2009 hyndai accent. Intermittent starting problem

Maintenance/Repairs
1

Hi everyone. I have a 2009 hyundai accent with about 63k miles on it. For over a year now, I have had an intermittent problem with the car starting. The engine will crank but won’t fire. I have to take my key out and try again and it usually works fine. Sometimes it will take a couple times, and then it will go away for weeks without doing it before acting up again. It will do this when the engine is both hot and cold. Today it took a good 5 minutes before I could start it again, and now I’m getting frustrated.

I thought it would be the fuel filter, but fuel pressure tests have been done and they checked out. Spark plugs are in good condition. Alternator and battery are fine. I had the crankshaft sensor replaced thinking that might be it, but no luck. It’s an intermittent random problem which is frustrating, because it doesn’t happen when I take it to a mechanic so they can’t diagnose the problem with code scanners. Anyone else experienced similar situation? I’m stumped and not very experienced in this field

2

is the check engine light on? do any codes come up when they scan the car?

3

Nope, no check engine lights. No codes come up when they scan. It has be scanned when the issue actually happens, which is hard because it is so intermittent and random.

4

Taking the key out may be a false symptom. However, if you really find that consistently, I would suspect the ignition switch. Also, is it the actual removal of the key, or would just turning the switch to OFF solve the problem?

1 Like
5

It’s not consistent. It will go weeks sometimes without doing it, and then it’ll have periods of acting up. I have tried just switching it to off and then cranking again, I’ll try that next time it happens

6

next time it happens put it in neutral and see if it starts.

7

A worned out starter can do that before it actually dies on you. These are warning signs.

1 Like
8

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with the park/neutral safety switch or the starter.

Tester

9

Fuel pump on it’s way out ?

10

I thought fuel pump too, but it’s been doing this for over a year and hasn’t really got worse…it’s just been random and intermittent. A worn out fuel pump would get worse and worse until it fails wouldn’t it?

11

do you have a aftermarket alarm or anti theft systems?
or a aftermarket remote start?

12

Hello there. Sorry for the late reply. It says on my driver’s manual there is an antitheft system in my car. It acted up again this morning and wouldn’t fire up…so I tried doing neutral and then starting up…and it fired up. This is so frustrating

13

Maybe it’s the antitheft system going haywire?