Intermittent start issues, idle issues, powser issues
My daughter has a 2002 Focus with automatic transmission. We have had
several power/start issues and everytime we change something out it seems
to fix the problem for a day or a week before it starts all over again. At first it
would start but had no power and the engine would jump like it was trying to
leave the car. Right now it wont start, it just rapidly clicks or does nothing. It
will start if I jump it from my truck, but then it has an irratic idle, sometimes its
dies in reverse or at stops other times it drives fine. I am going to name off
everything we have replaced that has lead us to the no start issues whether
its important or not. Sometimes going into reverse feels like the tranmission
will fall out.
We have replaced the alternator, starter, starter relay/access relay, front
Oxygen sensor, fuel pump, fuel filter, Mass Air flow sensor, EGR pressure
sensor, Ignition coil, Idle air control, radiator, condenser, motor mounts.
Cables are all good, spark plugs have been changed.
We did did get a code a few months back for PO301 for misfire on Cylinder 1
and PO113. I know the PO113 cleared but we couldnt figure out what the
PO301 was and now it isnt giving us any codes anymore. The powertrain
warning lamp sometimes stays on too.
I am going to buy a new battery for it tomorrow although we have been
keeping the battery charged, Whats strange is her battery starts my Altima
but not her car. And if I jump her car to my Chevy pick up, her car starts. I am
thinking maybe a solenoid which I know nothing about, I just keep seeing it
pop up in my searches for her issues. HELP SOMEONE PLEASE.
WOW! You could have bought a different car for that money. You also could have taken it to a good technician to properly diagnose and save you money. Now after my shock statements. Why didn’t you start at the battery first? How sure are you about all the cables being good? Did you test all your battery cables, alternator wires and ground wires? Voltage drop on all these wires. Have you properly tested all relays in all boxes for high resistance? Sounds electrical. Last question, is there anything specific about the intermittent starting? Weather? Temperature? Sun on car or not? Rain? Hot? Cold? Overnight sitting?
Have you checked live data with a scanner? Codes or pending codes or historical codes?
Every item that got replaced, was replaced one at time pretty much because the issue would start, we would figure out the problem, change the part and it would be good for a little while. This is 10 months worth of work on this car, not all overnight. We did start with the battery, I took a good battery out of my Altima and put it in her car and it worked for a week, then wouldnt start again. We charged both my battery and her battery and tried them in both cars, they both start the Altima but not her car. We had the battery, starter, alternator test done and it told us the alternator was bad, we changed it and this worked for about 10 days then the starter went bad, changed it, worked for about a week, changed the starter relay and that worked for a few weeks then it wouldnt start again. I can jump it from my truck but it wont start from the other 2 batteries that both start my car.
I have an OBD II but with the battery issues we cant get enough miles on it for the code to read. It just tells us "not ready"
It won’t give you pending or historical codes?
Do you have spark and does your tachometer move while cranking? Does your computer light on dash stay lit solid when cranking or does it go off while cranking?
My final answer is voltage drop test all wires off battery, alternator and make sure grounds are good with low resistance. If it starts with other vehicles, you have that little bit of missing voltage and the truck gives a volt or 2 extra while starting.
P0301 is the only other code it has given. Its my daughters car, so I will check about the rpms moving when cranking. The dash lights flash with the clicking sound when we try to start it. I 2 short videos of the dash while cranking but it only allows photo loads here. I took 3 screen shots of the lights on the dash that I will load one at a time. WHen you first turn it on these are the lights that all come one
Then these 2 flash on and off and the others go off
