Everything works, but won't start

The other day, my PA wouldn't start, turned the key and "nothing". All the accessories worked, headlamps and such, but turned key and NoTHING. If anyone has had this problem and can help I would appreciate emailing me @ [email protected]

I went back outside this morning and the car cranked right up. Is this possibly a ignition module? Starter relay?

HELP!

Tell us the year first.

It could be something as simple as the shifter being slightly out of park flipping the park/neutral switch. Or the park/neutral switch could be faulty. If it happens again, jiggle the shifter and see if that fixes the problem.

Thanks for the quick responses. My PA is a 1992.

I did all the regular checks, put the car into park after shifting, even rolled it back and tried to jump it off to no avail. That was on Sunday afternoon, Monday morning it cranked right up.

I did read in another thread where the security chip on the key might have been the problem and I didn't give enough time for it to reset.

My daughter had gone out to the car to roll up the electric windows earlier that afternoon and i thought it may have been a blown fuse or something.

I was just wandering if this was a recurring problem for others.

Thanks! Anymore replies welcome

check positive cables, if you have two positive cables sometimes they don't make good contact when they overlap each other, take them off and clean them

I have the same problem with the same year.All the light will come on and everything will work but the engine will make no sound that it is even trying to start,one thing I did notice is that the security system light on the dash is th lit up I have to wait about 15 min and try to start it again and it has alway started then.Any help with what it could be?BTW I have alreadt took the after market alarm off when it started doing it but it still happening.

Have you guys checked the your Key? There is a resistor in the middle of it, and if it got worn down, or the resistor is bad, it won't start the car.. jiggle the key or have a new key made.. you would be suprised what a simple thing it could be..

like KS0309 said, the positive cables can give trouble. My 94 did what yours did, and the first thing I checked was the positive cable. Sure enough, the cables were corroded, and my handy dandy wire brush I keep in my toolbox saved me a lot of hassles!

Its likely the security system. When it fails to see the resistor "wart" on your key it disables the starter and fuel pump (so you cant get it to run even if you jump the starter).

There are small wires that run up the steering column to the ignition switch. They are prone to break after many years. Getting to the ignition switch where the wires are can be quite a pain but if you dont mind having a slightly less secure car, you can bypass this particular security feature and the car will then start and run fine. I did it on my car a few months ago. If you haven't figured it out by the time you see this post, let me know and I'll send detailed instructions. You will need to take your key to a friend or RadioShack to measure the resistance f the "wart" that takes about 30 seconds. Then you will have match that resistance with resistors from RadioShack.

I would bet on the VATS system

Its likely the security system. When it fails to see the resistor "wart" on your key it disables the starter and fuel pump (so you cant get it to run even if you jump the starter).

There are small wires that run up the steering column to the ignition switch. They are prone to break after many years. Getting to the ignition switch where the wires are can be quite a pain but if you dont mind having a slightly less secure car, you can bypass this particular security feature and the car will then start and run fine. I did it on my car a few months ago. If you haven't figured it out by the time you see this post, let me know and I'll send detailed instructions. You will need to take your key to a friend or RadioShack to measure the resistance f the "wart" that takes about 30 seconds. Then you will have match that resistance with resistors from RadioShack.

could I get the detailed instructions your talking about, I'm having the same kind of problems. I would greatly appreciate it. Please send to [email protected], thank you.

The guys who said that it was probably the the VATS system were completely correct, and about the bypass also correct it works pretty well, but make sure the resistors you put in don't fall out. I'm a mechanic and this is a common GM problem, yeah the little wires in the column are a serious problem.

65 chevy

The guys who said that it was probably the the VATS system were completely correct, and about the bypass also correct it works pretty well, but make sure the resistors you put in don't fall out. I'm a mechanic and this is a common GM problem, yeah the little wires in the column are a serious problem.

65 chevy


So it was the security system.. i hope this doesn't become a problem in the future.

I am having same problem... at first it would crank but not start then after a while it would start. Now it won't do anything but everything else works. Have you figured this problem out?

could I get the detailed directions [email protected]

could I get the detailed instructions your talking about, I'm having the same kind of problems. I would greatly appreciate it. Please send to [email protected], thank you.


I would greatly appreciate it if someone could send me the instructions that STM posted also. I have it all put together, but I'm not sure if I need to cut the wires coming from the ignition, or just spice in the resistor between the two wires. If I just splice them in, wouldn't it cause problems the 1 out of 20 times that the wires in the ignition do touch? Thanks. [email protected]

have you check the coil wire? It never hurts to change your wires anyways. Some times the coil wire goes bad and prevents the car from starting.

Park Avenues & Lesabres (& most other vehicles nowdays) do not have coil wires. However the Buicks do have coils packs that can and do go bad. The car will turn over (crank) but not start.

When the security system key sensor acts up, turning the ignition to start does not cause the car starter to crank as it normally does. That is, nothing happens.

I got almost the same problem today. Last morning and night I found it was very weak when I started my park avenue. But holding the key for a few seconds it will start. It worked this morning.This afternoon I turned the key and nothing, even a sound. And everything else is fine.
Is there anybody who had the same problem and fixed it before? Could you please tell me what's going wrongly and how to fix it. Thanks!

Its likely the security system. When it fails to see the resistor "wart" on your key it disables the starter and fuel pump (so you cant get it to run even if you jump the starter).

There are small wires that run up the steering column to the ignition switch. They are prone to break after many years. Getting to the ignition switch where the wires are can be quite a pain but if you dont mind having a slightly less secure car, you can bypass this particular security feature and the car will then start and run fine. I did it on my car a few months ago. If you haven't figured it out by the time you see this post, let me know and I'll send detailed instructions. You will need to take your key to a friend or RadioShack to measure the resistance f the "wart" that takes about 30 seconds. Then you will have match that resistance with resistors from RadioShack.

I had a similar problem. Brought the key to radio shack and the measured the key at 11.8 ohms. The closest they had was 10 ohms. I put it in but still will not start. How critical it the exact ohm rating?

I had a similar problem. Brought the key to radio shack and the measured the key at 11.8 ohms. The closest they had was 10 ohms. I put it in but still will not start. How critical it the exact ohm rating?

Below is a list of the actual ohm values Buick uses (it is from another web site, so I cannot verify it).
key number & resistance
1 402
2 523
3 681
4 887
5 1130
6 1407
7 1870
8 2370
9 3010
10 3740
11 4750
12 6040
13 7500
14 9530
15 11800
As you can see there is no value lower than 402 ohms. I suspect you misunderstood the ohm meter's scale & actually were measuring 11,800 ohms. Try resistors close to that value. I know mine was much higher than what you measured (it's been a year so I don't remember exactly).

you can email me at [email protected] for quicker replys.

Sidney MacIntyre

I would also appriciate a copy of those instructions as well. Please email them to [email protected]


And long live Hypsi!!!!
We will all miss him.....

If the chip was NG on the key you would get a code, but maybe not SES light....My girlfriend once pulled key out while car was running and messed up chip...No SES light came on but when i had OBD to check for another problem a code came up for theft deterrant. I switched keys , and used the spare and code went away..

The other day, my PA wouldn't start, turned the key and "nothing". All the accessories worked, headlamps and such, but turned key and NoTHING. If anyone has had this problem and can help I would appreciate emailing me @ [email protected]

I went back outside this morning and the car cranked right up. Is this possibly a ignition module? Starter relay?

HELP!
Hi There, I have same problems as you have and I went to garage and they check it they found that is Ignition Module to have to replace and also Crank Sensor so now it is really work fine. So not Starter relay. And why not go to your garage and ask mechinian and they will tell your car,
it is depend what kind of your car and what year you have car.

Robert Viau

OK, this looks to be the problem i'm having guys. I've looked under the dash/column area on my car and all these wires are looking the same to me. I have no way of sending a digital, can yall tell me how can i get off the cover on the column to get in there to see where it connects directly to the ignition?

Could you email me the same instructions please
Thank you