Jon Forston Posted July 2, 2003 Report Share Posted July 2, 2003 Hey, 91 GTP here. Car wont start. When you turn the key to access. ok, when you turn it to on, all ok. Everything appears to be normal. When you turn it to run, you hear a relay under the glovebox, and thats it. No starter solenoid, nothing. Battery is good, everything works fine. It does the same thing as if your in drive, and attempt to start. Checked the shift cable,ok. It sounds like some sort of switch is causing the problem. Please, any help would be great. I leave Saturday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slade901 Posted July 2, 2003 Report Share Posted July 2, 2003 Make sure the battery cables are tight. If you have a clamp type terminal, check the cable that goes into the clamp. Check the positive cable near the fuel pump relay/fuse. Try to start the car in Neutral. If that does not work set the Emergency brake., try to turn the Ignition Switch to ON position (don't start the car) and try to use a screw driver (rubber handle) and try to by-pass the starter solenoid by connecting them together and see if that spins the starter. Try starting the car in either Park or Neutral. If you can get a hold of a remote starter switch then use it instead of a screw driver. With the remote starter switch, you just connect the two leads on the postive terminal and one directly to the starter solenoid and then just push the button. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbtk2 Posted July 2, 2003 Report Share Posted July 2, 2003 If that does not work set the Emergency brake., try to turn the Ignition Switch to ON position (don't start the car) and try to use a screw driver (rubber handle) and try to by-pass the starter solenoid by connecting them together and see if that spins the starter. Try starting the car in either Park or Neutral. If you can get a hold of a remote starter switch then use it instead of a screw driver. With the remote starter switch, you just connect the two leads on the postive terminal and one directly to the starter solenoid and then just push the button. Yup, thats what I am thinking. You should be able to do that, and then wire a switch to the inside of the car temporarily until you get it fixed so you just push the button to start the car. But as long as you have spark, and there is power going to the starter, this should work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulo57509 Posted July 2, 2003 Report Share Posted July 2, 2003 My Lumina was doing this (bad starter solenoid...TSB regarding this is out there somewhere). I would be able to start the engine by rapidly turning the key between RUN and START. The solenoid would eventually snap over and the starter would engage. When you eventually get around to replacing the starter, get a Delco. It should have the revised parts mentioned in the TSB. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robby1870 Posted July 3, 2003 Report Share Posted July 3, 2003 My vote is starter solenoid/starter. My dad and I just got done a couple of hours ago changing on his truck. Exact same symptoms. If the solenoid is bad, you usually dont hear anything, like when the battery is dead. Robby Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mdelorie Posted July 3, 2003 Report Share Posted July 3, 2003 Wack the hell out of it with a hammer! No, seriously.... I was having a similar, intermittent problem like that, and after giving the starter / solenoid a good smack, it hasn't bothered me at all. This has the tendency of freeing up a stuck bendix, if that's the case. I would try that first because: It's free. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SmokesGTP Posted July 3, 2003 Report Share Posted July 3, 2003 Yep, give it a good whack he's right. Same thing happened on mine, no sound no nothing, and I gave it a whack and it started. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GnatGoSplat Posted July 3, 2003 Report Share Posted July 3, 2003 My 90 Grand Prix has a similar problem. I have to shift through the gears several times before it will crank the engine. I'm pretty sure my problem is the neutral start switch on the tranny. Not sure if yours is the same problem, but just throwing out another possibility. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baddflash Posted July 4, 2003 Report Share Posted July 4, 2003 Yeah hitting the starter while someone else turns key may work. Or try moving shifter while turning key to start. Worst case try jumping at the starter. To bad new autos aren't like the old powerglides you could actually push start'em. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Forston Posted July 15, 2003 Author Report Share Posted July 15, 2003 You guys were correct. It was the solenoid. Haven`t fixed it yet, but it got me back home. A couple of good whacks to the noid got it done. I was kind of hesitant to take it, but it is a much more comfortable ride than my truck. I put a total of 2800 miles on it within a week. Purrs like a kitten. Thanks again for the speedy responses, helped me have a good vacation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AWeb80 Posted July 15, 2003 Report Share Posted July 15, 2003 Wack the hell out of it with a hammer! No, seriously.... I was having a similar, intermittent problem like that, and after giving the starter / solenoid a good smack, it hasn't bothered me at all. This has the tendency of freeing up a stuck bendix, if that's the case. I would try that first because: It's free. Ha, you beat me to it. I was going to suggest the same thing. 8) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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