HELP! Will not start!
 

A couple of hours ago I tried to start my car and nothing happened when I turned the key:confused:. All of the lights, sunroof, annoying buzzer work fine. Yesterday I did a purge, fuel filters and an oil change and something I may be regretting, I put some graphite in the ignition switch ( or whatever it is correctly called) The car started 7 or 8 times yesterday after all of this with no problems.Then nothing this morning. Normally my car fires up instantly. There have been 4 or 5 times in the past couple months when I had to jiggle the shifter around before it would start. Could this be the bushing on the shifter or what. Sorry if this all sounds like a man in a state of panic.........but it is:eek:. Thanks in advance!!

Try jumping terminals 1 and 3 in the plastic junction box on the right front inner fender in front of the battery. If jumping those two terminals engages the starter then there's a problem in the wiring somewhere and it could be either your ignition switch or the neutral safety switch. If jumping those two terminals does not engage the starter it is likely either a bad starter or bad connections at the starter.
It's also possible your battery is too low to engage the starter but there is usually a clicking sound when that occurs.

Sure sounds like the shifter interlock could be the source of your trouble.
Try jumping two of the terminals together on the 3 post terminal block on top of the passenger side fender well, just in front of the battery. It will not pinpoint the cause of your trouble, but it will engage the starter and get you going.

Thanks for the quick replies! In the spirit of caution and admitted ignorance, how do I jump the terminals?

Anything that will carry a current without involving you in the process is adequate. I actually carry in my glove compartment a short piece of wire with the insulation stripped off the ends for just this purpose. Occasionally my ignition switch acts up and fails to engage the starter but it hasn't become consistent enough for me to actually replace it yet so the wire is just insurance.
Don't forget to glow your plugs before doing it if you want the engine to start. Also, make sure the transmission is in Park because you are bypassing the neutral safety switch.

I just use two screwdrivers, one on each contact, then touch them together.

OK it started right up. Where do I go from here?

Two most likely sources of your problem are the ignition switch and the neutral safety switch. Have you tried starting the car in neutral instead of park or keeping the key in the start position while moving the shifting up and down thru the gears and into park? Also, sometimes if the ignition switch contacts are dirty, holding the key in the start position for 10 seconds or so will eventually result in the starter engaging.
If it's the neutral safety switch, you'll have to replace it. If it's the bushing in the shifter, you'll have to replace it. If it's bad contacts in the ignition switch, there is a post on the forum somwhere describing how to clean the contacts.

kerry is smokin' hot!
 

Man, you got that guy up and running in no time! Bravo, mate, bravo.

For those of us who can electricute ourselves with an Eveready AA size battery, go slow on this. The wire you carry for insurance, what guage wire is it? Would jumper cables do the trick? I carry those with me. I don't understand what you touch the wires to. Just for future reference, I'll find the 3 terminal post on my car. I think I've used the screwdriver trick on my riding mower a few times. Touch 2 terminals together using a screwdriver, and off you go.

Last question, a friend of mine has a '93 Buick Regal. Yesterday, the car simply wouldn't start. You can hear the click when he turns the key, but the car doesn't crank at all. We've been told it's probably the starter is gone. Agreed?

jeff

On the 93 Buick: I normally take a click to be an indication of a weak battery and not a bad starter. I'd get the battery tested before replacing the starter. You might even be able to jump start it.

The wire I carry in the glove compartment is just one piece cut out of an old section of Romex. It's solid copper about 8" long but I don't know its gauge.
You touch the wire to screw #1 and screw #3 under the plastic cover in the junction box.

OK I finally got around to removing the key cylinder. It popped right out. There is a great deal of slop in it, almost to the point of it falling apart. I am going to order a new one right now. Does the fact I can start the car with a pair of needle nose pliers by turning the ignition(with the cylinder out) mean the cylinder is the cause of my problem? Also when I pulled the cylinder out there was a tiny, mangled spring wedged into the back of the cylinder is that part of the cylinder or something else? By the way, I really appreciate all of the help, this site and it's members have been a real blessing.

Do a search on no start or ignition switch. I think the problem with bad contacts wasn't with the key cylinder but in the switch itself. I've never disassembled one myself so I can't be of much help but someone found some dirty contacts in his switch which when cleaned solved the problem.