Car wont start
 

Drove to work this morning... 10 hrs later I get ready to drive home and the my car wont start. The dash lit up fine and it doesn't go dim when you try and crank it so it not loose terminals. Headlight, wipers, fan everything comes on. I pulled the starter fuse and when I turn the key it's getting power so the clutch sensor must be good still. The alarm system locks and unlocks the car *factory alarm* I had some guys push me, and it will not fire... Even if the starter just died out of the blue it should still fire from bump starting it right?

ideas?

Wish I could be of more help, but start with the basics -- Air, Spark, Fuel.

check your fuel pressure.

Whenever that happens to me, an ignition relay is worn out. Swap it for a fan relay and if it starts, you now know the problem.

I swapped the fan relay switches the first night still wont do anything...

The fuel pressure .. I can hear the fuel pump come on when I turn the key but if it does'nt have the needed pressure will it go into 'safe mode' and not allow the engine to fire?

cam or crank sensor is my guess.

I should have this listed as 'car wont turn over' maybe if that helps any... pulled the starter out ran some jumper cables to it and it works... thinking maybe i knocked it around enough getting it out that it free'd it up... put it back in the car, car still wont turn over

Is the starter clicking at all when you try to crank it?

Are you getting anything at all? at the least you should be getting a clicking.. Has the starter solenoid given up.

At first I would think starter, but it wont start with a push either. the next to things I would look at are the ground on the engine block(that would diable yoir starter and your spark plugs. Next I would check the ignition switch. If you put your finger on the starter relay does it "click" when you turn the key to the start posistion?

Any problem with a car not "turning over" should begin with checking the battery. Try jumping it first, check for voltage while connnected. I would then focus my attention elsewhere if that didn't work.

battery checked out good the first night... no clicking something is keeping power from getting to the solenoid...

I have been helping Leddy trying to get his car running. Here are a few more details. When you turn the key nothing happens. The starter tests fine, the relays are all good, the clutch switch is good. We have it narrowed down to something not energizing the starter relay. At the start relay there is incoming power, and with the key in the start position there is power to one leg of the relay coil. It appears the other side of the relay coil is not getting a ground signal so the relay never engages. If we jumper the relay it will engage the starter. The Chilton manual we have indicates that wire in the relay block may go to the alarm system but doesn't cover the 98 model year. We are not sure what else to look for at this point.

Does the car have a factory alarm or after market alarm? Just thinking that there's a problem there with the alarms disable not disengaging.

Yes, it has the factory alarm. We noticed strange behavior with the security light also. Sometime it would blink, other times, stay lit, and sometime go off completely. It seems like the starter relay isn't getting a ground signal from the BCM. Is the alarm controlled in there?

Sorry I don't know enough about your type of cars....just figured it may have something to do with the alarms immobiliser

...ground the start relay ground wire to the chassis, do u all have hp tuners or was it just tuned by it. If you all have Hp tuners try removing VATS. Hope this helps, goodluck!

Reset your PCM and try again


PCM Reset

Turn key on, don't start car
Pull PCM BATT and PCM IGN fuses in engine compartment
Wait 5-10 min
Turn ignition off
Replace fuses

BTW, idle will be grumpy after resetting it this way for a few minutes until it relearns.

On any GM vehicle the vats system (your factory vehicle imobilizer) is a fuel shut off not a starter disable. The camaros and trans ams have a factroy alarm (noise maker). As far as i can remember there is no starter kill in it. the only difference between it and any other oem alarms was the impact sensors.

If the car has a good battery and will not crank and also will not start with a push, then you have something that is effecting more than just the starter. (assuming you know how to push start a car, lol) you can test almost the enitre starting circuit from the starter relay at the under hood electrical box. If it turns out that you are missing the input from the BCM you can always just ground that wire to see if it starts.

Check for sure to see if you have spark (make sure to use an inline tester that uses the block for a ground otherwise the test is pointless). If you dont have spark and it wont cank than you gotta check someting that would effect both systems ie: the engine block ground, and the igntion switch.

Do all of your check lights come on like the ABS, brake, check engine etc, when you turn the key forward? Does the radio play and the heat work. if any of those are missing also lean towards the ignition switch. you can diagnose almost anyting with a good DVOM.

Good luck and keep us posted, its usaully a lot more simple than we try to make it LOL!:thinker:

I have HP tuners on my laptop and have always had someone helping me with the tune.
Radio works all the dash lights come on...
I tried the other set of keys on the off chance that the little bumps on the side of the keys had worn out...
Car still wont turn over.