I bought this car about three months ago. It had starting problems, so I got the starter replaced. Everything worked fine for a month or two, but now the issue is back. Anyone have ideas on what it could be?
Try jump-starting it. It might be a bad battery. If it starts, then the battery is likely the issue. If it doesn’t, it could be the starter motor.
Cort said:
Try jump-starting it. It might be a bad battery. If it starts, then the battery is likely the issue. If it doesn’t, it could be the starter motor.
Thanks, I’ll give it a try.
Sounds like the battery could be bad.
Jace said:
Sounds like the battery could be bad.
I think it might be the starter. It won’t start at all now. I recently changed the spark plugs. Could it be because I didn’t gap them? The ones I installed were at 40, but the old ones were at 45.
@Brett
If the plugs weren’t gapped right, the engine might run rough, but it would still crank. Did it work fine before you changed the plugs?
Jace said:
@Brett
If the plugs weren’t gapped right, the engine might run rough, but it would still crank. Did it work fine before you changed the plugs?
It was starting weird before, making a screeching sound. I changed the plugs, and it started twice but now won’t start at all.
@Brett
Try gapping the plugs to the manufacturer’s specs. Let the starter cool for a few hours. If you can, charge the battery in the meantime. Check all the battery and coil pack connections. If you heard grinding before, the starter might be bad again. Was the replacement starter new? If it was under warranty, it might still be defective.
@Jace
I’ll re-gap the plugs. I got the starter replaced at a small repair shop. I’ll call them tomorrow. I’ve already checked the battery terminals, and everything looks fine, but I’m no expert. I don’t have anywhere to charge the battery overnight. If none of this works, I’ll have to take it to a shop.
@Brett
If the battery isn’t fully dead, letting it sit overnight might give it enough charge to crank the engine. Hopefully, you get it sorted out. If I lived nearby, I’d help. Good luck! Are you close to Matt, the mobile mechanic guy on YouTube or TikTok?
@Jace
Thanks! I’m not sure if I’m close to him, but I’ll check. I don’t know where to leave the battery overnight to charge, though.
Brett said:
@Jace
Thanks! I’m not sure if I’m close to him, but I’ll check. I don’t know where to leave the battery overnight to charge, though.
You could try AutoZone or Advanced Auto; they’ll charge batteries for free. If the battery is good, it might self-charge overnight just enough to crank. I also saw someone mention it started at the end of your video. If you take it to a shop, maybe try a different one this time. It’s probably the starter.
@Jace
Thanks a lot. I’ll try that.
@Jace
Thanks for your help.
It might be the alternator.
Keir said:
It might be the alternator.
Okay, thanks for the suggestion.
Sometimes rocking the car back and forth while it’s in park can help with a stuck starter.
Jace said:
Sometimes rocking the car back and forth while it’s in park can help with a stuck starter.
I’ll try that. Thanks.
Jace said:
Sometimes rocking the car back and forth while it’s in park can help with a stuck starter.
I’ll try that. Thanks.
You might not want to hear this, but I’ve gone through two starters because the parts store sold me bad ones. It was a different car, though.
@Jace
I’m starting to think that’s what’s happening here.