Battery is charged but sometimes it doesnt crank

[2000Lumina]

Car is 2000 Lumina, recently ive been having problems getting the car to start. The battery is fully charged, my lights are bright and everything works but when I turn the key it doesnt crank. Sometimes I wait a while and then it cranks and starts fine. I was left stranded Saturday, I tried everything, moving the cables, moving the steering wheel and shifter. I have 2 keys and tried them both. Have heard could be ignition with the chip key or starter solinoed. Thought I would check here first since ive always gotten the best advice on here

[Nas Escobar]

If the key has a chip, that is definitely a possibility, although I thought the 95-01 Lumina didn't have that.

 

Have you gotten the battery tested though? I'd start from there and trace it down. My Camaro had a battery with a full charge, but had a bad cell so sometimes it wouldn't start, but if I shook the battery it would start back up. The CCA on it was 200. Moving the shifter, wheel, and cables didn't do much there. I know the Lumina has the battery under the diagonal brace but long story short, it would be wise to take the car to a parts store that does free tesiting and have the battery, starter and alternator started on the car. If it can be verified that everything is 100% strong, then you have to change the cylinder lock and have the new key cut with the proper transponder.

Edited November 12, 2014 by Nas Escobar
Added more info.

[primergray]

I've had this happen twice, but both times it was people in the car already, putting my spare key in the ignition and leaving the key there for a few minutes before attempting to crank...which probably isn't helpful to know....

 

Might want to take a pencil eraser to the contacts on the chip, make sure they're nice and clean.

[Muj1896]

Yeah, they all have PK2 I think. My '99 LTZ has it. I had a similar problem a couple weeks ago with mine. For me it turned out to be slightly loose battery cables, due frequently jumping other cars with mine. I had the washer reservoir removed so I used the terminals instead of the posts up top. About the key, I could be mistaken but the passkey system cuts the fuel fuel pump doesn't it, not the starter? I thought it should crank over but not start if it was the key. Or maybe that's PK3. Did you check for corrosion at battery and or hot lead to the starter? Try tapping the starter with a tire iron while turning the key?

[Nas Escobar]

Yeah, they all have PK2 I think. My '99 LTZ has it. I had a similar problem a couple weeks ago with mine. For me it turned out to be slightly loose battery cables, due frequently jumping other cars with mine. I had the washer reservoir removed so I used the terminals instead of the posts up top. About the key, I could be mistaken but the passkey system cuts the fuel fuel pump doesn't it, not the starter? I thought it should crank over but not start if it was the key. Or maybe that's PK3. Did you check for corrosion at battery and or hot lead to the starter? Try tapping the starter with a tire iron while turning the key?

 

VATS cuts off the starter and I think the fuel pump.

 

Passlock (The ones without the pellets and I think without the ears) disables the fuel pump but will allow you to crank the car.

[Muj1896]

Oh, okay. I seem to get them confused. Some interesting reading I googled up about this system:

 

http://www.ls1.com/forums/f6/how-bypass-your-vats-61262/

[Nas Escobar]

That's the cheaper way to fix it, but that disables the anti theft. You have to be comfortable with that idea. Usually its no issue until the ignition lock is bad.

[Muj1896]

True, the round tilt column is easily defeatable with no anti theft to stop a potential thief. The way I looked at it is that a 50¢ resister and two minutes to push it into a plug harness is a cheap quick way to confirm that the lock cylinder or worn out key is definately the issue here.

[Nas Escobar]

I completely agree, it's more of an issue with certain people doing this as a permanent fix.

[2000Lumina]

I did the ohm test and got 1.86 with both keys, does anyone have any idea which resistor I need? I tried to google it and cant figure it out

[primergray]

1.86, hmm?

 

I found this a list here a ways back... http://www.smokinvette.com/corvetteforum/showthread.php?t=8245

 

 

I'm thinking you might need a #7. Look at the measurement that you get. The number will be close to, or one of the following from this list:

 

Vats #-----------Ohms

 

#1--------------- 402

#2--------------- 523

#3--------------- 681

#4--------------- 887

#5-------------- 1130

#6-------------- 1407

#7-------------- 1870

#8-------------- 2370

#9-------------- 3010

#10------------- 3740

#11------------- 4750

#12------------- 6040

#13------------- 7500

#14------------- 9530

#15------------ 11800

 

Your results may have a decimal in front of it, after the first number, or not at all depending on how your ohm meter is set to read the resistance.

[2000Lumina]

Thanks for the chart, its definetly #7, I ordered an ohm set and im going to attempt it this weekend