I started my car before leaving for work...went inside to let it warm up for a while & when I went back out to leave the car was completely dead! The running lights were off & everything. I turned the key forward & there was nothing. It wouldnt crank at all. HELP PLEASE...what are the first things to look for?

The battery terminals are tight.

I have an aftermarket fuel pump & I couldnt even hear that kicking on with the key turned forward.

 

Well it can be number of things. But a good place to begin with would be the battery. You said that when u crank there's nothing and no lights or anything so you battery might be dead. IF your alternator went and stopped charging the battery it would taken a bit till it got drained and it died. jusy my $.02. Good luck

 

yea check the batt. my V6's alt. went out and it took about 8 minutes to drain the batt with everything going, then i had the same symptoms u are having.

 

The car is not totally dead, it does have power but when you turn the key forward the dash lights don't even come on ( such as Service engine soon, Air bag light etc.) none of those light up and the car will not crank or do anything. Even when I hook up a battery charger it shows that the battery is good....

 

Have you made any recent mods, no matter how insignifigant?

 

No I haven't done anything and the car has been running great...

 

ignition switch, 90% sure. Do a search for my thread this summer on vacation to Florida , same problem

 

Thank you very much! That definately sounds like my problem....

 

If you headlights are dim or don't work, it's not the ignition switch. Sounds like the battery or poor connection from the battery to the car. Try another known good battery in it.

 

My headlights are bright and my dash lights work except the "idiot" lights on the dash. When I turn my key forward to start it I get nothing at all and the headlights do not get dim I just get no cranking, nothing at all. Just complete silence...

 

That does make the ignition switch a good suspect (your original post said running lights were off and I took that to mean the exterior lights). When my ignition switch was going out, it cut off like that a couple of times.

Try this-flip the key cylinder back and forth numerous times to see if you can get some response. If you need it, there are instructions on how to change the switch on my Tech Page.

 

Ignition switch maybe... but here's a crazy idea, check your "radio" fuse in the fuse box inside the car. Trust me, this happened to me at the track one night, might not be your problem but it sounds like it.

 

It was the ignition switch. Car is back up and running 100%, thanks alot guys and thanks Shoebox for your awesome tech page!
I did it without taking the steering column out but I wouldn't recommend it, what a pain in the neck...

 

Literally.