Need advice, 2000 suburban won't start

[pfirstenhammer]

Please give me some advice if you can. I have a 2000 suburban that will not start, starter will not engage. Drove it to a baseball game last night, everything was fine, got into the vehicle after the game and the starter will not engage. Battery is about a month old, has plenty of charge. Put it on jumper cables for 5 minutes to make sure. Starter will simply not engage. Everything else appears to work. Is there a security override or some sort of emergency shutoff that I'm unaware of? My belief is that this has to be something completely obvious that I'm too ignorant to know about.

The only other things that I can add is the fuel gauge shows no fuel in the tank and I had about 3/4 of a tank when I arrived at the game. (We added fuel just in case I was siphoned). After that fuel still appears to show no fuel in the tank.

The final anomaly that I noticed is that the LED transmission position indicator on the dashboard does not light up. I put the vehicle in gear and back into park but I get nothing.

Hopefully someone out there can help me with this.

[inafogg]

not sure if they use a chip in key on your car if so try another key
or clean the old 1

[pfirstenhammer]

Don't believe that the key has a chip. Excuse my ignorance, but how do you tell?

Is it possible that a relay could've gone out? Seems odd given the cirumstances, but that's the only other thing that I could come up with.

[inafogg]

you would see the chip in the key if it has 1.
start with the basics,check to see if you have 12v to starter,you can tap
the starter to see if that helps,thinking the brushes are'nt making contact.
checking fuses.i dont no if the fuel gauge reading has anything to do with it
does the security lamp flash??

[j cAT]

Originally Posted by pfirstenhammer

Please give me some advice if you can. I have a 2000 suburban that will not start, starter will not engage. Drove it to a baseball game last night, everything was fine, got into the vehicle after the game and the starter will not engage. Battery is about a month old, has plenty of charge. Put it on jumper cables for 5 minutes to make sure. Starter will simply not engage. Everything else appears to work. Is there a security override or some sort of emergency shutoff that I'm unaware of? My belief is that this has to be something completely obvious that I'm too ignorant to know about.

The only other things that I can add is the fuel gauge shows no fuel in the tank and I had about 3/4 of a tank when I arrived at the game. (We added fuel just in case I was siphoned). After that fuel still appears to show no fuel in the tank.


Hopefully someone out there can help me with this.

if you have all working but will not crank this would be in most cases the starter solenoid. give the starter a few taps with a hammer while another turns key to crank position...make sure battery connections and grounds are secure........

if it then starts check all wire connections if secure it would be the starter..with a meter you can see if the starter has power to it and if not relays do control this and fuses also should be checked with a meter....

if the security system was messed up /or on the engine would crank and the engine would start then rapidly die.

[pfirstenhammer]

I determined that the problem is a blown fuse. I replaced it, now its blowing again. The fuse is called IGN C. It controls the ignition switch, fuel pump, PRND321 display, and Crank according to the manual. My buddy says that the fuel pump is kicking in when the ign. switch is turned on, but I haven't checked it. I replaced the yesterday and turned the key to auxilliary to roll down the window to see what i could hear and when i turned the key back to the neutral postition the fuse blew. Not sure what crank controls, if thats crankshaft postition sensor or if that's to actuate the starter. It hardly seems as if the PRND321 display would be a problem.

Any thoughts from anyone on this?

[MT-2500]

Originally Posted by pfirstenhammer

I determined that the problem is a blown fuse. I replaced it, now its blowing again. The fuse is called IGN C. It controls the ignition switch, fuel pump, PRND321 display, and Crank according to the manual. My buddy says that the fuel pump is kicking in when the ign. switch is turned on, but I haven't checked it. I replaced the yesterday and turned the key to auxilliary to roll down the window to see what i could hear and when i turned the key back to the neutral postition the fuse blew. Not sure what crank controls, if thats crankshaft postition sensor or if that's to actuate the starter. It hardly seems as if the PRND321 display would be a problem.

Any thoughts from anyone on this?

Ign fuse c feeds ign switch.
Ign switch does not have neutral only transmission does.

What position on switch does it blow?

What sub and what engine and transmission and 2 0r 4W do you have?

I would unplug ing switch and with a fused jumper jump starter circuit first and see if any shorts
If none and starter circuit jump runs starter .
Then move on to checking acc and run circuits which should be mostly fused between them and ign switch.

Has any wiring or fuse repair or fuse jumpered or any thing been done or replaced on it?

[pfirstenhammer]

I was calling the "off" position neutral. Sorry for the terminology screw up.

It blows as soon as you turn the key to "start." Also, I had the key in the auxilliary (acc) position and turned it to off and it blew the fuse at that point as well. A friend said that he thought it might be a bad connection on the starter (?) Not sure on that one.

5.3 Vortec 4WD. Automatic.

Nothing replaced recently. Front wheel bearing in early April and a fuel pump last May. turn signals and running lights in January. That's the most I can remember.

[MT-2500]

Originally Posted by pfirstenhammer

I was calling the "off" position neutral. Sorry for the terminology screw up.

It blows as soon as you turn the key to "start." Also, I had the key in the auxilliary (acc) position and turned it to off and it blew the fuse at that point as well. A friend said that he thought it might be a bad connection on the starter (?) Not sure on that one.

5.3 Vortec 4WD. Automatic.

Nothing replaced recently. Front wheel bearing in early April and a fuel pump last May. turn signals and running lights in January. That's the most I can remember.

1500?

If it does it in start check the starter circuit from ign switch threw start fuse an neutral saftey and relay and onto the starter solenoid and wiring on solenoid.

And if doing it on acc check all circuits on acc.
Also
You may have to start unplugging to find it.
And make sure ign switch does not have a short to ground.
Strange it will blow ign fuse to swith and not any other fuses.

Let us know how it goes.

[MT-2500]

Looks like ign 1 fuse feeds ign relay also.

[pfirstenhammer]

It's not doing it on acc. Just when the key in the ignition switch is turned back to the off position from the acc position. It also blows when the key is turned to the on or start position. I also turned it to the on or start position and then attempted to install a fuse and the fuse blew at that time as well.

Yea, the suburban is a 1500. LT.

And yea, nothing else for fuses blown. Just that one.

[MT-2500]

Originally Posted by pfirstenhammer

It's not doing it on acc. Just when the key in the ignition switch is turned back to the off position from the acc position. It also blows when the key is turned to the on or start position. I also turned it to the on or start position and then attempted to install a fuse and the fuse blew at that time as well.

Yea, the suburban is a 1500. LT.

And yea, nothing else for fuses blown. Just that one.

Everything from ign switch is fuses.
I would check the ign switch for shorting to ground.
And ign switch wiring to fuse box.
Something at ign switch or from switch to fuse box shorting.
Good Luck and let us know how it goes.

Ps some tool place make short finding tool saves a lot of time to find short and on fuses and unpluging everything.

[j cAT]

Originally Posted by pfirstenhammer

I was calling the "off" position neutral. Sorry for the terminology screw up.

It blows as soon as you turn the key to "start." Also, I had the key in the auxilliary (acc) position and turned it to off and it blew the fuse at that point as well. A friend said that he thought it might be a bad connection on the starter (?) Not sure on that one.

5.3 Vortec 4WD. Automatic.

Nothing replaced recently. Front wheel bearing in early April and a fuel pump last May. turn signals and running lights in January. That's the most I can remember.

the ign c fuse is 20A...this goes to the crank fuse 10A and to the ign O 10A fuse...when the ignition switch is in the start/and or run position..

you stated the ign c fuse 20A blew in the ACC position ????this is strange since it does not feed any circuit in the ACC position...

my guess is the ignition switch or wires around it have shorted to the carbody ground..or the fuse box needs removal to access under it to check for rodent wire damage..this is not hard to do on this vehicle..I would do the fuse box see if the wires have been eaten..

I KNOW THEY LIKE THIS AREA !

[pfirstenhammer]

It doesn't blow in ACC. It blows when the key is turned from ACC to the off position.

[j cAT]

Originally Posted by pfirstenhammer

It doesn't blow in ACC. It blows when the key is turned from ACC to the off position.

still this does not compute ! off/ACC no connection to this ign C fuse ...