About a 1996 Chevy Cavalier

Tiny
DRAGONMASTER2009
  • MEMBER
  • 1996 CHEVROLET CAVALIER
  • 4 CYL
  • FWD
  • MANUAL
My 96 Chevy Cavalier, has always started right up either in the 1st or 2nd crank of the key. I parked my car for a little bit, and now it doesnt want to start. I know the battery is a little bit low from sitting for a while. But now it doesnt want to start.

My 96 Cavalier is a 2.0L Standard 5 speed, the clutch is good, I have checked my ignition fuse, & have tried to jump my car(as its been sitting a while), and it doesnt want to crank over. The battery terminals are grounded properly, tight & secured & clean. The Spark plugs & distributor cap are clean, and have always started my car right up in the past.

My car is equiped with the gas turn off security feature if someone tried to boost my car without the right key.

Right now when I turn the key my dash lights turn on, the security light turns on & stays on, then when I turn the key there is no cranking over at all. Can this be from my battery being sitting too long? Or My Starter or Alternator? Or can it be that my security gas turn off feature has been activated with the light staying on? My car has always started right up usually within the 1st or 2nd turn of the key.

Over the summer I had professionally installed extra neon lights, & other accessories directly from my battery(so I know my battery will be a bit low), & I have unhooked those(during the time of trying to start & boost my car) to see if those are draining my battery more.

But even when I have it charging by booster cables with another vehicle's good battery, it still shows I have power on my dash & all my lights etc, but it still doesnt want to crank over. What may be the problem for my 1996 Cavalier. I have some automotive knowledge, & I first thought if there is no cranking over, that it could be either my ignition, starter or distributor cap may be loose.
Saturday, January 29th, 2011 AT 8:00 PM

2 Replies

Tiny
DRAGONMASTER2009
  • MEMBER
  • 2 POSTS
I have checked all my electrical, fuses, PCM box, Grounding, Spark plugs, and have unhooked my neon lights & other accessories, and I still have power right now with the turn of the key, but no cranking over. Before I had parked my car, My car had gotten stuck in some snow underneith my car, and it was running very hot(as that day as I did not check my engine oil & was almost completely out of engine oil at that time). When I parked my car, I had put in more oil, checked for any leaks, which there was none, I have a least a 1/4 of a tank of gas in my car, all my neons, subs and extra accessories I had originally professional installed to my battery over last summer were all grounded properly, & with fuses on all power wires from my accessories. And even with all those hooked up my car has always started right up in the past, and over the winter in cold climets. But even with my automotive knowledge I still cant seem to get my car to crank over, even when it is being power boosted & jumped from another car. It has been a good car for a while, and I really would hate to want to junk it.
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Saturday, January 29th, 2011 AT 8:11 PM
Tiny
JDL
  • MECHANIC
  • 16,098 POSTS
Are you saying it cranks good but won't start or the starter won't even crank? If the battery is down, take it off and get it charged.
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Friday, April 15th, 2011 AT 4:35 PM

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