inconsistent starting

[Little Red Wagon]

G'day all.
I have a bog stock V6 auto VT wagon,with just on 150k on the clock.
Has been regularly serviced,and generally pretty well maintained.
In the last couple of weeks or so,starting has become a bit of a "trauma".
When the ignition is turned,it will turn over,but not start / run.Then when you turn the key again,nothing..........instrument / dash / warning lights all fuction etc,but no ignition........turn key back to "off" and then start procedure again.......sometimes it will kick over,sometimes not.
One thing that someone told me to do,and seems to work,is when the ignition doesn't start it..........run through the gears from P to 1 and back,then try it again.
Strangely,75% of the time this works.
Battery is 12 months old,and terminals tight etc.
Unfortunately,I know very little about cars,and was hoping that some of you guy's could shed a bit of light on it for me.
Thanks in advance.

[darren44]

go to a battery place and ask them to put a load tester on your battery.
I was having the same problems.
new battery.

[Steven M]

I had a similar prob with the missus car. Turn the key it would turn over but then starter would let go. Turn off ignition and turn on, all lights show but would not turn over. Turn off and then it would start. Happened again one morning as she was about to go to work, so gave the starter motor a couple of wacks with the hammer and hasn't done it since. Funny though I bought a new starter motor that day but haven't put it in yet.

But again could also be your neutral switch as mentioned above.

[stevoss]

yeah funny but now you mention it a starter on the way out or a faulty inhibitor switch might be the reason.

[ando]

with the key turned like you are starting it move the gearshift (wiggle) in the park position. works every time. or just slimply tap it down ward it will about a mm that works to

[Maddog0077]

This happened to me this morning, first time, its given any hint of a starting issue. My battery is near new, so guess it is either just a dry starter or that auto switch. it reluctantly got going on about the 7th try. will wait & see if it does it again.

[Maddog0077]

just cleaned the powder off the positive terminal, there was quite a bit, so hopefully that cures it.

[VTCommy]

did you buy that car with them mags stock?? i am looking for a set of mags egsactly the same as yours!

[Maddog0077]

they were already on the car when i got it. there Roh brand, dont know the style name though, there shadow chrome, which looks good , but hard to repair kerb damage.

Cleaning battery terminals didnt cure problem, so will have to inspect starter. at first i thought it must be something to do with the key , because i just re-cased it myself, but i think its just a strange coincidence. i brought the car because a commy should be simple & reliable, but in the few weeks ive had it, its already had a cluster fault ( speed sensor circut) & now this ?

[Little Red Wagon]

Sorry,been away from the computer for a while.
Seems to be a bit of a problem around the place though.
well,on the week - end,after trying about 30 times to get it started.....without success.......I called the RAA roadside assist.
They came out and had a look......a bit puzzled he was.
Tried himself with no luck........took battery terminals off,cleaned the posts,replaced.....no luck........tap battery posts gently with hammer and try again.......no luck.
The "break-through" came when he turned the key,just until all the dash lights came on (before starter motor turns).........he pushed the "MODE" button on dash and held in the up / down buttons at the same time for about 5 seconds.
Then,the odometer started to flash "RE-SET" for 2-3 seconds.
He then turned the key to the off position and removed it,then re-inserted it and it started!
Since then,has started first time everytime......bugger me.
Said he had read it in a "Street Machine" article a few years ago.......it had all various codes / short-cuts for the Commodore computer system etc.
So there you go......hopefully,that's the end of my problem,and maybe it may help some-one else out as well.
Thanks for your help / advice from a great forum.
Cheers

[Maddog0077]

might have to give that a go i think, i just finished removing the starter & the connections looked good, gave them a clean while i was there, but i dont think the starter has any issues at all, im sure its something to do with the key or ignition barrel or something to do with whatever kind of key recognition this thing has, i dont think it has an alarm system, being an excec.. ?

edit: also i wonder if the fact that the key doesn't always remotely work, seems to be temperamental.

[Little Red Wagon]

The RAA guy made a comment to me re the key now that I think of it.......
One of the rubber key pads had worn and had a small split in it......said if they get a bit of moisture / dust / fluff from your pocket even,they could act up a bit.
Just to be safe,I've changed over to the spare key

[Maddog0077]

i dont have a spare, which is unusual for a holden, as the keys are bulky, & hard to lose you would think., id say that the company that owned the car for the first 3 years had them stored somewhere & never gave them back when they traded up.

[Little Red Wagon]

My Father-in-law damaged his key,and he had no spare either.He just took the damaged one to the Holden Dealer, where they took it,got a new one and "coded" it......or what-ever they call it.
Cost him $100 about 6 months ago.

[Maddog0077]

Sorry,been away from the computer for a while.
Seems to be a bit of a problem around the place though.
well,on the week - end,after trying about 30 times to get it started.....without success.......I called the RAA roadside assist.
They came out and had a look......a bit puzzled he was.
Tried himself with no luck........took battery terminals off,cleaned the posts,replaced.....no luck........tap battery posts gently with hammer and try again.......no luck.
The "break-through" came when he turned the key,just until all the dash lights came on (before starter motor turns).........he pushed the "MODE" button on dash and held in the up / down buttons at the same time for about 5 seconds.
Then,the odometer started to flash "RE-SET" for 2-3 seconds.
He then turned the key to the off position and removed it,then re-inserted it and it started!
Since then,has started first time everytime......bugger me.
Said he had read it in a "Street Machine" article a few years ago.......it had all various codes / short-cuts for the Commodore computer system etc.
So there you go......hopefully,that's the end of my problem,and maybe it may help some-one else out as well.
Thanks for your help / advice from a great forum.
Cheers

well that didnt work either. it still did it a few times today, it will start then shut off straight away, then have a little bit of trouble starting ? or not turn over at all ( no clicking either) .