Well, the truck passed emissions fine, but the problem reappeared this morning.

I got in it, turned the key and the accessories came one, but nothing else. I turned the key a few times and still got nothing. I called a friend for a ride to work, got back in the truck to get my stuff out and wait for him, then decided to give it a try.

It fired right up.

I drove it the five miles to work, parked it facing downhill, then turned it off. Just for the hell of it, I tried to start it again after I turned it off. Same thing: no ignition, but all of the accessories worked fine.

I'm at my wit's end here, guys. Any ideas at all?

I had similar problems on my 97 Passport 3.2 You can try banging on the starter and see if the solenoid is just sticking, but I eventually had to replace the starter and its worked fine since. I've read from other sites that this is a common problem with these years, unfortunately its a pain because you have to drop the exhaust to get it out.

Unfortunately, I already had the starter replaced about a year and a half or two years ago. This starter only has about 12,000 or 15,000 miles on it. I hope it isn't already on its way out... <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

What about the starter relay? The current for the starter doesn't go through the steering column, there is a relay that is activated by the key switch that engages the starter current. If that relay is working intermittently it could cause your symptoms.

I don't know where it is though, I have never had occasion to look for it.

I think that the relay is in the fuse box under the hood. Depending on what that costs, I could get one and swap it out and see if that does anything.

Of course, I just drove home and made a couple of stops along the way with no problem at all. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

It may also be worth noting that when I stop and it refuses to restart, I am always able to coast down a hill, pop the clutch, and get it going again. I've only had to do that a few times in the last eight months or so, but it does start and run each time I do it. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

Hi

I have a '99 Rodeo Auto which appears to have the same starting problem.
I thought it might have been one of the switches in the auto shift but that has not cured it.
My fault appears intermittantly mostly in the morning sometimes you get a brief start with the starter motor but you try the ignition switch over and over then finally you get it right.

Did you ever find the fix for it?

Thanks

No, never found a fix and the problem has not recurred. I wondered for a long time if I was just using bad gas. I put some injector cleaner through the tank - as well as some Sea Foam - switched brands of gas, and saw no further problems. Now it starts the first time every time. And we've had some fairly cold weather here in Denver recently, so I would think that if there were going to be a problem, it would have happened then.

Sorry I can't be more help... <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />