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2005 Cobalt 2.2 starts sometimes

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Joined
September 11, 2009
Messages
611
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City, State
Bedford Indiana
Year, Model & Trim Level
94 XLT 4x4
Hey guys, know it's been awhile since I've posted around these parts but I recently purchased a used 2005 Chevy Cobalt 124,x.. miles, now has 128,19x miles.

I drive 50 miles from home to work, 50 miles back. Have had it for a couple months, rebuilt from front-end collision, almost everything has been replaced.

Problem happened out of the blue, the battery is fine, the car locks the key in the ignition if the battery is too weak to start the car. Headlights, radio, everything seems fine.

I can turn the key on, hear the ignition relays click, and the crank relay under the hood, tyco 3604, but when I turn the key it does nothing. I left the key on for a couple minutes at work tonight and it finally started. Drove home, now it won't start again.

It has a total of six tyco 3604 relays, two for fans, one for rear defrost, one crank, one power train, and finally one listed as run/crank. I had rotated all of them to figure out if any were bad. When I drove it home the fan would not kick on but everything else was fine minus the check engine light. I had the engine cover off which appears to have two vacuum lines, thought that may have been the issues.

Changed out the two fan relays with new/used ones from a junk 2006 Chevy truck which are known to be good. But I can't get it to start now to see if the fans are working or not.

The temp hit 223 F but dropped back around 190-195 the rest of the ride home. Before this started the idle temp would hit 215 and the fans would kick on.

I'm not sure what the problem is, thinking electrical perhaps since it will start at times. I don't have a code reader but will try to get someone over here to look at it one day this week. Next week its heading to a local electrical shop, $68 an hour :(


From what I can see that has been replaced from the old accident, headlights, fenders, bumper, hoods the same I think, radiator, lines to the condenser but not the actual condenser, so no AC.
The sub-frame has some dents in it from the accident but I didn't look under the car before I purchased it, as is with no warranty.

I have two other vehicles I can drive to work, 99 cavalier and 03 focus hatchback. Sadly the cobalt is financed which means I'm still paying on it.


Thanks ahead of time for any feedback or advice you guys and gals can give me since this is the newest vehicle I own I expected less issues from it. Not like my lemon Explorer, which I will never sell. :D

07/21/2013

Been reading up on this issue. Appears I am now getting a "reduced engine power" message via the display. Could be ECM, PCM, Crank or cam sensor. Will try unhooking the battery tomorrow to see if the issue continues.

If it does, it will be sent a block over a friends shop on July 22nd.


07/27/2013

Clearing the codes didn't help much, still the same. It's been sitting at the shop all week. They had over twenty vehicles ahead of mine so it will be next week before I know the damage.

UPDATE

Been in the shop since July 23rd. Not many updates yet. Hoping to hear something soon.... Perhaps....

08/17/2013

They done some testing to confirm several things were not receiving power or a signal from the BCM, Body Control Module, so assuming they won't buy it via Rockauto @ $263.xx, the part will be around $300. Although they mentioned a "used" option.

The Cobalt should be ready by Monday, it is now actually in their shop compared to being worked on in their parking lot, testing wire by wire, sensor by sensor and so on.

I may combine these posts into one single post once the car is fixed, if, this is in fact the problem. Perhaps it will be helpful to another Cobalt owner who mistakenly purchased an older 2005-06 model which I've heard have this issue more often than the last two model years for the Cobalt.
 



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Posts 2, 3, 4, and 5 can be deleted. Sorry.


I'm picking the car up today, BCM (Body Control Module), Starter, and wiring harness to power distribution block. $675.16 total. Well, they repined the old harness to the distribution block. Cheaper and quicker they said.
 






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