Turn the key to on and the radio, dome, bulb check on dash, everything is on. Headlights bright. I know the battery is golden.

Not even a click from the starter solenoid.
Started givin me problems a few weeks ago, I would shut the car off and go to start it back up and it wouldn't even click or anything. Wait a few or flip the key back and forth repeatedly and it would start right up. Now it won't do squat.

Whats the common things to check out first here?

 

See if you can bypass the solenoid... first by simply crossing the terminals, then by providing 12 volts to the smaller post that controls solenoid switching... If it turns over, There is either a break in that wire from the ignition swith to the solenoid, or the ignition switch is bad. The ignitions sitch is on the lower part of the column, with the switch being actuated by a rod that connects it to the lock cylinder.
-Brendan

 

Well now that I can see in the daylight I went out and hooked a bump starter up and the starter works fine. I can get it to crank over. But with the key in the run position I can hear the fuel pump prime but it still won't start. Seems I'm not getting ignition either.
Does this sound like the VATS system or the ignition switch?
I'm not getting a security light when I turn the key.

It did try to kick over a couple times it would start then immediately die. did it twice and after that wouldn't do anything.

 

mmm.. I forgot about VATS. I'm not "priveledged???" hahahah enough to have ever had a car that has such a wonderful system Sorry I can't help you with that.

 

Security light doesn't come on whatsoever. Not when you turn the key to on or when you turn the key to crank.
Once again went out wiggling around the column and the shifter and no luck. Just for spite I hit the bumpstarter again and the damn thing fires up and dies again. hit the bump starter again and nothing cranks but won't fire.

 

Update.
I took the passenger side kick panel off and found the start enable relay. took the cover off the relay and squeezed the contacts manualy bypassing the trigger for the relay and I could crank the car but it won't start.

Any help past there as to what to check next or what the prob can be is greatly appreciated.

 

Definatly a vats issue, ive been through this once before. Pull the panel off the dash under the column. There should be a thick either orange or yellow shielded wire ( i think mine was orange) there is two smaller wires inside of the insulation these go into the column to you ing cylnder where it reads the resistor in your key. With mine the wires had been hacked into for an alarm or something so i just fixed up the hack job. Find that wire see if its messed up if not play with the wire it may be shorted. Search vats for a little more info. FYI since the light isnt coming on it is getting no reading from the key, if it were reading the wrong resistance the light would stay on with a no start condition. Oh and vats takes about 4 or 5 minutes to reset once it reads incorrectly.

 

Fixed and running.

Put the key in and and poked the meter across the plug going into the column and it was showing a dead open.

Checked resistance of the key and made a trip to radio shack bought 2 resistors to get what I needed. Soldered them in and the car fired right up.

Thanks a ton for all the help guys, I really do appreciate it. After a days worth of troubleshooting its a huge relief that it was a 2 dollar problem.

 

Glad to hear you got it working again!

 

Good deal