Expert: Mike Evans - 8/4/2010

Question
i have a 98 plymouth voyager expresso,,,i am having trouble with starting,,,it will start and be fine but when it gets to hot from setting out in the sun it will start and die,,,there will be no light at all,,,but it will fix itsself when it cools down or by the next morning,,,we have replaced the insturment cluster,and we have taken it out and it will still run, can you help me with this problem,,thank you

Answer
    Heat can affect three things: the battery, the starter (does it crank nice and fast?), or the electronics.  A hot battery delivers sub-par voltage, and will crank slow or not at all.  This same effect can be created by bad battery cables.  Check the voltage across the battery terminals: it should be 13V or higher.  Then check it at the starter, it should be the same.  If the voltage drop along the cable is anything substantial (1/2 volt or more), then the cables need replacing.  If the starter still cranks slowly or not at all, then it needs replacing.  If this doesn't work, then you need to let a pro hook up a full-featured scanner/tester to the car and check the injector function, the ignition, and the ECM.