car won't start

100

Asked by adc194 Aug 16, 2011 at 01:14 AM about the 2002 Pontiac Sunfire

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

replaced ignition lock on 2002 pontiac sunfire antitheft light is lite car will crank but not start.

35 Answers

69,055

ok long process ur gonna need about 45 minutes sometimes only 15 but usually 45 lol here goes 1.turn key on 2.attempt to crank for 2 seconds 3.let key go and leave the key in the run position till the anti theft light goes out approx 10 mins 4.once light is off turn key off 5.repeat 1-4 2 more times for a total of 3 times 6.after turning the key off for the 3rd time it will start i said possibly 15 minutes because some cars will start after the first cycle but very few

109 people found this helpful.
Best Answer Mark helpful
100

Thank's John for the response tried it and the car fired right up!!!!!!

10 people found this helpful.
240

had the same problem. When the car finally started I took the cover off the ignition switch on the steering column. If you look you will see a small connector with two or three wires, that is the Passlock System. I read on the Internet, and it works, to disable the Passlock system all you have to do is start the car and disconnect this small connector from the ignition system and the Passlock system goes into fail safe mode and you won't have any more problems. BUT, the car has to be running while you disconnect the connector.

24 people found this helpful.
500

my 2002 sunfire turns over great ,but will not start,i checked it for spark and no spark. i change the coil and changed the crank sencor , still no start. i will try your 45 minute procedure. i also heard it can be a lose ground on the car , would you be able to tell me where are all the major and minor grounds are found on the car , please and thank you

50 people found this helpful.
280

My car will not go into the crank position. My theft light is not on. When I do it towards the crank position the only light on is the check engine light

28 people found this helpful.
69,055

Try jumping the starter with the key on and see if that does anything.

6 people found this helpful.
69,055

Mask you should start your own question since this question is Soo old I doubt anyone will see it.

3 people found this helpful.
50

Did the 45 minute. Cycle. And worked.........the end to a long story......had to drill out iggnition lock cylinder on 2003 pontiac sunfire....when new lock cylinder was installed car would not start.....thanks a million!!!!! The wifey was getting mad, and wanted her car fixed!!! This worked!!! Thx..

5 people found this helpful.
60

My son had the problem on his Sunfire 2002 where the engine would crank but no start with the antitheft light on in the Dashboard. We did the procedure mentioned by John at the top of this page and it fixed the problem. Thanks John!!!

6 people found this helpful.
30

Thanks worked on 2000 sunfire toke 4 tries. Need more people willing to help others like this

3 people found this helpful.
70

Disconnected the connector with 3 wires and that seems to work, but now my theft light and service light are on all the time

7 people found this helpful.
110

This worked for my 2005 Pontiac sunfire GT. It took 4 tries though. Don't simply give up after 3 lol!! I'm a girl but this process was so easy I figured out my own problem, diagnosed it myself and with the help from this page it started right up!!!:) Good luck guys

11 people found this helpful.
50

My car has this issue, but it starts.. sometimes. I get in my car at least once a day and I will crank it and it turns over and then kills itself. Will this also work for my car??? I sure hope so... tons of stuff has been replaced already.

5 people found this helpful.
30

My sisters 2000 Pontiac wouldn't start. Cold winter day. She thought it was dead, tried jumping it. Ended up putting it in my dads garage and replaces the fuel filter. Thinking it was the fuel pump. Noticed the anti theft light wouldn't go off. Did this procedure and it works!! Awesome!! Thank you!

3 people found this helpful.
230

Question john. The theft light does not go off it states over an hours. Should I leave the key in the run position for a 24 hour period. ?

20 people found this helpful.
50

My 2003 sunfire will crank but won't start my friend ran Down the oil could that have anything to do with it?

5 people found this helpful.
230

I went directly to the pcm after spending all day on this problem. I found a orange wire with a black tracker and a pink wire fully corroded. I put a butt connector on and the car started. And it's still on the road. Thanks for all the tips but this was an odd on.

3 people found this helpful.
30

Save this 45 min rule. This is a perm fix.Thanks....

1 people found this helpful.
10

I'm praying that this works for my 2005 SunfireI'm gonna try John's procedure once I back to my car this evening

1 people found this helpful.

The ignition on my 1999 Sunfire would no longer turn the starter over in the crank position so I changed the ignition. It cranked over fine then and started but would only run for a few seconds. I tried everything suggested in these forums with no success. Eventually I put the old ignition back in, turned the key on and crossed the starter wires with a screwdriver. The started immediately and stayed running. Then I pulled the cover off under the steering column. I pulled off the connector wire, (I don't know the proper name), and depressed a piece of the ignition that sticks out when the key is in the on position. Then I pulled the ignition out. The car stayed running. I put the new ignition in and reconnected the wire. I turned the car off and it has started every time since. The anti theft is staying on, but is not affecting anything. I hope this helps somebody out there. Dave D

20

My 2001 Sunfire would crank fine but would not fire. I also had no lights on the instrument cluster when I turned the key on like it normally should have. I checked many of the things as stated above, however, at the end of the day it turned out to be a bad ignition switch. So for $50 bucks from AutoZone my car starts again.

2 people found this helpful.
10

i have the same trouble with my 2004 sunfire it want start do you think john it will work for me to go through those steps at the top of the page you described

1 people found this helpful.
10

Thanks a bunch!! this worked on my kids car, he tried it,but did not follow the steps exactly,if you follow them exactly it will start,i just hope this is a permanent fix,we replaced his switch with a used one.thanks again!

1 people found this helpful.
80

Please help. I'm trying to do the learn on my 98 fire. Turn it over for 2 second and let it sit "on" for 10,20,30,40 mins and the light doesn't go off. No matter what. I tried it for about 5 hours today.

8 people found this helpful.

Ty so much hun I been looking for the solution to my problem for a month .. And then I came across your theory .. And it started.. My daughters car is fixed and she can now get a couple things she really needs. For winter after I return ignition cylinder.. Yay your awesome ty

20

I could not get it to work on a 1999 cavalier I pulled the fuse out that said alarm on the Inside fuse panel then I could get it to work

2 people found this helpful.
60

my 2001 sunfire wont start and the theft light is off it ran fine let it sit 2 days and now nothin happens every things turns on it wont even turn over

6 people found this helpful.
20

so i have a 1998 pontiac sunfire sedan 2.2l and the theft system does this multiple times and the problem dont go away what is the next step i should take ?

2 people found this helpful.

Your Answer:

Sunfire

Looking for a Used Sunfire in your area?

CarGurus has 5 nationwide Sunfire listings and the tools to find you a great deal.

Postal Code:

CarGurus Experts

  • #1
    John Saffrahn
    Reputation
    4,280
  • #2
    Joeyadams
    Reputation
    1,600
  • #3
    Warren0007
    Reputation
    1,390
View All

Find great deals from top-rated dealers

Search

Related Models For Sale

Used Pontiac Firebird
19 listings

Content submitted by Users is not endorsed by CarGurus, does not express the opinions of CarGurus, and should not be considered reviewed, screened, or approved by CarGurus. Please refer to CarGurus Terms of Use. Content will be removed if CarGurus becomes aware that it violates our policies.