Whats my Problem???

I have a 1997 2.4L pontiac grand am gt. On some days when I go to start it, it will start right up for about a second then die, and to get it to start up again i will have to turn the car ignition key all the way off then back. Today it just wouldn't start, it started for the second as it typically would, this time I tried turning the key back then forward again (wihout cranking the starter) all before the engine stopped turning over, and when I did that the car came to life again for another second then died.

WHAT COULD MY PROBLEM BE?

THANKS SO MUCH FOR ANY HELP

I have a 1997 2.4L pontiac grand am gt. On some days when I go to start it, it will start right up for about a second then die, and to get it to start up again i will have to turn the car ignition key all the way off then back. Today it just wouldn't start, it started for the second as it typically would, this time I tried turning the key back then forward again (wihout cranking the starter) all before the engine stopped turning over, and when I did that the car came to life again for another second then died.

WHAT COULD MY PROBLEM BE?

THANKS SO MUCH FOR ANY HELP

First thing I would check is my battery terminals. Are they corrodded? Clean them. Does it sounds like its turning over the same? Or does it take longer and more cranking? It might not hurt to have the battery tested. Does the car idle normally when it does start?

it has nothong to do with my battery.

it may very well be a battery issue, i have replaced batteries only to have them come back a week later with a complete failed test. also try a load test on the battery and check starter amperage draw. it may be crappy contact points in the ignition lock. mayb crap plugs or something.... car needs 4 things to run, AIR FUEL COMPRESSION SPARK.... verify all of those are within range and working approiatly.

I also wouldn't rule out the battery, but a couple other things you could try would be to hold the throttle open slightly. Maybe the Idle Air Control (IAC) is not working properly (or there is too much carbon for it to work). Also, the turn key off, then back on scenario caused me to initially suspect the electric fuel pump.

-Rod

I would look to the pass key system. The security system uses a passive transistor in the key that tells a sensor in the key cylinder that it is in fact your key and not an aftermarket cut or just that the lock was picked. Depending on the engine, it either disables the fuel pump or the spark. If it disables the fuel pump, you would get a few seconds of running until the fuel ran out. If it disables the spark, it would be a similar symptom - it would run for a little bit until the computer realizes that the sensor isn't getting the right signal from the key and it disables spark.

I think that if it were the battery you wouldn't have the ability to crank the engine. Once the engine starts, you don't need the battery at all.... although you can damage things if you don't have one connected. The starter needs nearly 200 amps to start the engine, but once its running you only need about 10 amps. If it were bad battery connections, it doesn't make sense that you could start it, but then it dies after its running.

A new lock cylinder is what would fix it (if that's the problem). They should be available for about $120 with the sensor, and then the computer needs to be reflashed to match the key to the sensor. Most GM shops will do that for $99 (one hour of labor). Be aware, though... replacing those cylinders is not easy. You have to install the tumblers that match your key. Its a pile of tiny springs, tumblers, codes, and its not for the faint of heart. I charge 2.2 hours at my shop just to install a new cylinder.

Wouldn't a 1997 GM just use the resistor key rather than the transponder key? If that's the case, extremejrowe should be able to try a second key if he has one and see if that works better.

-Rod

I would look to the pass key system. The security system uses a passive transistor in the key that tells a sensor in the key cylinder that it is in fact your key and not an aftermarket cut or just that the lock was picked. Depending on the engine, it either disables the fuel pump or the spark. If it disables the fuel pump, you would get a few seconds of running until the fuel ran out. If it disables the spark, it would be a similar symptom - it would run for a little bit until the computer realizes that the sensor isn't getting the right signal from the key and it disables spark.

I think that if it were the battery you wouldn't have the ability to crank the engine. Once the engine starts, you don't need the battery at all.... although you can damage things if you don't have one connected. The starter needs nearly 200 amps to start the engine, but once its running you only need about 10 amps. If it were bad battery connections, it doesn't make sense that you could start it, but then it dies after its running.

A new lock cylinder is what would fix it (if that's the problem). They should be available for about $120 with the sensor, and then the computer needs to be reflashed to match the key to the sensor. Most GM shops will do that for $99 (one hour of labor). Be aware, though... replacing those cylinders is not easy. You have to install the tumblers that match your key. Its a pile of tiny springs, tumblers, codes, and its not for the faint of heart. I charge 2.2 hours at my shop just to install a new cylinder.

I'm not trying to question your intellegence, just trying to learn since you seem to be one of the smartest ones on here. and im open to anything you have to say, whether it is to correct me or critic me. Are you sure a car couldn't stay running a bit and then die while corroded? When I learned about the importance of keeping battery terminals clean, my rice-tastic corolla would start and at any given time would die. Absoululty everything would shut off from the engine all the way to the clock,and sometimes it would be a second after i started it and at other times it would die while driving it. I forget how i discovered it but I found by wiggling on the terminals got the car to start eventually and the clock was reset. Then I got told to try cleaning them and i took the terminals off and saw they were heavily corroded and after cleaning them I didn't have that problem anymore. However I may also not fully understand what happened.