Ok so i went to work the other day and my car started up and ran just fine. Whenever i went out to my car after work it wouldnt start. The key wont even turn. I couldnt even get it off of the " OFF " notch. So we replaced the ignition cylcinder or whatever you wanna call it and the key will go all the way to the " START " position but it wont start at all. The battery and security is flashing on the message screen. We tried the security relaearn process and it still wont work. Any suggestions would be GREATLY APPRECIATED!!!
Thanks so much guys

 

the only thing i can think of is, i know theirs a mechanism to keep it from going to full off with it in gear, IF that switch on the shifter were to be dead, the car would not turn on, the ignition would technicly be working, and the car would not go into off, just as you describe. i would look into that.

 

I had trouble like this a long time ago on a Cavalier Z24 of my son's (1998 I think). Something was burning it out and I had to replace it twice. It was a different car so maybe this has nothing to do with it but the symptoms were the same. It's on the transmission where the shifter cable connects to the shift arm. Good luck!

 

Pretty sure they are talking about the neutral safety switch. I had one go out on an old Jetta. I hope this is pointing you in the right direction. Good luck.

 

I had to replace one on a Grand Am. I *sometimes* would not start in park, shift down to neutral and started right up.

It would be "odd" that neutral safety switch AND the key cylinder both are messed up at the same time.... Just for trial/error, pop the car in neutral and try starting it. If it does in fact start, it might be the neutral safety switch.

The other thing I am wondering is, I don't think the key cylinder will let you remove the key if the shifter is not returned to park. If that's the case, might it stand to reason that perhaps things were lined up that allowed removing the key, but bound up preventing it from turning? This is purely an off the wall, under educated theory.

 

We took the shifter linkage out so the car could be towed to my house. We havent put that back on yet, I tried to start it in nuetral and it wont start but I also noticed that the shifter will only let me go down to 3rd. It wont let me go down to 2nd or 1st. I dont know if this has anything to do with it or not.

 

you are able to go into 2nd and 1st with out the engine, its the same exact linkage as the drive and 3rd, i don't see why it would stop you their somethings goofy, i still think it's in that shifter somehere giving you bugs.

 

I agree that the shift linkage may be the problem. I never disconnected/reconnected a linkage to have a car towed... But I wonder it's not lined up properly (such as when you get the shifter to 2nd gear, it's really in 3rd). If that assumption is correct, then what is marked as Reverse may really be neutral.

I'd be a little concerned trying this, but, put the shifter in reverse, hold the brake hard and try and start the car (just a crank, nothing crazy, as I assume right now it does not crank).

Again, just an off the top theory. That and recheck the linkage connections that werte messed with.