Car troubles

[fireheart]

So my car has suddenly turned tempremental.

For the last few weeks or so, my car has been acting funny.

The first time I start it up during the day, it will sputter a bit until I've been driving for a few kms and after that, it runs fine. Every time I go to use my car after that for the rest of that day, it will start and run just fine.

Car wasn't used for about a week and a half while I had nothing to do or nowhere to go. Dad tried to use the car the other day. Turns the key, it starts to make a very slow "do do do" sound, kind of like propeller blades running very slowly. It completely died, so dad went and handled all the battery-related stuff (cleaned terminals and charged it). Works fine the next day. Tried it TODAY and it made the same slow starting up noise. Where it has previously only required one try to start it up, it's now required 2-3 tries to get it going.

But after I have started it up for the first time that day, every other time I go and start it up, it runs fine. Any suggestions?

ETA: Car went through an oil change within the last 3-4 months. Also my Google-fu has turned up everything from a solenoid deciding to shat itself, through to the fuel pump not working. I drive a 94 Ford Laser.

[Boozy]

In my experience, chugging when you start it and sputtering while driving suggests a fuel injection or fuel line problem. You'll have to take it to a mechanic.

[fireheart]

I'm going to have to take out a loan to get her fixed aren't I?

[kpzra]

Try changing the fuel filter and air filter.

[fireheart]

OK, little update: car has stopped doing the sputtering when it starts. Instead it will now take 2-3 tries to actually get going. It starts with a very slow "woah" "woah" "woah" like noise, then it will actually start after a couple of tries.

I got a couple of quotes today from a mobile mechanic, which are around $229 for a tune-up and around $195 I think for a fuel injection clean. Chances are it may just be that something needs to be cleaned or replaced. The mobile mechanics are a fairly reliable company that have been operating for years.

[pitmonkey]

You might want to get the battery checked. It sounds like it is discharging over night.
If the injecters need cleaning, got to the local parts store and get one that you put in the gas tank when you fill it up. Make sure that you follow the amount of fuel on the bottle.

[jnd4rusty]

Keep in mind that it could also be the starter and flywheel, especially since it does not do it all the time. Starters are not real expensive, usually around $120 or even less for a rebuilt and are somewhat easy to replace. Now if there are some teeth missing on the flywheel then replacing the starter will be more expensive. You never know but if it is not the battery or the fuel injectors then it is most likely the starter and the noise you describe sounds very familiar to that problem. (I have had at least 5 starters go out in my driving career..lol)

[fireheart]

OK, so I've definitely narrowed it down to 3 problems:

-Battery needing to be replaced.
-Starter needing to be replaced (thankfully friends of mine have been VERY willing to help replace said alternator if I need to and I live near a wrecker place that also sells salvageable parts)
-Fuel injection system needing to be cleaned.

[Imprl59]

Slow cranking means low battery / bad connection / or a starter on its way out. Most chain auto parts stores have a macine that will check the charging system and the battery. They will provide this service for free (in hopes of selling you whatever part may be bad).

I would start with the battery test. An old or bad battery is the most common cause of slow cranking. If the battery checks good my next suggestion would be to check the battery voltage in the morning. It is possible that something in the car is staying on all the time and depeleting the battery overnight. The issue could also be caused by a bad connection or a bad starter.

The fuel injection system has nothing to do with the cranking speed. You could literally take it off and throw it out on the hiway and the car will still crank at the same speed (it won't start anymore of course). It could be the cause of the sputtering issue but so could a host of other things. I would fix the slow crank issue first and see if the other doesn't resolve itself at the same time.

[fireheart]

Slow cranking means low battery / bad connection / or a starter on its way out. Most chain auto parts stores have a macine that will check the charging system and the battery. They will provide this service for free (in hopes of selling you whatever part may be bad).

I would start with the battery test. An old or bad battery is the most common cause of slow cranking. If the battery checks good my next suggestion would be to check the battery voltage in the morning. It is possible that something in the car is staying on all the time and depeleting the battery overnight. The issue could also be caused by a bad connection or a bad starter.

Checked the battery this morning after leaving it on a charge overnight. Car started normally, so I suspect that the theory of it depleting overnight may be sound, only thing is to find out what. I don't leave my lights or wipers on, is it possible that my radio could be causing it? I've had the radio since August.

I will re-iterate that it WILL start eventually. While it's slow cranking up, it does start after a couple of tries.

On the plus side, I now know how to disconnect and re-connect my car battery if it DOES need to be charged

[protege]

Checked the battery this morning after leaving it on a charge overnight. Car started normally, so I suspect that the theory of it depleting overnight may be sound, only thing is to find out what. I don't leave my lights or wipers on, is it possible that my radio could be causing it? I've had the radio since August.

It could be that the radio was wired incorrectly. For example, my brother's old Saturn had that problem. One of the wires was swapped at the factory. Meaning, if the car was off (but the radio on), he'd come back to find a dead battery in the morning. When the car was built, two of the wires in the circuit were reversed. He found that out, after the local dealer spent hours checking things with a multimeter.

I will re-iterate that it WILL start eventually. While it's slow cranking up, it does start after a couple of tries.

How old is the battery? They do wear out--5 years is pushing it. If it's older than a few years, I'd replace it, especially if the car sits outside in cold weather. Also, are the terminals corroded? What do the cables, and the connectors look like? All 3 of those things can lead to hard starting.

Another cause, can be a bad grounding strap on the engine. These sometimes fail, because of electrolytic corrosion. Get a little moisture in there, and the high current involved, causes the connection to corrode over time. Annoying, but not a difficult repair.

The last thing I can think of, is that it could be something wrong with the alternator...which would hint that the battery isn't being charged correctly...or not at all!

[fireheart]

Re protege: radio was installed separately and didn't come with the car.

Cables and connectors are fine, although their age is obvious. Dad gave the terminals a clean.

I did have that problem again with the funny noise once my engine started, however, so did my sister.

ETA: I plugged my car information into the websites of two of the nearby battery suppliers. One had an output of 330CCA, while the other I think was around 540/520 CCA. My car currently has a 520 battery. Do I need to go higher/lower?

[Jester]

I am not a mechanic, nor do I play one on tv, but in my experience, whenever my car did what yours is doing, the starter was on its way to the grave. I had that experience with both the second Dodge and the first Chevy.

[fireheart]

We're going to replace the battery and see if that works, since the starter cranked over nicely this morning after around 13 hours charging.

We're also going to arrange to have my fuel injector cleaned.

[BlaqueKatt]

I would suggest having it checked as if it's not holding a charge, the one thing that no one here has mentioned yet(shame) is a non charging battery can be an alternator problem. The battery is used to initially start the car and run a few things though while the car is running the alternator recharges the battery and runs the accessories(radio, lights, ac, ect). If the alternator has issues the battery won't get a full charge.

And putting in a new battery if the alternator is bad, the new battery won't get a full charge either.

Or the really easy way to check-Start the vehicle then disconnect the battery. If the motor dies, you probably have a bad alternator.