Ugh, Car Wont Start

[Msaone]

Last week my son was stranded at the mall. Car would not start. I Flicked the ignition a few times and it fired up. Acted like a bad Neutral safety switch. My poor kid spent two days figuring out how to disconnect the cable from the switch.

He got everything back together and it still wont start.

What could it be?

Also he said he ran through a deep puddle last week before it broke down. Should I change the starter relay too?

Help!

[1BADAIR]

No start or no crank?

[Msaone]

When you turn the key guages cycle but no crank. if you bump the ignition (key) and get lucky,. it fires right up

[1BADAIR]

starter. When it does it have someone hold the key in crank and tap the starter with a hammer

[bri2203]

See if you are getting power to the starter when it is in the crank position

[Gregs_gsxr]

try this, I know it says for vats removal, but I had the same problem as you, my vats is there, factory key and it worked before. Just one day it wouldn't do anything, found this vid, bypassed the relay and now problem fixed, skip to 1:34

try it and report back

[Fox Slaughter]

Yupp sounds like a bad starter. Smack it with something. I drove around with a bad starter for like a week, but mine was a manual so we just push started it haha.

[Msaone]

Guys thanks. The starter is two months old. Like the video, Ill try it. My neighbor is a gearhead and engineer. He found "the yellow wire" going from starter module to the starter. They think thats the problem. Does the yellow wire have anything to do with Vats?

[zeeman]

Dont rule the starter out just because its new. I had a new one last year that drove me crazy for over a week. It had identicle symptoms to the starter it was replacing.
Next time it doesnt start. While someone holds the key over, smack it with a hammer. That should get it moving. Or better yet, put a test light on the small wire. If you are getting current there but no start, the starter is suspect. Assuming the battery and wires are ok.

[Gregs_gsxr]

Joe is correct, even though its new, it can be a dud.

[Msaone]

Dont rule the starter out just because its new. I had a new one last year that drove me crazy for over a week. It had identicle symptoms to the starter it was replacing.
Next time it doesnt start. While someone holds the key over, smack it with a hammer. That should get it moving. Or better yet, put a test light on the small wire. If you are getting current there but no start, the starter is suspect. Assuming the battery and wires are ok.

Engineer neighbor figured out the the heavy yellow wire in the dash is the purple wire (the small one) at the starter. Getting intermitent voltage. Just trying to figure out if that wire goes straight through or if there's something it goes to before the starter.

[Gregs_gsxr]

did you try bypassing the relay yet ?

[Msaone]

did you try bypassing the relay yet ?

I thought about that. neighbor didnt think the car had one. I've been extremely busy and havent had a chance to look. Ill check