So I get out of work and get into my car... I turn the key and nothing. All interior lights and radio turn on but engine doesnt turn. The starter didnt even turn, it was weird. I was turning the key but its as if the key stayed in the ACC position. I drove the car a few hours before and everything was fine. At first it seemed like it was an alarm problem, as if the starter kill kicked in, but it wasnt, I completely unplugged the alarm and teh car still didn't want to turn on. I checked the battery and it was fine, I even tried to jump start it but still nothing. I decided to push the car back into the shop (where i work) and would leave it there till the next day, the second we finish pushing it back, my friend turns the key and the car turns on. Very weird, anybody have an idea of why it happened? As of now it has been turning on, but I'm afraid it might happen again. ANy thoughts would be appreciated, thanks!

-Devon

 

stick or auto?

 

what kind of alarm? i have the same problems with my code alarm. going on my 3rd brain and harness cause the pins burn out. also if you unplug the alarm it still will not start. it is designed to do that. i suggest 2 things. its either your alarm, or your neutral safety switch if you an auto..

 

I've got a 96, and I've found that sometimes I have to turn the key a little harder than normal to get it to start. It's like you described, the lights and radio come on, but when you turn the key to the start position nothing happens. Sometimes it works fine though. Must depend upon the alignment of the planets.

 

When you turn the key to the on position, do the dash lights like brake, CE, etc. turn on?

 

if its a stick could be the clutch interlock

 

Did you forget to put the car in P before turning off?


sorry it happened to me and scared the crap out of me

 

check grounds at battery terminal.

 

This EXACT same thing has happened to me about 3 times now. Could it be the alternator? If I turn my subs off and wait for about half an hour, it usually starts again. This is some scary stuff.

 

I had this happen to me two times within four years. I simply waited 45 minutes or so with the hood open and it turned over the second I cranked. Both times it was during the dead of heat in summer. Could it be a heating issue? I would like to know what might be happening too.

 

For my situation, it seems more of a cold issue. It happened to me on the coldest days of the year. Although, once it happened to me after I had been driving around for a while. I went up to Taco Bell with my girlfriend and the engine was warmed up. When we got done eating, we went out to the car and BAM, the lights all turn on, no crank. Its just like turning the key the first click. Man was that **** embarassing

 

What happened to my car was that when I turned the key forward to on, none of the dash lights would come on, it would be dead, but everything else worked. It ended up being the ignition fuse in the engine bay. I just had to wiggle the fuse and it would make contact and the car would start. A $15 fuse fixed the problem. It was very frustrating trying to figure it out. I would try and start the car and it would be dead, then I would try an hour later and it would start. One time the car wouldn't start, so I had to have to towed to a shop and have them look at it. Guess what, it started 30 times in a row for them. I drove it home after that and the next morning my car wouldn't start.

 

I had some of the symptons mention on this thread. The problem existed for a year or so. I thought some of the wires near the key switch needed to be replace. I also need to turn the key harder at the last click to start the car. At the end, the starter needed to be replace. Once the new starter was in installed, the problem went away.

 

I have a similar problem, and will look at the ignition fuse. Turn the key once, and it does not start, turn it again and it starts. Normally takes two times, unless I just started like 10 minutes or so before. Otherwise turn it twice and it starts...Not sure what it is.

 

Could be starter going bad... Same thing happend to someone I know, replaced starter, that was the end of that.

 

wow lots of replies, first off, i have an auto.
I think my alternator is going bad because i have a weird humming sound. Also, I didnt have to wait that long, maybe a total of 10 minutes before it started again. It wasnt the battery cause even with a jump start it wouldnt turn on. All my dash and interior lights turned on like normal, I always put it in park so thats not the problem. I have an old prestige, I disconnected it and it still didnt work, but when the car started, I still had the alarm disconnected. As of now the alarm is still disconnected but the car starts fine. Lastly, I live in miami, lots of hot humid weather, i'm pretty sure my starter is ok.

 

i'll make this short and sweet. your car did not lock into park properly causing your starter to stay disengaged. when you pushed it in the shop and put it in park it finally seated properly. it has happen to me on several occassions. so if it happens again simply put thwe car in neutral and back into park and it should start.

 

wow thats weird but it makes a lot of sense, how do you fix that?

 

there' nothing to fix, you just didnt allow the car to roll into the lock position.

 

If you have to turn your key farther than you have to, your ignition switch has crapped out.