For the past few weeks this has been happening... Car starts fine .. drive a short errand then it wont crank. Lights all fine .. a few quiet clicks in the engine area (not the starter)..

I have replaced the battery, swapped out the CRANK solenoid (relay? in fusebox). Just had the car into mechanic and of course it didnt "happen" while he had it. He cleaned some connectors and such but didnt think that was it either.

So the car is sitting in the mall lot .. wont crank.

I cant find a trigger to make it happen or fix it. It just works after 15 mins or an hour or overnight.

Tried both keys - remote start .. etc.

No alerts in the dash the anti theft light(?) in the radio blinks..

Ideas while I wait till Monday and perhaps a tow to the garage?

Daryl

 

One thought immediately comes to mind:

With a new battery and presuming the battery connections are clean and tight...Seems to me that your starter is on the way out.

Next time it does it, tap on the starter with a hammer a few times (LIGHTLY) and see if it cranks then. If it cranks its 99% confirmed there is a problem with your starter. I had one that was on the way out and I drove it for a couple of weeks with a hammer in the front seat so I could get it started when it refused to turn over. Once I replaced it...no more problems.

Hope this helps...

 

Thanks .. I suspect it is the starter and told the mechanic when I brought it in that I wouldnt be surprised if I need a new starter.

I will take it in again today/tomorrow.

Funny thing .. I did bring my hammer to the scene to rescue my wife and the dead uplander...but I couldn't find an easy way to access the starter to whack it! (too close to the curb) Do you reach it from underneath?

 

Looked at it again - you really have to snake yourself in there to give it a tap - could probably do it from either - top might be easier if you have long arms.

Hopefiully you've already straightened it out by now....

 

Knock on wood :-) it hasnt been a problem all week. go figure. Left the wife stranded a week ago Saturday ... took a try 5 hours later for it to start. Hasnt been a problem all week. Surely borrowed time but hard to take to a mechanic if it isnt showing the signs. It must be the starter, so I will likely just have him replace that for the peace of mind.

 

Got my fingers crossed for you.

 

Hi derwin,

We're pleased to hear that your vehicle concern has not been a problem for you lately. Please feel free to reach out to us if the problem returns. I will be glad to look further into this for you. If we can help, please send a private message including your full contact information, VIN, current mileage, and preferred certified GM dealership.

Best Regards,

Kristen A.
Chevrolet Customer Care

 

loose battery cable at the starter were common on these vehicles and cause this condition.