I have a 305 TBI RS with a T5 that has serious starting issues. The other day I was on the freeway and the car just died, it was the distributor cap and rotor that was old and all rusted so i had the mechanic replace it. I paid the mechanic and thought I was good to go.

Tonight I went to go turn my car over, but I get nothing, not even a sound. My headlights turn on, stereo, domelights which is the weird part. Its not the battery Im certain of it. The distributor cap and rotor are brand new.

What could it be? Something in between my ignition and the distributor is making the car not start.

Note: This has happened to me before actually. I tried a few times starting in the past, then let it sit for 30 minutes and went back and it fired up like nothing had ever happened. Suggestions please guys, Im hating life

 

Um...I'm going to have to say it's time for a tow to a garage based on this.

And when you get there, try not to talk too much or they'll take you for a major ride.

 

Do you know how to pull codes from the ALDL? Does the SES light come one momentarily when you first try to start it?

 

if you get no click and no cranking at all, i am gonna suggest the starter be at fault, mine did that, everything lit up but just wouldn't here starter click or turnover, UNLESS i threw a jump at it then it would fire right up, changed starter.... problem gone

 

is it possible that the starter is sticking, or the starter solenoid is sticking, and it randomly becomes unstuck? just a weird theory. I think it might be the starter, because theres no clicking sound and I have battery power.

 

next time it does it rather than wait a while, get out some cables and jump start it, or throw the battery charger on it set on either start or the highest amps and i bet it will start right up, if so check connections at battery and starter of those check out replace the starter

 

thanks firechicken and others,

its at the mechanic right now actually, i have a feeling its probably the starter. its 14 years old and is pretty close to that hot exhaust pipe, so it probably is toast.

what should be a reasonable price for the starter itself, plus the labor?

 

lets see starter for a manual equipped car is around $55 at autozone so figure a cost through a shop at double that is $110 plus at least an hour of labor since that is the minimum at most places labor rate here seems to be between $40-70 depending on private shop, chain store, or dealer usually in the order

just a guess never had a shop do a starter for me