Strange starting problem...

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scjmc

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I had this wierd starting problem the other day... I reached in the car (02LS8) (standing outside) inserted the key and turned to start. The starter spun happily as it usually does (nice and fast.) However the car did not start. Nothing, not the slightest bit of detectible combustion. No smoke, smell, stumbling, nothing. Repeated attempts to start were also unsucessful until I sat in the car and turned the key again (it started right up). I have tried to cause this event again and could not. Any ideas?? I live in south florida and would HATE to get stranded.
 
sounds like fuel pump. probably the fuel pump relay.
 
I'm getting that exact problem. Did you ever get it fixed?

Can anybody shed some light on this please?
 
This happened to me twice and in my 2006. Haven't noticed it in several months so I forgot about it till I read your post
 
It keeps happening to me. The starter will spin for about 3 almost 4 seconds then I'll let off it. I'll start it again, the starter will spin for about 2 and then the car will start.
 
It is either a fuel pump or relay, or since I have had this problem 2 or 3 times, it might be a "warm start" confusing the computer.

I have had 2 or 3 occasions where If I had parked the LS for less than an hour, sometimes it would turn the engine but no sounds of coming to life. If I left the car for say half an hour or even just 10 minutes, it would start up just like nothing happened. If I recall this only happens on warm days when I had parked the car for a short time. So I am guessing the temperature sensors are sending info to the computer and it is not sure what fuel setting to use. Just a wild uneducated guess.

On a chebby when this happened it was the fuel pump and after a month or two it died, so this might point to the same issue with the LS, but... The LS has been doing this for over 2 years and I cannot reliably repeat the problem.

If we are lucky it is just another wonderful quirk of the LS and the all too easily fooled computer. Worst case is the pump is planning to take a dump.

Looked at your post again and you said it did this while you were outside the car. Almost makes me think the LS has a "deadman" switch which keeps the engine from starting unless there is a body in the seat. But I just tried it in my 04 LSV8 and it starts right up. But I have heard of other weird problems related to wiring under the seat, things like faulty Autotrack due to busted wires under the dirver seat. So it might be possible something weird under the seat is causing it. Unless you can duplicate it the dealer may never find it.

Good Luck and be sure to post what it really is when you find out.

Jim Henderson
 
I've had a similar problem with my '01 V8. At random, when trying to start it, the motor will the turn over and over and nothing. However, if i turn the key back, take it out, and put the key in again and try to start it it will usually fire right up. It seems to do this more when it gets cooler outside, in the summer it only happened maybe once, but in the winter it can easily to it once or twice a week. If you ask me, it seems to be a computer problem.
 
i remember on my car (as i had posted on a similar thread) i would turn the key and nothing at all would happen, just dead, but the interior lights would turn on. and then sometimes it would just turn on after i'd been trying to turn it on for like 30 minutes (once it took me 2 hrs, that was not fun). it turned out to be a relay and it cost me like 100 bucks to change. it was frustrating and it was a pain to find out what it was. i proper mechanic should be able to find the problem tho, you might have to leave the car so it duplicates the problem.
 
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