Need help! WONT CRANK....
 

OK these cars are weird. Car just wont crank. Blinks PWR STR and COOLANT. No passlock blinking. Battery is fully charged. And I cant get a DATA link with my ACTRON.

Any ideas, anyone gone through this? (Please dont give me the starter switch recall from 2000 years BC ago).
This just happened yesterday and had to have it towed home. Up until then this car ran just fine.

Put your voltmeter across the battery and watch the voltage as someone else tries to crank it.

Also, try cranking it with another car hooked up for a jump start.

And of course check terminals and cables and ground at the frame

Thanks Derf, but the battery has been cleared...I've checked the starter too. It's got current, but it's not getting ignition....so I'm thinking the ignition switch died. I've got a few. So I'll try again tomorrow...:confused:

The term "fully charged" battery is a bit of a misnomer, as fully charged actually means the highest amount of charge the battery can store has been stored. It does NOT mean that the charge stored within is sufficient for its intended use.
A car battery whose plates can no longer store enough charge can read 12.6 V at rest but will take a voltage dive when you crank it because the current just isn't there to meet the demand at that V.
I can only assume you're stating that the starter is getting current by virtue of the fact that you read a non-zero V at the starter when cranking.

What I'm describing above is one of the things checked when someone does a load test on your battery.

Humor me. I may be dead wrong, but humor me anyway before spending the time to take apart the ignition and do all the passlock relearns----which you can't do if you do not have normal electrical operation of the vehicle.
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Random dash lights like this may signal a bad BCM, but let's rule out the simple stuff first.

Cross-checking while diagnosing these issues takes 5 mins tops and often uncovers things that aren't always obvious.

Been there

No drop in current when voltmeter is applied and the key is turned into the run. As for the starter what I meant was that I checked to make sure there is voltage at the starter and there is. I also checked to see if I had voltage at the ignition side of the starter solenoid when the key was turned. I got none.

I've got another question about these cars. If one turns the key to the run position, can the car be put in neutral? It's locked in park and wont move into gear even though I have the key in run, (car still wont crank).

Step on the brake with the key on and you should be able to shift to neutral. The car will roll if on a hill, be careful people get killed this way!

Naw that did not work. I already tried that.....:(

Check the underhood fuse box for a relay labeled (crank/run), it died in my wife’s car and it wouldn’t even try to crank... I’m sure that it isn’t cheap to replace outright, but you can switch the dead one for one from a non essential function (I chose rear defog) to get you on the road again

Start with the basics, check for proper voltage at all the fuses. Some fuses are battery hot and some are hot with the key in the on position. The fact that the shift interlock does not work properly points to your ignition switch.

Thanks! I will look into that...so far, no bueno...If I cant resovle this...its rosary beads time for this car.:(

Cant be too sure about the interlock thing. I've never ever attempted to start this car in neutral, (never had to). The start up circuit in these Ions is crazy, (it's non-mechanical and all electronic). Already changed the ignition switch and did the re-learn thing, (I can do that in my sleep). Still no crank. That's why I'm looking into other possible issues. Thanks!

Check the fuse for the switch (may affect shifter interlock) and check the run/crank relay under the hood... either of those failing could cause your problem

Is the switch fuse in the exterior too?

I think the fuse for the ignition switch is inside the car, but can’t remember 100%

I wanted to make sure you weren't just guessing before I thank you 100%. You're absolutely correct, it is in the interior fuse-box.

And for all those who run into this problem as I described, this is what solves it. Stop guessing that it's the ignition switch. That would be an exercise in futility. It was a simple 2 amp fuse. My Saturn is back and running. By the way, the transmission will lock in park if you blow this fuse. Once replaced, the shifter will move to any gear if the ignition switch is in the run position. Also, if you try to run a scan tool, (like my Actron), you will not have a data link if this fuse is blown. :)

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.sat...6828752130.jpg
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.sat...09c280f099.jpg

There is a similar 5 amp fuse for the ignition switch in the new aluminum body Super Duty Fords. It blows when you try to jump start it and get the cables backwards. It also blows a non replaceable 150 amp alternator fuse. Not Me but I got to solve that riddle at work.

Well I was too ambitious. Took it out for a ride and she just kept blowing the same fuse while I was driving. Died 5 times and each time I kept replacing the fuse until I made it home.:confused:

When you swapped out the ignition switch, did you find a bunch of grease type stuff on the harness connector?

That was perennially a problem with the Ion ignitions, among other things.
Usually, it would lead to a bad connection and no crank. I suppose, depending on which pin contacts it is interfering with, it could also cause an intermittent short. Don't know how conductive it is.

Did you swap in a new one or a used Saturn ign switch?
I would re-dis-assemble the ignition to look for the grease inside where the connectors touch the pins (however that is set up) and see if that isn't an issue. Such a situation would benefit from an ign switch swap but if there is junk impeding and/or crossing wires, the problem would soon return. If that is the issue, somebody must sell that pigtail......

2 amps at 12 volts is not very much load. I would sure like to see a fsm wiring diagram for that circuit. It might just be powering a relay and the relay needs to be replaced.

Not sure what you mean. The ignition switch on these ions is an electronic plastic switch. There is no wiring harness just two wires.

I read somewhere that the switch grease inside becomes hard and causes a non-start issue over time. This one is fairly new, (six months). But I went ahead and dissected it. Found it to be a little dirty with lots of what looks like some clear grease. I cleaned it up and will install it back in tomorrow.

I've got three, two of which are new I bought over a few years. Nothing old except the one that was on it from the recall.

Good idea. Need to find that relay if one exist. But locating that diagram will not be easy...

Ask the dudes over at Saturnfans.com -- there are some diehards over there with fsms to cars they don't even own.

Clearly you know by know I have never seen an Ion. On the road, yes. The mechanicals? Nyet

I did read something about an internal relay that can get fubar'd.

Let me see if I can dig it out of my browser history....