wont start>....

[dummy]

got a 98 camaro 3.8 V6. me and my girlfriend take turns driving weekly. i parked it friday night and now it wont start. radio lights and everything come on. i hear the fuel pump buzz , no security light is on. and when i turn the key nothing. just a little click by the fuse box. any help would be really helpful. u will have to be patient with me i am like my screen name so you will have to be like the fuse that is grey and yada yada..etc.. lol.. thanks

[jgoodson]

check your battery just cause your radio may come on but you may not have enough amps to actually start the car

[dummy]

i tried that i even hooked cables up to my girls car. and still nothing. could it be the starter or the ignition fuse? the grey box things in the fuse box. because they make a clicking noise when i turn the key?

[istoleacamaro]

if you make a clicking noise it really does sound like your not getting enough power... my friend nathan has a 56 chevy and when his cables arent making a good connection you hear the fans come on and they get spinnin then you turn the key and it just clicks... check the battery cables again, pull them off and make sure your getting a good connection with a wire brush or something... then i might look for a fuse for ignition or something ?

[dummy]

i took the cables off and cut off the wires and stripped more wire and put new post clamp things on. and all i got was a click. the battery gauge is to the low its to the right of the red. and i hooked the cables up to my girls car and it was 3/4 full and still just got a click.?

[Tony]

It sounds to me like your ignition switch is out. And I don't mean the one that the key goes into. This one is on top of the column about half way down on the top. It's a pita to get to but I will bet that if all the battery cables are good, that is your problem. The volt meter in the car will show just above red when the car is not running. You only have 12 volts in there. When the car is running you have 14 volts and the gauge moves up.

Click Here for instructions on how to replace the switch.

[stoggy94z]

Id say if your battery and stuff is good and you hear the relay in the cab clicking and the fans/electricity work, climb under and hit the stater motor solenoid while someone is holding the key in the start position, kinda sounds lke your starter motor could be shot but at least its easy to change on these cars....... unlike the imports haha

[dummy]

well i dont hear the the clicking inside the car but my buddy says he hears it by the fuse box. i have been working 14 hour days so havent had time to work on it but im gonna try tom.

[camaro3girl]

You might also want to check the alternator as well. My V6 did that to me... Just a suggestion... Good luck!

[dummy]

but if it was the alternator wouldnt it start if i jumped it?

[dummy]

i pull started my car today fired right up. drove around for a bit. i was going down a hil so i killed it. tried to start it and nothing. so dumped clutch and drove home. got it driveway and put it in nuetral. clutched it and trurned the key. and still nothing?? is it the starter or selinoid? i would guess the starter since nothing happens. just wanted to check since they are a little pricey. thanks

[dummy]

and also im pretty new to working on cars myself. and this will probably give everyone a little chuckle. but which side is the starter on and how hard is it to take off and put new one on? its on a 98 3.8

[Tony]

It's been a while since I have been under my wifes car but I think its on the pass side. I would just get a whole "new" starter. Do that so that you know that you won't have any problems later and if you do you have a warranty.

[Turbo]

before you change the starter does your car have the passkey system (Or VATS 2) cause its realy comon on those systems to have one of the wires used to read the chip in your key break then nothin works i just had that happen on my camaro (happened to my old pontiac few years ago so i knew what it was) you can find out by looking if the SECURITY light is flashing when you try to start it. if it is its a realy good chance its the passkey system if not its somthing else. youl know if you have the passkey system by wether or not you have that black chip in your ignition key good luck

[dummy]

i do have that chip but the light wasnt on. i took old starter off and took it to autozone. it was fried. got a new one. 200 bucks..... d.a.m.n.!! oh well at least it runs now. THANKS TO EVERYONE that helped. you guys are the best.!