I have a 2004 Chevy Malibu. having starting problem; it turns over and act like it is starting, then dies after a few seconds. Have noticed that it started before,but when i put it in drive it died put back in park and it did start, and seemed to run fine. Now it is not starting. dash lights not comeing on either.
1 Answer
There's a few possible culprits from your description. Just to cover all the bases:
- test your battery voltage, it needs to be above 12.6V for a healthy battery, above 11.8V to start a car. Since you've been having trouble, give the battery a boost before testing
- have your ignition switch tested, it may not be making good electrical contact
- test your fuel pressure (may indicate an obstructed fuel filter or bad fuel pump)
- have your idle air control valve looked at, it may not operate properly. One way to bypass this problem is holding the accelerator down when turning the ignition
- have your mass airflow sensor looked at, it may have become defective
These are the common things to first look at with a car having trouble starting, or dying after starting.