Hi, I have a 2000 Elantra 4 cyl. 122k and well maintained. Over the last couple days I have had several issues with it. Here's the basics:
1. 3 days ago out of the blue, the car won't start. After putting a battery tester to it - I find it's fine, yet the car is acting as if it's simply dead. Connections are good, and if you try starting it 10 or so times - 1 time it will almost turn over the rest of the time nothing happens (like it's dead). So I put a battery charger on it (just in case) still nothing, I try a quick high amp jump start, each time I try a high amp quick start it sounds as if it's close to starting, but won't start. This is where I get confused... If you connect jumper cables to it and a running car - it instantly starts every time. Just to make sure my batter tester & charger is up to snuff, I leave the lights on my Jeep overnight and kill the battery. The next day, the battery is dead, jeep won't start, tester shows it's dead, and the charger re-charges it. So I eliminated faulty equipment as an excuse.
Ok, that's one odd thing - next:
2. Once started it runs fine, no check engine light, nothing strange - it works just as always. However, each time you turn it off, you must jump it with jumper cables; chargers will not do it (I even pulled out my other charger and tried it). Once I had it started, I took it out for a spin to see if I could find any signs or symptoms of the problem. It drove the same way it did before this problem started. After driving it around for 20-30 mins at various speeds and several stop and goes, nothing seemed unusual. Did the same thing yesterday and still nothing unusual - besides needing to jump it. This afternoon, I had it started again while trying to figure out what's going on with it and out of the blue (while idling) it dies. Jump it again and it starts right up. I left the thing on in park for around 30 mins and it never stalled out again. Once I checked everything I knew to check for, I was going to park it for today. I reversed out from where it was and as soon as I put it in drive it died. This time nothing will start it.
I've had the car for several years (2nd owner at 62K) and this is quite unusual. I have had several small, petty issues but nothing major. Is there anything I should check for? If anyone is thinking starter related - I don't think that's it for 2 reasons. 1: the starter is less then 3 months old. 2: it's been tested at a local autozone the day all this first started. I'm thinking or actually guessing electrical and/or sensor problem, but that's just a guess. Now it's completely dead, will not crank, and no life in it at all. Radio, lights and everything else still works as if the battery is fine, which it is, but it won't start.
I'm all out of ideas and really have no clue on what to try next. Any and all help would be greatly appreciated.
