Sometimes starting, sometimes not...

[PT3]

Hi

I haven't been on here in ages...

My car has been a royal pain in the backside. For months it will be absolutely fine and then all of a sudden it won't start. Sometimes it will just be really sluggish the 1st time you try and then the next time it will start with no problem whatsoever. Then the next time (and this can be anything between 10 minutes and a couple of hours), when you 1st turn the key, it's completely dead but then will start normally on the 2nd attempt. This will carry on for a few weeks and then go away but it will always come back. The other thing it does intermittently is the key will get stuck in the ignition...

Have spoken to someone and he thinks it might be the ignition belt but he has had problems sourcing it, so what to do now???

Any help would be GREATLY appreciated!!

Thx!

[Hazzo]

Refurbish your starter motor with a kit from roughtrax, the contacts are worn away. H

[soramad]

My key has been sticking in the ignition lock just lately, flooding the lock with
light machine oil seemed to help as i have not had the problem lately, but once when it happened i tried pushing the shifter into park a little harder and it did work so perhaps there is a stop/interlock that shifts slightly stopping key removal, never really investigated yet.

[PT3]

I have tried everything when my key gets stuck.... Sometimes it will just come out with no problems at all after a couple of minutes and other times it will get stuck for days like now (am going onto day 4 now). I have even had a new key cut.

I have ordered the starter motor kit so will hopefully have someone fit it for me this week. Although, I am also now sitting with a flat battery for some reason.

[stormforce]

Do you want to try another ignition barrel and key.If so i can send a decent working one for £30 delivered

[PT3]

Thx Stormforce, but have already ordered the kit from Roughtrax (is it the same thing???)

[Hazzo]

No. to the barrel and key but they could be at fault for the key sticking, usually its to do with the gear lever not going full into park. Hope you have a good mechanic for the starter, its best to do yourself as its a rpita, will cost too as it takes a little longer to remove and replace the motor, the actual refurb is 5 minutes but could take hours to strip out and put back. H

[Smego2]

Sounds like the gear shift lever position sensor to me....

[PT3]

I don't think I'll even attempt to do it myself (i'm a girl and am sticking to that excuse). Luckily one of my clients' husband is a mechanic and he said he'll do it for me.

[Hazzo]

(i'm a girl and am sticking to that excuse)

Would that be a proper girl or a girly boy, its getting so hard to tell these days untill they go into the designated public lavatory, even then its touch n go. H

Bet he hates you when its all over.

[KERRSURF]

If you have a 2.4 there is a wee access hatch on inner wing behing wheel.

If it's a 3.0 it's better to wrestle the starter out the top of engine bay after removing air filter box and fuel filter assembly's.

[PT3]

Hazzo, a PROPER girl!! HA HA!!

Kersurf, I've got a 3.0 so will tell the poor guy who has to do it... Thx

[Hazzo]

PT

I'd also tell him theres one nut at the top rear of the motor which is an absolute pain, is always the tightest and needs a real thin extension bar n socket, you cant see it so have to "feel" it on, he's gonna love ya "girl" H

[PT3]

Am starting to think I might just drop my car off with him for the day and LEAVE!!!
(still waiting for the part though....)