txdriver

My dad has a '99 Lumina with under 100k miles. A kid ran into him, causing minor damage to the right front fender. The car drove fine when he took it in for body work. The day he drove it home from the shop, all was fine. A couple of hours after he got home, I needed to move his car about 5 feet (parked in front of the house) and all was fine. A few hours later, he got in it to run an errand and the car wouldn't even turn over. It still wouldn't turn over the next day, so we tried to jump it with my Dodge. Nothing.

He had it towed to a shop and the guys couldn't find anything with the initial diagnostic. Eventually they said it had to do with the wiring in the starter in the steering column, so they replaced the ignition (requiring a new key). I'm not a "car guy," so my description may not be real accurate. Sorry!

Anyway, he picked the car up late yesterday (the bill was $500). Today he drove it a couple of times, no problem, but when he started out the third time, nothing, just like before.

When it failed to start the first time, there was no radio or A/C but the lights, horn, power locks and windows worked fine; Viper security worked fine. Dash lights were mostly what always comes on when you turn the key. Today when it wouldn't start, Dad said the dome light (and radio, I think) worked. If he can't get it started Monday, the mechanic said he will pay to have it towed back to his shop.

Any ideas are appreciated! Dad's in his mid-80s and doesn't work on cars anymore, but maybe there's something I could help him with? Again, I don't know much about cars (other than all the stuff that was wrong with my old cars -- alternator, voltage regulator, timing chain, broken tooth on a fly wheel, etc.).