Why is it so hard to start my car? I have 98,000 miles on it and I just had the timing chain and fuel pump and fuel filter replaced. I can't get it started usually in the cold months. It keeps turning over but it takes sometimes 45 minutes of trying to start it before it gets started. I have tried using starting fluid but it still takes a long time. Once I get it started it is fine for the rest of the day. It will start right up. But if I let it sit overnight it will have the same problem in the morning. I also just put a new alternator and battery in it and all the trying to start it is just wearing the battery down to where I have to hook the jumper cables up to another car to try and get it started. Thanks.

Asked by jrbarajas13 Jan 16, 2015 at 06:44 AM about the Oldsmobile Eighty-Eight

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

I have 98,000 miles on it and I just had the timing chain and fuel pump and fuel filter
replaced.  I can't get it started usually in the cold months.  It keeps turning over but it
takes sometimes 45 minutes of trying to start it before it gets started.  I have tried
using starting fluid but it still takes a long time.  Once I get it started it is fine for the
rest of the day.  It will start right up.  But if I let it sit overnight it will have the same
problem in the morning.  I also just put a new alternator and battery in it and all the
trying to start it is just wearing the battery down to where I have to hook the jumper
cables up to another car to try and get it started.  Thanks.

1 Answer

80

Yes check your fuel sensors all your relays fuse box under your passenger side and check all your air sensors to you have to keep that mass air flow sensor clean it will shut you down those eight little sensors and solenoids on the top of the engine take them out and clean them twice a year it will save you so much headache plus it's a good practice it just get you under the hood and you can see what's going on under there leaks hoses clamps all the little stuff that are very expensive if you break down on the interstate also problem I head and it was around your mileage was I had trouble getting my car to start and I did all the things listed above buy me and the gentleman on the previous post so I went under and check my starter and jumped it with a screwdriver to make sure that cylinoid was engaging wasn't my starter while I eventually it got to where my car wouldn't start at all and it was my ignition they had to put a new ignition switch in it you can always try a couple sprays of starting fluid on the cold starts in the morning and see if that helps that'll tell you a lot there too start little and work your way up fuel air and Spark if you're not getting a check engine light also you might check your ground obviously on the battery but check the groundwork it does grounds to the frame and on the Block make sure you got a good ground sometimes those get dirty under there I have a 111000 miles on my olds all the little wear items started in the 90000 mile range at a hundred thousand miles I replace my plugs with OEM GM plugs they're more expensive but they're hundred thousand mile plugs new wires new belt I went ahead and put a new alternator in new fuel filter new battery they weren't bad but at 100000 Miles I just went ahead and replaced everything at once then two weeks after having all this done my fuel pump went out on the road and it was $500 out the door tow tank of gas 2 tanks of gas the tank I lost in the tank I had to replace so start with all your sensors your air in fuel check your ground on your batteries and then like I said my mic Mission switch went out like at 95,000 miles I thought I was a bad starter but when I jumped it it was not my starter and I never even thought of the ignition switch I finally had to take it in and my water pump went out in the mid 90,000 range so you might keep an eye on that I'm just sharing some information with you that I went through cuz I only got a hundred eleven thousand so we're not that far off so I'm just trying to help you out give you a heads-up and what I went through at that mileage ever since then got past all that I'm good they're great engines this is my third one and one of my 3.8 had over 300,000 miles on and in the engine was fine the transmission in the rack and pinion went out my other one had over $260,000 and there was nothing wrong that car could run I just wanted to I just trade it in for a Mustang Fox body the only problem is the Transmissions that they put with the engines the engines are far and away Superior to the Transmissions just remember in these cars check your owner's manual cuz there's two different Transmissions but stay out of overdrive when you're driving under 55 miles an hour or in the city Hills Etc you got to go that 3rd gear use more gas yeah a lot better performance LOL but it'll save your transmission in the long run I went through two transmissions in my Park Avenue no transmission trouble in my Monte Carlo but my Oldsmobile it says in the owner's manual and how to use your transmission Sodus keep her clean kind of sensors I'm sure your throttle bodies clean throttle cables your spring keep all that clean give her a little love they're great engines good cars actually I just came back from Toledo from Indianapolis and got 28 miles a gallon in a cruiser like that that's almost 20 years old I'll take that anyday I do have a cold air intake on it though change my suspension in my wheels to make it more of a sport sedan and it's paid for Oldsmobile rides like a Cadillac less problems van a Buick and it s*** ton cheaper to fix then a Buick and Cadillac and easier to work on cuz you got less Gidget's and gadgets it's too bad Oldsmobile went away good luck hope this helps you I just want to share with you what I've been through in or around your mileage

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