Would this be an ignition switch problem?

[goser]

97 SE, has had occasional no start problems but a quick charge or boost would get her going. Today it happened again as usual--turned the key to start and everything goes dead. No starter, no lights, and sometimes I couldn't hear the fuel pump priming. I got my father-in-law to boost me and the guages are going crazy as we do it but it it starts up fine. I checked the alternator and was getting good voltage. Later in the day she starts up fine but on the way to the gas station the rpm's were fluttering, and when i try to leave she stalled several times and then died for good. CAA came and tested the battery with their ginchy little device and it said it was good, so we tried to boost it several times but it would start until he disconnected the leads and it would die. If we juiced it it would run but it was backfiring or something and died again when we let off the gas. I tried to put on the 4-ways while waiting for a tow but it made a grinding noise from the steering column. This whole time I'm thinking it must be an ignition switch--would these symptoms support that or do you folks think there might be something else causing this?

[BNaylor]

If you still have the original ignition switch and harness assembly its possible. However, I would make sure the battery is definitely good even though the so called test passed. Also, check the battery positive and negative terminal connections and the cables especially to the starter and solenoid circuits and main fuse box. Have you measured with a meter the battery voltage across the pos/neg terminals when you take it to on or start? Also, check the alternator for proper output at idle if you can get it to stay running for any period of time. If the 12 volts is too low you will get a bunch of weird symptoms. Next step would be to check voltages at the IGN MAIN 1 and 2 circuits preferably at the respective fuse socket which should be the output of the ignition switch.

Does the grinding sound when hazards are turned on sound more like grinding or electrical arcing?

[goser]

I defered to my mechanic this morning and put in a new battery (twice because the first one had top posts that don't fit under the washer fluid reservoir), and cleaned up the terminals. She started fine and i drove her home, but it felt 'heavy' and the rpms fluttered a few times. Then on the way back to work she stalled at an intersection and wouldn't start again. It turns over but dies immediately or within a second or two.

The alternator tested 13-14 volts yesterday. I didn't think to check voltage in the start position. I'm wondering if there may be an intermittent short somewhere now--I didn't get a chance to test the new battery after it died, but the old one reads 6 volts this morning. Even with a low battery wouldn't the alternator keep it running though?

The hazards were making a sound like an electic buzzer, they're okay again today though.

Thanks for the help, I'm getting to know the local tow truck driver too well.

[goser]

I'm pretty sure I have electrical gremlins, but re-reading my post it sounds like a fuel issue. I don't have a pressure tester at the moment, so that'll have to wait until my mechanic opens again. Does the fuel pump resisor problem affect 97 SE 3800's or just the GTP's?

[maxwedge]

Supercharged cars only.

[goser]

Well this has been quite the goose chase. My mechanic tested the car several times yesterday and couldn't reproduce my problems, so I wen't over to the garage late last night. She starts every time, so I drive it around the parking lot to get it up to operating temperature and sure enough when warm she starts to sputter. So I sit there scratching my head and a small squeak starts from the engine compartment so I go around front and follow the burning rubber smell to the compressor pulley. It's seized. The old battery must've not had enough juice to overcome that friction, and when the belt warms up it starts sticking and bogging down the engine. I'm gonna head over today and see if I can get a shorter belt and just bypass the a/c for the time being.