Hi. I have a problem with my 92 firebird not wanting to start when after i've been running it for a while, I shut it off. Seems to be a window of between 15-75 min's that I won't get it to start until it's cooled off.

I turn the ignition and all lights and radio come on, but when I turn it, I get nothing. Not even the starter will turn.

I had this problem start about 1 1/2 months ago. It lasted about 1 week and then it seemed to just go away for a couple weeks. Then it came back and I replaced the starter and solenoid, which did nothing to stop it. I replaced the igntion coil and maybe just by chance it seemed to stop it, but after 1 week it started to act up again.

I can tell when it's "acting up" because when I turn the key and try and start it, there can be a noticable delay (at least to me) to the starter turning.

I've ruled out the ICM because people say it can keep your car from starting when hot, but that it also stalls your car when it gets hot. It's never done that to me.

Battery: It starts eventually, so i've ruled out a bad battery.
Alternator: just replaced (after it started acting up)

I've done some research and i've come across 2 things that I wanted to get opinions on. Could it be the NSS (neutral safety switch). I've read where someone had the same exact problem that got gradually worse to where it wouldn't start at all. He said "when hot, car won't turn or make a sound until it cools off. Then it starts right up". He said he replaced the NSS, but actually could also been a loose connection at the NSS, he said.

My other thought was the Starter Relay. But is that either good or bad and no in between and would it cause my symptoms?

What do yinz think? NSS? Starter Relay? Something else?

remember: when cool it starts 100% of the time. When hot (no starter turn, no sound) it can take about 1 hour to cool down and let it start.

Sorry for the novel I just wrote, but I wanted to let yinz know everything I've gone through and found out to try and resolve this.

Israel

 

the no start syndrome seems to be popular in these cars. im goin through a similar sitaution with my Camaro (1989). dont run it to hot because its goin to end up to a point where its not going to start at alll at all. you can start with the Relay switch. the NSS u would have to do more research on it. Heat and Electricity do not match, therefore if ur car wont start when its hot, not even Cranking, then it is a electrical problem(then again ur engine shouldnt be getting as hot to do that). idk if 92 cars have the Infamous VATS system, but i was told as well that to check the nuetral saftey. check that and see what happens

 

Both of my firebirds did this until i replaced the starter with a brand new unit and put heat sheild around it. Another choice is to use a LT1 starter which doesn't seem to have this issue. If i remember correctly it is a bolt on affair.

The issue isn't the solenoid from what I've been told, but more of a combination. Contacts in the solenoid get worn out, and soon after the starter gear goes along with it. In my case a new/rebuilt starter was cheaper than just buying the solenoid....I believe the starter was about 30 bucks.

 

I have a heat shield that goes over the seliniod

my motor gets HOT and I do not have a problem with it

I think I got it at autozone in the help sec

 

sounds like the ignition module, about 30-40 bucks from GM

 

yeah always replace the ignition module if you replace the igniton coil, thermal grease goes under the ignition module. but if you say the starter isnt turning at all, then its your starter thats bad, idk about a relay. commn is starter.

 

I know I went through 3 starters in a month due to my shorties getting them all too hot. I finally broke down and did a remote solenoid setup (Ford gets something right now and then) and never had an issue after that (used the same "dead" starter too). I know I've seen instructions around this site somewhere. Relatively inexpensive route to try if you keep burning up the starter solenoid.

 

Thanks for the reply guys.

I don't think it's the solenoid or starter since after replacing them both with a new one. The fact it seemed to go 2 weeks in between acting up tells me it's not a hot starter/solenoid issue, but then again who knows and I just may have to do a heat shield in the end just to make sure. I just bought a NSS and will put it on tomorrow or wednesday. May also do the IM, but after I see if the NSS fixes my issue so that I can know for sure what it was.

I just got done driving it for about 1 hour and as soon as I turned it off, I started it back up and it and started. Turned it directly off again and tried to start it and get nothing. All lights and fuel pump work, but no starter turn. Now I just have to wait about an hour to start it back up. lol

I'll let yinz know how the NSS thing works out.

 

have ign module checked

sometimes the wires is the tilt column go bad try adjusting the tilt

neutral saftey switch?

 

Its the starter,typical gm problem. exhaust to close to sylenoid and it over heats it. when cool off it engages then.

 

I don't think it's the tilt column wires jamon since it only does it when it's hot. I already bought the NSS, so i'm going to put that on first. I realize that the NSS is supposed to only tell your computer what gear the car's in, but apparently if they falter, at least for one person i've found, it can lead to my problem.

The Ignition Module will be the very next thing I change. The fact I replaced the coil and the problem went away that very moment, for at least a couple weeks, makes me think that there could be a loose wire on the IM. I should have replaced the IM with the Coil, like an ealier poster said, but then where would the fun be in that? j/k
I was not wanting to put a lot of money into it, especially after already dropping $100 on a starter/solenoid.

I plan on working on it tomorrow afternoon and I'll be sure to let yinz know if either the NSS or IM fixed it.

Ohh and I did see where AutoZone has a heat shield (metal?) for the solenoid, so I may put that on as a 3rd option.

 

I went through this for years, I did the remote solenoid, the heat shield, brand new starter, nothing worked. I replaced the starter with a 2kW high torque mini-starter (mine was an SRP) and no more problems. It's so much more fun to drive.

Cheers

 

the heat shield works

I use a cheap autozone starter

my engine gets hot 10.5 to 1 comp and 60 over

 

I replaced my NSS yesterday. I've driven it a few times and on 4 occasions I've turned it off for a few minutes and it's started right back up everytime. I should know for sure after this weekend of stop and starts if it really did fix my prob or if I have to try out the other 2 options of IM and Heat Shield.

I'll post if it fixed my problem and let yinz know.

 

Ok, I can say that it's NOT the NSS.

I ran the car around for about 40 min's and after getting where I was going, I turned the car off and then back on again (did this about 5X) and then it got to try #6 and it didn't do anything. I waited about 2 min's and tried again and it started right up. I will do the head shield on the solenoid in a few days and hopefully that is what it is.

I'll try the IM after the heat shield.

Or does is starting up 5X in a row and then not #6 (no turn over whatsover as usual when it doesn't want to start) show something else?

 

Well after 9 months, the problem is solved. Now what I'm about to say seems like "duh" is the appropriate response, but you must remember, I had paid $60 for a reman Starter back in December and paid $40 to have someone put it on (I was busy at the time). Maybe that was my mistake and should have put it on myself I guess. Because after all the money and time spent trying to figure out what my problem was after the new starter didn't do a thing is very upsetting now that I look back on it.

I decided last weekend to go ahead and by a "new" starter from NAPA and replace the reman I had the mechanic put on for me the first time. At this point I felt that maybe it being new would make a difference. So after another $90, it sure enough fixed my problem. I don't know if it was the solenoid itself or the connections at the solenoid, but it all makes me wonder if the mechanic ever really replaced my starter/solenoid the first time.

And as a bonus, my remote start feature now works as well. It stopped working about 5 years ago and for about year or two after that, it would only work during the cold winter mornings. But it had been 3 years since it was last able to start up the car at any temp. So of course I didn't think anything of it when my "hot no-start" problem started last november. I'm guessing that the remote start's resistance reading used when knowing to stop trying to start the car after it starts up must have been too high with the old starter/solenoid or again, maybe the connections at the solenoid.

Who knows, maybe i did get another bad solenoid when the mechanic put it on 9 months ago, so I can't question him with 100% certainty as whether he screwed me intentionally. I wonder if it was the connections at the solenoid. I'm sure he put the starter on the same way I did so I'm a little less inclined to think it's the connections and more inclined to think it was the solenoid.

I'm just glad that I'm finally over this problem and no longer have to keep the car running for fear of getting stuck for up to an hour or more somewhere.

 

i had the same problem three months ago. it turned out to be an alternator. im glad to hear your success. May your ways be carried on for forever days

 

alternator for me too. figure the the battery didnt have enough juice to turn the starter.

 

Did you car have any electrical equipment added at one time? The previous owner of mine had an alarm added, them removed. A lighter gage wire was added under the dash in the starter circut and when the wiring got hot, the lighter wire would not carry the load. I put in two new starters and still had problems. Check under the dash by the steering column for wires spliced in.