Chevy Impala starting/not starting problem

[jd42k]

Hi all,

I'm trying to help my daughter with problem with her car and sure could use some advice/recommendation.

She has 2007 Chevy Impala and I believe it's the 3.5 engine.

Randomly the car will not start. Nothing, no cranking.

Here's what I know and have done.

She's replaced the alternator.
Once running I pulled the battery cable and that didn't change anything. (my confirmation the alternator is doing its job)

Yesterday it started 1st time after sitting all night and I drove it to Advanced Auto.

I had the battery tested yesterday and tested ok.
Also yesterday I connected a scan tool and found nothing.

Was leaning towards a starter issue but not sure. Walked inside Advanced Auto to return scan tool and asked for a price for a starter ($200). Told the counter person I was stuck now cause the car wouldn't do anything.

Counter person walked out with me and we swapped the main relay in the fuse panel and no change. (he says he could hear the main relay click when I turned the key on).

He walks back into store and comes out with long handle needle nose pliers and I believe wiggles the starter wire while I turned the key and the damn thing started.

Any thoughts?

 

[stephen87]

Sounds like a loose connection or ground.

That's just going by what you're saying about the wiggling of the wire.

 

[Sweetums]

You might start taking a look at electrical connections under the hood (battery, starter, etc)., and look for a loose connection and/or corrosion.

 

[buzzined]

You need to check the connections at the starter. If the wires are ok and the signal wire connection is good then you will need to replace the starter.

 

[chris46131]

You might start by cleaning the terminal on the starter wire and the post or connector where it attaches to the starter.

If the guy was certain he heard that click then it could also be a bad starter. I've had them act flakey like that shortly before they died completely.

If he didn't hear that click for sure you might also consider the neutral safety switch or other safety switches it might be equipped with.

 

[jd42k]

I think I'll try to hear the relay click for myself as I believe this should confirm the ignition switch is working.

 

[bobbittle]

My wife has an 03 that was doing the same thing. It was an issue with the ignition. Cost somewhere around $200 for parts and new keys and my buddy installed it for free.

If it turns out to not be the starter let me know and I can ask him what exactly it was. Apparently it's a common problem on impalas.

 

[jd42k]

My wife has an 03 that was doing the same thing. It was an issue with the ignition. Cost somewhere around $200 for parts and new keys and my buddy installed it for free.

If it turns out to not be the starter let me know and I can ask him what exactly it was. Apparently it's a common problem on impalas.

Would that be part of the Pass Lock system possibly?
I'm not leaning this way cause the dashboard icon is never illuminated once started.

Tomorrow I'll look to listen for the relay clicking in the fuse panel and I'd think this should confirm the ignition switch.

 

[buzzined]

Just to make sure you are understanding it right, if you here the click that means the signal is getting to the relay and the ignition switch is good. If no click then it could possibly be the ignition switch.

 

[NYFelon]

I think I'll try to hear the relay click for myself as I believe this should confirm the ignition switch is working.

This was going to be my first suggestion, make sure the relay is working. You can pull it, use some alligator clip test leads to hook the coil to ground and +12V, just to see if it's working. Should make it easier than trying to hear it from inside the car while turning the key. You could also leave it in place and enlist a second pair of hands to turn the key.

 

[bobbittle]

Would that be part of the Pass Lock system possibly?
I'm not leaning this way cause the dashboard icon is never illuminated once started.

Tomorrow I'll look to listen for the relay clicking in the fuse panel and I'd think this should confirm the ignition switch.

I don't recall.

It would just randomly not start, and if she left the key in the "on" position for about ten minutes it would then start. Nothing on the dash ever lit up.

 

[tom1025]

I have a Dodge Ram that would do the samething. The negative battery cable ended up being bad.

 

[halfmileharry]

My 2005 was doing the same thing. It ended up being the battery terminal. The positive terminal on the battery was loose in the battery. Jiggling the cable one morning the whole side terminal came out of the battery. Replaced battery and no more issues. It was weird. Mechanic buddy of mine said he'd seen the same thing happen a couple of times on the original GM batteries. Might give it a good jiggle?
Good luck

 

[jkaetz]

Another vote for loose/dirty connections. Disconnect the battery and starter, clean the connections and put them back together with some dielectric grease on the exposed areas.

 

[jd42k]

Definitely going to do that to the battery cables eventhough they look clean. Also looked at the negative cable going to the block and it too looks clean. Can't say that about the starter cables though.

I'll try to get to removing the starter in the next day or so and do a cleaning of the connections and adding the dielectric grease.

Thanks for all your replies so far!!!

 

[jd42k]

UPDATE:
I pulled the starter and had it tested at O'Riley's. It tested good with middle of the road voltage and currant draw. I was a bit greasy though. So I took it completely apart and clean her up real pretty.

I also removed the battery and had that tested too. It was fine.

Re-installed the starter and still won't crank to start. I can hear what I think is the starter slamming into the flywheel. I now think the gearing of the starter and flywheel are not in the right place.

I did turn clockwise a bolt on the bottom pulley connected to the drive belt thinking I was turning the engine a bit to better line up the starter gear. Not sure though. I turned the bolt about a 1/2 turn and no difference. I've tried hammering on the starter while trying to start and no change.

I'm about ready to throw in the towel.

 

[jkaetz]

You could jump the starter posts with a screwdriver to see if it is capable of turning the engine over. Just make sure you don't short anything else with the screwdriver and that everything is clear of the engine's moving parts. A couple other things to do, put a digital volt meter on the battery and see what it reads when you try to start the car. It should read around 12v when nothing is on and can drop as low as 10v or so when the starter is attempting to spin the engine. Second is simply to replace the starter anyway and see if a new one has the same problem. Usually you can return it if it turns out to not be the problem. It's not completely unusual for things to "test" good but still be bad. Testing a starter and battery without an engine to load it up is usually difficult.

 

[remauto1187]

If you dont know how to use a voltmeter/multimeter or dont have access to one then your best bet is to assume you either have a bad starter or solenoid or bad electrical connection. Run through ALL of your connections and remove and clean then retighten them. Both at the battery then negative from battery which usually bolts to the engine block and then the last is the positive which bolts to the large stud on the starter solenoid. DOnt forget the small wire on your starter solenoid (there might be 2 or 3 connected) to the small stud. The small one is where you get the 12v enable from the ignition switch. If you jump the small and large studs together while ignition is in the ON position the car should turn over then start if all is ok. This will rule out your ignition circuit all together if the car starts everytime. If still no start after you have done all of the above then you most likely have a bad starter with dead spots in its commutator.(smacking with a hammer sometimes causes to starter to work)
Where are you located?

 

[Don]

If it will not start try leaving the key on the the on position for exactly 10 minutes or more. DO NOT touch anything else, if it starts up, it is a passlock issue and can be 1--% eliminated or fixed correctly. I opted for 100% removal on my Grand Am.

 

[jd42k]

ANOTHER UPDATE:
I think I have the problem fixed.
Thanks for all of your suggestions.

I connected my volt meter to the purple signal wire from the starter to see if I was getting voltage when turning the ignition switch. I was consistently getting 12.3 v each time I turned the key as if starting.

So at this point I was pretty satisfied that the starter solenoid was the problem. So I took it to Autozone and wanted to test it one more time before I forked out $150. Starter failed the test.

Installed the rebuilt starter today and put about 100 miles with multiple starts tonight. No issues whatsoever.
I feel confident the issue is solved.

I also think there may have been some dead spots within the starter that would not allow it to crank but yet crank sometimes.

Thanks again for all the suggestions.