Car problem: has trouble starting at times

[stifenhowk]

Hi all,

I'm not sure if this is an appropriate thread because I didn't see many "These are my symptoms, what's my problem???" kinds of threads. But alas, I have a question and this is a forum I'm comfortable with...

Ok, so I got a new (never before owned) Civic from a dealership in May. Over the course of a few months, I've noticed something that has concerned me. Every now and then (once a month to once every other week) the car has trouble starting. It grumbles as if it's going to start but it just continues grumbling without ever catching. After a couple of seconds, I stop, twist my keys again, and it starts with no problem.

Now, I'm trying to figure out if it's a battery problem or a starter problem. The reason I presume battery is because I work (literally) less than a minute from my house driving. I remember hearing that the battery recharges while you drive or while the engine is on. However, my car's engine is on for no more than 2 or 3 minutes. My average week consists of me just driving to work and home and maybe having an extended driving period over the weekend. Could this be a problem? Since I developed my theory, I've been driving an extra minute around the block just to give my battery a chance to charge.

Another possibility I'm hearing from people (with slim automotive knowledge) is that it's the starter. If that's the case, then I would think me driving very little has very little effect on the starter.

Thoughts?

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[zeke23z]

walk to work

 

[pc36]

Take it back to the dealer if it is new.

 

[midget racer]

when diagnosing electrical problems, always check power and grounds first!!! in this case, check the battery. it really could be that simple. a couple of minutes a day charging aint gonna cut it. take the car to a professional shop and have it checked. if it's good, but just dicharged a bit, take it on about an hour long drive at highway speeds. keep 1 thing in mind; an altenator's job is not "i repeat not" to charge a battery; it is to keep a fully charged battery fully charged, and to run the vehicles accessories under high demand. an alternator will charge a low battery for awhile, but if you continually ask that out of an alternator, it will overheat and fail. you may get a couple of different opinions about this, but this information is from the people that build and design automotive electrical systems, so i tend to believe them.

 

[G Dirt]

I'm sure there's still a warranty in place if you bought it new in May. That's the advantage of buying a new car, it's the dealer's problem for 3 yrs or 36 months minimum, and maybe longer for some cars/items on the car.