First of all, I am the owner of a 2000 Mazda 626, 4cyl.

I've been having an intermittent starting problem off and on for several years now. When the problem first appeared, it would happen maybe once every six months. The problem has progressed, and now it is happening maybe once per week.

The problem is I try to start the car, and I can hear the starter cranking just fine, but there is no spark and the engine will not start. When this problem happens, if I sit and wait anywhere from 3 to 15 minutes, eventually the car will start and run with no problems.

The strange part of this problem is when the car is not starting, there are no dashboard lights (airbag, seatbelt, low oil, and other warnings) and the digital odometer will not display when I turn the key. Normally, these lights momentarily light up when I turn the key to start...kind of a "lights check", but not when the problem is happening. Everything else electric in the car works fine during the problem - windows, radio, AC/heater, etc.

I would appreciate any suggestions as to troubleshooting steps or ideas as to what this could be. It happens so intermittently that I am never at or near an auto shop when it is happening, so I have never been able to get a mechanic to take a look at it. Plus, when it does happen, it only lasts for a max of 15 minutes, so my chances of getting a professional to look at it are relatively slim.

Thanks,

Carl

 

Well.. if the lights acts up like that,.. I would guess it will be electrical for sure,.... so I would start from the battery terminals,.. and check all the grounds,...
specially the ground to the body,.. right after the battery,... it's little poor place for a ground to be...
the way you have described,... it sounds like your ground is getting worse,... as the spotted problem is getting rusted,... or worsening in contact..,,,
when it's acting up,.. leave your key on,... and wiggle the said terminals,... if it contacts,.. will make sound,.. or leave your door open.. to signal the battery/ground spot.. there is couple of spots under the dash,.. that can cause,... but start at the battery side,.. and work your wayup...I had problem almost like yours,.. and it was the ground,.. nearby the battery ground,.. right by the fuse box.. hope your car has the same problem..

if you spot the bad point,.. sand,.. the contact,.. and ground it properly....post your results after checking it out.. good luck.. jc..

 

Since I posted this in October on a couple of boards, I've taken a few steps and have it finally fixed, I believe. Until the final fix, I would have it happen at least once a day if not more. Since the fix, I haven't had it happen at all.
1. First, based on knowledgable advice, I cleaned the ground points next to the battery and under the dash. This did not fix the problem, but it was overdue anyway.
2. Most people had guessed it would be connected to the ignition switch. I replaced the ignition switch, but it did not help. The logic in swapping out the switch was solid, but it just wasn't that point where the problem was happening.
3. Finally, I took it to the local Mazda dealer. Realize, my car is a US model 626, but I live in the Netherlands and my mechanic speaks English well, but not perfectly. He agreed with me that I did not have an immobilizer system on my car. There was no chip or anything else embedded in my car's key. However, in between when I scheduled my appointment and the actual appointment, I began timing how long it would take my car to start after the initial failure. I found out that it was consistently 7 or 8 minutes in between a failed start and starting fine. After I told that to my mechanic, he surmised it was something he called a "start block". His solution was to bypass this "start block" wiring, taking it out of the equation. Since he performed this change (around half an hour of labor, minimal parts), my car has started fine each and every time. This was the first I had heard of a "start block" and perhaps his English skills are coming into play, but it has been 5 days now and not a hint of the old starting problem.