Q: Car will not crank immediately

asked by on December 19, 2016

Car will not start the first time every time. When I get in the car all of the lights and components of the car is working properly. When I attempt to crank the car on nothing happens at times, some times it acts as if it is going to crank up then shuts off, and other times it cranks right up. What is causing the car to pick and choose when it wants to crank up?

My car has 5300 miles.
My car has an automatic transmission.

This may potentially be related to a faulty starter relay or possibly a bad wiring or cable connection to the battery, the starter or the starter relay causing intermittent power supply issues. The starter relay directs power from the battery to the starter solenoid which then engages the starter when you turn the key. When this is not working properly, you may notice intermittent starting problems including no response when turning the key to start. Generally, when this does fail, it does so very randomly and usually without warning other than intermittent starting. The power from the battery will still power other accessories such as radio, horn, etc., but you may not have any power to the starter. I would recommend having an expert from YourMechanic come to your location to diagnose and replace your starter relay.

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