Been to dealer once and two private shops and they can't nail this one down.
Sometimes the 2002 3.8, 90,000 miles, will not crank over. The dash lights work. It has a 1 year old Wal-mart battery. Let the car sit one time for 5 hours, went out and it started fine without doing anything else.
Sometimes the car dies while driving down the street. Not a good thing on a busy street. The first time last year, had the car towed to mechanic. By the time it got there about 5 miles away, 60 minutes had passed. The car started fine for them and they tried it about 30 times or more.
Another time I had the car to a diff mechanic to check that out because it had did it again, and to remove the ignition park lock solenoid because it had been giving trouble. All they could find was a possible loose battery terminal (maybe a little loose according to them but I had installed the battery and tightened the terminals as usual). Car ran fine for a few weeks and it happened to Die two blocks from their shop. They sent a push truck and pushed it two blocks to the shop, but the car started fine once it got there.
A few months later the car died again on the street while driving and it also has had issues of not starting when turned off in a parking lot.
When the car dies and when it doesn't start, the starter does not turn over the engine at all and the dash lights work.
The suspect component right now is the ignition switch or ignition module, I can't rember what the mechanic said he thinks it may be. He didn't want to just replace it because it is like $350 and he wants to catch the vehicle when it will not start to do some diagnostics. Problem is, it may be a month or two and then bang, the car dies but it restarts after a few minutes usually.
This is a safety hazard to say the least - on a busy street with a dead car.
Also - no computer codes at any of the 3 mechanics. New fuel filter, newer battery (possibly something loose in battery?)
Help. Opinions on possible problem please. Ignition?
Sometimes the 2002 3.8, 90,000 miles, will not crank over. The dash lights work. It has a 1 year old Wal-mart battery. Let the car sit one time for 5 hours, went out and it started fine without doing anything else.
Sometimes the car dies while driving down the street. Not a good thing on a busy street. The first time last year, had the car towed to mechanic. By the time it got there about 5 miles away, 60 minutes had passed. The car started fine for them and they tried it about 30 times or more.
Another time I had the car to a diff mechanic to check that out because it had did it again, and to remove the ignition park lock solenoid because it had been giving trouble. All they could find was a possible loose battery terminal (maybe a little loose according to them but I had installed the battery and tightened the terminals as usual). Car ran fine for a few weeks and it happened to Die two blocks from their shop. They sent a push truck and pushed it two blocks to the shop, but the car started fine once it got there.
A few months later the car died again on the street while driving and it also has had issues of not starting when turned off in a parking lot.
When the car dies and when it doesn't start, the starter does not turn over the engine at all and the dash lights work.
The suspect component right now is the ignition switch or ignition module, I can't rember what the mechanic said he thinks it may be. He didn't want to just replace it because it is like $350 and he wants to catch the vehicle when it will not start to do some diagnostics. Problem is, it may be a month or two and then bang, the car dies but it restarts after a few minutes usually.
This is a safety hazard to say the least - on a busy street with a dead car.
Also - no computer codes at any of the 3 mechanics. New fuel filter, newer battery (possibly something loose in battery?)
Help. Opinions on possible problem please. Ignition?
