Troubleshooting Starting Issues
 

I've been having troubles with my car starting essentially since I got it (4/06). It's an 04 with the infamous OEM starter. It's had multiple batteries, multiple spark plugs (after deflooding treatment), and now even has a brand new BHR Ignition System. So this winter it got significantly worse. So I said screw it and figured I'd put in a new, Optima 35 Red Top battery and a new, upgraded starter (N3Z1-18-400 vs. the old N3H1-18-400).

Anywhere here is the testing. For what it's worth the car had been started 6 days prior and while it was chilly (upper teens to low 30s) it wasn't that bad in the garage where it's stored. Both batteries were over 12volts (via Cobb AP) when the start was attempted.

http://www.vimeo.com/3653485

Previous attempts in the past few weeks with OEM original starter and 2 year old battery would typically be cranking for 7-10 seconds, w/o turning over, rest, and then cranking for 2-3 seconds before it turned over. This one actually failed to turn over in the second set so the battery may have been lower than my normal charge.

Hopefully this helps people understand the value of a better battery and ultimately the value of a significantly better starter. It was laughable how fast the new starter cranks the car to starting vs. every single start I've ever had in this car.

Keep in mind as well that this doesn't cover flooding. If your car doesn't have a history of hard starts and suddenly won't turn over it is almost certainly due to flooding.

Interesting, I have no idea but iteresting none the less.

The starter makes a world of Difference...

Glad to see you got the issue fixed.

That battery install definitely needed the "fast-forward" treatment.
You and I tend to talk too much while working :lol:

But all this (including the starter swap) took less than an hour.
It really is ridiculous how simple the starter swap is.

Sorry to bring up an old thread.
My '04 Auto GT does crappy starting all the time. Is this updated start only for manual trans? or are they interchangeable?

Thanks!

There is a model for the automatic transmission.