Double whammy. Two in ONE STARTING Problem. HELP!

[89ARIES]

Okay, now I have TWO starting problems at the SAME time:

1. The original fuel starvation starting problem. Car sits longer than an hour. I am forced to pump the accelerator after turning the key, which engages the starter. Starter
was working FINE. Attempts to fire, but fails to start or stay running as car shakes and fuel just isn't flowing. I then have to rest my foot on the accelerator and play with it
for a minute or two until the engine runs on its own.

2. The NEW simulatenous starting problem that will probably leave me stranded this week. Starter is cranking slow, then not cranking hardly at all, then cranking normally again the last couple
days. Computer finally threw a code 12. Acts like a bad battery or dead alternator sometimes, but then miracously recovers after either a few repeated attempts or letting the car
sit for 5 minutes. TWICE now in the last two days it took me 2-3 minutes to start the car, as the starter BARELY made a cranking noise, but car refused to start. And, even once or twice, the starter
cranked a bit faster, with me repeatedly pumping the accelerator, and the car would NOT start. Then, like nothing ever happened, cranks fast and starts immediately like it always used to do.
I don't understand it. The code 12 would seem to make sense, LOSS OF POWER, but why would the car have spikes of power? Normal starting, hard starting, will not start, etc.

HELP!!!

[K-CAR_WAGON]

You are probably getting a code 12 because of all your excessive cranking killing the battery, and the battery voltage is actuallly dipping below the threshold that trips the code failure while you are cranking. Its not power spikes - its a low battery. Your excessive cranking is probably depleting the battery, and you are probably not running the car long enough to charge the battery fully to make up for the amount of energy you drain each time you try to start it. If you don't fix your starting issue you will kill your battery and your alternator. Excessive cranking will also wear out your starter prematurely. Your starter could also be NG.

Check your battery voltage. If its low, put it on a battery charger until its fully charged. Then see if it cranks normally, even if it does not start right away. My guess is it will crank normally after the battery is fully charged. Then have somebody fix your fuel issues. Fuel injected K cars should start-up alsmost instaneously.

[88 aries]

Sounds like a fuel issue. or a bad Throttle body. As for the battery, the excessive cranking is killing it. Fuel injected ones should start right away with no pumpage required. I should get a new battery for the 81, its battery light comes on when not started in a couple of weeks.

[MyDodgeDip]

How old is your battery? Are the terminals clean? Are they factory style ones with the cables built into the terminal or replacement ones with crappy clamps for the cable?

[Butch]

Remember the sad state your starter signal wire ( that was never replaced ) is in ? Rememeber getting one at the yard ? Pumping the gas pedal does nothing since it's not a carburated car. Possibly starter or batt may be going bad as well.

[88 aries]

actually a little tid bit, While pressure washing my 88's engine bay I got something wet, pumping and cranking was the only way it started.

[89ARIES]

Thanks everyone. The battery is 3.5 years old.

[89ARIES]

The battery has the crappy replacment brackets, the ones that get loose and corrode.

[MyDodgeDip]

Well I'd start with the battery terminals, cleaned and tightened and replacing the wire butch is talking about.

Like Butch said, pumping the gas does nothing on a fuel injected car. Holding it to the floor and cranking at the same time may help clear a flooded condition, but pumping does nothing but move the throttle position sensor around before starting.

[Pete in NH]

I seem to recall discussing those awful clamp the wire on replacement battery terminals before. As MyDodgedip suggested i would start with those terminals. Go to a good hardware store and in those tray assortments they usually carry find some ring terminals for #6 wire and a 3/8 inch bolt. Cut off the wire at the ends of the exsisting terminals,cut back the isulation about 5/8 of an inch and install the new ring terminals. You can have an automotive electrical shop do this for you or do it yourself. Crimp on the new terminals and solder them on if poosible. Clean the copper wire well before crimping and soldering. Clean up the lead on the battery terminal and bolt the ring terminal under one of the bollts, tighten it well. This shold take care of the battery terminal issue if you must use those awful battery terminals. I would also take them off and clean both the battery terminal post and inner surface of the clamp on terminal. You also need to replace that wire Butch was talking about. You may also have a strter going bad but i would start with the battery terminals. If you don't track down the problem your going to be walking home sooner or later.