I've had similar problems before, but it went away after a day or so out of no where. The car randomly doesn't start, I jump it, and it has a real hard start, and trouble idleing, sometimes dying in neutral. Then the problem will go away after a couple hours, or up to a day. One time it would start, but left to idle it would die, so i had to rev it a little at lights, etc. Next day I came out, and it started fine, didn't have to problem for months. Anther time it started acting up, I banged on the steering column a couple times, hard start, but no problems till now, about 3 months later.

This is the worst it's been. It's sitting in the garage now, when I try to start it a couple of the dash lights will come on, then fade out after a second or two. I connected the battery to a charger, and left it for a few hours, took off the charger, same thing. But if I leave the charger connected to the battery and try to start it, all the lights will come on, and the fuel pump starts up, car still doesn't start though.

Since it acts different when it's hooked up to a charger could this mean it's just a dead battery? I checked the connections (both battery posts, then the + terminal right next to the battery where it splits off).

Battery? Starter? Connection I'm not checking? Opti?

It's a 97 Z with 50k miles on it.

 

Take your battery to a parts store and have it load tested....

 

Sounds like a bad battery. Does it crank slow? I agree to have it load tested at a parts store. If one or more of those cells is bad, even putting a charger on it for a boost when cranking wont help much.

 

Definitely sounds like your battery

I had pretty much the same exact thing happen to me a couple years ago. Lights faded when I tried to start it and when I charged it the car still wouldnt start. I took the battery in and they tested it, said it was still good. Well I didnt know too much at the time at diagnosing problems so I took off my starter and brought it in. The guy didnt know how to test it apparently and said it was locking up. So I replaced it, still the same thing. Finally said screw it, went and bought a new battery and it fired right up. $170 down the drain for nothing

 

It was the battery. I pulled the old one out and dropped in an Optima Red Top, everything better, thanks guys

 

Now, take a volt meter and check to see if you have around 13.8~14.2 volts at the battery, with the engine running.... If its low then your alternator is going out....

 

The dash meter is staying right in that range thus far (3 days ~ 80 miles later)