# 98 Pontiac wont start all the time **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [March 5, 2019, 4:04am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/98-pontiac-wont-start-all-the-time/135812 "2019-03-05T04:04:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ryanstockman16\_149019](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@ryanstockman16\_149019](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ryanstockman16_149019)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2019, 4:04am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/98-pontiac-wont-start-all-the-time/135812/1 "2019-03-05T04:04:53Z")
Hello, i have a 98 Pontiac Sunfire with about 140,000 miles on it and a new battery. My car starts in the morning at about 5am (when i go to work) and in the afternoon at about 230pm (when i go home). However if i stop anywhere on my way home and shut the car off. The car will crank but not turn over when i try to start it again. Some times i just have to wait 5-60 minutes and it will start and run fine. Other times it just wont turn over, and getting a jump seems to get it going again. When the car cranks but wont start, its not a steady sound. More like the car is fighting to crank. In the mornings and afternoons though it fires right up. I was hoping maybe someone else had this problem and could give me some insight. Hope to hear from yall, have a good day. ---
**Author:** ![It\_s-Me](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/it_s-me/32/12660_2.png) [@It\_s-Me](https://community.cartalk.com/u/It_s-Me)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2019, 4:09am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/98-pontiac-wont-start-all-the-time/135812/2 "2019-03-05T04:09:40Z")
> [@ryanstockman16\_149019](#): > > The car will crank but not turn over when i try to start it again. Some times i just have to wait 5-60 minutes and it will start and run fine. Other times it just wont turn over, and getting a jump seems to get it going again. When the car cranks but wont start, its not a steady sound. More like the car is fighting to crank. I Sounds like a failing starter to me. The shorter the trip, the less time you have to wait? The longer the trip, the longer you have to wait? Starter is getting heat soaked and needs to cool down. ---
**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2019, 4:15am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/98-pontiac-wont-start-all-the-time/135812/3 "2019-03-05T04:15:44Z")
The first thing I check when a GM vehicle of your vintage comes in with this type of problem is the positive battery connection. ![](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/2X/1/1509c2cf41866a731612bc09d192ecf0370778dd.jpg) ![](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/2X/5/5c54c560df534a86ffdfe55940fc3f1321904fc3.jpg) Tester ---
**Author:** ![ryanstockman16\_149019](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@ryanstockman16\_149019](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ryanstockman16_149019)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2019, 4:17am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/98-pontiac-wont-start-all-the-time/135812/4 "2019-03-05T04:17:06Z")
That might be the case, as for instance in the morning i am able to stop at a convenience store (only a block or two from my house) and the car starts right back up. But on my way home after i have been driving for a half hour or so it needs to sit for 30 to 60 minutes before starting again. ---
**Author:** ![ryanstockman16\_149019](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@ryanstockman16\_149019](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ryanstockman16_149019)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2019, 4:23am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/98-pontiac-wont-start-all-the-time/135812/5 "2019-03-05T04:23:18Z")
I just cleaned my battery terminals i dont think they are the issue, thanks though ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2019, 4:45am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/98-pontiac-wont-start-all-the-time/135812/6 "2019-03-05T04:45:59Z")
> [@ryanstockman16\_149019](#): > > the car is fighting to crank. Fails to crank robustly, but only on warm starts is often a starter problem. Some vehicles have heat shields to prevent the exhaust components from over-heating the starter motor. Make sure if your car is supposed to have those heat shields, they all remain in place. They can fall off over time and miles. ---
**Author:** ![tcmichnorth](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tcmichnorth/32/25126_2.png) [@tcmichnorth](https://community.cartalk.com/u/tcmichnorth)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2019, 10:46am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/98-pontiac-wont-start-all-the-time/135812/7 "2019-03-05T10:46:12Z")
It is a heat related issue that is affecting your secondary starting circuit. Heat magnifies the resistance problem you have in that circuit. It is going to be the starter or dirty connections on your battery cables (check and clean both ends of cables), or bad battery cable(s). ---
**Author:** ![eddo](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/eddo/32/2594_2.png) [@eddo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/eddo)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2019, 3:47pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/98-pontiac-wont-start-all-the-time/135812/8 "2019-03-05T15:47:09Z")
> [@tcmichnorth](#): > > or dirty connections on your battery cables (check and clean both ends of cables), or bad battery cable(s). yep, double check this. I would add make sure the cables are tight. Have seen this more than a few times. ---
**Author:** ![ryanstockman16\_149019](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@ryanstockman16\_149019](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ryanstockman16_149019)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2019, 9:20pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/98-pontiac-wont-start-all-the-time/135812/9 "2019-03-10T21:20:51Z")
So i checked my cables on both ends and they looked fine, hit them with a wire brush just to be sure. I replaced the starter this weekend and it seems to have fixed the problem. Ile update this post if i run into problems again. ---
**Author:** ![shanonia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de053/32.png) [@shanonia](https://community.cartalk.com/u/shanonia)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2019, 10:11pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/98-pontiac-wont-start-all-the-time/135812/10 "2019-03-10T22:11:26Z")
Good luck and do let us know. ---
**Author:** ![shanonia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de053/32.png) [@shanonia](https://community.cartalk.com/u/shanonia)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2019, 3:18am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/98-pontiac-wont-start-all-the-time/135812/11 "2019-03-11T03:18:51Z")
> [@ryanstockman16\_149019](#): > > The car will crank but not turn over when i try to start it again. If it cranks, it is turning over… What you are describing is: the starter motor is turning (cranking) the engine’s crankshaft, but the engine does not start and run. “Crank but no start.” In that case, the starter motor is not the problem. It’s an ignition (spark) problem or a fuel delivery issue. ---
**Author:** ![tcmichnorth](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tcmichnorth/32/25126_2.png) [@tcmichnorth](https://community.cartalk.com/u/tcmichnorth)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2019, 9:53am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/98-pontiac-wont-start-all-the-time/135812/12 "2019-03-11T09:53:09Z")
> [@ryanstockman16\_149019](#): > > @shanonia When the car cranks but wont start, its not a steady sound. More like the car is fighting to crank. In the first post the “crank” and " run" terminology was a bit confusing, but I took this as weak cranking when hot. ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2019, 2:20am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/98-pontiac-wont-start-all-the-time/135812/13 "2019-03-12T02:20:57Z")
Thanks for the update OP. Looks like you got it solved. Good for you.