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I haven't posted here in a while, but hopefully someone can help me out.


For the last while, the car I drive, a 2004 Acura EL automatic, has been having problems starting. I should mention that the car is bone stock. I run no accessories at all.


It's an intermittent problem, and has happened two times before this, so three times in total in the past year. What happens is that sometimes it hesitates starting, requiring a touch of the gas pedal to get it going. Other times, like tonight, it makes a ratcheting sound when trying to start, and does not turn over at all.

I'm currently on the third battery with this car. This same thing has happned three times before, only for Acura to simply replace the battery, and have it happen again.

Here is a video that I took tonight of what it is doing when trying to start:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEhv9X6tkjg


Today was the worst I've ever seen it. While driving home today in traffic, the following happened:

• Radio cut in and out several times.
• Clock turned off and came back on several times.
• Dashboard lights turned on and off several times.
• Fog light icon on dashboard turned on and off a several times.
• Headlights dimmed and came back on several times.
• ABS light came on and off several times.

Now, I just had the car inspected by Acura last week, just as I had in the past when it had trouble starting, and they found nothing. They ran it through their diagnostic machine, and it came up with nothing wrong.


Needless to say I will be calling them again tomorrow and making sure they understand how disappointed I am with this car. It has not been abused, and has always been maintained at the service intervals.


I have mentioned to them before that I think it could be the starter motor or the alternator, but all they do is replace the battery and tell me it's fixed. Well, the common denominator here is not the battery, as it keeps being changed, rather the alternator and starter motor remain in place.

Now, I'm no car expert, but I would think they should at least replace those two items to see if they are the cause if their previous efforts have not worked.

I was just wondering if this has happened to anyone else, and what the problem ended up being.


Thanks

 
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go in there with a 45 and demand that they fix your car.

 
Rep Power: 246

check ur battery connections, the negative is probably loose, happened to me and my dad in his truck, same problems. if that doesnt work, check your wiring, and make sure there is no corrosion or loose eneds, or wires going to ground.

 
Rep Power: 368

How very mature.

Majarvis, check that your terminal clamps are nice and tight, and take some steel wool to the inside of the terminal clamps (and the terminals of course), scrub down to bare metal. I had a very similar problem and I thought my car was dying, turned out not enough juice was being pumped through the wiring due to corroded terminals and clamps. Once cleaned off, and coated with dielectric grease for protection, the car ran as it should.

 
Rep Power: 246

^^^^^^^pretty much what i just said, but in better words.

 
Rep Power: 368

Yeah, he'd posted the same question on ClubEL so I summarized it for this forum as well to make sure he got it.

 
Rep Power: 811

that is classic dead battery, or something wrong with the power delivery. make sure all battery terminals are shiny clean and all factory grounds are in good shape. otherwise you have a dying alternator that keeps messing up the battery.

 
Rep Power: 246

good job on being thourough?

 
Rep Power: 0

Thanks everyone, especially TeLLy.

I will make sure to post an update after it's been to the dealership.

At least I get to drive a CSX around as a loaner

EDIT: I think I forgot to mention before that I'm currently on my third battery that Acura have replaced. This has happened to me three times before, and all they have done was replace the battery, only for it to happen again.