I was running errands this past Saturday. I drove from my home to the post office, then the gas station and then the video store. When I tried to start my car after visiting the video store, it wouldn’t start. The lights, fan, radio, etc. all came on, but the engine did not turn over and I didn’t even hear the clicking noise the starter is supposed to make. It acted quite similar to the way a car won’t start if it’s not in Park, but it was. I also shifted it to make sure it was firmly in Park, and it was. Boosting the battery did nothing.
I had the car towed to the dealership, where they looked at it on Monday.
They could find nothing wrong. The battery and the alternator checked out fine, and they started it repeatedly with no problems. I picked the car up and drove it home just fine.
Yesterday I drove from home to work with no problems. After work, I went to the dry cleaners and then the post office. At the post office, the car died again. I had it towed home, because I began to suspect that if it was allowed to sit overnight it would start again. I was right. It started just fine this morning.
I have to make an appointment with the dealership to bring it back in, and I will tell them my little story, but what the heck could be wrong with this car? The only time I can ever remember a car acting this way was many years ago when I had a vehicle with a carburetor. You had to be careful about giving it too much gas when it was very cold out - if you overdid it, the engine would flood and all you could do was wait for it to dry out. Is it even possible for something like that to happen to a car with a fuel-injected engine?
FWIW, this car is a 1993 Subaru Impreza, automatic transmission, with 113,000 miles on it. It’s always had regular maintenance and I have had zero trouble with it - it’s never broken before.
You say they checked the alternator and battery, but did they check the starter solenoid? (I think that’s what it’s called) Has it been wet recently where you are? That might also have something to do with it. Judging by the symptoms though, especially since all the lights, etc… work when you turn the key, I’d say you might have a starter problem.
I had a similar problem some years ago with a Ford Escort I once owned. Had been running erands all afternoon and after my final stop at Subway for dinner, it would not start. Same symptoms - electrical system worked fine, all the lights came on, etc…, but no noise when turning the key. Just a click from the eletrical system coming on. When I took it in to get it fixed, they replaced the starter solneoid and sent me on my merry way. The problem never repeated.
The mechanic said they checked the starter and they didn’t find anything wrong. They didn’t want to replace anything unless they were sure they knew it was defective. I have been thinking of asking them to humor me and replace it anyway if they can’t find anything else. It’s just weird that I get 3-4 good starts and then nothing, and when you let the car sit for awhile, it’s all better.
Has it been wet here? Oh hell yes it has - been raining every other day or so for what seems like forever. My car is normally garaged, though, both at home and at work. It wasn’t raining on Saturday. It did rain a bit yesterday when the problem came back.
And handy, yep, the lights come on nice and bright.
For what it is worth, I had a similar problem (no starts in wet weather). My issue turned out to be a cracked distributor head. It worked fine when it was dry, but let some moisture get in and it was all over with.