1991 Mercury Tracer Will not start in hot weather

TBANISH

MEMBER
1991 MERCURY TRACER
4 CYL
FWD
AUTOMATIC
132,000 MILES

This car runs fine all winter, starting up every time. As soon as the weather gets warm you never know when it will start. The hotter it gets the less it starts. When you turn the key there is just nothing, like the battery has been disconected. When it starts, everything is normal, all lights and accessories are live. The starter/solenoid have been replaced, the starter relay, new battery, cables are clean, connections tight. There is a disabled car alarm aboard, with some of the relay boxes remaining live. Any idea where a part involved in the ignition would be affected by the temperature?

5 Replies

DOCFIXIT

MECHANIC
18,828 POSTS

Hi
First thought is ignition switch has this been checked out? Does anything electrical work on car when event happens?
Let me know
Thanks for donate

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Monday, September 28th, 2009 AT 10:11 AM

TBANISH

MEMBER
7 POSTS

Nothing in the car works when the no start problem happens. No interior lights, no dash lights, no radio. When it will start, all the lights come on normally, however sometimes when it's hot out IF you don't get it started on the first try, it will sometimes go out- all lights, radio, indicator lights die. Sometimes it will start by repeated tries, sometimes it won't start for days. Have not tried the ignition switch which is $55 but this looks like a part built to fail. What is the small box with two wires hanging from the side?