Car problems - is this normal?

**my4littlebuffaloes** · 05-29-2007, 02:50 PM

our van has almost 75,000 miles on it, it is a 2001. It seems that since November it has needed a bunch of repairs. Now it has been acting up the past week, not starting the first time I try. Dh took the battery somewhere and it checked out fine. he cleaned it up real good and it worked great all weekend. I swear to you that dh thought it was my imagination that it wasn't starting.

Until yesterday on the way home from NY. We had stopped at a gas station to take ds potty. It just clicked when I tried to start it - radio and lights on though. Tried again and click. Tried a third time and just held it there for awhile and it finally sputtered and started. Dh took notice. Today I went to leave to hit the grocery store and library and it wouldn't start. I tried 10 times and it does nothing but click - radio and lights come on though, so not the battery. I haven't tried again, I don't want it to work to get me and the kids somewhere and then not work to get us home.

Is it normal for a car to hit 75,000 miles and need a bunch of work? I am wondering if this isn't some sort of routine maintenance. I am glad to pay for routine maintenance that is needed to make the car last a few more years. Well not glad, but willing. I am too the point of just wanting a new car, but we have no money for one and I won't take on debt, couldn't afford the monthly payments anyway. There is no room in our budget for a new vehicle and dh's 11 year old car was supposed to be replaced next anyway. We have to have this van as we have 4 kids, we won't all fit in dh's car.

So is this normal? Any ideas on what this could be? Thanks!

Jennifer

**Domestic Gal** · 05-29-2007, 03:09 PM

sounds like it could be your starter or alternator.

**Lori Biever-Launder** · 05-29-2007, 03:24 PM

Yes, is is very normal for maintanence to go up when a car hits its 75,000 mile mark. Believe me, it is waaay more economical to pay for the routine stuff than it is to make car payments at this point!

Since you get lights and radio, I suspect it's not your alternator. Usually, if you DO need a new one, you MAY get these, but they will barely come on at all. Your lights will be very dim and your radio might not come on at all. I suspect your ignition is going. A new ignition is much cheaper than a car payment!

If you have a parts store near you, you can take the alternator out and they will test it for you (usually at no charge).

**justpeachy92** · 05-29-2007, 03:32 PM

Is your van a dodge? We had one that did the same thing when it got up in mileage, dh started fixing all sorts of things on it, but it never solved the problem. We ended up trading ours in, it started stalling when slowing down to turn and when sitting at stop lights. The dodge dealership couldn't even figure out what was wrong with it, all their diagnostic tests said it was working fine.

**starsapphire** · 05-29-2007, 03:41 PM

I would say alternator. The alternator charges the battery when the car is running. The battery needs a ton of juice to turn a car's motor over, so it might not start but still have juice to run the radio, etc.

Places like Napa, Kragen, Auto Zone will test your alternator for free if you can remove it from your engine.

**Hollyhandi** · 05-29-2007, 05:09 PM

I Fiance is a mechanic. He said to clean your battery cables.
If it still does it its propably your starter.

**YankeeMom** · 05-29-2007, 05:30 PM

Originally Posted by Domestic Gal

sounds like it could be your starter or alternator.

Ditto to starter. And I'd get the $40 starter fixed before it kills the $400 alternator! It's pretty standard repair for that amount of miles.

**frugalfriend** · 05-29-2007, 08:15 PM

Originally Posted by justpeachy92

Is your van a dodge?

I wanted to ask the same question. We had a Dodge Caravan and it started giving us nothing but problems even with relatively low mileage. It ended up being quite a lemon.

I think that it is the starter you need to replace. We had to replace ours at least once, maybe twice DH said.

Good luck finding the problem! I hope it is just the starter, not that expensive.

**my4littlebuffaloes** · 05-29-2007, 09:19 PM

OK, it was the starter. Dh took it out and took it to Autozone and it totally failed. I wish I could say it was $40, but it was $150. Still, much cheaper than taking it in somewhere. It is a Ford Windstar. It took dh about 1 hour to get the old one off and then we had dinner. Then it took him about 2 hours to go get the part and replace it.

Thanks for the advice! It is much cheaper than car payments. But you never know when something else is going to come up, ya know? But we can't afford car payments, so we will keep fixing it. I hope this is it though! thanks!

**Mom23boys** · 05-29-2007, 09:26 PM

I was going to say that it might be the starter or alternator too, but looks like you already solved the problem. I am glad you were able to repair it yourself.

**Michelle68** · 05-29-2007, 09:44 PM

Originally Posted by Hollyhandi

I Fiance is a mechanic. He said to clean your battery cables.
If it still does it its propably your starter.

That's just what I was going to say. The same thing was happening to my car and it ended up needing new battery cables. Glad you got the problem solved.

--Michelle

**Libby** · 05-30-2007, 12:28 AM

Im glad you got it fixed before you got stranded somewhere!

$150 is way cheaper then a car repair, a tow or a new to you used car. Id be glad to pay that as well - good job for hubby!