- Jan 16, 2012
- 217
My wife told me a couple of weeks ago that the TrailBlazer was getting a very weak start in the morning and that she was worried it may not start at all shortly. I charged the battery and it didn't seem to help very much. She ended up taking it to an Interstate store where they tested the battery, it only produced 400 when it has a capacity of 700CCA. They were warrantly left on the old battery and she had it repalced.
Fast forward a week. The car continued to have a very slow starter motor when the ignition is first turned and then it speeds up and starts the care easily. I don't thnk the replacement of the old battery is the problem (unless we have a parasitic draw somewhere in the system). I don't think this is the case as the starter started getting slow last year, but Spring arrived and we never saw the issue again. Now that Winter is back we are seeing the problem re-emerge. I think it is cold-related....I would think that the parasitic draw would be with us at all times of the season.
so, I left thinking it might be either the start motor or possibly a connection; bad battery cables or bad battery cable connection. Again, I would think the battery cables and connections would be bad at any time of year. Am I on the right track in wanting to blame the starter motor...??
I will have Advance Auto Parts run a test on the starter tonight, but not 100% sure if that will tell me the whole story. Not looking forard to the prospect of a new start motor, based on either replacement part cost and the total pain of that upper nut hidden between the start solenoid and the block. Another GM part that is in fairly plain view but not even remotely easy to get a tool to..!!
These GM engineers are killing me. My VW engine is WAY more crammed into the engine bay, but most everything (just ask anyone about the sick joke that it is the failure-prone temperature sensor
) is still easier and more logical to access.
Any thoughts or insights of clarity are most welcome....
Dave.
Fast forward a week. The car continued to have a very slow starter motor when the ignition is first turned and then it speeds up and starts the care easily. I don't thnk the replacement of the old battery is the problem (unless we have a parasitic draw somewhere in the system). I don't think this is the case as the starter started getting slow last year, but Spring arrived and we never saw the issue again. Now that Winter is back we are seeing the problem re-emerge. I think it is cold-related....I would think that the parasitic draw would be with us at all times of the season.
so, I left thinking it might be either the start motor or possibly a connection; bad battery cables or bad battery cable connection. Again, I would think the battery cables and connections would be bad at any time of year. Am I on the right track in wanting to blame the starter motor...??
I will have Advance Auto Parts run a test on the starter tonight, but not 100% sure if that will tell me the whole story. Not looking forard to the prospect of a new start motor, based on either replacement part cost and the total pain of that upper nut hidden between the start solenoid and the block. Another GM part that is in fairly plain view but not even remotely easy to get a tool to..!!
These GM engineers are killing me. My VW engine is WAY more crammed into the engine bay, but most everything (just ask anyone about the sick joke that it is the failure-prone temperature sensor

Any thoughts or insights of clarity are most welcome....
Dave.
