hello, when i started my car this morning it took 2 tries. it turned over the first time but did not start until the 2nd. then the clock looks like it had been reset and the radio does not come on. i could live without that stuff but the rough start made me nervous.
i dont know if this is related or not but sometimes when i start it i can drive it for a little bit (like, to the end of the parking lot) but when i come to a stop it seems like the car dies except for the electrical stuff (radio and a/c blower) usually it is no big deal because i just turn it off and then it starts right up and drives fine. and it has only done this like 5 times in the last 3 months.
i try to do my own mechanical stuff but if it is a computer problem i may take it to a shop. i just want to get a good idea about what is wrong so i hopefully dont get a bad deal from the mechanic.

Thanks in advance guys! this forum is always full of helpful information!

 

forgot to mention, it is a 96

 

It may be a bad check valve in the fuel pump, where it looses pressure. Try turning the key on and off 2 or 3 times before trying to start, to get the fuel pump primed. If it starts up right away you know what is your problem.

 

ok, drove home for lunch and the truck started fine, didnt die or anything either. the radio came on this time so that is cool. my clock was still wrong, i wonder what could have made it reset? it's like someone disconnected my battery, weird. any ideas? bad fuse or relay? maybe some kind of short or something?

 

Sounds to me like your battery is going bad. The power the starter is requiring is pulling the voltage down low enough to make your clock lose time.

 

ok, it hasn't acted up since 10/5 until now. probably because it is colder (maybe?) anyway, the radio and clock were fine so i doubt it is the battery. basically what it did today was;
it started ok, drove for 20 feet or so and all the dash lights came on. i stopped and restarted and it turned over for a while but didnt start (radio and clock were working) so i turned the key to the off position and then tried again and it started fine. and then drove fine all the way to work.
i'll update at lunch and let you know how it's going

when you say to turn it on and off 2-3 times, does that mean i should start the car and turn off the car 2-3 times?

 

No, turn the key to where you hear the fuel pump prime. Let it prime a couple of times to build up pressure.

 

oh ok. thanks! i'll give that a try. but it doesnt do it every time i start the truck sooo... if it starts i wouldnt know if that is the issue or not. is there another test i can do or do i just have to wait until it does it again? or do i just need to take it in to a garage? and if i DO take it in, would they be able to diagnose it if it does not give them trouble?

 

also, i never mentioned this because it's just in the back of my head anyway, but it may be related. My fuel guage fluctuates. like it says i have 1/4 tank sometimes when actually i have about 1/2. it will move back and forth while i am driving especially when i brake or accelerate. if it IS a faulty check valve would this be related?

 

UPDATE:
ok, it started fine last night after work. and this morning it started pretty easily even though it was colder than yesterday. from what i understand about fuel pump problems, wouldnt it be doing this all the time?