Out driving. Shut off car. Dead. What is this?

[DarrenX33]

I took the car out for a cruise yesterday. When I got home I unloaded my son before parking in the garage. When I got in to start the car, nothing! Everything electrical worked. Lights, radio, buzzer. I pushed the car in the garage. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif Then about an hour later I checked it again. Started right up. What is this? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/dunno.gif

[MosportGreen66]

If you pumped the gas pedal or revved the engine too high you may have flooded the carb. Or, check the wire that links the ignition to the starter. I had a similar problem with my friends '85 Benz 380 SL. The electrical worked and all but the car should not start. He drove the car to work one morning, and was stuck there in the afternoon. Turns out the wire that links the ignition to the starter frayed and was no longer functioning. Maybe this helps?

-Dan

[Nova67ss]

If engin didnt even crank??

Probably the starter solenoid was stuck due to heat from exhoustpipe/headers.. when car cooled down soleniod is funtional again....

Have also had that probl and the starter kontaktpoints at the electrical linnings, they was too short after starting engines for 25 years..

A heatshield would do good to..

[NOCOPO]

Try this: I had a BB Monte Carlo, did the same thing, whenever it felt like it. As soon as the car cooled off, it would start right up. Drove me crazy. Stranded me once too. Found out by accident that the bolt in the center of the large electrical connection between the firewall and fuse box was not tight. When the car got hot,is seperated ever so slightly, when it cooled off, contact was made again. When I tightend the bolt, never had another problem. Worth a shot......... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/dunno.gif

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/flag.gif

[budnate]

Probably the soleniod, but had the same thing did happen as NOCOPO, but my issue was the wiper motor would work when it felt like it, not great in Seattle!! also found it by accident that the harness was loose at the firewall.

Bud.

[DarrenX33]

I was thinking starter solonoid. Ill check it out. Thank you gentlemen. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beers.gif

[Kim_Howie]

check your n safety switch.

[COPO]

I would agree with Kim, check your neutral safety switch. Have had the identical symptons to yours and that was the problem.

[Mr70]

I had a 1972 Chevelle that did this.I found out it was the Ignition switch rod out of Alignment with the igntion switch itself, on the Steering shaft.
I dropped the steering column in the interior,& saw the rod not engaging into the switch properly.
I had to tighten the two little 11/16 inch screws,and it stayed true and worked proper after that.It couldn't have been more then 1/4 inch out of alignment.

[SS4Real]

I also had the same problem as you described on 2 original LS-5 454's. If the car starts with no problem in about an hour, you may have the infamous heat-soak starter problem common to older or worn starters. As quoted in many technical articles on this subject, for some reason Chevrolet engineers located the starter and solenoid right next to the exhaust manifolds. Ford did a better job and moved it away from the heat robbing culprit. I tried thicker cables, heat shields, etc but did not have very good luck. I ended up simply putting in a new starter and solenoid combo and it fixed my problem. In addition, if you're running high compression, that seems to amplify the problem even more.

[Keith Tedford]

HOw many of you have this problem with 4 speed cars? Over the years I've had 4 big block Chevelles, 3 with 4 speeds and one automatic. Only the automatic car had this problem. Although there can be many reasons for the trouble, the 16 gauge wires feeding the neutral safety switch in the console may just be the problem most of the time. 12 gauge wire could be the cure for most people.

[69ssrag]

Sounds like a new starter and solenoid will do the trick.
Also check your pos and neg batt cables and connections

[Fhakya]

That's an interesting point Keith. Did these cars have headers by chance? I've had more than a few chev's with similar problems (somewhat amplified w/ header heat...and some with sheilds).
thanks,
-Mark

[Keith Tedford]

The automatic car was the only one without headers. With the headers, the solenoid baked after about 3-4 years. Our present car has about 21K miles on it with no problems. Last year the starter needed brushes but we installed a mini starter instead. That rolls the engine over as if there were no spark plugs in it.

[Nova67ss]

Have also had that probl and the starter kontaktpoints at the electrical linnings, they was too short after starting engines for 25 years..

Brushes is the "short" name... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif not easy to remember for mee. Thanks Keith...

[55chevy]

Ok guys. I've got the answer for this as I lived with this exact problem with a 74 Nova SS for about 3 years.. On hot days after some driving time, when I would shut the car off after it set for a few minutes would not even crank.. I found it NOT to be the starter selonid. I also had both a 4 speed and an automatic in this same car and it happened with both, so that excludes the automatic theory.. My trick to fire up the car in this situation was I kept an old screw driver under the seat and when it would do this I'd have to get out and reach down through the header with the screw driver and connect the terminals directly, and it would crank every single time. Saved myself from being stranded many times with this trick. I have a few theorys, but never figured it out completely.. The problem is definitly worse if you have headers on it. One theory that I think could be close is that heat builds up resistance.. The hotter the wire gets the more resistance it will have. I believe the wire that connects to the selonoid (which also runs right beside the header for some length)when it gets too hot it won't let the current flow the whole way to the starter. Because if it was the selonoid or starter being too hot, the screw driver trick wouldn't work either. Give that a try next time it happens. When I moved on to a 70 Camaro, when I put that engine in I shrouded the crap out of the starter wires and I never had the "too hot" problem with that car. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/scholar.gif