2000 Chevy Cavalier Randomly Shut Off While Driving and Now Won't Start

All Chevy Cavs quit sometime between September 1^st and the 4^th on 2011, due to a computer glitch.

To reset it, insert the key into the ignition and rapidly turn it on and off four times.

Then, remove it, open the door and run rapidly around the car (clockwise in the northern hemisphere, and opposite in the southern) three times.

Reenter the car, buckle your seat belt and attempt to start the car.

Wait for help to arrive.

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Didn't you go to any of those links that Lyn found for you?

She probably went the wrong way round when running around the car three times.

Is there anyone that can actually help me here? If so, please reply. I really need some help.

I suspect that you may have a fuse problem. Try removing the fuses associated with the ignition and engine started systems one at a time, check to see if it is blown or the prongs are corroded. If OK replace, if corroded clean the prongs with a light sandpaper. If a fuse is blown, you must replace it. To prevent mixing fuses with different amperages check each fuse individually then replace it before going to the next one.

I had a very simular problem on my 2004 PT Cruiser and after replacing one fuse that was questionable and cleaning several others everything has worked great. Good luck.

You could try disconnecting the battery, wait a few minutes, and reconnect. That might reset things. While you're waiting, clean up the connections.

Good luck, let us know how you get on.

Codey

The fact that the car died on you, and now will not start, I would suspect a bad connection, at the battery terminals. Get someone to tighten them and try it again.

There is going to be a purple wire on the starter motor. After the battery connections are tight, you can test this purple wire with a test light when the key is in the start position. Good luck.

A loose battery connection can give sudden failure. Even a short circuit of the battery if it is not securely mounted, but then something would start smoking.

Sometimes a battery can misbehave for a while before it dies, showing a reasonable voltage but when a load apperas such as a starter motor, the voltage drops to nothing. To ascertain this, turn your lights on and try to start it. If the lights dim but the engine does not turn over, then you have a voltage problem and this could be the battery or battery connection.

If the lights stay bright, and the engine does not turn then the starter circuit could be faulty such as the starter fuse (give each fuse a wiggle sometimes it is just a bad contact), the ignition key (I won't go there for a novice), or the starter jammed. Sometimes a jammed starter can be fixed by knocking it with a solid object such as a piece of wood, big screwdriver handle even a hammer if done gently. You must respect the things you hit, don't hit so hard it will break something you are only trying to jar it. If you are not sure don't hit - and if you don't know your engine parts - well it's your engine...

If the lights dim somewhat and the engine turns then it is likely to be fuel or ignition. You will be able to smell fuel at the exhaust if the fuel system is working, which means it is ignition that is not working. No fuel smell means it is the fuel system.

good luck

ignition modules will act the same way when they're hot. if it start's after it cools down,there's your problem.

i mis-understood the question. please ignore.

How does the ignition module stop the starter from engaging?

no, but a bad starter my be the problem.

The OP said it was running and just stopped. Faulty starter wouldn't cause that.

Codey

When my Cavalier did this it was the computer. Have it properly diagnosed and get used parts if the car is worth it.

Thanks everyone! I will try all of those today and let you all know what happens.

The correct answer is there is a (I'll call it a cylonoid) but it is a small electrical component that sets behind your engine and is heck to get to and when it gets warm short circuits until it finally dies out. A parts store will know exactly what this electrical component is called as I forgot but unless you replace it your car will never run again. I, as well as several others I know of, learned this the hard way!

The thing you are referring to is the starter solenoid. But any of the battery connections can and will cause the same symptoms, and are much easier to test.

no its not the starter selonoid it is an electrical component! It sets behind the engine close to the firewall ( in between the engine and firewall) and I can't remember the name of it!

How much do yo want for the car?

And it could be a bad motor mount.

The engine rotated without the restraint of the mount, causing the ground wire to pull away from the battery. Then no run, followed by no start.

BUT, it would be very unlikely.

I am not much of a mechanic myself, but I did have something much like this happen with a Corsica. It was caused by the timing belt breaking. I do not mean the fan belt. I hope this is not what your problem is as it is not a cheap repair and can often do damage to the valves.

Lets not go looking for problems before it is time...but I have to admit that MY experience with a broken timing belt was exactly the same as the symptoms experienced by the OP. Admittedly I simply bought a crashed car and yanked the engine out of it and put it into the one with the broken timing belt, but that job, as simple as it was, is likely beyond the scope of your average college student, particularly one who starts the question off with "I know nothing about cars..."

A good shade tree weekend project that was. (starts to reminice. Insert annoying old man noises at this point...why back in MY day, we had to write letters! With a pen! And information came from Gugenheim (libraries), not Google. And I wore an onion on my belt because it was the fashion at the time. And we invented sex! One of the best things about the sixties!)

But lets not go there until its time.

Nice clip. I had not seen that before. Thanks.

I've never had a Chevy, but (for those who care, or not) that funny thing you can't remember the name of could be the ignitor (solid state points). However, it doesn''t sound like that.

I could call my brother and get the name of it but right now I'm just plain mad at him. I'm sure, from the description of his symptoms concerning his auto, this is exactly the problem. In fact I'm sure of it. Mine used to run until this part warmed up then just quit running until it cooled enough to restart the engine. After a while it finally totally quit on me! G-D only knows why they even placed this precaution in the electrical system? Just one more criteria to make money I suppose?

If it was the ignition control-coil module, it is to replace the points and condenser that used to need replacement, or adjustment every 6-8 thousand miles. That piece of crap they replaced it with usually allows the vehicle to run over a hundred thousand miles with out any attention. In addition to that, it allows sufficient spark energy to allow your spark plugs to run with .045-.080 inch gap. And do it for over 100,000 miles.

G-D only knows why they even placed this precaution in the electrical system? Just one more criteria to make money I suppose?

Just another piece of crap designed to annoy you, right!

Yes. Metal recycling centres can help. Weigh it in.