9

Bad ignition switch. Sounds like the wires may be loose and sometimes don't connect which is causing the radio to reset.Also check the battery cables.

Answer 10

you have a loose or dirty connection...either at the battery , starter,or ground cable...remember...the engine must also have a good ground to the frame....check & clean all connection,s & you should be fine...good luck!

Answer 11

Bad battery.......!

By the way, did you hear a bang the first time you had the problem.  You have had a battery explosion.  You now have an intermittent short from a loose plate in the battery.  It will start fine 10-20 times and then the next couple starts the plates will short out giving you only 2 or 4 volts.  After about 5 tries or sitting, the plates separate and its fine for the next 10-20 starts.

I had it happen on a cross country trip and got so bad, I was afraid to stop for gas.  The battery tester at the parts store said the battery was good.  Hooked a load tester on to the battery and after 15 starts the needle shot down to zero.  After an hour wait, it shot back up to 13 volts.