When I try to crank the engine the lights turn off and it does not crank

Tiny
EDGAR ARMENTA
  • MEMBER
  • 2012 CHEVROLET
  • 1.6L
  • 4 CYL
  • FWD
  • MANUAL
  • 80,000 MILES
So I have a Sonic, and when I open the key everything turns on fine, dash, radio, internal lighting, but when I try to give the car a crank the lights turn off and it dos not crank. While the keys in the ignition position the engine light stays on. I plugged in a scanner, no codes, even charged the battery to make sure it was not the battery, and checked all the fuses and relays to make sure, interior and exterior, I even took the cap off of the relay. I pushed the little copper plate to the rest of the relay, and the car would start although it never ran. The car was running perfect until I turned it off at a gas station, when I got back on it would not ignite anymore. I am lost at this point, any help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.
Monday, December 19th, 2016 AT 7:43 PM

3 Replies

Tiny
CARADIODOC
  • MECHANIC
  • 33,873 POSTS
Follow the smaller battery positive wire to the under-hood fuse box and be sure that connection is clean and tight.
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Monday, December 19th, 2016 AT 7:53 PM
Tiny
EDGAR ARMENTA
  • MEMBER
  • 27 POSTS
Yes, everything is good with that cable. There is even power in the underhood fuse box.
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Monday, December 19th, 2016 AT 8:00 PM
Tiny
CARADIODOC
  • MECHANIC
  • 33,873 POSTS
That connection is the most common cause of what you described on many car brands. The next thing, since the insane engineers have seen fit to hang an unnecessary computer onto every possible part of our cars, is to connect a scanner to view the live data screen and see what the engine computer is seeing for "Inputs and Outputs". Specifically, the neutral safety switch is no longer in the starter relay circuit where it was very effective. Now there is a "transmission range sensor" which is an input to the computer, and the computer operates the starter relay. The scanner will show everything that can inhibit the starter relay.
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Monday, December 19th, 2016 AT 8:29 PM

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