A little while ago my ignition cylinder got stuck in the starting position and every time you got it loose, and tried to start it again, it would just get stuck again. While taking the steering wheel off to replace the cylinder (it's tilt) I uncovered some column issues (gauges out of wack, radiator fan wouldn't work right, thus overheating) but when I replaced the cylinder and put the steering wheel back on everything just went back to normal and started working correctly.

Well, the other day I went to start my car and got absolutely nothing. No crank. No click. Nothing. All the electrics work. Lights, windows, etc. So I started to try and diagnose the problem and this is what I have tried so far:
- Starter is good.
- Already have a new cylinder.
- Battery is good.
- Replaced the neutral safety switch.
- Starter relay.
- Multimeter to every wire running from the ignition was reading 12V.
- All fuses are good.

Here is the interesting part, I took a wire and basically jumped the starter relay and got the car to crank, it was a consistent good crank but you could tell it was just not going to start. And it never did.

The only thing I have left to check is the ignition switch. I have absolutely no clue what else it could be. Please I really need help, any thoughts or inquiries please share. Thank you.

 

Check the neutral safety switch.

 

I already replaced it. Any other ideas?

 

Does the ignition key operate the rod that goes down the top of the steering column to the switch? Mine jumps out every now and then. You can feel it, i.e. no resistance to turning the key.

 

^Cosmik- Yes, the ignition key operates the rod to the switch and it was all good.

UPDATE: I replaced the ignition switch this afternoon and went to start and got nothing. So at this point this is everything I have tested:
- Battery is good.
- Starter is good.
- New ignition switch.
- New ignition cylinder.
- New neutral safety switch.
- New starter relay.
- Wires from ignition read 12V.
- All fuses good.

I checked the 4 wires to the starter relay and 3 of them aren't getting power. The one that is getting power comes from the ignition. I jumped them again with wire and actually got the car to start. I believe the last time I tried to jump them it wouldn't start (just cranked) because I had the car on jack stands with really low gas, this time the car was level. I got the car to start good about 5 times, ran really good. All the other times it would start and die seconds later, probably a security issue. How can I fix this???

 

Did you also check the fusible links? I had one burn up on a car years ago. Took me forever to figure it out. Not sure how many and where they are located, but I think there are 2 of them. 1 is probably right off the battery and the other I am going to guess is in the ignition wire from the switch. Just guesses. If you have a book it should have a diagram or you may be able to find it on line.

 

Have you tried starting it at the starter itself?? If it starts like that, make a pushbutton switch. Just make sure you use thick enough wire. I used the kind of wire used in home electrical.

 

Do your key have the security chip, maybes it a VATS issue

 

Yes, but I have a brand new cylinder and GM made a brand new key with the chip in it.

Like I said in my earlier post, 3 of the 4 wires to the starter relay aren't getting power. I think that is the problem, is it not? But I can't trace to where they go or what they go to so I'm not sure how I can fix it

 

I am a bit new at automotive, please correct me if im wrong but a relay uses small current from one circuit to turn on a larger current from another circuit to help save switches. So unless power is turned on to the small circuit, you would only have power on one wire anyway right? It seems to me that power is not getting to your relay from the switch side, digg farther into the switch side some how,

 

that "chip" is actully a resistor, the key you got with the new cylinder needs to be the exact same resistance as the stock key or else the VATS module wont send the signal to ground the start enable relay and the signal to the ecm to allow the injectors to fire.

you can either get a new key made with the correct key blank. or bypass the VATS system with a computer tune, or a bypass box.

 

I replaced my cylinder a little over a month ago. The cylinder came with blank keys. GM made me keys with the same resistor my old key had. It's not the key or the cylinder.

The problem are the wires from the starter relay. There are 4 of them. Only one is getting power, which is the one coming from the ignition. Those 3 wires are the problem, but I don't know what other parts/switches they go to. Whatever powers those 3 wires should be the problem..

 

the start enable relay only controls the starter. the VATS system only controls the ground side of that relay. the 4 wires whould be a black/yellow one, which is the ground thats controlled by the VATS module. you should also have 2 yellow wires. both of those are the supply from the IGN switch. and then you should have either a dark green, or white/tan wire, that goes to the neutral saftey switch.

if you jumper a wire from one of the yellow ign wires to the tan/white or dark green wire. the starter will spin with the key. if the car still doesnt start then you have the wrong resistance key and the VATS module isnt sending the enable signal to the ECM.

 

Well everyone, thank you for sharing and helping me out. I figured out the problem and basically ate my own words. I immediately ruled out the ignition cylinder because I replaced it with a brand new one a month ago and it worked great for a month straight...

Well the plug/wire from the ignition cylinder wasn't putting out anything...so rather than taking the entire steering wheel off again and replacing the cylinder and dealing with all that, I just soldered in a resistor that matched my key and boom. Perfect. About 50 cents.