hi all! just bought a 2008 outlander xls and so far i love it. the only issue i have been having is when starting. it will not start sometimes it will just chugga chugga a couple times. when it happens i just shut it off completely and then wait a second and it starts right up. what could it be? ive seen a couple things online that make me think it just mite be the fast system not reading the fob quickly enough?? any advice or anyone know what the problem might be?? maybe the fob needs new batteries??

 

The cheapest way is to replace the fob battery. It's only less than $5 for 2. Besides they are already old if you still have the original ones. Are you getting a "key battery" warning display in the MID? I hope it's that simple of a fix. Check the manual 3-8.
Next is to go to your local Walmart or Autozone- they can check your car battery. Maybe you just need a new car battery. I usually replace mine after three years but some owners prefer longer. Now if you have recently bought a new one, there could be other culprits. It could be a small drain from a recent electrical mods, failing starter or alternator. Also, per the manual, cold temperature is a factor as well with hard starting. I also experienced this with my other vehicle- some of the electrical gadgets do not work properly when it drops to 30F. Good luck!