2004 Acura TL

Preface- I am not too knowledgeable about cars and am trying to learn how to be more handy with them.

Day 1- Engine Light comes on, had code read and it was showing APP SENSOR. Was planning on replacing in a few days... drove car regularly and light eventually went off by itself.

Day 4- While driving, car suddenly would not let me accelerate. Engine and a few other lights come on. I pull over, turn it off and on—- started right back up with only check engine light on.

Day 5- Car wouldn’t start. Battery seemed fine, radio worked, lights etc. no turning over and just a light, soft clicking sound (not continuous, just once). Hooked it up to jump it and still didn't even seem any better. After about 10 minutes of being hooked up to other car, I rapidly cycled the key and it turned over. Drove it to Autozone, battery, starter and alternator all tested fine, no issues. Turned the car off and it started right back up. Drove it around all day and worked fine with no issues.

Day 6- same issue as day 5, car wouldn't turn over. I cycled the key and it started up after the 3rd time. Went and got APP Sensor and a new ignition switch. First, I installed the APP sensor. Tried starting the car, started right up. Shut it off and it wouldn’t start.
Next, I installed the ignition switch. Car started right up. I took it for a drive. When I arrive home, I turned shut it off and it would not start again.

I tried cycling the key, no luck.

-Removed the battery, cleaned the terminals and connectors.
-Looked at some of the fuses, I don’t have a tester, 3 of them were black, so I replaced them (like a true moron I don’t remember what 3).
-Checked the ignitor coils and 1 of them looked brownish. Replaced it. Looked at the spark plugs and appeared to be ok.
-tried tapping on starter and starting, nothing
-tried starting in neutral, nothing
-tried jumping it again, nothing

After taking the battery out and playing with fuses, care was stuck in park and radio has no power. Lights still work, just not the radio. Tried cycling key, wont start. Pushed down on the release near the shifter and moved car in neutral, won’t start.

in short, now my radio has no power, car stuck in park. Battery, Starter and Alternator were tested with no issues by Autozone.

Please help!

 

UPDATE: Tested all the fuses. The radio fuse had not been pushed in all the way. Sure enough, the radio now works and the car leaves park. Now, just gotta figure out why it won’t start.

 

From the way you explain the rapid cycling of the key and the "click" sound you get when you try to start...it sounds like classic starter solenoid failure to me. BTW, I never have trusted the starter testing machines. I've had a couple that tested good that didn't work in the car. When replaced, the car started normally. Anyway...

Just my 2 cents.

 

I would lean towards the Starter relay as well. Try swapping a similar one in its place (that isn't used for anything while the car is running) and try starting it.

https://acurazine.com/forums/3g-tl-p...-relay-939369/

 

Thanks guys, I towed it to my mechanic, just because I was sick of guessing and self diagnosing (I am a novice when it comes to car repairs). Mechanic said the starter was frozen up. He took it out and tested it, no luck.

He, like you also said you can not rely on the testing done at Advanced Auto, he said it happens pretty often with people coming in saying their starter has been tested and is fine.

Thank you for the replies.