Now I'm Worried!

[BB]

SRG wrote:

Originally Posted by SRG

Take your business elsewhere if they can't find the correct part/price.
srg

Yeah...especially since it may be a special order item...not returnable?

Any way to find out the part number? I did a little poking around on the internet and didn't come up with anything useful. Even a picture would help.
Thanks SRG!
Bill

[BB]

Looks like qsd was right about this one!

After a couple of weeks of start-every-time, this afternoon (after loading up a big pile of groceries in the PT) it wouldn't start. Same thing. No click. No nothing.

Sooo....I put the tranny in gear and rocked the PT back and forth just a little bit by sticking my leg out the door. Didn't even have to get out of the car! Put it back in park and twisted the key...started right up!

Guess I need to think about a new starter. And of course the extended warranty expired 3 days ago. Oh well.....
Bill

[AlexJB]

3 days out or waranty!
I'd get bact to them and ask, what's the werst that can happen? they say no... you know not to go back to that dealer.

[BB]

Hi alexJB!
It was an optional extended warranty that was purchased with the PT (used). It bailed me out this past Feb when my motor mounts and some other things needed to be worked on. It was for 4 years or up to 100,000 miles. I hit the 4 years mark on the 21st so I'm out of warranty now. I could buy another warranty but it'll cost ~$100.00 per month for a year. Might be better off just putting some money aside each month for the inevitable repairs.

As an aside, how hard is it to change the starter on a PT?
Bill

[JolieCruiser]

Gosh I have to say that sounds like what my 87 Dodge Lancer did to me years ago. Ran fine, turned it off, went back, nothing, no click no start. Towed it to the dealer, it set a bit,sometimes overnight, the next day it started for them just fine, nothing showed up wrong on their computers. I would get it back and a week or so later, same thing. It was towed so many times that they finally started towing me a loaner car when they would pick up the car and I begged my insurance company not to cancel me for too many tows. They were stumped and finally decided to put a new computer in it and kept mine just in case that wasn't it so they could put it back in and once it got the new computer it never did it again. Talk about a memory flash when you posted this! I was paranoid to drive the car for fear of being stranded somewhere all alone!

[BB]

I hear you JolieCruiser!

It's happened twice so far to me and I'm supposed to go out of town this weekend...way away from any ready help. There will be others around but the nearest garage is at least 35 miles away. Nail biting time!!
Bill

[ptlvr]

Maybe I missed something but is your pt a stck or auto,It seems to me that if putting it in gear and rocking the car takes care of the problem I would start to suspect the neutral safety switch.

[BB]

Sorry! Been away for a while.

It's an auto-stick. I'm beginning to think the same thing since I can't see how the starter can be "bumped" by rocking the car. Nothing on the starter is engaged unless the solenoid is energized.

Where is the neutral safety switch? Is it part of the gear shift lever? That would explain why putting it in gear and then out seems to get things going.
Curious,
Bill

[bobs turbo pt]

i think the safety switch is on the tranny itself

[BB]

Hmmmm....that would explain why putting it in gear and rocking the car with the engine off seems to get it going again.
Bill