Sometimes it starts. Sometimes it doesn't.

[da9integ]

so i drove my carhome and then turned it off and then when i went to go start it again 10 mins later it ouwwldnt start. i waited and abou 3 hours later it started again. the next morning it started and i drove it around and when i got back and turned it off, it wouldnt start again. Does anyone know what the problem could be?

[The Cosworth]

does it turn over or nothing at all?

What noises does it make

Does it fire but sputter?

[da9integ]

it makes one noise and then stops. sounds like a buzz or something. cant really explain it

[The Cosworth]

if it doesn't turn over, I would say your solenoid for your starter is failing

[da9integ]

do you know why it still starts if left alone for a while?

[marko polo]

look for a loose ground wire, i had the same problem on my jetta and it turned out it was a loose ground wire from the motor to the chassis.

[da9integ]

do you think theres a chance that its just a dieing or undercharged battery?

[Dritto]

An undercharged battery won't charge itself and allow the car to turn over, so I'd suggest no to that. My car was doing the same thing a while back (presumably not the same car though), and it was something so dumb as a worn connection on the coil.

It's hard to explain exactly, and I have no idea how it happened, but the male connector on the coil was damaged for some reason, and it was making poor contact to the coil wire going to the distributor. I used some dielectric silicone on the connector as a bandaid and it ran fine until I replaced the coil.

Moral of the story is simply to check all the important electrical connections to the engine for wear or corrosion (etc.). If the plug wires are old (the coil wire especially) maybe try replacing that before assuming it's anything serious.

Starter troubles can start in the way you described too. If you can remove the starter from the car I'd suggest taking it to Canadian Tire or Napa (anywhere that can test the starter, and both those places do it for free), and have it tested. Sometimes it's easy to get them off, sometimes it's tough, but if you know how to/are comfortable removing and reinstalling the starter, then I would definitely suggest doing that. If it fails the test, you can use the old one for core charge and get some money back on the purchase of a new starter, all at the same time! Woo! Try this if the electrical connections look good. Pick up a Haynes manual from Canadian Tire if you don't have one already! $20 and worth every cent if you want to troubleshoot and work on your vehicle!

Starters can be weird when they start to fail, people describe many different symptoms or behaviors, but if it's a high mileage car and it's never been replaced then it's a definite possibility.