gruveb

I took my 89 IROC to PepBoys for new tires. I go to pick it up and it's parked on a steep incline, no parking brake. I hate that. I hop in and it won't start. No biggie, I think, the starter has suffered heat-soak a number of occassions.

Well, aparently the "mechanic," says there's no power to the starter. He's supposedly checked the neutral safety switch and the ignition switch, I'm not sure. I'm not there and can't just swing by to see what's up.

So, any general ideas on what can cause there to be no power to the starter?

Thanks.

kevinc

Check the clutch safety switch, he might have kicked the connector off.

Buncha knuckle-dragging mouth-breathing illiterate flunkies at the Pep Boys shop near me, hopefully they hired better where you are.

gruveb

They're no better here. It's an auto though.

kevinc

Might want to check your signature...it says it's a T5.

Try moving the shifter to Neutral and then turning the key, sometimes the Park/Neutral safety switch gets worn or damaged and playing w/ the shifter is necessary.

Stekman

Sig says its an '84 with the T5, post says this is an 89. Oh well.

Fusible links always manage to bad at the weirdest times. Assuming the battery has a good charge (I would even consider that, noting that it was a Pep Boys...), try jumping the terminals on the solenoid with a screw driver or something. See if that starts it.

gruveb

IT'll turn over, but won't start.

Apparently the security light stays on too. So I'm thinking, yuck, VATS.

gruveb

I went to Pepboys and spoke with the service manager. I've dealt with him before and always felt like I got a fair shake. The other idiots though, they seem to want to charge me for everything.

Here's what's happening with the car:

With the key turned, the security light stays light.

The car will turn over if the starter relay switch is by-passed, but it still won't start.

That basically means that the key needs to be replaced...ie, if I had a spare, I could probably start the car, right?

kevinc

OK...initially you said "no power to the starter" and you're talking about starter heat soak history...now you're saying it spins over.

I'm going to assume you're 12 years old and don't actually own a car at this point, just posting here for attention you're not getting at home.

Dan8289gta

Sounds like he's jumping the solenoid to turn it over, which will not start it by the way. If your security light is staying on it is a vats related issue, however i wouldnt start by replacing the key. Remove the kick panels under the drivers side dash there is a larger orange insulated wire with two smaller white wires inside. Theres a good chance its like mine and has been cut into already by some mastermind mechanic. So start there tell us if you find anything.

gruveb

Yeah, they jumped the starter relay switch and the starter will engage. But the engine won't fire.

gruveb

Again, another example of what assumption makes of you.

If you had the comprehension skills of most 12 year olds you would've understood the situation. Stop reading signatures and read the posts. The inconsistent details come from the car being stuck at PepBoys. They're lost, I'm not down there, nor could I be and am trying to figure out what's going on.

It's like this:

I had tires put on the car. I go to pick up the car, it won't start, nothing happens when I turn the key.

Since it was at PepBoys and was late and I had a busy day set up the next day, and I'd had trouble previously with heat soak, I figured I'd just let PepBoys change the starter.

But instead of changing the starter, they checked for voltage at the starter. There was none.

However, they tested the starter and it would turn over.

With me?

I told them about the relay yesterday. THey pulled it out, said they jumped it and that the car would turn over, but still not start.

Security light stays on!!!!!

Unfortunately I never got a spare key made so they're going to try and have one made this morning.

Is this likely the solution?

If the spare key doesn't work, what's next?

kevinc

Folks can only comprehend what's written, you left out quite a bit of info that would have been useful to those trying to help you. The car magically went from "won't spin" to "won't start".


An attitude check.

gruveb

True, most folks can only understand the information given. But not in your case. I wrote my 89 IROC was jacked up and you were still reading my signature where I have info on the 84.

Anyhow, don't blame me for being a little pissed about being accused of playing a joke when I was sounding less than clear during a very unclear situation. Anyone knows that when trouble-shooting a problem you explore a situation and what you know changes...you isolate potential problems only to discover new ones, especially in electrical systems. Give a guy the benefit of the doubt, eh?

Dan8289gta

Its unlikely the key is the issue, more likely is the wiring for the system reading the key.

gruveb

That's what I'm afraid of.

kevinc

Another case of only being able to read what's written...apart from "89 IROC" you don't appear to have any other info on the car posted here. Shame on me for trying to put together what little is there and give some help.

A guy who has his car worked on at Pep Boys (and evidently often enough to have an ongoing dialogue w/ the service mgr) trying to hurl insults is amusing...like when my neighbor's Poodle barks at big dogs.

gruveb

Still can't drop it huh? If you don't have any information to help, find another post, alright?

kevinc

OK, hope the new key fixes it for you.

If not, the diagnostic procedure for no-start is covered step by step in the Helms manual.

gruveb

I hope so too. lol

Internet fights are fun sometimes, huh? lol.

Cooper

Hey gruve! Did you even consider using the search button on this one?