Suddenly starter doesnot work and after few minutes again it works

took to toyota dealer . could not identify the problem. finaly said the starter is to be changed. new starter installed. the problem still there. battery is new. even now some times starter doesn ot work an does not make any noise. but after few minutes or hours it again works. and will be ok for about a month or two and problem repeates. and again becomes all right and works for may be 3 months. and cycle repeats.

My car has 130000 miles.
My car has an automatic transmission.

Experienced mechanics share their insights in answering this question :
I would recommend replacing the starter relay in the engine compartment’s junction box. The relay may have intermittent relay contact issues. The relay may not be the cause but is the least cost alternative to being stranded in the future.

If you’d like a second opinion on this or need help with the replacement of the starter relay, consider YourMechanic, as one of our mobile technicians can come to your home or office to service your vehicle.

How to Identify and Fix Common car Problems ?

Our sources include academic articles, blog posts, and personal essays from experienced mechanics :

The fuel pump fuse may have blown, or the fuel pump itself will need to be replaced. Alternatively, this problem could be caused by a leak in the fuel lines, clogged fuel injectors or a bad fuel pressure regulator.
If your starter relay has gone bad, the electrical signal will never make it from the battery to the starter motor. As a result, your engine won`t turn over – no matter how many times you turn the key. A faulty relay often produces an audible clicking sound when you turn your car.
Lack Of Fuel

The most common and obvious reason your car may start then die is the fuel shortage in your engine. This happens because there`s not enough fuel in the fuel rail, and there`s no fuel pressure to keep the engine alive. The reason isn`t always you forgetting to fill up your gas tank.

When your engine cranks but won`t start or run, it could mean your engine is having trouble producing a spark, getting fuel, or creating compression. The most common causes are problems in the ignition (for example, a bad ignition coil) or fuel system (for example, a clogged fuel filter).
The relay`s wiring grounded to the frame at some point and that damaged the relay. The relay was/is old and its failure was due to its age. The relay was misinstalled. The relay`s fusing was incorrectly estimated or the wrong fuse was used and an overcurrent damaged the relay.
Car not starting: Another symptom of a faulty ignition relay is a no power condition. If the relay fails it will cut off power to fuel pump and ignition system, which will result in a no power, and therefore no start condition.
One of the best ways to determine if a car fuse has blown is by using a test light. It should illuminate both ends of the fuse, and, if it doesn`t, it needs to be replaced. Sometimes, a blown fuse is caused by a damaged wire, motor, or other part.
So can a bad starter drain your battery? The short answer is: Yes, it can. It could also drain the battery even faster if you repeatedly try to start your car with a faulty starter. A faulty starter is also one of the leading causes of battery overcharging.
Bad Sensors

One common culprit for this problem is the crankshaft position sensor, which measures the position and speed of the crankshaft. The computer uses the information from this sensor to know when to fire the spark plugs. If the sensor isn`t working, the spark plugs won`t fire, keeping the engine from starting.

The most common reason is simply running out of gas. However, if you have a full tank of fuel, and your car still dies, then there is more to it than a lack of gas. You might have a clogged filter or a bad fuel pump, for example. Both of these issues prevent your engine from getting enough fuel.
A Bad Crankshaft Position Sensor

The crankshaft position sensor monitors the position and rotational speeds of the crankshaft. Without the crank sensor, the engine control module (ECM) wouldn`t know when to fire the fuel injectors and ignite the spark plugs.

The crankshaft position sensor monitors the position and speed of the crankshaft and other parameters that play an important role when starting the engine. If the crankshaft position sensor is having a problem, the vehicle may have intermittent starting issues or not start at all.
The two most common failure mechanisms of relays are contamination and mechanical wear of the internal switching elements discussed as follows: a. Contamination is a major cause of early life failures.
CAUSES OF FAULTY STARTERS: CAUSE OF FAILURE

Electrical connections faulty. Solenoid switch (engaging relay) stiff or faulty. Electric motor damaged electrically. Single-pinion gear, starter pinion or freewheel damaged.

If the current rises above a certain limit over a certain period of time, then the overload relay will trip, operating an auxiliary contact which interrupts the motor control circuit, de-energizing the contactor. This leads to the removal of the power to the motor.
The average cost for a Starter Relay Replacement is between $66 and $74. Labor costs are estimated between $29 and $37 while parts are priced between $37 and $37.
Relays do not need fuses inside them. However the package that contains a relay may add various components for specific purposes.
A Starter relay requires about 8 volts to “pull” in the contactor core. Once engaged it will stay engaged until the voltage drops to about 3 volts.
Another symptom of a faulty fuel pump relay is an engine that does not start. If the fuel pump relay fails the fuel pump will be left without power. The engine may still crank when the key is turned, however it will not be able to start due to lack of fuel.
The main drawbacks are loose contacts, cracks in the contacts, or excessive size and position deviation. This will affect the contact reliability of the relay. The faults of contact components generally include contact overheating, wear, and welding.
Rusting, power failure, irregular pressure, missing equipment, an incorrect amount of voltage or current, dirt stuck in the system and corrosion are some of the possible reasons why a solenoid valve may not properly close or open.
To check the voltage reaching the starter, connect the voltmeter to the starter feed terminal and earth it on the starter casing. Test the voltage reaching the starter. For a negative-earth system on a car with a pre-engaged starter, connect the positive lead of the voltmeter to the feed terminal on the solenoid.
PTC relay is a specific starting device, which works for the compressor of the refrigerators. The principle function of the PTC relay is to provide power to the start winding for a brief period to help to trigger the motor of the cooling compressor.
Resetting is very simple. The coil circuit needs to be opened and shortened to the coils ground potential. The capacitor will be discharged through the coil and drives a current pulse with opposite polarity through the coil, that resets the relay (Figure 4).

Relevant Questions and Answers :

the most relevant questions and answers related to your specific issue

Suddenly starter doesnot work and after few minutes again it works
ANSWER : I would recommend replacing the starter relay in the engine compartment’s junction box. The relay may have intermittent relay contact issues. The relay may not be the cause but is the least cost alternative to being stranded in the future.

If you’d like a second opinion on this or need help with the replacement of the starter relay, consider YourMechanic, as one of our mobile technicians can come to your home or office to service your vehicle.

Windshield wipers stopped working. They’ll suddenly stop working then suddenly start working again. Has been happening for a week.
ANSWER : The problem you are describing likely stems from an intermittent electrical fault in the wiper circuit. The windshield wiper system uses a small electric motor to move the wiper arms that you see on the windshield. That electric motor is controlled through a switch, relay, fuse, and wiring. One, or more, of those electrical components has failed although it is also possible that the mechanical arms are binding (seized, if the lubricant has dried out) thus causing the electric circuit to the motor to overload. Regardless of the underlying fault, if you request a non functioning wiper diagnostic/repair, the responding certified mechanic will get this taken care of for you. If you have further questions or concerns, do not hesitate to re-contact YourMechanic as we are always here to help you.

An inconsistent starter motor that occasionally works perfectly now will not work. Then engine will not crank at all.
ANSWER : Hi there. It is possible for the starter to fail. But before replacing the starter, make sure that the battery cables are tight and clean. Then check the starter relay and make sure that the relay is clicking. If the relay is not clicking, then check for power to the relay. If there is power to the relay but there is no click, then the starter relay would need to be replaced. If there is no power to the relay, then either the wiring from the relay to the ignition switch has a break in it or the ignition switch is failing. If there is power to the relay and power to the starter motor, then the starter motor needs replaced. If you need further assistance with your no start issue, then seek out a professional, such as one from Your Mechanic, to help you.

Honda Civic 2008. AC stopped working suddenly and engine check light came ON for a day.Next day AC worked and no engine light.
ANSWER : Hi there. In both cases, when an AC system is not working and a warning light is coming on the dashboard, typically a professional mechanic will complete the same initial inspection, which is to download the stored error codes that triggered the warning light initially. This tends to give them an idea as to what is causing the problems. This could be something as simple as an electrical relay that is faulty or loose or an indication of a computer related "glitch". Either way, the best way to move forward is to have a professional mobile mechanic complete a check engine light inspection.

My dash board don’t work my front light work when I change my light into high beam and my back window won’t go down
ANSWER : As unfortunate as it is, your vehicle would be considered flood damaged. Diagnosing electrical problems in a flood damaged vehicle is nearly impossible. This would take many hours or even days to determine which wiring harnesses and circuits have been affected. Then nearly all of the wiring under the dash would likely require replacement as well as many sensors and switches. On a BMW vehicle, the amount of wires and switches are likely more than that of a lower end vehicle. Due to the inefficiency in cost, you would likely be able to purchase another BMW like yours for less than what it would cost to fix your car. Many insurance companies would consider this type of damage to total out the vehicle unfortuantely.

I tried to start my truck after a -35 degree night. I got nothing from the starter. The key fob worked once to unlock the car, but
ANSWER : Hello. If all of your issues began after severely cold temperatures, then it may be possible that the issues are temperature or moisture related. It is important to keep in mind that at lower temperatures, especially those as low as you experienced, it takes considerably more effort to start a vehicle. It may be possible that the required effort is simply too much for the battery to handle. You can have the battery tested to determine if it is providing enough power to meet the requirement, as well as holding a charge. It could also be possible that there is an issue with the starter as well. I would also check to make sure that the key fob batteries are not dead as well, as that could also cause similar malfunctions. As electrical issues can sometimes be difficult to diagnose, if you are unsure, I would recommend having a professional technician, such as one from YourMechanic, visit your location to determine if the battery may need to be replaced.

Having a starter issue and I have done all the troubleshooting to know it’s the starter. 1997 Ford F150
ANSWER : Hi there – I suspect the "bolt" you mention is on the starter solenoid, which has burned contacts. This means that you can measure voltage to the solenoid, but there is not enough current through the solenoid contacts to kick the starter motor. Jumping it adds enough current to overcome the resistance of the burned contacts. I recommend replacing the starter assembly by a mobile, professional mechanic, such as one from YourMechanic, who will come to your location, diagnose this problem, give you an accurate assessment of damage and cost estimate for repairs.

My AC does not always work. If I fiddle with the blower knob I can ususally get it to work on the lowest setting.
ANSWER : Hi There,
It sounds like you may have a faulty blower motor resistor. The highest speed setting may still work because in most cars in the highest fan speed settings the current bypasses the blower motor resistor. In some cars, if the resistor is failed, the fan may stop working completely. Another reason a blower motor resistor may fail is when the blower motor has a mechanical problem or when a foreign object jams the blower motor fan blade and prevents it from spinning freely. This leads to increased current through the resistor and causes it to overheat and fail. I would suggest having an expert from YourMechanic come to your location to diagnose your system to determine what may be causing the fan not to work properly.