# 2006 Chevy Cobalt starts when it wants to!

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/2006-chevy-cobalt-starts-when-it-wants-to/86815>\
**Category:** General Discussion\
**Created:** [August 25, 2014, 10:48pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2006-chevy-cobalt-starts-when-it-wants-to/86815 "2014-08-25T22:48:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![mrandle11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/fbc32d/32.png) [@mrandle11](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mrandle11)\
**Post date:** [August 25, 2014, 10:48pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2006-chevy-cobalt-starts-when-it-wants-to/86815/1 "2014-08-25T22:48:00Z")

</div>

I am having an issue with my 2006 Chevy Cobalt. I recently had a new fuel pump put in. Within a week the car would not start. The very next day the car started fine and ran well. The next day it would not start again. The next day, started and ran fine. Then this morning it would not start again. I don’t think it can be a faulty fuel pump. Any suggestions as to what might be the problem? Please help!!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![BillRussell](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/billrussell/32/3179_2.png) [@BillRussell](https://community.cartalk.com/u/BillRussell)\
**Post date:** [August 25, 2014, 11:33pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2006-chevy-cobalt-starts-when-it-wants-to/86815/2 "2014-08-25T23:33:22Z")

</div>

What happens when it won’t start? Starter noise? any partial start? smoke?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![mrandle11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/fbc32d/32.png) [@mrandle11](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mrandle11)\
**Post date:** [August 26, 2014, 12:20am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2006-chevy-cobalt-starts-when-it-wants-to/86815/3 "2014-08-26T00:20:04Z")

</div>

It seems like it wants to start but it won’t. Its not like the battery is dead and nothing happens. It tries to start but just doesn’t. So I guess it would be considered a partial start. No smoke. No starter noise. A friend said maybe I have water in my fuel and suggested adding the water remover to the gas tank.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![BillRussell](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/billrussell/32/3179_2.png) [@BillRussell](https://community.cartalk.com/u/BillRussell)\
**Post date:** [August 26, 2014, 2:01am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2006-chevy-cobalt-starts-when-it-wants-to/86815/4 "2014-08-26T02:01:58Z")

</div>

Just to be clear, it attempts to start, the engine coughs and sputters but does not fully start?

Could be any number of things. Water in the gas is one possibility, easily eliminated by an additive.

b

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![mrandle11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/fbc32d/32.png) [@mrandle11](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mrandle11)\
**Post date:** [August 26, 2014, 2:28am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2006-chevy-cobalt-starts-when-it-wants-to/86815/5 "2014-08-26T02:28:02Z")

</div>

It doesn’t cough or sputter it just will not start. It’s trying to start but it doesn’t.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![insightful](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/insightful/32/2732_2.png) [@insightful](https://community.cartalk.com/u/insightful)\
**Post date:** [August 26, 2014, 4:44am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2006-chevy-cobalt-starts-when-it-wants-to/86815/6 "2014-08-26T04:44:02Z")

</div>

Spray some ether (starting fluid) into the air intake while cranking. If it starts and dies, it’s a fuel problem.