1998 Pontiac Bonneville no start

Do not bang on the starter. Starting with '87 models, the starters use permanent magnets that are glued to the housing, and pounding on it can break them loose, then you will need a new starter. There are a lot of other possible causes of a failure to crank. First try shifting to neutral and starting it. If that works, suspect the neutral safety switch or its adjustment.

Measure the battery's voltage with a digital voltmeter. It will be 12.6 volts if it's fully-charged. If it's less than that, try jump-starting it with another car. If that works, the voltage at the battery with the engine off and with it running will tell us where to go next. Don't rely on the brightness of the head lights or interior lights. That's not a good indicator of the battery's ability to crank the engine.

Another trick is to remove the starter relay, pop its cover off, reinstall it that way, then squeeze the contact. If that works, turn the ignition switch to "run", then use the relay to start the engine. Be sure the transmission is in "park" so you don't have to run down the street after your car when the engine starts!