[sodakitty]

I have a 1999 Mazda Protege. I got it from a small car dealership, financed in-house.

Now, they put something called a PassTime on/near the engine. Every month when I pay my bill, I call them up and get a code. I have a little remote that I enter the code into inside the car. If I don't enter that code by the day after my payment's due, the car won't start.

However, since I've gotten the car, there's been a small issue. The car runs fine, not even an oil leak (which is amazing...I wonder if it had one and was fixed), no engine klanks, alignment's good, and it seems to have been upkept really well with oil changes and all that jazz. The issue? It doesn't always start. Sometimes it starts first try, sometimes 5th. It has never outright refused and left me stranded, but this is worrisome and annoying. It doesn't *always* seem like it's the starter, according to my fiance.
What's weird is that sometimes it starts better if I turn the lights on first.

What I'm wondering is if it's possible that this inhibitor is messing with the starting of the vehicle.
There was a note in the paperwork that said if the vehicle doesn't start, hold key at "on" for a few seconds, wait for a tone, then start. Well, the tone doesn't come in 2 or 10 or 40 seconds, and that doesn't seem to work.

The car's never turned off while running, nor does it have any other issues, really. It doesn't have a lot of serious power to it, but that's typical for an oldie.

Any insight?

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