1987 GXL N/A Manual (converted from auto)

Go out start it up, no problem! now go for a drive for lets say 1/2 hour stop someplace for gas snack whatever, shut car off. get back in car from whatever it was the stop was for put key in ignition turn and Nothing! car does not crank over does not even try there is just nothing.

Now stand around for 30-60 min scratching your head and curse the car cause your standing around looking like an idiot check fues and any wireing that can be seen, get back in it put key in ignition turn and prrrr car comes to life with no problem!


This happens everytime I drive it! so now when I go somewhere I dont shut it off unless I am going to be more than an hour comming back to it...

I really hope someone can tell me what is going on, the factory security system may be apart of the issue...? and or something to do with heat...?

Everything works on the car except cruise control no fuses are blown wireing appears to be fair, it has me so damn confused!

 

any chance it may have something to do with a safety neutral switch?..on my Boinger the trans linkage is screwy and the car will not start sometimes in Park..but neutral..YES..your situation sort of sounds the same..another thing ..check your battery cables..Clean them at the battery,secure them ..check the connection at the starter..starter bolts too..and check grounds..some stuff for ya..good luck..

 

I always leave the car in neutral and start it as such, even thou i have inspected any wireing easily assesable I dont belive it has anything to do with being a bad connection of anykind because the problem is not a random one, it only occures after the car has been running for some time (which is why I think whatever it is may be heat related)

 

starter going bad I bet. next time it won't start, grab a big wrench and smack the starter a couple of times then try to crank again.

can the car be push started when it won't crank? ~rich

 

umm hmm ok... thats an interesting thought, does the starter generate heat while the car is running? and does heat effect the starter in such a way as to the problem i am having?

 

had a similar problem with a trans am back in the day... the starter doesnt generate heat, but does act as a heat sink, in that it heats up as everything else does while the engine/trans are operating. My educated guess is that something about heating the starter/solenoid "freezes" the action of the solenoid and keeps it from actuating the starter. When it cools down, the solenoid is free to do its job and then the starter works.
I replaced the starter on the car, and didnt have any more trouble...
I dont have any proof that this is what was occuring, but it was a educated guess. It may be worth a shot in your case....

 

Do a quick search for "hot start problem"

that should yield some good info for you. Have a good one, and good luck.

 

thanks for the info so far, guess i will have to look into the starter somehow.. if it is gone anyone know where i can order a new one and what kind of price range they are in?

 

Don't overlook the possibility of a faulty ignition switch. That could account for the intermittent cranking.

 

the problem is to specific as to when it happens to be something like the ingnition switch which to me would thne be a more random start problem, unless someone can explain to me that the ingnition switc can draw and be affected by heat somehow? but i doubt that...

the starter theroy is an interesting one to me but I do not know how to test if it is, less installing a new one and going for a drive....


I am wondering if there is something someone can think of that might have been done(wrong) when the previous owner changed the car over to manual transmision....?

also how dose that stock security system work, when the car wont turn over the security also seems to be affected, is it possible that the problem could simply be security related after the car has been warmed up? is it hard to disable the factory security?

 

do you have a working clutch interlock switch on the pedal? if you do, you should bypass it. (the person that convefrted it could have wired it to the auto harness park/neutral pins). how did they wire the auto harness to make it think it's in park/neutral?

do you get a click from anywhere when you turn the ignition?

does everything else work on the car when it's not starting?

 

I am not positive about the interlock switch I did however look for something of that sort around the clutch pedel yesterday and found nothing...
also I can start the car whether I use the clutch or not.

I am not surehow the car has been wired, what i do know is the wires from the auto shifter were never used for anything as i have that part of the car apart at atm..

there is a clicking noise but it is not the same click sound of a starter... I assume i am hearing something with the fuel system turning on.

everything else works on the car when its not starting, Except the security indicator light.

 

btw car is listed for sale in the Can classifieds, and can also be found on ebay.

 

I have been having a similar starting prob in my 87 FC, but as of late it refuses to start at all. I also noticed that the "clock cluster" doesnt show anything when it dosent start, and if it decides to start, the lights work... can anyone help me with this?

 

Well today the car finally decided to confirm that is the starter on its way out, for the first time it had an issue starting "cold" and the starter had distinct struggling w noise. so that has got to be its problem and I am sure it is gonna stop working anyday now
Anyone got a good starter to part with? I'm broke thou, maybe I can trade you something for one...?

 

I got 'er going just a few min ago, it seams that the starter delay relay had come unplugged... I think that is what it was, I played with the wiring under the dash and then, I played with the relay and then she fired.... just to update you guys on the status

 

Dude its your starter guarenteed! I am not going to type into words how many times this has happened tome and manay others. Starter dude, starter.........

 

I use a nice craftsman 1/2 socket drive to "coax" my starter to work... lol

Just a couple of taps and she's ready to spin! (I'm too cheap to buy a new one, anyone got a CHEAP n/a starter? My girlfriend begs you...) ~rich