I just had a problem with this today. The car'* accessories all work, but the starter doesn't. I'll turn the key and nothing, then it would suddenly start, and I would smell fuel like it had been flooded by repeatedly trying to start it. It is acting like my 85 Buick did when the battery terminals were corroded. My Optima yellow top battery os only 4 months old and has no corrosion. It wouldn't start tonight until I disconnected and reconnected the battery. When it does start, I hear a momentary squeeking that is definatly new. No codes.

This probably doesn't have anything to do with this, but when I turn the car off, the temp gauge will fall zero out like normal, but after several seconds, it will jump to about 125 and stay there until I restart the car and will read normally.

my car does somethin like that sometimes...like ill turn the key and nothin...everything works but the starter...then ill turn off..do it again...sometimes it starts sometimes i have to repeat turnin off and on for a while...does the security light flash? could be the resistor thingy...saw a post about it on here before..just the other day...oh my car did it really bad for a while so i got a new battery...well it didnt do it for a long time...after...but started a little again now...but if i keep turning off then back on eventually it will start...

Same thing, but no security light.

do you need new battery cables? that might have somethin to do with it. at least a new positive one since thats the one goin to your starter.

The squeeking I mentioned before has developed into something else. I am starting a new thread for it.

My negative battery terminal seems to be stripping out. Could that cause my starting problem?

Um, okay... which one?

Regarding the temperature gauge, I don't think that signifies anything. Once power is cut to the gauges when you switch off, they may "float" elsewhere on the dial. As long as they immediately return to wherever they're supposed to be when you turn the ignition on again (other than that momentary full-sweep self-test movement that they do), then you don't have a gauge problem there.

Yes, if your ground connection isn't clean and solid, sure; it would be just as bad as a stripped positive terminal. See if you can fix it one way or another. (If you can't get a HeliCoil to go in there, can you maybe work some strands of wire in there to give the cable terminal bolt something to bite on?)

Guys, I've seen 2 batteries develop cracks on the posts INSIDE. Produced the same prob. Battery always checked out good. Try pulling on the cables in different directions while cranking.

"Sound when turning right" is the thread for the sound. Thanks for the help so far, I am still troubleshooting.