Any ideas what happened? Do I need to worry about this?
05-05-2010, 10:06 AM
#1
On The Tree
Thread Starter
iTrader: (5)
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Lincoln, NE
Posts: 164
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Any ideas what happened? Do I need to worry about this? First of all, my car is an '02 camaro, auto, 68k miles, small cam, stall, headers/exhaust, some suspension, DRs and skinnys. Not sure if any of that matters, but anyway here's my issue.
Yesterday I took my car down to a local school and had them wash it (donation fundraiser thing). The car had no issues driving down, and had no issues starting in the past. I watched them wash it, they didn't do anything crazy, just a typical spray, soap, and dry type thing. Anyway, when I got back in the car to drive off it didn't start.
With the key in the ignition it had power, I could roll the windows up/down no problem, it dinged when the door was open, all seemed normal, but when I actually went to crank over the car it just acted wacky. Instead of engaging the starter it just clicked as if the battery were completely dead, which it wasn't. I tried it a few more times and noticed that the seatbelt indicator light was RAPIDLY blinking, as was the security light, and the gauges were all jumping all over the place, even for a few seconds after I completely removed the key. It almost seemed like I had a loose battery contact so I checked under the hood but everything seemed good. I checked a few fuses, and made sure all the relays and fuses were pushed into the fuse box good and tight, nothing seemed to help.
After a few minutes it finally started, after I did essentially nothing, but it REALLY wanted to die, more so than normally. (cam'd car needing a tune, it sometimes wanted to die on a cold start)
I got it home no problem and went back maybe an hour later and started it up again with no issues and no more tendancy to die than normal.
Did something just get wet or what? Do I have anything to worry about or should I just ignore it since it seems to work ok now.
Also, I don't know if this is in any way related to the problem, but it might be so here goes: Ever since I got the car it has had an intermittent problem where I park the car but it won't release the key from the ignition. Generally I just wiggle around the shifter and the key and it releases the key after a few seconds.
Yesterday I took my car down to a local school and had them wash it (donation fundraiser thing). The car had no issues driving down, and had no issues starting in the past. I watched them wash it, they didn't do anything crazy, just a typical spray, soap, and dry type thing. Anyway, when I got back in the car to drive off it didn't start.
With the key in the ignition it had power, I could roll the windows up/down no problem, it dinged when the door was open, all seemed normal, but when I actually went to crank over the car it just acted wacky. Instead of engaging the starter it just clicked as if the battery were completely dead, which it wasn't. I tried it a few more times and noticed that the seatbelt indicator light was RAPIDLY blinking, as was the security light, and the gauges were all jumping all over the place, even for a few seconds after I completely removed the key. It almost seemed like I had a loose battery contact so I checked under the hood but everything seemed good. I checked a few fuses, and made sure all the relays and fuses were pushed into the fuse box good and tight, nothing seemed to help.
After a few minutes it finally started, after I did essentially nothing, but it REALLY wanted to die, more so than normally. (cam'd car needing a tune, it sometimes wanted to die on a cold start)
I got it home no problem and went back maybe an hour later and started it up again with no issues and no more tendancy to die than normal.
Did something just get wet or what? Do I have anything to worry about or should I just ignore it since it seems to work ok now.
Also, I don't know if this is in any way related to the problem, but it might be so here goes: Ever since I got the car it has had an intermittent problem where I park the car but it won't release the key from the ignition. Generally I just wiggle around the shifter and the key and it releases the key after a few seconds.
05-05-2010, 11:32 AM
#2
TECH Enthusiast
iTrader: (4)
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: San Diego
Posts: 625
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
sounds like you need to get that tune done.
for the key problem, my sunfire does that sometimes when the shifter isn't all the way in park. it will look like it's in park and i can turn the ignition off, but the key won't come out. so i have to push the shifter forward a little to make sure it is all the way in park or the key won't come out. give that a shot.
for the key problem, my sunfire does that sometimes when the shifter isn't all the way in park. it will look like it's in park and i can turn the ignition off, but the key won't come out. so i have to push the shifter forward a little to make sure it is all the way in park or the key won't come out. give that a shot.
05-05-2010, 12:11 PM
#3
On The Tree
Thread Starter
iTrader: (5)
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Lincoln, NE
Posts: 164
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Yeah I read that whatever sensor reads your shifter in park can sometimes fail or act up causing the key problem.
As for the main problem I described, I don't think a tune will solve it. The fact that the car wanted to die wasn't really what concerned me, I know I can tune that out, what freaked me out was the seemingly electrical problems that surfaced immediately after a car wash.
I don't think a bad tune will cause the lights to blink on and off incredibly quickly and the gauges to jump around and the car to not even attempt to crank over.
As for the main problem I described, I don't think a tune will solve it. The fact that the car wanted to die wasn't really what concerned me, I know I can tune that out, what freaked me out was the seemingly electrical problems that surfaced immediately after a car wash.
I don't think a bad tune will cause the lights to blink on and off incredibly quickly and the gauges to jump around and the car to not even attempt to crank over.
05-05-2010, 01:26 PM
#4
12 Second Club
I just had a similar problem yesterday. It's the first time in years I've had to drive the SS in the rain.
I found that the cable that goes to the PDC (power distribution center/ on the driver's wheelwell) was screwed on tight but was loose inside the terminal. I re-crimped the terminal, now everything is nice and tight.
I found that the cable that goes to the PDC (power distribution center/ on the driver's wheelwell) was screwed on tight but was loose inside the terminal. I re-crimped the terminal, now everything is nice and tight.
05-05-2010, 08:24 PM
#6
On The Tree
Thread Starter
iTrader: (5)
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Lincoln, NE
Posts: 164
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Car fired up 3 times today no problem, drove it around and it felt perfectly normal.
I guess maybe something just got wet, although I have no clue what.
I guess maybe something just got wet, although I have no clue what.
05-05-2010, 08:43 PM
#7
O2's can also act up when wet, but that's if water gets up from the bottom, which didn't happen in your case. They also wouldn't cause the crazy **** you describe.
Trending Topics
05-06-2010, 07:28 AM
#8
12 Second Club
