'95 won't start

[human]

I've had my '95 for almost a year, and all during that time it's had a strange little quirk when starting. Sometimes, I turn the key and nothing happens. The starter doesn't try to turn over or anything. It's like it's not getting current. Whenever that happens, I can just release the key and turn it again and it will start instantly. Sometimes I can just hold the key in the start position for a second or two and it will go ahead and start. When I do that, it always starts instantly, no grinding, no slow turning.

Lately, those false starts have been occurring more and more regularly. At first, it was one out of every four or five starts; lately, it's been about two out of every three starts. Finally, last night it wouldn't start at all.

The car is over at my girlfriend's house and I won't get an opportunity to do anything about it until I get off work tomorrow. Fortunately, at the time it happened, both of my cars were over there, so I just left the Aurora.

So what do you think? Do I have a starter that has died an unusually slow and painful death or is there some other explanation. The usual quick recovery would seem to rule out an issue with the Passkey security system, but maybe some other circuit is fried.

[sall]

I would suspect the ignition switch.

[XJSman89]

I had a similar problem with mine. Cleaned grounds, bypassed the passkey system, replaced the battery and alternator. It turned out that the bendix (the thing that kicks the starter into the flywheel) was broken. I removed the starter and it just shook back and forth. I can take a picture/video for you if you want. Changing the starter is quick, 8 bolts for the intake manifold and two (maybe three) for the starter. You don't have to disconnect any fuel lines if you have a buddy there with you to hold the intake manifold out of the way. It was like a 15 min job to change the starter, no joke. I just replaced my intake manifold gaskets but I probably could have reused them, they are reusable if you're careful.

Not saying that's your problem, but I had similar symptoms. When it wanted to start it would start right away and sound normal, if it didn't want to start sometimes it would click once and be silent, sometimes it would make no noise at all. There wasn't any rhyme or reason to when it decided to start and when it didn't. Replacing the starter with the one in the parts car fixed it completely, even starts a little stronger now.

[bobsblue95]

Basically your possible problem is most likely: 1)ignition switch 2)starter enable relay 3)starter. (not nec. in that order)
You will have to do some testing to isolate.
Buy or make a remote starter switch. This will tell you if it's the starter or before the starter.

[human]

I went over to my girlfriend's after work yesterday and the car cranked right up as if there had been no problem. I made a few stops on the way to my mechanic's shop and it never missed a beat. The mechanic messed with it a little and never got it to malfunction. His recommendation was to leave well enough alone, or as he put it: "Ain't no sense fixin' what ain't broke".

[bobsblue95]

Especially if you can't isolate the problem. What would you have him do, replace every possible bad part? That's the problem with intermittent problems. :-\

[osmo1102]

Im having this identical problem. Only difference is , is that when I went to take my daughter to school this morning, my key wouldnt budge at all . I have been trying to turn it for about 2 hours every which way possible. im currently searching for these two problems together in one of these forums but nothing yet. Any    advice is greatly appreciated