1999 Saturn SW2 SW2 won't start

Tiny
PDSTARCEVIC
  • MEMBER
  • 1999 SATURN SW2
  • 4 CYL
  • FWD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 144,000 MILES
There are two similar questions already posted. Neither one gives a working answers.

As a rule, you open the door with a keyless remote, start the car and drive away. But, on occasion, everything appears to work but when you turn the key, nothing happens. It just won't turn over, or even act like it is trying too. After a while, if you let the car sit, it will start. Sometimes you can speed the process up by doing a Billy Gates. You know, open the door, slam the door, lock and unlock the doors a couple of times, close the window, open the window. Get in, get out. Bang on the lower side of the steering column. Try the ignition again. Sometimes it takes two or three random cycles to get it to work. We've noticed that the problem usually follows opening the driver door and then opening the hatch back with the remote. I think it has something to do with a 'kill' relay, except I don't know it the car even has a kill swtch built into the starting/alarm system.
Saturday, March 20th, 2010 AT 12:48 PM

3 Replies

Tiny
SATURNTECH9
  • MECHANIC
  • 30,869 POSTS
If u have a factory keyless entry alarm then it has a starter kill where it will not let the starter get power to turn the engine over. There is no one size fits all on this one u could have a problem with ur starter or ur rke module key fob. So when this happens does the starter engage?Do u have a multimeter to do some tests because u will need one to trace this done let me know.
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Saturday, March 20th, 2010 AT 4:48 PM
Tiny
PDSTARCEVIC
  • MEMBER
  • 3 POSTS
I have power. The car starts before the problem. Then the car starts after a time for the issue to clear.

It is a factory installed keyless entry/alarm system. Where is this switch? In the column, part of the ignition switch, on the starter?
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Saturday, March 20th, 2010 AT 8:14 PM
Tiny
SATURNTECH9
  • MECHANIC
  • 30,869 POSTS
What ur factory alarm does is it has what's called a rke module a remote keyless entry when u lock ur car with the remote it takes away the ground to ur starter relay then when u unlock with ur remote it puts that ground back. If u want to see if it's the alarm next time it won't start go under the drivers dash down the column find the starter relay. Take a multimeter and probe the yellow wire going to terminial a2 of the relay with the key in the start postion if u have power there and no crank then u don't have a alarm issue. Let me know what u find.
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Sunday, March 21st, 2010 AT 12:10 PM

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