No start

KURTIBM

MEMBER
2003 CHEVROLET TAHOE

Electrical problem V8 Four Wheel Drive Automatic 140000 miles

I have an 03 Tahoe that has an intermittent start issue.
When the key is turned there is no cranking at all. Radio, lights, etc. All have full power. Battery is new as are the cables.
Once, I moved the shifter to neutral & it started right up after reinserting the key. Every OTHER time trying that remedy did NOT work.
I move the shift lever firmly into park and onece or twice it started - but all the other times, no.

Sometimes, I just reinsert the key without moving the shift lever and it will start.
I have reset the alarm, etc.
This happens about 1-in-100 starts, but I do a lot of driving in remote areas and it is a potentially serious problem.
Can anyone shed some light please?

Thanks,
Kurt

7 Replies

SATURNTECH9

MECHANIC
30,869 POSTS

It sound's like it could be a bad selector switch from you shifting to neutral and it starting. But without tracing power when it happens we would just be guessing. Do you have a test light or a multimeter to trace power?

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Thursday, August 5th, 2010 AT 8:16 PM

KURTIBM

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3 POSTS

Thanks.
By 'selector switch' - is that the same as (what we used to call) a neutral safety switch?
As you can see by what I described initially, the movement of the shift lever has not had success in geyting the truck to start in more than 1 or 2 caes out of the 30+ incidents.
It's tough to pinpoint as sometimes, without any other change, I just reinsert the key, turn the switch and it starts. Sometimes I'll remove & reinsert the key and it won't start - sometimes for 20 - 30 cycles, but then, without any othger change, it DOES. No 'check engine', no codes, no funky lights.

Thanks,
Kurt

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Thursday, August 5th, 2010 AT 8:35 PM

SATURNTECH9

MECHANIC
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You got it selector switch/neutral safety if you had a test light we could trace the power to see where it stop's when the starter isn't working and find our problem. It could just be a starter even. Does it do it more when the engine is hot?

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Thursday, August 5th, 2010 AT 9:26 PM

KURTIBM

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3 POSTS

Every time it has done it the engine has been cold (or at last having been parked for an hour, min.) But, that is pretty much the norm for the vehicle, as I'm not in-and-out of the car all the time as some are.
Respectfully, I don't think that the selector switch is the issue, as sometimes I never touch the selector between it failing to start and it finally starting. I merely reinsert the key and turn the ignition switch.

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Friday, August 6th, 2010 AT 8:26 AM

SATURNTECH9

MECHANIC
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I didn't say for sure it was the selector switch i'm just throwing idea's around. The starter relay is control by the selector switch and the pcm. So we would have to trace power for sure when it didn't start to see for sure what the real cause was. The reason I asked if it happened more when the engine was hot because that would lead us more likely in the engine compartment where thing's could heat up and fail.I emailed you a wire diagram so you can get an idea of the thing's that make up the starting system's. So when it doesn't start does the security light ever come on?