Car Trouble...Please Help

[MadHandle8169]

My car is acting really weird. It does not want to start. I turn the key and it cranks and nothing happens. Once I release the key is when it fires up when it seldom does. It sounds weird but it gets worse. Then I will let it idle and it will sit there idling all over the place and it sounds like it's about to die. After about 2 minutes it does die and then it won't start again. I'm pretty sure it's an electrical problem. It has gotten progressively worse. The car ran good under wide open throttle when it does run so I don't think its an internal problem. Anyone got any ideas?

My voltmeter in the car also moves down then back up. I'm going to change the battery because it tested low. I'm going to change the harmonic balancer because I think that is causing some timing issues. Some rubber is sticking out and its wobbling. I think these are still unrelated issues.

I installed Nitrous a while ago and it ran good on Nitrous and did not detonate or ping. However, could the nitrous have messed up my computer not allowing it to idle properly. I'm just trying to find ideas. I don't have the money to install random parts because I'm in college. I don't even really drive the car except for weekends in the winter. I just want the problem solved for the summer. Can I try resetting the computer? Doesn't unplugging the battery for 30 minutes or something do that? So any other ideas?? Please Help and I'm sorry this is so long and so many questions.

 

[Blackened302]

i'm no mechanic, but a few basic ideas:
+ clean your MAF (check how-to sticky, there's good write-up on doing so and on adjusting the tps for idling issues)
+ check your grounds--a faulty ground sometimes does this
+ pull the codes--autozone/advance does this for free
+ charge your battery/get it tested--free @ advance/AZ

 

[MadHandle8169]

I cleaned my MAF already. How many grounds are there? The two near the battery seem kind of green and coroded so I will check them. I have a battery tester and charger and the battery is low and wouldn't charge so I am going to get a new battery. I will ask Autozone to run the codes when I get home. Thanks for the help so far.

Any other suggestions?

 

[Blackened302]

i'd say replace those negative cables anyway--green on the wire is usually not good at all, and while it may not be the direct cause, it might still be adding to the problem. besides, they're cheap to get and do yourself. good luck.

 

[RIO5.0]

If the battery tested low than replace that....one sign of a weak battery is the freaky gages..Had that very issue myself...changed the battery and all went back to normal...your gages are all electric so low voltage makes em wacky/jumpy..

As mentioned undo and clean the grounds right there at the battery (green bolts) and check the Neg cable where it bolts to the block by the oil filter area, that can get real oxidized and cruddy as that stud/nuts is where a few cables ground....theres also a copper ground strap in that group that runs back to the drivers fender to, its in a Black plastic sheath...That took a dump on mine also, remove that bolt at the fender and sandpaper that connection up...you can get a generic copper braided one like it a Napa or the like for cheap money...mine looked good but it wasn't...
Some baking soda and water solution works good for cleaning up that Wht/Grn battery crud....just wash it down afterwards with a good water douche....

Fender ground strap..

 

[mo_dingo]

When you turn the key to acc, do the gauges act normal, or flicker? If the flicker, your ignition switch may be bad.
Scott

 

[xkuntrycowboyx]

looking past electrical... idling issues could very well be vaccuum leaks...?? Mighta wanna check for that too while ur under there.

 

[MadHandle8169]

I'll check for vacuum leaks but I'm pretty sure there are none. Before the car would die it would only idle bad and I could drive it. It ran fine except for the idle.

 

[m0l0]

My personal advice will be that your stator is dying , been there done that, and solved sudden stall problems , same problems as you suddenly after X mins of engine running it will die , no matter if idling or making 100 mph highway, the engine will die and it will take arround 10 mins of waiting to fire up again , but if you overlook this , stator will die and no more 10 mins waiting just towing need, anyway you should check vacuum leaks, clean maf ,clean iac, as a nice tune!

Good luck!!