96 Aspire hot weather phantom

Jun 05, 2006 5 Replies

In hot weather only and only when I've been driving errands at city speed, eventually car won't start. It can be jump started & doesn't need a charge, or I can cool radiator and car will start, tho temp never registers over midline on guage. Using accessories, lights & AC esp., aggravates the problem. This only happens when air is over 90 degrees.



This isn't a battery, alternator, generator or starter problem. Last year someone suggested a cheap part, I think "temperature core (coil?) sensor". I can't locate this young man, who is the first person who's ever heard of this problem (his father's GM product, Cadillac I think). I need to know for sure the name of the part before I go back to dealership. (They've been quite honest in "We've never seen anything like this") It's hot, and after 3 years of this, I'd like to use my AC again.



Let me understand this... the car cranks... but won't start... or it won't even crank?

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Depending on whether or not the car is automatic or manual transmission... I would investigate neutral start switch (auto) or start interlock switch on clutch pedal (manual).

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It's an automatic. The reason I asked about the temperature core sensor was because the young man whose father had a similar problem with his car spent a fortune replacing various parts that his dealership kept suggesting.

I assume this start switch is not part of starter I replaced last year (to no avail). Is start switch so affected by heat that it works in the evenings and all winter, but not in 90+ days?

You're correct... the neutral start switch is not part of the starter. It's most often located on the transmission. It's a switch that doesn't allow the vehicle to crank when it's in a gear other than neutral or park. If the switch is faulty... or mis-adjusted... can cause the vehicle not to start.

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