youeffsee

First off ill start by saying im quite knowledgeable about mechanics but I am at a loss on why this isnt working.

97 cavilier 2.0L base.
So first off someone tried to steal the car. Snapped a screwdriver off trying to pry it to start. (Yes they were extremely dumb and its the only thing they did. No wires touched just used screwdiver)... I replaced the igntion by drilling it out. Installed the new one. (Unhooked battery for this). Went thro the 10min relearn process... and now the car wont start. It just turns over but will not catch. ( it is not starting for a second then shutting off like the antitheft does) but just doesnt catch and smells like raw gas after trying to start. ( kinda leaning toward fuel pump problem but just dont see how punching ignition would have killed it.) What I am wondering is is there anyone out there that delt with this before and is it just something dumb and easy that I am missing. Or are you thinkingfuel pump aswell. Any awnser is a good awnser like I said im at a loss so please anything would be appreciated.

sledge.impy

if it smells like gas, how would the fuel pump be involved?

sounds like your dumping fuel in the cylinders.

youeffsee

This could be it thank you sludge for your input.....ill take a look at this in a bit and post any results.

I did also forget to mention that if I prime over the fuel pump by turning the key repeately to on postion without starting car it will start for a second then it dies out.

sledge.impy

Put the gas pedal to the floor and try starting it. that should cut the fuel...then ease out the gas pedal or something like that or just remove it.....

Segfault

Flooring the pedal will cut the fuel, yes, if there is a carburetor - will not help with EFI.

youeffsee

PROBLEM RESOLVED.

Turns out my first instinct was correct and it was something stupid I wasnt seeing.... the new ignition cylinder is faulty. It doest have the position at run for it to lock at after you turn over the car. So the cylinder only has the off/lights/start insted of off/lights/run/start....

I found this on another forum ill post what he wrote in hopes that it can help someone else in the future and he explains it better than I can. I thank everyone for there help


Scott*|*Jul 16, 2010

Hopefully this might help someone with a Cavalier that won't start. I didn't post asking for help, but too many people never come back to say what they found, so I am making up for some of them.*

I just fixed my 97 Cavalier that began having trouble staring a couple days ago. It would crank and sound like it was running, but when I let go of the key, it would die.*

It didn't matter if it was hot or cold, I always had trouble starting it. Sometimes it would start and run, but only after trying 6 to 10 times or more. Once it started, it would run perfectly fine. Next time I would go to start it though, the same problem happened.*

At first I suspected the fuel pump (it did run for 2 seconds when I turned the key). However, when I pressed on the gas pedal while cranking, the engine would rev, so I eliminated the fuel pump as the problem. I thought about the ignition switch not working in the "Run" position but when the car did start, it ran fine, so I eliminated that as being the problem.*

I was about to start trouble shooting by checking for spark and pulling out my mulitmeter to check voltages, but wanted to check if there was a passcode problem first.*

When I was checking to see if the passcode security light was coming on, I noticed something strange. The ignition switch has 4 positions - off, idiot lamp test, run, and start. I noticed that when I went from the "idiot light test" position to the "run" position, two extra lights came on. Once was "Check Engine" and the other was "ETS" or something similar. This gave me the clue I needed.*

I then noticed that when I cranked the engine and released the key, the idiot lights stayed on EXCEPT FOR the "Check Engine" and "ETS". These two should be lit with the ignition switch in the "run" position, but they weren't. Then when I went to crank again, those two would came on.*

Of course now it hit me. It was a bad ignition switch. What was happening was that after releasing the key from the "start" position, instead of the ignition switch falling back to the "run" position and stopping there, it was falling back (past the "run" position) to the "idiot light test" position. With so many idiot lights on the dash illuminated, at first I never notice that two weren't lit, but should have been.*

To confirm this I did the following. Instead of releasing the key like normal after cranking, I held on to it with my fingers and slowly guided it backwards which would cause it to stop at the "run" position. Every time I did this, the car started and ran fine. I went to the auto store, picked up a new ignition switch ($40 with a lifetime guarantee), and replaced it. Now the car is back to normal and starts and runs perfectly.

As usual, once the problem is fixed, the symptoms make complete sense. At those times when the ignition switch didn't fall all the way back to the "idiot light test" position, the car started and ran fine. Heat or cold had no bearing on this so that's why it wouldn't start regardless of temperature.*

It is quite possible that had the switch worn out more, it might have popped out of the run position and cause the car to stall at those times when it did start. I am glad I found the problem before that happened.

jvandyke

Thanks for this, similar problem. Was not getting a check engine light with key on, only 1.12 or so volts to PCM, Fuel Pump and other circuits, took cowling off ignition, put key on and starting beating on the switch (where the wires connect, the left side of the column for those playing at home, right by the lever for tiltiing the wheel), suddenly had CEL and she ran. Ordering new switch. Thanks for reporting in.