2008 Acura TL Type S
This happened three times during the last few days.
1. Turn the key and nothing happens. Switch back and then try again, engine starts and all is fine. This was 3-4 days ago.
2. Yesterday engine started normally, but when shifting in reverse, there was no back up camera and display came on and asked for code. I entered the code, camera appeared and all was fine again.
3. Today getting out from work, unlock the car using remote, get in the car, no lights on dash and nothing happens when trying to turn the key. Go back in office, grab a multimeter to check the battery: 12.6V. Get back in the car to try again and this time dash had all light on and engine started just fine. When shifting in reverse, there was no camera and I had to enter the code again. I stopped twice on my way home and each time it started with no fuss.
Any comment is appreciated.
Thank you,
S55

 

Cables aren't making solid contact with the battery

 

This.
Check all battery cables & terminals at both ends, both positive and negative. At the battery end, and fusebox/starter/chassis ground end.

If they all look nice and tight, clean the battery posts of any corrosion. Something, somewhere isn't making good contact in regards to the battery/starting system.

 

The engine starts away with no hesitation so I don't suspect any bad connection at the battery.
I rather think it's some safety feature that gets triggered to prevent starting the car.

 

A bad connection can cause intermittent no start issues. It's an easy check.

 

I agree, but how come it never happens while running?

 

In the time it has taken you to question and second-guess some of the most knowledgeable people on this site, you could've already diagnosed for yourself if that is or is not the problem.

 

When you have a no start condition, does anything else still have power? Or is the entire car dead at that moment?

 

Last time when it happened everything was dead.
Previous times might have been the same, but I am not sure; I only remember that turning the key in ignition didn't do anything, not even a click; I removed the key from ignition and inserted again and it worked. But all three times I later had to insert the codes for the back camera and radio to work.

 

Check the ground from the battery to the body and the one off of the side motor mount.

 

If everything was dead, then all of the recommendations about checking your battery cables and clamps are spot on. I had a failing clamp that was tough to diagnose. Random times I could unlock the car, get in, lights all worked, went to crank, and then everything is dead/off. Other times, it would not unlock at all...it was just dead. When driving, there would be odd blips that I couldn't explain. It wasn't until it was dead on my wife at work, and when I came to jump start it, the battery cable clamp finally failed completely and I found it was no longer making contact.

Others have found that the wire rotted out internally. Some find that the main ground wire is bad.

1.) Pull the battery cover and inspect, clean, and re-connect the clamps
2.) Follow the main battery cables to their next point of contact and do the same
3.) Inspect the condition of any exposed copper you see on those cables

I bet you will find corrosion somewhere along that path.

 

Guys, you were right. The negative connection to the battery was the culprit. With a bit of effort you could wiggle the terminal cable back and forth by hand.

 

Congrats on solving/diagnosing the issue. The advice on this forum is typically right on target.