no crank no start issue - could be the ignition switch?

lincolnshibuya

Original poster
Member
Jun 4, 2018
16
KC MO
I was driving the truck today on several short trips, church, cvs store and then drop son to b-day party, shop with wife and then got a no crank no start issue. Gauges light up but no click (not even a single one) battery is just 2 yrs old and I jump started the starter via the relay (pin 30-87) trick method and starter is OK (thank goodness) truck will run with this trick.. once home I replaced the ignition switch since it's $33 and a 10min replacement.. still no-go and then left it later to do some other work (decal removal and replacement on the liftgate... maybe the chevrolet decal is bad luck,,, have to replace it with gmc) Once I'm done with the decal which is like an hour, the truck started fine.. and tried doing it several times whenever I have the chance and it's been starting well.. I'm not sure what happened but could it happen again if the weather is hot (no start happened at 1:30pm which is hot, then I have to do replacement at 4:30pm which is still hot but the engine has cooled down already...

Wife is now not so confident driving this truck..
 

djthumper

Administrator
Nov 20, 2011
14,950
North Las Vegas
I think you already found the issue and don't even realize it. You jumped across the relay and it started. The replacement ignition switch didn't fix it... Replace the relay that you jumped across.
 
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lincolnshibuya

Original poster
Member
Jun 4, 2018
16
KC MO
I think you already found the issue and don't even realize it. You jumped across the relay and it started. The replacement ignition switch didn't fix it... Replace the relay that you jumped across.

I actually put the relay back and it's been working fine but I have a suspicion that it could be the issue too (when maybe it's hot) I'll just replace it with a new one just to be safe. Not sure why when I swapped it with the ignition relay it didn't work too (which is just beside it), somehow you need to wait a while to make it work?
 

Mooseman

Moderator
Dec 4, 2011
25,257
Ottawa, ON
Maybe a bad connector in the fuse panel?
 

lincolnshibuya

Original poster
Member
Jun 4, 2018
16
KC MO
this is really mind boggling.. so I replaced the ignition switch and the relay and still has the no-start and no-crank issue at random times (not always)
usually it happens when parked for a while in the open (above 90F) and usually when trying to start with the doors open (since it's really hot inside I have to let the door wide open and crank it) Jumping the relay starter works all the time. I have a suspicion that there might be something going on with the ECM not sending a ground to the starter relay when it's hot and/or the doors are open.. closing the doors won't help starting after that and it will start after a while without doing anything..
 

I_Shoot_Back

Member
Feb 18, 2018
116
Ponoka
Does it have a remote starter and\or aftermarket alarm? I had a case once where they had used a adjustable resistor for the passlock 2 bypass. In the hot sun that resistor would change value just enough for the computer to not accept it's value. This made me think of that.
Come to think of it,grand am's where notorious for having a failing resistor. Does it show anything on the cluster when it refuses to start? Like a lock or something?
 

lincolnshibuya

Original poster
Member
Jun 4, 2018
16
KC MO
no remote start or aftermarket alarm, looks like the fuse box were also replaced before (i suspect the previous owner has this intermittent issue) I don't think there's an issue with the key/passlock since I don't show any security light (blinking or lighting) showing up when I have the issue. Instrument cluster lights up fine and all the radio/accessory turn on (which means it's not an ignition switch issue) I'm thinking of doing an ecm ground bypass from the starter relay if I can't find the source of this issue.
 

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