Hello Everyone -

I was having weird problems with my '02 Sunfire recently - I would lose all power when turning the ignition switch on. To get power restored I would remove the negative battery terminal lead, turn on the headlight switch, and then reconnect the negative lead to the battery. Don't even ask me how I came up with that sequence - I was trying everything I could think of to avoid having the vehicle towed. That worked but it was darned inconvenient, because I usually had to wait for extended periods of time before the method was effective.
I thought it might have had something to do with the Passlock anti-theft system, so I brought the car in to my mechanic for evaluation. I left it with him for a couple of days and when I returned to ask if he had found anything, he said that the car was starting up just fine every time he tried, and everything worked. I could not believe him, so we both went out to my car, and he got in and it started right up. I got in, shut the car off, and then tried to start it. Dead. Nothing. No lights, no horn. Nothing.
One of the other mechanics at the shop came out with a multi-meter and took a few voltage and resistance measurements. He said "I know exactly what the problem is". He disconnected the positive battery lead, took off the cover and cleaned all the surfaces - flat plates and screw threads - until they shined.
Not only does the car start up immediately, but the stereo backlighting is brighter (as well as the interior lights), the rear window defroster works faster, and the clock no longer resets itself to 12:00 every time I start the car. Oh yeah, the AC compressor has stated to kick on now, as well.
I had the original battery replaced two weeks ago. Apparently, the installer thought nothing of the condition of the battery cables. They looked okay except for a thin powdery coating which I though was just a normal weathering phenomenon which did not affect electrical conductivity. WRONG.
The simple lesson is this: keep your battery cables and terminals clean. I mean clean - burnish the metal until it shines, don't just casually brush the buildup off the terminals.
Computers and relays in modern vehicles are extremely sensitive to voltage fluctuations and can behave erratically when the electrical circuit parameters are not in the "as designed" range.
Ignoring the fundamentals will getcha every time.

Enjoy your j-body! WR

OT - "My Boss' Car Won't Start, Can You Help Me ?"

The pretty young lady said as I was eating my noon break
sandwitch.

So, I laid my sandwitch down, went outside to see what
was wrong.

Battery cable connections were white and green.

"Can I have your car keys please ?", I asked?

After that I got the lug iron out of the trunk and 'whacked'
the battery cables to tighten them down on battery posts.

The car started and she waived goodbye, went off.

About an hour later I was standing among about 20
female employees in the accounting department, and
the young secretary popped in the room, ran up to me
and said in a loud voice, "THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR
JIGGLING MY WIRES, YOU WERE WONDERFUL !"

The room erupted in laughter....and, how was I to explain ?