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Malibu - 2004, intermittent weak start

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Old Nov 7, 2011 | 1:06 PM
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Default Malibu - 2004, intermittent weak start

Greetings all!

2004 Malibu, 93,000 miles on it. 90% of the time, the car starts just fine. Once in a while, when I turn the key, the vehicle has a very "weak" start, and the motor barely turns over. Once it turns over, though, everything is fine.

Could it be a bad starter motor?
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Old Nov 7, 2011 | 5:38 PM
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Welcome to the forum. It sounds more like a weak battery (how old?) or battery cables or connections going bad (there may even be corrosion eating away inside the cables).
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Old Nov 7, 2011 | 8:43 PM
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Hello EinST,

Thanks for your response! I had the battery replaced this past summer, so I *think* it's not the battery itself, but I will definitely check the cables!
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Old Nov 8, 2011 | 1:03 PM
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Breanne
Chevrolet Customer Service
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Old Nov 8, 2011 | 2:38 PM
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When it's weak starting, is the car warm? As in has it been running awhile, then trying to restart it "hot"?
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Old Nov 8, 2011 | 2:45 PM
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If it was cables ect, I'd think it would have your problem 90% of the time, however best to do the simple things first. As I posted, is it "hot" when you try to start it, but no problems cold? The piece atop this starter is the solenoid. Usually with a hot start with weak cranking is caused by the solenoid contacts.
Attached Thumbnails Malibu - 2004, intermittent weak start-2.jpg  
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Old Nov 9, 2011 | 7:58 AM
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--> Indeed! When I have starting problems, they happen when the car is "cold" (I.E. hasn't been run in 8 hours or more, like when I go home from work, or when I start it in the morning).
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Old Nov 9, 2011 | 12:55 PM
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I'd say battery.
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Old Apr 14, 2012 | 10:00 AM
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I agree, sounds like battery
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