Real Quick, Solenoid or starter?

So when it gets very damp, or very cold my car doesn't start, right away that is.

I am always able to just keep turning the key until the starter engages. But, it takes a number of tries and it gets really annoying.

Something like this is it the solenoid switch or the starter itself?

It is 20 year old German Bosch electronics, so I guess it could possibly be anything, including the seat heaters

Could be either. Next time it hangs, have somebody turn the key while you whang on the starter with a tire iron. If it suddenly lets go and throws the car over, it's the starter. If not, it could still be the starter, but I would start with the solenoid.

check your chassis ground strap - clean it up and make sure it's tight and on good metal.

well one ground strap is missing and the other is corroded. I will head to autozone tonight, I hope it is that simple.

Ignition switch?

EricM, please let me know your resolution to this problem. My winter beater 91 Audi has been suffering from the same. It has currently been sidelined due to its unreliability.

I have replaced the starter and some of the trigger wire that goes to the solenoid. The wire had corroded to the point where the case came off and it was green. I thought I had the problem fixed, but yet again, it would not start on a cold morning.

In the past I had a no start issue that was the ground strap. I finally diagnosed it when I noticed the gauges freaking out each time I tried to start it. The starter was trying to ground through the instruments! A quick check with a set of jumper cables proved that a ground strap was indeed the issue.

If it's an Audi, you should check the ignition switch. High failure rate.

I think 75% of electrical problems in cars are related to bad grounds. Replace the strap, or add a big jumper wire - you can't have too many ground connections. While you're at it, clean up all battery cable connections, at both ends of each cable.

See what kind of voltage you are getting at the solenoid trigger wire when cranking. Much less than 11 and you'll have trouble. Either find the resistance and fix it, or add a relay to trigger the solenoid with battery voltage.

If its 12 volts, and all your battery cables and posts and grounds are clean, its probably the starter. Bosch starters tend to die that way. A decent solenoid is worth as much as a reman starter, so buy a Bosch reman and be done with it. Buy a cheap starter and it will do the same thing.

I got the car in the garage here at home (Wednesday is my work from home day)

I got the multimeter pulled out and after 5 I am going to go through all the connections.

the wife's trailblazer was grinding a gear or two after she started it and then yesterday she went to start and I went to listen - no start at all. Out comes the rubber mallet and a few taps the solenoid engages. She was impressed.....

So I bought a new starter and hung it last night. Seeing that I travel out of state I can't risk her getting stuck with a bad starter.

cold

My garage floor is cold

Autozone and Advance (both just 3 miles from my house( did not have the right cables, or at least they didn't have the woven cable. I am checking my repair book to see if they list the length that each should be.

I Am going to try again on Saturday when the sun is out and the garage is not -2 or there abouts.