My daughters car,I told her probably the fuel pump since she's run it out of gas so my times.
But now I don't know, I checked the pressure of the pump & it read 70 psi just dead heading it.
When she towed it to my place it started right up after charging the batt. & sitting in the shop for a couple hrs.
Was thinking maybe the pump relay, so I swapped them around AC uses the same one.
Anybody similar problems with these things?

Hey Jim my fiance had an 05 cavalier with the exact same problem, since i dindt have anything to hook it up to a computer with we took it to the dealership and they said "fuelpump". So I went out purchased a new pump, sending unit, and relay. I did all the work and it still would not start intermittently. I was getting very frustarted as it would some times leave her stranded. I started look around on the internet and purchased the "ALLDATA" program...like 20 bucks, and through that and other research I finally came to the conclusion it was the BCM (body control module) I hook it up to our little hand held reader at work (firestone) and all i could get was "1 code in BCM" but it would not tell me what it was. So back to the dealer it went, I said keep it until it throws the code and wont start, they had it for a week....and nothing happend at all. I went one day and drove it around for 2 or 3 hours shutting it off and on again a LOT of times trying to get it to duplicate the problem...still nothing. So we paid the 40 dollar diagnostic fee and went home. So while it was working, had no problems for 3-4 days we went and bought a her a new focus. I suggest getting ride of it if you can or just live with the problem....and i tell you what it will get worse over the next few months/year/years and get extremely frustrating. We dealt with it for about a year and half and a few months before we got rid of it it was getting more constant and more frustarting by the day....espesially when the dealership could not figure it out either....just my 2 cents good luck with it and let me know what happens.

Thanks Ryan.
Anybody else??

I sold my Cavalier after I used all of my AAA tows and 1/2 my wifes tows for a year, never did figure out what was causing the "no start" condition.
But just to let you know what I did replace in it: Ignition module, ECM, Crank position sensor, EGR valve, crimped new harness connections, and on and on and on........ This was following the codes it threw too, not just shotgunning it. So when it was in the mood to start and run I ran the buffer over it and sold it...... Problem solved!

Although an older car, my brothers 94 Pontiac Bonneville had the same problem. Everything checked out everytime is was in the shop, but sure enough, out on the road, it would act up. It NEVER acted up once in the shop. One highly experienced non dealership mechanic suggested gambling on the crank position sensor and he did and that seemed to solve the problem.

Not lookin too good!

My wife has an 01 Alero that has twice decided not to start on her. No check engine codes either time. I never did find anything wrong, each time it decided to finally start after the battery was unhooked for awhile. Both times it happened, the "security" light on the dash came on prior to the no start condition. A friend that works at Autozone told me that GM had a problem with the security system causing a no start condition but he didnt know what the fix was.

Hope this helps (probably not) just some food for thought.

I bought it back to her & told her to listen for the fuel pump if it won't start again.
Short of throwing a bunch of parts at & what I've seen here it's just a gamble on when it will act up again.

I bought it back to her & told her to listen for the fuel pump if it won't start again.
Short of throwing a bunch of parts at & what I've seen here it's just a gamble on when it will act up again.

If it has a factory security system (pats) you may not here fuel pump. You should get a code for a pats problem and it wont trigger the engine lite. Very common problem with gm's.
Mike

My wife's 97 malibu does the same thing. I have come to the conclusion that it is the anti theft system. It will not start, no dash lights at all. After a number of tries all of a sudden the dash lights start to work and then the car will start. There is a way to disable the theft system. With the car running you have to cut the yellow wire that goes to the ignition switch, the anti- theft light will be on forever but the no start problem will go away.

Seen the same thing. Anti-theft. Generally in the tumbler. Im surprised the dealer didn't come up with that. Pretty common problem.

My buddies Grand Am had the same issues and cutting the security wire worked. Seems to be a problem they have had for a few years now.

Maybe we're on to something, I'd assume the fuel pump doesn't run when it's in the anti theft mode.
Don't know about instrument lights if they're on or off when it won't start it only happens to her.

Did you ever come up with a solution to this? My wifes car just decided to not start again and I remembered this post. Im headed off now to try and get it going.

My wife's 97 malibu does the same thing. I have come to the conclusion that it is the anti theft system. It will not start, no dash lights at all. After a number of tries all of a sudden the dash lights start to work and then the car will start. There is a way to disable the theft system. With the car running you have to cut the yellow wire that goes to the ignition switch, the anti- theft light will be on forever but the no start problem will go away.

My daughter's Sunbird, or was it Sunfire, anyway same thing. I took it to the dealer and told them I thought it was anit-theft, ignition switch problem. New ign module, new crank sensor, new ignition wiring. They also told me it needed a new oil pump and O2 sensor, like that will keep it from starting. Finally they replaced the ignition switch, problem solved.

Slide the key in and out of the switch if it won't start before you try starting again. No matter how times you tried her car it would not start until you pulled the key out then pushed it back in.

After just reading Hanks reply, I tried running the key in and out of the ignition a few times, and wouldnt you know it started right up! An ignition switch at Autozone is $170 so I think I will leave it alone for now and try the key thing again if this happens again. Was there a recall on this problem?

After just reading Hanks reply, I tried running the key in and out of the ignition a few times, and wouldnt you know it started right up! An ignition switch at Autozone is $170 so I think I will leave it alone for now and try the key thing again if this happens again. Was there a recall on this problem?

On my daughter's car there was a service bulletin. It related to the ign switch and the grounding of the wiring in the engine compartment. They covered it but it was one of those silent recalls, free if you yelled loud enough.

I ended up changing the fuel pump. It died one day & I checked for fuel pres. & their was none. We'll see what happens.

I had very simliar problem with GMC truck for a few weeks ending up being the fuel presuure regulator, its a 96 not sure if the Cav's have them or not. My wifes cavalier has never had this problem hopefully it wont.

BTW a Ford Focus is not the answer, had had more recalls than the pinto and corvair combined.