Q: intermitant failure to "fire up"
Car runs fine then, 3 times (at least 2 wks apart, then 1 wk) failure to fire up. it is trying to turn over but will not. No check engine light. not on cold start. Each time it started up after I turned off a/c (thought maybe battery or alternator). This last time turning a/c off didnt matter, letting it sit for an hour - didnt matter. Had it towed to my home. In the morning still doing the same. Then I took out fuse to EFI (though appeared to be good) and it started up. ??? Put fuse back then tried starting again and failed. Pulled and put fuse back in (thinking maybe not seated correctly) and started up just fine. To me it appears the fuel pump has power and is working. I am wondering if it may be a clogged fuel filter that is just on it's last leg of filtering and doing its best. Your thoughts?
My car has 164000 miles.
My car has an automatic transmission.
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I would suggest check to be sure the Mass Airflow (MAF) sensor is working properly. The symptoms you are describing are very common when this fails. As you may know, this regulates the flow of air into the engine allowing for the proper air/fuel mixture. When this isn’t functioning correctly, an imbalance in this mixture will cause intermittent problems much like you describe. I would recommend having a certified expert, like one from YourMechanic, come to your home to diagnose your starting issue and help you make the necessary repairs.
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