So the wife went to start the 2011 Equinox this morning and... nothing.

Thought it was battery, but the lights, radio, interior lights, wipers, etc. all function properly.

When you get in the vehicle the door chime works, when you put in the key in the ignition everything seems good. When you try to start it, the lights all go off and then when you release the key back everything comes back on. Don't hear a clicking sound (at least I can't hear it). Have tried to charge the battery, but it seems to be good.

So I'm thinking its the starter? What does the forum think?

Also, if it is the starter are there any ways to get the car started so I can drive it to a shop, don't really want to have it towed. Thanks for any help.

 

So I was able to come home after work and tap on the starter to see if that would allow it to turn over and still nothing? Any other ideas other than getting it towed into the mechanic? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

How old is the battery? It may be able to handle the lights, etc but loading with starter too big a drain. Have you tried jumping the battery yet??

 

I tried using the battery charger on it and it did not help. I will go out and try to jump it now. Thanks for that idea.

 

Tried to jump it and that didn't work either.

 

Try starting it neutral? Had a similar issue with a '10 Journey SXT we had. Wouldn't start in Park. Put in neutral and it would fire right up. Then you could start it in Park until it acted up again. I deduced the TRS (Transmission Range Sensor) was the culprit. Wife totaled it before I ever had it fixed.

 

I'll give that a try thanks.

 

Ok. So I tried to start it with the Equinox in neutral. While in neutral the vehicle would not turn over. Then immediately after that I tried to start it with my 2nd key and it started! What in the heck? I turned it off and put the original key fob in and once again it started.

Any idea what caused it to start for me? Was it trying to start it in neutral? Was it the use of the 2nd key? I'm not sure what to think. Should I take it to a mechanic and see what they think it could be? Starters don't just miraculously start working like that, right?

 

Sometimes if a starter is dying it can be an intermittent problem.

 

I had read that about starters being intermittent. But just weird that I tapped on it, tried jumping it, literally pushed the car back in forth in my driveway and it did nothing. Then I try to start it in neutral and then with a different key and it went. So can a mechanic tell me if the starter is dying? Or do you just have to wait for it to die and then get it fixed?