Electrical Problem-It won't turn on!!--HELP!!!!
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Instructor
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 162
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From: Weston, Florida, USA
Electrical Problem-It won't turn on!!--HELP!!!!
Last night I went to turn my car on after it was sitting in the parking garage at work all day, but it didn't turn on. At first it looked like it was a dead battery although the car is only 1 year 2 months old and has 12K miles. I know I didn't leave any lights on or door open, so I was perplexed. I called Chevy's roadside assistance but they never showed. I waited over an hour. I gave it jumpstart with two different cars and it finally turned on except my lights wouldn't turn on. After driving for about two or three miles they came on. I took the long way home just in case it was the battery, however halfway home (15 minutes) as I was driving down the highway the lights flickered on and off and the voltage reader on the on the dash went from 14 down under 13 and back up to 14. This all happened in an instant. It did the same thing 4-5 more times before I got home (35 Minutes). Once I got home I waited a few minutes before shutting it off. Once I did shut it off there was no way to turn it back on. Could this be the famous column lock problem. :confused: :confused:
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Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 77
Likes: 0
From: Red Oak TX
Re: Electrical Problem-It won't turn on!!--HELP!!!! (mjspeed)
Last night I went to turn my car on after it was sitting in the parking garage at work all day, but it didn't turn on. At first it looked like it was a dead battery although the car is only 1 year 2 months old and has 12K miles. I know I didn't leave any lights on or door open, so I was perplexed. I called Chevy's roadside assistance but they never showed. I waited over an hour. I gave it jumpstart with two different cars and it finally turned on except my lights wouldn't turn on. After driving for about two or three miles they came on. I took the long way home just in case it was the battery, however halfway home (15 minutes) as I was driving down the highway the lights flickered on and off and the voltage reader on the on the dash went from 14 down under 13 and back up to 14. This all happened in an instant. It did the same thing 4-5 more times before I got home (35 Minutes). Once I got home I waited a few minutes before shutting it off. Once I did shut it off there was no way to turn it back on. Could this be the famous column lock problem. :confused: :confused:
It is not a column lock problem. You would get a "service column lock" on your DIC if it were, and the symptoms you describe sound like a dead battery.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 8,145
Likes: 1
From: Bradenton FLORIDA
Re: Electrical Problem-It won't turn on!!--HELP!!!! (mjspeed)
You aren't telling us you left the stock battery in for more than a day or two after getting your car to prevent it leaking on the PCM?? I agree, you have the infamous dead battery....they are JUNK from GM. (I learned the hard way also :D ).. :cheers:
Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 773
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From: Layton Utah
Re: Electrical Problem-It won't turn on!!--HELP!!!! (mjspeed)
Indeed it may be the battery but first I would reset any DIC codes and then just to be sure I would disconnect the battery and charge it overnight and then hook it back up and see if the problem still exits. If it does you might want to check for trouble codes and of course have the battery checked and replaced if it is bad. You can take the battery down to the dealer (out of the car) and they can do the test without messing up your car.
