thinking it has to be a relay....

try to start it... after about 1/2 sec after keeping the key on "start" it kicks in, act's like a dead battery during that 1/2 second, but nothing unusual happens.

does this sound likely? 99monte 143k miles

would my assumption be right, and any help how find the relay? I think it might be under my hood in the "fuse/relay area" in front of my coolant reservoir.

nevermind...must've been a strange occurance, and i thought it's a relay, asked my dad about it, it'd be a solenoid. ...and it must just have been a random thing.

what probably happened is that the starter is developing a "dead spot" in it, where when the starter motor stops spinning, it'll land in an area where electrical power cannot get to (if you were to tear the starter apart you'd notice a burned spot on the inside of the starter). By you holding the key (or applying another battery to jump it off), you're forcing the starter out of that dead spot. The only downside is that the more times your starter lands in that dead spot, or even close to it, the bigger it'll get till finally you'll end up with a starter that doesn't like you anymore.

what probably happened is that the starter is developing a "dead spot" in it, where when the starter motor stops spinning, it'll land in an area where electrical power cannot get to (if you were to tear the starter apart you'd notice a burned spot on the inside of the starter). By you holding the key (or applying another battery to jump it off), you're forcing the starter out of that dead spot. The only downside is that the more times your starter lands in that dead spot, or even close to it, the bigger it'll get till finally you'll end up with a starter that doesn't like you anymore.

gotcha. well i'll just keep in mind then.

what probably happened is that the starter is developing a "dead spot" in it, where when the starter motor stops spinning, it'll land in an area where electrical power cannot get to (if you were to tear the starter apart you'd notice a burned spot on the inside of the starter). By you holding the key (or applying another battery to jump it off), you're forcing the starter out of that dead spot. The only downside is that the more times your starter lands in that dead spot, or even close to it, the bigger it'll get till finally you'll end up with a starter that doesn't like you anymore.

A buddy of mine just had the same problem on his Focus...I should let him know.

I was thinking it was the starter too...

It COULD be the solenoid, but I hate to say that would normally cause the starter to stick with the bendix (starter drive) out and it would burn the motor up as the engine idled, or you drove it.....lots of smoke, lots of mess, you don't want to do that.

It COULD be the solenoid, but I hate to say that would normally cause the starter to stick with the bendix (starter drive) out and it would burn the motor up as the engine idled, or you drove it.....lots of smoke, lots of mess, you don't want to do that.

it's been running well lately, knock on....e-wood. when it starts doing it again i'll actually try to look at.

You could always use my method. Call it dirty names and beat it with a hammer