I had my 2007 GT in with this complaint last winter, but the Techs found no problem. Now that the cold weather is back, so is the problem. Here's what it does.

If left (even in the un-heated garage) for more than about 18 hours in temps below about 35 degrees, the starter will kick, kick, kick (with interior lights and dashboard lights flashing) before the car actually starts. It sounds as if it engages, but only for a second, and won't stay continuously engaged to actually start the car, unless I hold the key in the start position, and endure about 5 or so "chirp starts" (for lack of a better term).

Interestingly, after this happens, I also notice the following:
The window express/full-up positioning is lost. I need to reset the window-up feature by holding the window button in the full up position for about 5 seconds.

The "miles to empty" display, which I have set as default, reverts to miles travelled.

So, clearly, *something* is throwing a glitch/hiccup into the computer somehow.

The odd thing is that to me, this just sounds like a battery on it's way out. The Techs (last year) refused to take an educated guess, and suggested I leave the car, and just hope that we'd have a cold morning for them to test it. Diagnostics they said, revealed nothing. This surprises me, because it clearly does something odd when it's starting.

So, I'm at the poing where I'm going to either take it back in to the service dept, or just throw a new battery in it myself. Opinions/thoughts?

Thanks!

 

i agree with you at this point and
would replace the battery

 

Thanks. I suppose the auto in-warranty industry these days, has gone the way of the medical profession. If a diagnostic test can't identify a problem, there's no putting common sense to use in it's place. And, I'm guessing, without a supporting diagnostic test, they probably won't be paid a warranty claim, so I suppose I can't blame the Techs/service facility. I surely don't know it's a battery with certainty either, but it sure seems logical. Off I go, probably to pick up an Exide Extreme. Thanks again.

 

I would monitor vehicle voltage at one of the power points
with a MIN/MAX DVM. Try and start it and see what the
cranking voltage dips to when the clicking is happening.
Then check voltage drop from the positive battery terminal,
not the connector on the positive side of the battery but
the actual positive battery terminal, and the starter positive
terminal during cranking. This will tell you the voltage drop of
the actual positive post to starter terminal UNDER LOAD.
Do the same for the ground wire. Then have the battery load
tested at Auto-Zone. Next, get a good battery in there and
then start further troubleshooting from there.

 

or just hook up the battery to a BVA and load test the battery and then do a starter voltage drop test and then do an alternator output test...
anything more then .5 volt drop in the starter you gotta pull off all the lines and clean them off one by one and reinstall

 

just replace pull the battery and take it to a good parts store and have them test it.
the oem battery has been known for being crap. get an optima red top

 

+1 on the crap battery, if my car sits for a couple of days, I need to throw the charger on it for a couple of hours before it will start. If I drive the car everyday its fine, but it does not hold a charge for more than 2 or 3 days.

 

Be mearly removing and reinstalling the battery could unintentionally
fix a bad connection unbeknownst to the person diagnosing the problem.

 

If the battery was deep discharged last winter, then it's on its last legs. Have the dealer test it, and replace it if it's defective. Also, to help prevent the same problem from reoccuring with a new battery, always turn off the stereo unit manually before turning off the engine. And if the stereo is in the CD mode, then switch to the radio mode before turning it off.

 

Hook up some jumper cables to another car and try it from a cold jump start. If it starts first time no problem... no brainer its the battery. If it still does it... I dont know... lol. I would say if that doesnt solve it you can try having the dealer reflash your computer with the stock tune, just to clear up any chance of something funky when it was flashed from the factory. 2nd, I would say look at the starter itself. There relitively cheap, and it might have had a defect in manufacturing that the weather and expansion is affecting. good luck.