Lately, occasionally, i've been having a starting problem. When i turn the key all you hear is clicking in the engine bay, but no cranking from the starter. Today it was at its worse, it would take me about 10 tries before the starter caught. When it caught it seemed to be a slightly weaker start than normal but i could be just imagining it.
This sounds exactly like it was last time my ignition switch was bad. But that was a year ago...and it would just seem real sh*tty if the new one only lasted a year?
could this be anything else? i'm afraid to get stranded, so i'm going to go pick one up tomorrow probably...

 

Sounds like the starter to me. When my switch failed nothing happened when I turned the key, if kept messing with it, it would start. If you hear a click when you turn the key sounds like the switch is working but the starter is not working (could explaine the weak sounding start) I would get a test light and unhook the switch wire for the starter. Plug the test light in to the harness side of the wiring, turn the switch ... light on switch ok, no light faulty switch. You can test the starter by using a jumper wire from the + on your battery to the starter switch wire (starter side) .... Make sure your car is out of gear and key is off.. if the starter "clicks" when you use the jumper wire, you have a faulty starter. If the car cranks over normally with the jumper wire you have an "other" issue.

 

well jeeze...i appreciate the help. i dont have a test light, i have a multimeter though.
My starter is probably as old as the car...but it never seemed to have a problem before..this has just been the last couple days as its been warming up.

 

if it took a while for the starter to catch and the engine was turning over but no fire, sound like your starter.

If it was not turning over and nothing was happening, its possible to be the ignition switch.

Test the ignition switch with a multimeter, or when your starting and if its not cranking at all, jiggle the key some while cranking to see if that makes the car start. If that occurs definitely the ignition switch.

 

it seems you might be having the same problem as me and my problem is still ongoing. When I turn the key it doesnt start right up. its like I have to put "force" to start it because even when I turn the key all the way slowly you wont hear a thing. I changed my starter and that still didnt help and my old starter still had like 65k miles on it. I put a 98 starter with about 74k miles on it and same thing still happens for me. A friend of mine told me its most likely my ignition cylinder that gotta be changed but I have no idea what it is and what it looks like. Is it part of the whole ignition switch assembly? and if so would it be good to go to like a junkyard to get one or should I get it brand new?

 

Hey man,

I dont think its your ignition cylinder. It's most likely the switch. I had these same exact issues. Get the switch from the dealer (one of the few parts that are cheaper at the dealer). It is cake to switch too. There are better directions but basically you have to take a few pieces from under the steering wheel out. Shouldn't take more than 30-45 mins at most.

Good luck.
Preet

 

i tried the "jiggling" my key thing and it started on the second try when i did the jiggling. maybe its the switch after all, like someone else said its not htat expensive at the dealership, i just think its kinda BS that it would go bad after a year.

 

if the jingle key trick worked to help start it, yea its the ignition switch