Went to the bank tonight, turned off the car.......went in, got cash and went back out to the car to leave. Put the clutch down, turned the key.............nothing, no clicking starting or anything. Turn the key off, try it again......nothing. Did this probably 10 times. Called my dad to come down and he tries a few times, nothing. Finally, he boards the clutch and turns the key and while it was in the starter position he managed to start the car by manipulating the key back and forth, side to side, up down whatever movement possible.......he did it and it finally worked. So we turned the car off and tried again. It took a few more tries but again got it started by moving the key all about with the clutch down. Anyways, drove the damn car home....parked it......and I could only get it to go 1 more time before I said **** it. On the way home, the secuirty light was on in the dash and it was on most of the time when I was fooling around with it at home.

Once the car is started it runs fine. When the key is turned on you can hear the fuel pump kick in like always. When the key is first turned to the power, all the lights and radio etc all come on like normal. Its just when you put the key in the starter activation is where the problem is.

So........what is it?? Column worn out?? Some kind of sensor or module??

Please help!!!

 

Sounds like the lock cylinder or resistor on the key is either worn or dirty. If you want the easy way out, read the resistance of the key, go to Radio Shack and get that value resistor, and wire it in at the bottom of the column and unplug the orange sheathed pair of wires coming from the column.

Just to clarify, you would turn the key and the car would start and die or did you turn the key and absolutely nothing happened? VATS acting funny will cause the car to start and die. If that's not it, try to hold the key at the start position and push the clutch in multiple times to the floor. If it starts one of the times when you hit the floor, check the clutch switch (on firewall under clutch pedal)

Ryan

 

When I turn the key, nothing happens. It doesnt idle then die...once it gets going it runs great. I replaced the clutch sensor under the dash one time, buy maybe its gone again. Like I said, itll go after muliple tries of manipulating the key and clutch........

 

Could be your ignition switch, or your starter. Just my $.02

 

Might be the starter.......but, I was under the impression that if a starter was dead that it would never go. Where abouts is the ignition switch located?

 

another vote for ignition switch

 

I've had the exact same thing happen to me before, and it happened in my buddies vette. It was the ignition cylinder. The problem was the resistor on the key wasn't making contact inside the cyl. IMO I would look and see if your key is worn and have a new key made.

 

Before you throw parts at it, do some tests.

1. Check the switch under your clutch pedal. Unplug it and place a jumper there. Try to start the car. If it starts, replace the clutch switch.

2. If it still does not start, leave the clutch switch unplugged and put the car in neutral. Run a jumper wire to the battery and put it in the starter side of the plug (should be purple there/ possibly yellow) If the car starts, you have determined the ignition switch is bad. If it still does not start, check the connections at the starter. If they are good, you can suspect either a bad wire to the starter or a bad starter.

Ryan

 

**UPDATE**

The car will actually start now on the first try with no manipulating of the key or clutch. However, the security light eventually comes and stays on the entire time the car is running. VATS??

 

yes, most likely the lock cylinder, until you can fix it, start it, then unplug the orange harness at the bottom of the column, it should start like that until you fix it, or disconnect the battery


oh, and for the reply on the car starting and stalling if VATS is acting up is incorrect, since VATS stops the starter from cranking(theft deterrant relay) and disables fuel via the PCM