Hey Anthony,

I have a 3000GT (1993)and have a general question about starting difficulties. The car wouldn't start a few weeks ago and it wouldn't even jump start from another car but I could roll it and pop it into gear to start it. I replaced the battery and it started right away. Used it for a week and then again it wouldn't start. It clicks at the relay in the fuse box and at the starter but wont turn over. Again today I popped it into gear and it started. I went for a short spin and left it running for about 30 min and it is now starting again. The voltage when running is about 13/14 amps. Could this be a starter problem - like it's freezing up intermittently or more likely a problem elsewhere. My other thought is maybe I got a bum battery from WalMart?? Any thoughts on the situation? Any input would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Steve

Steve,
Great question. When it comes to problems about not being able to start up, the causes could be many. It is possible that you got a bum battery at Walmart, but car batteries are usually pretty reliable for at least 3 years; regardless of where you buy them. If you are not able to start it again, have a friend take you and your "dead' battery to a local garage, AutoZone, Advanced Auto, or similar place and have that battery load tested. Those places can usually perform that for free, and it only takes a few minutes. They can determine if that battery is holding a charge or not.

Since you are receiving a voltage reading of about 14 Volts (I think thats what you meant instead of amps), that's a good sign. I'm assuming you took that reading across the battery terminals while the car is running. That means that your alternator is working properly. You may be correct to assume you starter is on its last leg. But before you shell out $100-$200 for a new starter and probably another $240 in labor (if you have a mechanic do it), check all electrical lines leading from battery back to the ignition. If you don't feel confident doing that yourself, have a knowledgable mechanic check out all the connections. Each connection from the battery to the ignition will give a specific voltage reading. Any 3000GT manual will provide you with the correct voltage drops. It is possible you have a short somewhere in your system that is draining your battery. If it is a short, it could be a simple $5 fix, as opposed to a possible $600 wallet lightner. Those 3000GTs are great cars, but a pain in the a$$ to work on.

I hope you got some good ideas to try and I wish you luck.

Anthony