failed to start tonight....stranding us away from home. DIC read 11.2 volts, kinda low... When turning the key to the starter solenoid position, it all went dark., but lights and stuff came back in when key released from starter position. Repeated attempts with making sure brake pedal was pushed and gear selector in P or N did nothing helpful at all. Finally Called AAA for a battery boost. The guy hooked up a portable battery..still nothing, finally he did a REAL jumper and still nothing....and still reading low on DIC...after a few minutes of charging VIA the jumper cables to his truck, the DIC startes to read mid 12s.....Stil moving gear selector around in case sterter interlock was futzy, and then ....then it started like nothing had ever happened. Once running, DIC read 13.8 volts as it usually does when running so the alternator is working. Drove home and put a charger on it...We'll see tomorrow how it goes. It almost felt like the starter cut out of the A-4 gear selector was not working, cause the solenoid did not even weakly try...When it finally cranked, it was sudden and associated with slamming the gear slector into Park. Had to replace the cable from the battery to engine block last spring...perhaps the PLUS side is bad now too...Dunno,,,,any ideas besides just low battery out there..cable and contact issues can effect charge, and REALY effect starting. Cheers and stay warm out there,,, Jennifer

 

Mine did that. It was the negative cable. Are the battery contacts clean?

 

Just had a similar issue that I solved yesterday... ended up being a loose nut on the starter. I couldn't tell by looking at it, but when I grabbed the nut i could turn it by hand. Got a long ratchet and tightened her up and all was good!

 

If it continues with intermittent starting it can be the key cylinder...I went through this a few months ago....not a DIY project either...a dealer has to reprogram a new ignition cylinder...total cost $400!

 

That's what I would figure.

 

included a lot of diagnosis...requires a couple hours of work tethering to the PCM etc, and there are many different causes of intermittent start. Add the high cost of a new tumbler which is now unavailable outside of GM's empire and you end up getting hosed on something you cannot perform on your own. Another reason I am moving on to a C7 soon.

 

Don't be silly! He will be under warranty so everything will be free (except the car payment, higher insurance, personal property taxes . . . .)

 

I had already replaced the negative cable to the engine block last summer. ...and yes, the fittings on the starter were not all that tight, so they were cleaned and PROPERLY torqued while under there. This left me wondering all night about the positive cable to the starter, the lighter one to the fuse blocks.

The battery indicated 100% charge on the read-out of the charger this AM. Before attempting to start, we pulled both the cables from the battery and cleaned the miserable little contact area and threads, which actually looked fine, but for good measure a little wire brush cleaned up the surfaces......and re-installed. Fine! it started strong, instantly. For what its worth, the POS terminal was not as tight as the NEG....the bugger little threads in the side of the barrery don't really hold well. I have declared that next summer I shall yank the side mount cables, even the new one I put in last summer, and install longer ones that have proper top stud battery terminations....Side mount battery termination is stupid. YES stupid.....I can think of only cheapness and lower cost as the reasons that was chosen. There are NO technical advantages over top stud battery terminations.

Half an hour later, the heater control goes bonkers again and stops working, leaving the windshield to fog up....its the 3rd climate control I have purchased, and its been rebuilt several times, as were all its predicessors, until they just plain failled to work at all in spite of re-flowing solder joints on every board. Eventually it started to operate again, ...ARRRGGGG!!! I'm going to have to do the 'pull fuse' and recalibrate procedure again...it never ends! At the rate this thing eats EXPENSIVE climate controls, in another 15 years I will have spent a third the original purchase price of my car on replacement climate controls! But at least the car is starting again. I hope it lasts for a while!

 

I hear ya, but the car was built in 1996...it's old..it's nickel and dime-ing me left and right...even the horn just went bad. And, this is a pampered car. It's time to move on and get something with a warranty...I'm tired of fixing this and that...a younger guy with more flexibility can take over. Also, many parts are becoming unobtainable, as many threads have discussed...not a good situation when the only replacement parts for some pieces are used. I'm de-modding it and will trade it in next summer. Yes, insurance will go up, but that's about it...best thing is the costly surprises will be gone...that alone is worth it to me.