So I have had this car less than a week, and now the problems begin. I was really loving this car, and now I am crushed. I hope you guys can help lift my spirits, because I'm feeling like I bought a lemon.

I left this morning and the ran an errand. Car started and ran like a champ. I returned from my errand, and again the car worked like a champ.

I got ready for work, went out to the car, and it wouldn't start. I tried several times for about 10 minutes. I finally had to give up and take my wife's car.

After doing some research online, I discovered this common problem with the main relay. According to what I have read, the issue seems to show it's ugly head when it is hot outside. I live in Florida, so that was an easy sell. Here are my symptoms:

Car turns and turns, but never fires. I turned key to ON and I heard the fuel pump prime itself. I also observed the Check Engine light come on and then go off as expected. I also hear the relay click when the light goes off.

I called Advance Auto, and their computer didn't show a Main Relay for my car. The guy told me to get the number off of the relay and he would cross-check it. So I pulled mine off and gave him the number RZ-0088 and he said he had one.

I put the original back in, and of course the car started. I ran to the parts store and bought the relay they had ($56). I installed it in their parking lot in case it didn't fix the problem. It didn't fix the problem. I returned it, and decided I would check the solder joints on the original.

I had to stop at the grocery on my way home from the parts store, and with the original relay in, the car wouldn't start again when I left the grocery. Ugh!! Frustrating! I waited a couple of minutes and it started and got me home.

I pulled the relay out and inspected the solder joints. They all look great to me, and I was an Electronics Technician in the Navy and was certified micro/miniature soldering.

That is where I am right now. I need your help. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

If you heard the fuel pump prime, then the main relay was doing its job.

Do you know when the maintenance items were changed, like the spark plugs, air filter, distributor cap, and distributor rotor? If you aren't sure, then I would suggest that you change them.

As for the no start, it sounds like the starter is turning the engine at the proper rate? Now you need to figure out if the problem is due to lack of spark or lack of fuel. The tegger site listed in the sticky at the top of this forum shows how to test for lack of spark and lack of fuel.

 

PA...thanks for the response. I will read the sticky you suggested. I do not know when any of the maintenance items were changed. I will do that as well.

 

Normally it sounds like bad solder on the main relay.
Doesn't start (pump doesn't run) when the interior is hot (parked at the store).
After sitting around with the doors & windows open, it cools down & starts.

Only problem with that scenario is that you seem to be qualified to recognize a good vs. bad solder joint. But having soldering skills, it would cost you little or nothing to re-melt the solder just for grins.

 

Thanks for the reply Jim. Car started and drove fine this morning. Now, I have a new symptom. The car died on me while driving. I was in 5th gear and going about 40mph, when the car chugged a little bit, and then 0 rpm on the tach. I pulled off to the side of the road, tried starting a few times, and after waiting about 10 minutes, she started right up and got me to my office.

I know that it can still be fuel, spark, relay, but I don't have the correct tools to test fuel and spark (timing light). So I guess I will have to take it to a mechanic.

I think for grins though, I will re-wet the solder joints. I will report back with my findings.

I'm also going to pull the plugs and see what kind of shape they are in.

Thanks for all of the suggestions.

 

Manual or auto trans?

If manual, what did the tach do? If the ignition (spark) was still working, the tach should still read as the engine was still spinning with the momentum of the car. (Like engine-braking.)

If the tach INSTANTLY went to zero, then it seems like it's gotta be ignition.

4-cyl or V-6 engine? In the 4-cyl engines, the tach signal comes from the ICM (ignitor) inside the distributor. In the V-6 it comes from the coil which means either the ignitor or the coil would be at fault.

 

Hey Jim.

It is a M/T, and I don't recall if the tach was registering or not. Like I said, I was in 5th gear and going about 40 mph and the car chugged and I noticed that the tach had dipped from about 1500 to close to zero. I immediately downshifted and then pushed in the clutch to try and coast to a good place to stop.

It actually happened to me again when I was going home to get my wife's car, but it didn't cut completely out this time. It was definitely trying to die on me. I will try and pay more attention to the tach the next time.

Here's a question about the relay, fuel, spark.... It's kind of like "what came first, the chicken or the egg?"

Wouldn't a faulty relay on this car cause the symptoms of poor fuel pressure and/or no/weak spark?

 

The main fuel relay supplies power to the fuel pump and the injectors. It has nothing to do with spark.

If you have a volt meter, you can try some preliminary tests. When the car will not start, see if you have 12V at the blk/yel wire that goes to the coil with the key in the II position.

Also, can you get the car to stall out when it is running by shaking the key?

 

Wiggling the key is a good test. Flaky ignition switches are common.

Like PA said, the main relay is NOT in the ignition/distributor/spark circuit.

Lack of fuel sometimes results in a "softer" stall, maybe stuttering & half-running for a second or 2. Lack of spark is usually sudden and complete, just like you'd turned off the key.

A bad ignition switch would also act just like you had turned off the key.

 

Update: I get home from work and the car has been sitting (in the sun) since around noon. Before I pull out the relay, I try and start it and of course it starts. I pull the relay out and re-wet all of the solder joints. Put the relay back in the car, it starts right up. Take the car for a nice little drive around the neighborhood. It chugs one time, but keeps on going....UNTIL I get to a stop sign. Car dies and won't restart. I push it across the intersection and into a parking lot. I try several times to restart, and it won't restart. After letting it sit for about 5 minutes, it starts and I drive back home. I am now going to test for spark. I turn the car off and restart it about 50 times (not kidding) and it starts EVERY time.

So frustrating.....I was actually hoping it would die while it was in gear and rolling again so I could observe the tach. Just my luck. I will keep you posted.