2003 Cavalier 2.2 Leter Ecotech

Do your headlights work?

If "kick over" equates to the motor rotating when the key is turned to the "start" position, then it's probably an electrical problem. Maybe your battery just died.

yes my headlights work if it were electrical the the OBD scanner would have picked it up my battery is about 2 weeks old interstate battery

Do you have a volt meter that you can use to measure battery voltage?

How old is the battery?

Do the headlights work when key is on but not starting (do you have power)?

Do the headlights work when turning the key to the start position (enough battery)?

Do you hear the electric starter motor turning?

Do the belts on the front of the engine turn but the engine won't start?

My wife had a 99 Chevy Cavalier. When it was about 10 years old the thing died like yours. After a tow and some shop time they found that the cable from the battery had corrosion under the cable's jacket. The day it died the corrosion caused enough added resistance that the cable fused open when attempting to start. It is not likely that you have the same problem so don't run out and change the cable. Just something to think about.

Never underestimate the trouble that can be caused by a little corrosion on the battery posts or terminals. The car can go from working fine to not starting so quickly that you are sure it is something else. Been there, done that. The embarrassment wears off after a while but you never forget.

No one here will be able to fix your car over the internet. If you provide more detailed information someone here might be able to help you understand what is happening.

BruceFlorida i do know that ppl on the threads wont be able to fix my car just want some ideas on if anyone else ran into the same issue im have quite frankly i have lights also all power from battery is brand new 2 weeks old belt are not on the front of the motor they are on the side don't know if they move the starter starts to spin it's getting plenty of fuel I just know that this car has been a thorn in my side since we bought it checked out all cables leading to battery all are fine its not electrical if so the OBD scanner would have picked it up it a 1500 dollar scanner to do both OBD 1 and 2 cars and trucks but thank you for youre advise

yall perdy good wit them der words

I went through all wiring yesterday morning and so wires are exposed.new starter and cables on the starter I know those are good but i still double check them to be safe my father was a mechanic for 29 yrs and showed me a thing or two about cars so I know what I'm doing. I just don't like messing with my car but i installed my battery in the car after charging the battery when I got it cause they can be only partly charged I know that the ignition is good cause if it were bad the starter would not engage and the first thing i did was went through all fuses and checked them out all looked great

If it's not churning, the fault is in the starter wiring. Check the connections, find out why the starter motor won't turn, and correct it.

If it's churning and not firing, it's a no-spark problem. Now that could be a number of things, including the immobiliser.

• A past no-fire event in a VW Polo turned out to be one of the relays in the fuseboard matrix under the dashboard that had worked itself until it wasn't fully home. Eliminate this possibility by checking that all fuses and relays are present and correct. Try starting again.
• If it has a distributor, pull the cap off. Check the rotor arm is present, clean and correct. Check the contacts inside the cap are clean and rectify if needed. Check the cap isn't damaged and replace it if it is. Reassemble and try starting again.
• Check the spark plug leads. Are they all present and correct? Have they become swapped over at the distributor cap? If so, correct it and try starting again.
• Unscrew one of the spark plugs and touch the body to the engine block with the spark plug lead attached. Dim the lights. Have someone churn the engine and look for the spark. Repeat for the other plugs. If all is well, it should go when the plugs are put back in. If not, check the gaps on each plug and make sure the electrodes are clean. Check the insulator that is the body of each plug. Is it cracked or broken? If so, change all the plugs. Try starting again.
• Check that none of the HT leads pass so close to the engine block that the spark impulse doesn't get to the plug. If the leads are suspect, replace them with new. Try starting again.
• If there is no spark at any of the plugs, then it could be the HT lead coming from the coil, the coil itself or the device that operates the coil. Wiggle things and check everything is in order. Measure ohms from the output of the coil to the engine block and determine that it is not open-circuit. Measure ohms along the HT lead ditto. Try starting again.

If getting to here doesn't cure it, come back here for some more.

Buy another one! Not a Cavalier!

Be Habby - Mum made it home and I bet she had some dinner foa Ya!

You stayed there two days so it must have been some good time for yoa Mum!

Who installed the batterie? Any shorties? The headlights die very much later then the starter.

Other than that. Critters. Seen any lately? They love cables. Did you have a look under the car? Any blanks wires that have not been there before?

Say Hello to yoa Mum, she is probably glad to see you. And better luck with the new car!

Internet auction sites [names withheld] are a great way to solve problems of this nature. Turn the problem into cash.