can a loose battery cause a car not to start? Options

[homebuilder]

Hi,

My car every once in a while will not start. The starter turns over but it does not catch. Then if I wait a while it will work.

A mechanic looked at it when it did this once, he went under the hood saw my battery was not tied down properly, he moved it over hit the top of the cable and it started. Now I do not know if it was him moving the battery or just the normal, wait a minute and it works.

So anyone else have this problem? Anyone think it is the battery?

I plan to secure the battery anyway, but just wondering if that's really the problem.

[RabidTRD]

If the engine is turning, it has nothing to do with the charging system.

Typically it's something to do with the ignition in relation to spark. Or you could have an issue where fuel is not getting through fast enough, (weak pump or clogged fuel filter) and when you try to start it the second time, and it works is because the fuel has reached the injectors/gone into the cylinder. A bad ignition module can cause this issue too.

To start, when is the last time you've had a tune up? (New plugs, wires, cap, rotor, fuel filter, air filter, and cleaned out the throttle body) Also, what year is your car, what engine are we talking about and is it California emissions or Federal emissions?

This post has been edited by RabidTRD: Feb 6, 2013 - 10:50 PM