Starting troubles

1988 9000i, 342500 km

Sometimes when I try to start the car, I can hear the click of power going to the starter, but it doesn't move. I have to turn off the power, turn on the power and then turn on the starter again, and it will start. Sometimes this has taken as much as 8 tries before it starts. The starter functions just fine when it is willing to function, so I'm guessing that it's something else. It has only been a nuisance before, but the last week it has happened every time I'm going out driving. It has started eventually every time so far, but it's not fun guessing whether or not I will have to take a tow truck home.

Another thing is that when the car is starting up, it jumps to 1200 rpm, then it drops to around 3-400 rpm before it either stabilizes around

900-1000 like it's supposed to or stalls because of the low revs. It's almost like it is testing itself to see how low it can go without stalling (and it sometimes does stall). It can of course be avoided with a blip of the throttle, but that's just curing the symptom of something I'm guessing is a bit more serious.

Anyone have experience with these two things?

Kristian

Reply to
Kristian Steve Jensen
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First check the battery cable connections on the battery and to the starter. Check the battery itself and then the alternator. AutoZone will do a battery and alternator check for you. ed

Reply to
Edward Hayes

"Edward Hayes" skrev i melding news:Gxe5d.430040$ snipped-for-privacy@bgtnsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...

Alternator is less than one year old, battery seems 2-3 years old. Everything works like on a new car when it works, but sometimes the sterter simply doesn't revolve. I have thought about the possibility of a loose connection on the starter, will check it later.

Kristian

Reply to
Kristian Steve Jensen

If all the connections are tight, then it sounds like a problem with the starter. Probably the contacts on the solenoid.

Cheers,

Colin.

Reply to
Colin Stamp

I agree - first check the connection to the battery and make sure they are solid and clean. Once a year it is a good idea (especially before winter) to unhook the connections to the battery and give them a good cleaning. Also get your charging system checked out at the garage. Could be the sign of a failing battery - they can check it and tell you.

Check all your vacuum lines for leaks. Usually with the bonnet open and the engine running you can hear it.

Hope this helps!

Reply to
saabturbo

It sounds like the solenoid on the starter to me. We had a SAAB 96 (1969) which did this at about 100k miles. We used to keep a rock under the hood to bang on the starter while the other person tried to start it. Finally, that failed and I removed the starter and took it and the solenoid apart and cleaned it all up and put it back together.

We sold the car at 175k miles with the starter still working.

Now, first check the simple stuff of course. Particularly the battery cable connections and so on.

If removing and cleaning the starter doesn't work, get a rebuilt one.

Charles.

Kristian Steve Jensen wrote:

Reply to
Charles

On our 96 you only had to stamp on the floor. It amused many people!

Reply to
Richard Sutherland-Smith

"Charles" skrev i melding news: snipped-for-privacy@wispertel.com...

I tugged a bit on what I believe is the cable to the starter. Two green wires go from the battery positive, one of them goes down towards the gearbox. I tugged a bit on this one, and has had no troubles since. Let's see how long it stays that way :)

Kristian

Reply to
Kristian Steve Jensen

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