2005 Mazda Tribute v6 issue
Folks, I have a mystery. Ok, buckle up this one is a trip.
Ok, I have had this truck since new; it has been, overall, an excellent vehicle. Brought my first child home in this thing, she learned how to drive in it, will be 20 in a couple weeks. Saved the truck to give to my 15 yo for her to learn on, so this thing is like a family member - over 97k miles.
So a couple weeks ago, it stalls dead while driving. ExW and kid 2 driving; didn’t know it had stalled until they turned off AC - SO there wasn’t a BANG.
IT wouldn’t restart; I push it off to the roadside, and looked at oil - it was pretty low. Figured it safety stalled, so I let it sit over night and cooled off. Went next morning, put oil and MOS2 in it, checked and it was at capacity. Left it to get to oil pan; try to turn it over later. Key turns, dash lights - turn key to start, *nothing*, no clicks, no crank. Try again, nothing. Third time - it turns over, starts! I run the car down the road 300 yards to my house. The idle was low, but it levels out as it warms. Turned it off. Figured, oops - battery. Now this battery is a Duralast, only a couple years old. I disconnect - run it to AutoZone to be tested, they tell me it is GOOD. HMMM. I go back and check relays and starter fuses, no problems. Okayyy, so I figure it must be a bad starter - so I buy a starter, and replace it with a new starter and solenoid from RockAuto, put it in (PIA) - go to start, won’t turn over , again. Try twice, again, third time it starts! I run the truck down to AutoZone to test old starter; the run bench test - yep old starter was fine! Crap. Get it home, turn it off. More research indicates it probably is the ignition switch! Order one, tears up column, take out old switch, insert new - try to start. NO JOY. It will not crank. No clicks, no turnover. Dash lights are fine, but nothing from starter. I can hear fuel pump priming, dash dings, but no starter trying to turn engine over. Took out battery and put it on trickle charger over-night, did not indicate battery was fully charged, but ok. Put it back in, still no joy.
I am at an absolute loss - pulled ignition switch, stick a screw drivers in it to try to turn car over (as instructed deep in research), and *still* no joy - so the ignition housing also likely not at fault. What the absolute crap; if bad fuel pump - it would still turn over, right? If bad alternator it would have still clicked, yes? I’m just not sure where to go from here
Any insight? Thanks in anticipation…