Help!! Car won't start 2000 i30

[RagingFetus]

Hey guys, appreciate all advice. 2000 Infiniti I30, 140k..3 nights ago, My car wouldn't start when leaving work. battery is brand new, all lights interior and exterior turn on including dashboard lights. I got a jump that night and it started right up. When I got home I shut it off and tried starting it again and nothing, when I turn the key all dashboard lights go on but there was no sound. I popped the hood and my fiancé tried starting the car and nothing. What I could hear was a very high pitched ear piercing frequency, not that loud and after she would try starting it I could hear something click about 4-6 times. Sounded like it was coming from back of motor towards the middle/drivers side. So, next morning, I tried starting it and it started right up. I took it to Autozone and they tested batter and alternator and both were fine. I started the car about 6 more times throughout the day and it started everytime, only once was it a slow hard start. Again, when I got home I tried starting it to make sure it was still OK and back to nothing, didn't even attempt to turn over. This all brings us to yesterday. Again, I get up and try to start the car and it starts up, but slow and rough. I had a couple doctors appt for the kids so I had to attempt to drive it. The next 3 starts it started fine. On the 4th and 5th it was real slow and hard and barely cranked over. Got home last night and tried it as the days before and again nothing at all. Now it won't start ever. I've tried it maybe every couple hours since last night and not once did it even try to start slow and rough. As for help you in your diagnosis, I bought it with 88k, now has 140k, I'VE NEVER CHANGED THE SPARK PLUGS and I have no idea if they were ever changed before I bought it (IM GUESSING NOT)....I keep hearing everyone tell me ignition switch or starter but I'd prefer not to guess. ALSO, ABOUT 5 MONTHS AGO, CAR STARTED STALLING IN PARK AND NEUTRAL ONLY, NOT IN DRIVE OR REVERSE. After about 5-10 seconds in Park or Neutral the RPM's will drop, once in a while I'll hear a click and the RPM's will catch and the car doesn't stall. Most of the time the RPM's drop and the car stalls out. It was starting right back up again after it would stall out up until 3 nights ago. It has stalled out on me once in reverse and 3 times in drive over that 5 month spend but usually only in park and neutral. When I idle at a stop in drive though it does feel like the engine wants to stall, sometimes I'll get a little shake. Also I can hear a clicking sound coming from sounds like right under the car, under the drivers seat towards front left wheel. Doesn't always click, just once in a while. Usually if I shut the AC off the clicking stops, but not always. (IM IN PHOENIX SO AC IS ALMOST AN ALL YEAR THING). SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT comes on for a couple weeks and then goes off for a couple days and then comes back on. The only code I have ever gotten is P0430. The catylitic converter bank 2 problem that I hear alot of I 30's have issues with. I've passed emissions with this supposed problem and my mechanic about a year and half ago checked it out when the ENGINE CHECK LIGHT first came on and he said the Y part of the catalytic converter was fine. (HE SAID WITH THAT CODE IF IT WAS THE CATALYTIC CONVERTOR IT WOULD BE THE FRONT Y PART OUT OF THE 3 SECTIONS).. He's no longer able to work on my car as he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease and can't handle the manual labor anymore. I'm trying to figure out do I have two seprate issues here or could the idling problem and the starting issue be connected. SORRY ABOUT THE LONG LONG POST BUT I WANTED YOU GUYS TO HAVE ALL RELIVANT INFORMATION. ANYWAY, PLEASE HELP!!!! PLEASE. THANKS IN ADVANCE AND BEST REGARDS, JASEN.

 

[Phils I30]

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm

It could be something as simple as bad battery cables or a vacuum leak. Electrical crude is the worse to diagnose. You are due for new spark plugs. I think they are good for 25,000 miles. I would get a diagnostic code test. That would probably say a lot.

 

[sandrajolly]

Only a mechanic that looks at it and do a few test can really tell you.

But it might be your starter that's dying... the extra power is forcing it enough to start the engine, but that will give out eventually.

Also, check your spark plugs, might be dirty are too old and not sparkling correctly, and also your distributor cap.

Overall, it could be a lot of things...

Used Cars

 

[fosheezy]

RagingF starter and stall issues i30

I would look into doing these things...

1. Consider replacing starter / solenoid unit (see image here: http://www.thepartsbin.com/images/products/images/replacement/S7/repi320102_1.jpg)

2. Replace sparkplugs

3. Have a shop check for vacuum leak

It sounds like the battery and alternator are fine. Solenoids are sometimes a problem. Clicking sounds come from solenoids. In the old days we'd reach under a car and tap the solenoid with a screwdriver handle to "un-stick" it.

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[jliner]

Only a mechanic that looks at it and do a few test can really tell you.

But it might be your starter that's dying... the extra power is forcing it enough to start the engine, but that will give out eventually.

Also, check your spark plugs, might be dirty are too old and not sparkling correctly, and also your distributor cap.

Overall, it could be a lot of things...

Used Cars

Sandra these cars don't have distributor caps, so it wont be that getting fixed ...

i would say the stalling my be related to your coils and plugs get them checked the rough low idle and stalling hints towards this, as for it not wanting to start the ground or or lead to the starter might not be any good. i say this because a lot of the time starters don't become intermittent as in they fail and thats it.

and the last possible which i really hope for your sake isn't the case the key has an immobilizer meaning if your key isnt in your car it would start very rarely this fail i don't know how to fix this but i bet it wouldn't be affordable

 

[jliner]

i would replace plugs and maybe coils but only if damaged. ( no distributor cap on these cars) car asks for NGK it will make a difference. this should solve the rough low idle and stalling
as for the car not starting... 90% of the time a starter goes your stuck where ever it was turned off. the starter might have a bad lead to it or bad ground making it intermittent. as for the solenoids it comes attached to the starter... which just the same usually aren't intermittent.
and the worst which is very unlikely is that these cars have immobilization chips in the key. if this is acting up the car wouldn't start.

 

[jliner]

also i forgot to mention if you get it back to an auto-zone the same machine they tested the alt. and battery with will test the starter i know because i used to work for them although you will have to turn the car off.