Intermittent Problem Starting
#1
06-08-2011, 08:01 PM
Intermittent Problem Starting
I have a 2006 Pacifica AWD. Recently it started to have problems starting every once in a while, and one morning it died while stopped at a stop light and would not start again. After about 15 minutes by the side of the road, it started and we drove it to the mechanic, who scanned the codes and found nothing. They drove it for a day and couldn't replicate the problem.
The day after that it would not start in the driveway off and on (we didn't drive it). I bought a code reader and again no codes. A day or two later we tried again and it would start fine, run fine, and then after I turned it off sometimes would not start again, sometimes it would.
When it doesn't start it seems exactly as if it has a bad battery. The windows don't work, the blower goes real slow and the starter "ticks". The lights dim, etc. Once this happened and a guy offered to jump start--I didn't think it would work and it didn't but I did it mainly for troubleshooting purposes.
Eventually it all goes away and it starts fine. I drove it to Autozone and they tested the battery (which is itself less than 6 months old) and the alternator; both came back fine.
I read on here that sometimes a ground wire could cause a problem with starting so made my own auxiliary ground wire. This did not solve the problem.
There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to when it won't start. Sometimes it is in the morning, sometimes it is after a fifteen minute drive. It (so far) always will start eventually, either immediately or after a fifteen minute break or so. Then it will run fine until the next episode. It has only died outright one time.
Any thoughts on what else to try?
The day after that it would not start in the driveway off and on (we didn't drive it). I bought a code reader and again no codes. A day or two later we tried again and it would start fine, run fine, and then after I turned it off sometimes would not start again, sometimes it would.
When it doesn't start it seems exactly as if it has a bad battery. The windows don't work, the blower goes real slow and the starter "ticks". The lights dim, etc. Once this happened and a guy offered to jump start--I didn't think it would work and it didn't but I did it mainly for troubleshooting purposes.
Eventually it all goes away and it starts fine. I drove it to Autozone and they tested the battery (which is itself less than 6 months old) and the alternator; both came back fine.
I read on here that sometimes a ground wire could cause a problem with starting so made my own auxiliary ground wire. This did not solve the problem.
There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to when it won't start. Sometimes it is in the morning, sometimes it is after a fifteen minute drive. It (so far) always will start eventually, either immediately or after a fifteen minute break or so. Then it will run fine until the next episode. It has only died outright one time.
Any thoughts on what else to try?
#2
10-10-2014, 02:31 PM
Sounds like my problem (08 Pac touring). My starting problem is typically random, about once every week or so. Turn the key, nothing. Try again, it starts. Once during a heavy rain I had to try 6-7 times. Dealer can't do anything unless it happens for them (which it didn't, of course). Sorry, no answers, just commiseration.
#3
10-10-2014, 04:39 PM
I had a very similar situation, and i change the ASD relay in the fuse box, it solved the problem on my 04 3.5.
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