Twelve year old Tempra with loyal owner now wishes to take charge. It stands unused during Monday-Friday but is needed at the weekend. On return on Friday evening, I try to start it. If it leaps into action, then it runs fine all weekend. If it refuses to start, then it keeps to its plan the whole weekend. I have driven it (on a good weekend) to a garage but they just say that it runs fine. Since I can't drive it (on a bad weekend) I can't demonstrate its prima donna character. It's taking charge. Can anyone suggest a solution? Wet/dry? Doesn't seem to fit. Hot/cold? Doesn't seem to fit. Critically needed/nothing special? Never fails to pick the critical moment.

It's a woman.

Battery terminal? You have to start with the basics... Wire-brush the terminals and clamps...

-Alex

A more serious suggestions, checked earths are clean, main earth and for fuel pump etc..

try to check the ignition sistem by removing a spark plug and checking if it sparks, if it doesn´t go all the way back checking the cables until you reach the coil, if this one doesn´t work maybe the relay that activates it is stuck. which model and year is your tempra?

Thank you for the suggestions - these will be held carefully in reserve for the next crisis. The current position is that the Tempra has decided to be amenable these last several weekends. I avoid presumption (I never open the parking lot gate until the motor has leapt to life) and I allow demonstrations (I rev the motor prior to switchoff); this seems to have yielded results but one never knows. It is the totality of the refusal which is the puzzle and I agree that this points to the electrical world.

The key thing during these testing times is not to leave the vehicle in pricey parking lots since one cannot count on the sympathetic understanding of non-Tempra-drivers at times of weakness!

I shall report....................and thanks again.

AL

Check your distributor cap aswell.

Ross