Ignition Help Needed

[RazzaCaine]

Firstly I apologise in advance as this is going to be a somewhat noobish question but hey im still learning all this car mechanic stuff.

ok, so im having a problem with the ignition system in my vs v6. since i got the car the spare key ('bad' key) has always had some trouble starting the car and now both of my keys are having this issue. sometimes (on the 'good' key) the car will start first time with no dramas. however lately it has been occasionally have some trouble starting. it started off only having this problem once in a blue moon but now it is occuring a lot more frequently. this has only really been an issue on my 'good' key for the last fortnight or so. most of the time the issue is that you turn the key to start the car and nothing happens. sometimes it will start 2nd time but sometimes it takes several times to start. i did notice that if i applied the accelerator whilst turning the key it would normally start up fine, but this no longer seems to work. also, rarely, the car will crank but will not spark. i am yet to do an error code check but will do this over the weekend to see what it comes up with.

basically what i want to know is if someone can list the main ignition issues i could be having here, how to check for these issues and what tools i need to do this.

my understanding is that it will most likely be the starter motor or soleneid or it could be the CAS but that it may also be the spark plugs or leads. the leads have been changed in the last 5,000 to 10, 0000kms so i would imagine these are fine but i dont know about the rest and i have no idea how to check their condition.

any help would be greatly appreciated as id much rather be able to fix this issue myself than have to take it to the mechanic and pay ridiculous labour charges. im a uni student so money is tight haha! thanks for any help guys and girls

[RX25SE]

First tighten the main battery cable nut at the back of the starter motor solenoid.

This works loose and kills voltage at the starter.

Very common problem.

[hako]

I'd check that it is not a key problem first - ensure that the red flashing immobiliser light is out when you turn the ignition on - if it still flashes it means the immobiliser is still on and the car will not start. If this is the case, the problem may just be the key reader ring that the tit on the key makes contact with when you put it in the keyhole. If good contact is not made here, the immobiliser will not be turned off. Another method which sometimes works is to press the unlock button on the key just before you turn the key to ignition - this should immediately turn the immobiliser off.
I'd also make sure the battery terminals are clean and tight and that the battery is in good condition. Good Luck.

[Brett_jjj]

Id try a new keyhead (or fob) and see how it goes then.Also the two metal contacts around the ignition switch (key reader) can sometimes get bent inwards a bit ,and this prevents the metal contact on the key, from touching the metal contact on the ignition switch properly.You can bend these metal contacts out slightly for better contact.Just be very careful.You dont want to snap them off.

[RazzaCaine]

ok ill give those suggestions a go

[RazzaCaine]

well the battery appears to be in good condition, the leads to the battery are nice and tight and making good connection. the immobiliser switches off prior to turning the key in the ignition. the rings around the ignition hole were pressed fairly far in so i pried them out a bit to make better contact with the key and now the ignition seems to be fine. i have noticed that the ignition seems to be more of an issue when the car is cold. are there any common reasons for this? also, i dont know if this is a related issue or not but i have noticed that the remote central locking range seems to be very short now as it only works within a couple of metres...