Anyone else find that after driving for a while...if you turn off your car, pop into a store and turn on your car again...the car has difficulty starting?

I've been to the dealership a few times to correct this but nothing...
2003 coupe with about 65000K

 

maybe a weak starter, alternator, or battery??? hook up a battery to tester to test the battery and alternator...

 

A more detailed description will get you a better diagnosis. For example:

1. The title of your message mentions stalling, but the body mentions difficulty starting. Which is it? Both???
2. How long has your G been experiencing this problem?
3. Does it happen only when the engine is cold, or only when it's thoroughly warmed up, or doesn't it seem to matter?
4. Does the problem seem weather-related, i.e., is it more likely to happen when it's raining, or when it's cold, or when it's hot, etc.?
5. Did you recently run the car out (or nearly out) of gas, or have you recently started buying gas at a different station?

That should be good for a start. If the dealership didn't ask you most/all of these questions, find another dealership!

 

1- difficulty starting.
2- just recently when I start it up (after Iv'e driven it and did a pit stop) it either starts and then drops the rpm's to 0 and fails, or chuggs a bit then it's ok

3 - just when the weather is cold (engine is warmed up)
4 -I run on empty sometimes...I also buy gas from a lot of different places (never thought this would be a problem).

Help?

 

Unfortunately, your problem could be caused by many, many different things. Let me begin by saying that I'm assuming the engine control computer hasn't caused the SERVICE ENGINE SOON light to come on; otherwise, even a mediocre service tech at the dealership you visited would have been able to identify and correct the problem.

Let's start with what you said about not realizing that where you tank up makes a difference. Gasoline can be dirty, contaminated by significant quantities of water, or lacking adequate quantities of detergents and other critical additives. Gas pumps are equipped with filters that look very much like oil filters. Station owner A may be very good about periodically changing these filters, whereas station owner B never changes them -- which dealer would you prefer to be buying your gas from? The quality of the gasoline you put in your car can make a tremendous difference in the way it runs. If you frequently buy off-brand gas to save a few pennies a gallon, I'd recommend you bite the bullet and buy name brand fuel, and furthermore, that you buy it from the same station for at least two or three tankfuls in a row. That alone may be enough to solve your problem. If not, pick another major brand station and run through another two or three tankfuls.

Don't let your tank get less than 1/4 full. A lot of crap that normally settles to the bottom of the tank gets stirred up when the level gets too low. If you're lucky, your fuel filter will trap the majority of it, but some of it can be small enough to get through the filter and gradually clog up your fuel injectors.

Check your air filter. If it's dirty, replace it.

If none of the above suggestions does the trick, it's time to visit a professional who can find and solve your problem. Although I'm not familiar with the idiosyncracies of the VQ engine, I can suggest a few things that would/should be checked by a qualified, competent mechanic for any vehicle exhibiting symptoms like yours. You need to find someone who knows his craft well enough not to be stymied when OBD-II doesn't hand him a diagnosis on a silver platter. (Unfortunately, finding such an individual is easier said than done, but essential if what's causing your engine to malfuntion doesn't advertise itself via the engine control computer.) The following list is far from complete, but it's a starting point.

• Malfuntioning ISC (idle speed control) motor.
• Malfuntioning MAF (mass air flow) sensor.
• Leaks in the air intake.
• Dirty/faulty PCV valve; cracked or loose grommets at ends of PCV hoses; cracked/leaky PCV hose.

I hope what I've written helps. Good luck!

 

big thanks...