Spare key starts vehicle but shuts off after like 10 seconds.
So I left my key for my vehicle at home about 45 min away but I have my spare key,. my spare key unlocks my vehicle and starts it just fine the only down side is that it shuts off after 10 seconds. Any thoughts ?
My car has 95000 miles.
My car has a manual transmission.
Experienced mechanics share their insights in answering this question :
Hello and thank you for contacting YourMechanic. Remove the negative battery cable to the battery and leave it off for about 2 minutes. This will cause the computer to reset. Then hook up the battery cable and start up the engine. If that don’t work, then put the key in the driver door and lock and unlock the door about 3 times. This will reprogram the computer to accept the chipped key. If you are still having trouble and need assistance, then seek out a technician, as one from YourMechanic, that can assist you with your vehicle.
How to Identify and Fix Common car Problems ?
Our sources include academic articles, blog posts, and personal essays from experienced mechanics :
If your vehicle engine continues to run after the ignition switch is turned off that means the ignition switch is defective and/or the ignition is still being powered from “elsewhere” in the circuit even though the switch is “off”.
Bent Keys
Check whether your key has a kink or is bent, as this could prevent you from starting the car. In some instances, a bent key may ignite the car but refuse to release from the ignition cylinder. Your first instinct may be to wiggle the key inside the ignition cylinder in an attempt to straighten the key.
Why is the Key Stuck in the ignition? A car key stuck in the ignition that won`t release is usually because of a damaged/worn out car key or the ignition wafers have broken.
If nothing happens when you turn the ignition key to the “Start” position, it means that the starter motor doesn`t turn over the engine. Most commonly this could be caused by a low battery; read above How to check the battery.
This symptom often points to an issue with either your exhaust system, fuel or dirty or worn out parts. In internal combustion running vehicles, and incomplete combustion will cause a sputter. And while a sputtering engine might not seem like a serious issue, it often results in an expensive repair when ignored.
A dead battery in your key fob means it can`t broadcast the signal the ignition system is looking for. If your car or truck can`t detect the correct signal, then the ignition will remain locked, and you won`t be able to start your car with the fob in your pocket.
If your key fob dies while driving, nothing will happen. The car will continue to operate simply because the key fob is an unlocking and starting device only.
“A key fob will constantly try to communicate with the car. And that does cause a slight drain on the battery, but generally that won`t completely drain a healthy car battery,” says Mike Monticello, Consumer Reports` road test manager. “The key fob is, in a sense, causing the issue.
Relevant Questions and Answers :
the most relevant questions and answers related to your specific issue
Spare key starts vehicle but shuts off after like 10 seconds.
ANSWER : Hello and thank you for contacting YourMechanic. Remove the negative battery cable to the battery and leave it off for about 2 minutes. This will cause the computer to reset. Then hook up the battery cable and start up the engine. If that don’t work, then put the key in the driver door and lock and unlock the door about 3 times. This will reprogram the computer to accept the chipped key. If you are still having trouble and need assistance, then seek out a technician, as one from YourMechanic, that can assist you with your vehicle.
Some times i turn the key and it starts up like normal but then shuts off after 1 second
ANSWER : You will need to check the purge control valve on the firewall near brake master cylinder. The purge valve may be letting too much vapor into the intake causing the stall or hard start.
There also may be an issue with shorted ignition coils in the spark plug holes. The plug boots may need to be replaced.
If you’d like some assistance with these checks, consider YourMechanic as one of our mobile experts can come to you and diagnose your starting issue firsthand. Best of luck.
My car shut off while at a stoplight. I got it started only for it to shut off agin. It starts then shuts off.
ANSWER : Hello, thank you for writing in. The vehicle is stalling due to an electrical issue (typically pertaining to power supply or a sensor), a lack of fuel, or a failure with the ignition (spark) system. You will want to start by scanning the vehicle for diagnostic troubleshooting codes. Use any information found there to help guide you to the system or component that is failing. Without that information, you will want to test the fuel pump, ignition cables, spark plugs, and alternator function. Further testing may need to be done based on those results. For more help with diagnostics, contact our service department to schedule an appointment.
Fuel pump engages. Batery good, alternator good volts, jump start helps when wont start. Temp does not matter. Intermittent?
ANSWER : Hello. Thank you for writing in. There are several reasons your vehicle may only start when jump starting. The first and most common is a build up of resistance that is causing you to need a boost of voltage to get the engine started. This may be due to poor battery cables, a bad ground connection, a poor starter solenoid, and a couple of other issues. The first thing you want to do is perform a visual inspection of the starting system. Make sure there is no corrosion build up in the battery cables. You can also check the resistance across these wires and make sure you have a solid connection between components. You then want to make sure the starter solenoid is doing its job. It is responsible for taking the small amount of electricity sent by the ignition and turning it into a huge electrical charge that is strong enough to push over the engine with the help of some gear ratios in its favor. Do some more testing, and stick to the basics before assuming its something seriously complicated.
Warm engine, long starting and feels like it isn’t getting gas, 10 sec, then takes off like nothing wrong. Doesn’t happen all time
ANSWER : The biggest challenge with your symptoms is they are intermittent. Intermittent symptoms are often difficult to duplicate and we can’t diagnose something that is working. The biggest challenge here is recreating the symptoms. While attempting to recreate the symptoms, I would have a scanner connected and recording all the data. If the problem arises, it will be recorded and I would most likely be able to see what happened in the scan data.
It is good you are taking notice of the conditions that the symptoms cause. This information will be valuable for a technician to pinpoint the problem. As for what the problem could be, it could be many things. The fuel pump could be binding and not delivering enough fuel, the TPS (throttle position sensor) may be glitching or a crank or camshaft sensor maybe sending false information. Camshaft and crankshaft sensors are common failures on Civics. So these two sensors would be suspect, as well as the wiring harnesses that feed them. Poor electrical connections are notorious for symptoms such as these.
The long story short is someone will need to catch the culprit sensor in action, which is the biggest challenge with intermittent problems. With my own vehicles, I often wait until the failure becomes more regular to diagnose them. It saves a lot of time.
I recommend the loss of power inspection to help you figure this out.
Good luck!
Everyday key won’t start the car but spare key will?
ANSWER : Hello, thank you for writing in. The first thing you should do is inspect the key for any obvious damages that would stop the ignition from starting. Secondly you will want to attempt to reprogram your main key. Your owners manual should have more information about this. If the reprogramming needs to be done professionally (which a lot of new cars do) then you may need to see the manufacturer/dealership. The ignition switch would likely not accept the spare key as well if the issue was there. If you suspect the starter is going out, it would be a separate set of issues. With the age of the vehicle, it would not be uncommon to need to replace it. For more diagnostic help, contact our service department to schedule an appointment.
Car was sometimes not starting, not even cranking when i turned the key then after a few times itd start. Now it ont start at all
ANSWER : Hi there:
Without being there to inspect your vehicle, or having information about what type of car, truck or SUV you own, it’s very hard for us to give you some advice. You might want to have a professional mobile mechanic complete a car is hard to start inspection; so they can come to your location and determine why your vehicle is having these issues.
Vehicle won’t start, once it’s jump started it only stays running until you turn it off, then it work start again without jumping.
ANSWER : Hi there. There could be two problems here. It is possible that your battery is bad and will not take a charge from your alternator while driving. In that case every time you shut your car off you will not have enough juice to start it again. Inspect your battery – it should have at least 12.5 to 13 volts to start your car, if it doesn’t you will need to replace the battery. The second problem could be that your alternator is bad and not charging your battery, in this case you will need to replace your alternator. Both the battery and the alternator can be tested in your car. If you would like to have the car checked for you, a certified professional from YourMechanic can come to your car’s location to diagnose the starting problem and proceed with repairs.
