Power, but not starting...ground wires? (Video showing what I mean)

**JAFO** · 05-27-2019

Sorry my first post is asking for help. I'm not new to car forums, but I don't have much experience with the GP.
2004 Grand Prix, about 67k miles.
Cleaned it up after getting back from my son...including what I considered a careful, low pressure, spray of the engine. Possible cause?? It had no startup issues immediately after or for a couple of days.

Drove it the day before this started with no issues, ran great.
The battery is less than 2 years old.
After not starting, I checked and the battery cables had significant corrosion built up, as they did when I replaced the battery in 2017. I cleaned these up, the connection is good now. No change.
The battery is charged, I've had it on a charger for days.

I do think the battery may have been dead to begin with, even after driving continuously for a good while the day before.
I would think the car would start even if the alternator was bad, if the battery was charged, so I'm temporarily ruling that out.
Starter? Maybe, I hope not. I hear a click, so I assume the solonoid is ok. I could be wrong about that.

I doubt this is a passkey 3 issue, although with the error messages, it does sound like the manual describes when it kicks off. I've been through the service manual routine for resetting the keys. 10 min/5sec/10 min/5 sec/10 min/5 sec from on to off etc. as in the bulletin. No change. Both keys.
Then, randomly, not after this, but later, the car started perfectly. Turned off and then on, testing both keys, it started fine. I did not drive anywhere. Then turned off and it never started again. Power is still there for everything else.
So, I'm thinking intermittent ground issues, maybe something finally broke loose?

I'm open for ideas. At this point I suspect grounding, but I don't know where all of the grounds are to check this.
I have a brief video showing what I"m seeing in case that helps.
I could use help with ground locations to check. Thanks for any help!

https://youtu.be/V5q9BrL_bUw

**JAFO** · 05-27-2019

I think I found a couple of the main ground wires on the other side of the engine, but one I can't get eyes on. I know "it looks ok" isn't good enough with ground wires, but...the one looks ok. I'll have to get under there to get a better look and loosen it to check better.

Could this be some kind of shifter position sensor? Probably grasping at straws. It's just odd how it started fine and quickly that couple of times, making me think it isn't the starter but something simpler.

**Scottydoggs** · 05-27-2019

you hear the click from the dash? or under the hood? under the hood is power or ground. in the dash is a bad starter. you try hitting the body of the starter with a hammer a few times while the key is held to crank?

04 up cars have a crappy ground at the battery from what i understand. id clean and make sure thats all tight, if you see bare wire at the end of the cable the cable could be bad too.

main battery ground goes to the bell housing bolt. theres at least one other eyelet on it, two black wires to one loop, those wires tend to break off their eyelet. i have headers these days so i can see the nut that holds the grounds to the tranny, with stock manifolds iirc you can still feel it by reaching under the manifold with a 3 inch extension and a deep socket. pretty sure its a 13 mm nut. i just hade my engine out a few weeks ago.

**JAFO** · 05-27-2019

Thanks for the reply. The clicking when I turn the key is under the hood, so I assume it's the solonoid showing it's ok. I think I've found the grounds, but I'll have to get the car up to check the two you mentioned up close. I'll pull them and clean them up just in case.

**JAFO** · 05-29-2019

Follow up:
Checked the two grounds I could reach without trouble. Before getting into the starter and 3rd ground, I started questioning the battery. It would take some charge, but ran down quickly with the start attempts. I assumed it was the starter just not turning, but getting the battery tested was easy enough and I wanted to start at the top of the chain. Took it for testing and found it had a bad cell. I can see how that would keep it from having power to run the starter, but it's odd that all of that in the video would come from it. Just the same, it's starting and the only error I had was related to the security, which went away with the basic passkey reset in the manual. No errors now. Still a little hesitant to idle at start, but starting just fine with a tap on the gas and then runs strong. I haven't driven it yet, I want to see it starting reliably for a while first.
Now I've got to replace an LED bulb in that stereo and we should be in great shape, assuming Murphy doesn't come calling again.

**Scottydoggs** · 05-29-2019

the old crappy battery trick i see......sounds like your good to go again.

**JAFO** · 05-30-2019

So far so good! Now I've got to replace the led bulbs in the radio, but I found something on youtube for that and the guy sells them. Doesn't look too bad to fix.

**tomsteve** · 05-31-2019

Originally Posted by JAFO

So far so good! Now I've got to replace the led bulbs in the radio, but I found something on youtube for that and the guy sells them. Doesn't look too bad to fix.

care to share a link to the video?