Okay, this might take a while. Please bear with me!

I drive and pick up a couple friends (all of maybe 5 kilometers) and the engine is running great, and started up perfects with NO hesitation.
When I get to my second friends house, I turned off the car.
Less than 5 minutes later, we're ready to leave. I get back in the car, and crank the engine; it fires up on the first try, runs for about 2 seconds (in neutral....I didn't stall it...) and then dies.
This has never happened before (I've owned it for about 5 weeks now), so I look over at my friend like "wtf...?".
I sit there for a while, and try and start the car again...and again...and again. Nothing, for a good 2 minutes, even though the engine sounds just like it does when it normally fires up.
So now I'm crapping my pants with fear, and I go and pop the hood...'cause I don't know what else to do, and being confused and stupid (but wanting to look like I know wtf I'm doing in front of the ladies) I checked the oil (which was low), get back in the car, turn the key...VROOOM we have lift-off!!! First try, as if it was brand new.
Drove around and stuff for a few hours, and it would start up puuurrrrfect every time it needed to, hot or cold, whatever!

So... what the ba-jesus happened?!!? Am I gonna need a new dizzy? Alternator? Spark plugs? Starter thingy? Fuel pump?
I asked my dad (who owns my car but in wagon form) and he says that once or twice a year his does this...I'm just wondering if this happens to anyone else. Any opinions, tips, etc are HUGELY appreciated! Thanks!

<U>-Cats</U>

 

could be the main relay. if this happens again see if you can hear the fuel pump prime when you turn the key to the "on" position. if you don't hear it it's probably the main relay. an intermittent relay can be a bitch to troubleshoot.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by notoriousB &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">could be the main relay. if this happens again see if you can hear the fuel pump prime when you turn the key to the "on" position. if you don't hear it it's probably the main relay. an intermittent relay can be a bitch to troubleshoot.</TD></TR></TABLE>
Agreed. Also listen for the click when the check engine light goes off

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by MooGoCow3 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
Agreed. Also listen for the click when the check engine light goes off</TD></TR></TABLE>

Just finished waxing car. So I also checked for the fue pump, and i can hear it do the little "whine" thing when I turn the key to "on". hmmmmmm.

 

We meant when the car is acting up listen for that.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by cats_on_ice &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Just finished waxing car. So I also checked for the fue pump, and i can hear it do the little "whine" thing when I turn the key to "on". hmmmmmm.</TD></TR></TABLE>
And then it starts right?

 

I agree on the main relay. You may want to fix it before it starts acting up more often.

http://techauto.tripod.com/mainrelay.htm

 

yeh i doubt it would be a fuel problem seeing as how it started cold and then stalled after he reached the destination..

sounds completely electrical, relay, corroded battery connecters, basically these guys have already narrowed it down for you, and im just telling you what you now already know

 

http://techauto.tripod.com/s.htm

here is some reading and how to for the main relay....