Well, some of you might remember my thread here about my CF not starting: https://www.crossfireforum.org/forum...t-not-rcm.html

Turns out that after a new battery, everything seemed to be ok....seemed to be. Well, today(~3 days after new batt) after going to AutoZone for an oil filter, the car wouldn't turn over. It was trying to this time, just chugging along until I stopped it. The next try, started right up...but the check engine light was now on. After doing the oil change and changing the air filter, it took about 10 tries to start the thing. Each time it would be trying to turn over, unlike a couple of weeks ago when it was just making a loud ticking sound. Then for seemingly no reason it started right up and rode just fine all the way home...check engine light is still on though. I noticed that sometimes when trying to turn over it would kinda start to, and the lights on the dash would go away for a split second, then come back on as the car tried to turn over some more.

Has anyone had this issue? Should I just take it to the local shop and see what code it's throwing up and take it from there?

 

Kinda sounds like it may simply be the starter motor brushes/commutator.
I would really hate something to be wrong on my crossie that didn't involve electronics and troubleshooting that involves 80 or more steps .......
WHAT WOULD I DO !!!!!!

 

We can sit here and guess at the problem.. mine goes in for CPS.. but rather than buy parts and throw at it.. get the code checked and go from there.

 

Wasn't guessing.
He said Been there, done that several times with several cars, all the way back to my '57 Chevy when I was 19.

Try to turn over = either battery, battery cables, cable connections or starter / starter solenoid. Not the battery since he said he replaced it.

But to your point, it all boils down to guessing, I guess ........

 

I'm basing my guess on the "chugging along".. starter is free and clear of activity at this point.. unless chugging along means "turning over slowly". "started upand rode just fine all the way home".... leads me to believe a starting issue/concern isn't in the starter for the OP.

And as a footnote.. I was typing my response when you slid yours in front of me... so not a reference to your post...

 

Yea, could be.
It's all open to interpretation .....

 

rough running after it starts is more than likely crankshaft position sensor. This can also be a starting problem when they start to go bad. Eventually, it won't start at all...

 

If I re-arrange your post, it all makes sense:

Bad Battery (oh, no, you changed it. Ok: Bad battery connection, bad battery cable-to-starter or ground connection.

But this:
No idea what that means.

When the light comes on, the FIRST thing you do is read it with you $80 Ultragauge!
or... you go to AutoZone and have them read it.

THEN, you come here and get help!


I suppose you could have a bad connection somewhere in the PTCM or RCM, but I still go back to the basic battery cable issue.

 

Get the code read asap at any car store like Advance, Pep Boys, etc. It definitely sounds like it could be the crankshaft position sensor.

 

It was trying to turn over at normal speed, not slow by any means.

 

It doesn't really idle roughly, but the engine has been getting louder and louder recently...sounds like the lifters are just getting increasingly noisy. I also noticed that after the engine warms up to normal operating temp, the car will idle really low, like just barely above 500rpms...I never noticed it before, and not sure if it's a bad thing or not.

The car itself only has 42k miles on it. We got it ~6 years ago with 21k on it. I guess tomorrow I will take it to Autozone(literally .1 of a mile from my place) and get the code read.

 

I just meant that it was trying to turn over until I stopped trying to start the car. Also, sometimes the key would lock into place and keep trying to turn over even without me turning the key all the way. I'd have to turn the key back to the starting point for it to stop.

 

Is this an auto or standard tranny? I cannot see what it is anywhere.

 

It is an auto.

 

Am I mistaken in understanding you were sitting in the Autozone parking light trying to start it ... then you got it started and the check engine light was on? ... because, I'm thinking you should go into Autozone and have them pull the code for you.

 

Yeah, it came on right as I was leaving Autozone. I was just in a hurry because I had to change my oil and head back home before my basketball game today.

 

Just got home from Autozone and got the code pulled....the issue? Drum-roll please!


:drum:


:drum:


:drum:


Camshaft positioning censor!

 

Looks like this guy had some sound advice..

And a comment in your post makes me ask.. you do know you can just "bump" the starter position and it will crank till it fires or times out?
You don't have to turn and hold like my chevy's..

 

edit: I got confused and didn't notice that the how-to I looked at was for the crankshaft sensor and not the camshaft sensor.

 

So, did you buy a new camshaft P S? And did it do the trick?