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Hey everyone - recently picked up a 2002 manual and having some issues. Car was fine driving it home from FL to NC but looks like it doesn’t want to start anymore. The gauges and lights come on fine, it just doesn’t want to crank. This happened one time before thanksgiving and I wiped the key real good with my shirt and wiggled the key a bit and it finally cranked. This time it’s not working. Any ideas?
To diagnose do you mean help you guess or do you have the equipment like an DVOM and test light and basic electrical knowledge to actually test ??…since you wiggled the key and it started could be ignition switch…also a clutch switch, TDR relay,BCM, starter, battery, battery cables.
Fair question - really just looking for places to start. Not electrical experience here so hoping to hollow hanging fruit first.
Well then just take your battery and get it load tested…anything more involved than this will require testing or replacing parts which can get expensive…this is the best we can do for you…best to tow your car to the nearest auto electric shop.
In order to help you I need to ask if you hear the TDR click on when the key is turned to start the car. The TDR is the relay that sends power to energize the starter and any no crank problem should start by verifying operation of the TDR. The TDR is located above the BCM in the passenger footwell area behind the toe board.
Thanks - don’t recall hearing a clicking noise but I’ll pay more attention for it and will report back.
Most likely the ignition switch. With these cars its good to play the probabilities. When you have the no start condition, take the key out and turn it over and reinsert. If it starts the ignitiion switch is where I would start. I had this exact problem. I could get it to start by wiggling the key because the contact was going bad. You can also go and try the C5 groups on facebook. Extremely helpful and a lot of knowldgeable people with patience.
Ok, the front part of the Ignition switch has contacts that press against the keys resistor pellet, those contacts are wired to the BCM and if there is no continuity the BCM will not provide a ground to the TDR relay coil.
In order to help you I need to ask if you hear the TDR click on when the key is turned to start the car. The TDR is the relay that sends power to energize the starter and any no crank problem should start by verifying operation of the TDR. The TDR is located above the BCM in the passenger footwell area behind the toe board.
just verified that I hear the clicking each time I try to turn it over.
not sure it matters but I had the key to on and checked the voltage through the gages and it said 10.7. Does that mean anything without the car on?
The DIC battery voltage is about 0.4 volts lower than the battery so your actual battery voltage is somewhere around 11.1 volts…is is basically DEAD !!
The DIC battery voltage is about 0.4 volts lower than the battery so your actual battery voltage is somewhere around 11.1 volts…is is basically DEAD !!
man that would be great if it’s that simple. Any recommendations for new batteries? Seeing a lot of conflicting recommendations. The one currently in the car is an Optima red top.
man that would be great if it’s that simple. Any recommendations for new batteries? Seeing a lot of conflicting recommendations. The one currently in the car is an Optima red top.
When I had my C5 I used an AC Delco Professional battery exclusively…being that your car came with a flooded lead acid battery you use that…NOT an AGM…the charging rates are different between AGM and FLA are different…you want a battery with the most RC (Reserve Capacity) that you can get and since it looks like you are in NC CCA is not important…you give up CCA for RC !!…for ANY starting issue you ALWAYS start with the battery…now this MAY be high resistance across the ignition switch contacts and having a DVOM can check for this.
Help me diagnose
