So about a week ago I drove my car all day, later that evening after the car had cooled down i went out to move it, put the key in the ignition turned the key to the on position everything lights up on the IP. I turn the key to the start and nothing happens except that the dash board lights go out, the starter does not engage just nothing. The only thing I hear is a faint clicking noise coming from behind the instrument panel. After reading a little bit about the neutral safety switch I went to my other car which is a 2000 bonneville ssei also put the car in drive and tried to start the car same exact symptoms. I have checked most fuses to see if any were burned but still the problem remains an unsolved mystery. Any one else experience this or had to replaced the Neutral Safety Switch.

While the neutral safety switch is a possibility, it wouldn't rank toward the top of the list of problems. First, try cleaning up your battery cables - both ends, paying close attention to the grounding strap where it connects to the floor under the back seat. Clean the under-hood positive connections also. Then, make sure that the 3 small bolts that hold the fuse box down (both under the seat and under the hood) are good and snug. They provide grounding.

What is your battery voltage? What does it drop to when you try to start the car?

Along with checking those things, read this thread. This takes you right to the last page where the solution was found, but you may want to read the whole thread.
http://www.bonnevilleclub.com/forum/...ic.php?t=55582

If it is the neutral safety switch, many times you can get it to connect by wiggling the shift lever or holding it in slightly different positions. You may also try starting the car in neutral instead of park (or vice versa).

Archon is spot on. Make sure the battery cables are tight. Watch your battery voltage on the DIC and see what it says when you try to start the car. If the voltage drops alot, then your starter is more than likely bad. If the voltage does not drop, then it may very well be the starter solenoid.

So tonight when i got home i realized that my father has my volt meter i will have to test it on sunday when i get it back from him. In the mean time i have tried starting the car in every position PRND321 no luck. So I also did check the battery connections and the 3 bolts in the fuse box. I even swapped the battery from my other Bonneville which I know is working very well, still no luck. I work tomorrow and will shoot up to my dads house in Ohio, so sunday I will test the battery first thing in the morning.

By the way Archon thanks for the link to that thread it sounds like silverbullet had the same issue i am having. I checked the #19 fuse and all other fuses that seem to affect the ignition.

Did you clean the grounding strap bolt, and push the connections for fuse #19 together? What is the voltage reading on you DIC?

You don't need a voltmeter to watch the voltage of your battery when you start the car. The battery voltage is actually one of the settings in the digital computer on your dash.

Archon i will check on that strap bolt. Is that the bolt holds the plastic block that keeps the battery stationary or is that the cable that is part of the wire harness that is attached to the frame?

Bonez you are correct about the dash settings i will see what it reads b4 i try to start it.
My only concern is the dash lights all go out when the key is turned to the start position.
so i could get a reading before i try to start it.

Thanks for the help so far

I will update soon on what i find

Brandon

Brandon, follow the negative battery cable to where it connects to the floor pan. That'* the area of concern. That bolt goes through the body, so it can get pretty rusty and corroded. The cable also is attached to a painted surface, so the ground can become intermittent, or at least resistive.

With the voltage - check the reading on the DIC just before you try to start the car, and then again right when the dash displays come back on.

On Sunday I did what you said Archon, I checked the voltage 12volts before i started after 11.9Volts once again no start. Checked the fuse #19 seemed alright. I remembered tonight that I did not check the terminal so I ran out to the car and backed out the bolt and put it back en went to start the car SUCCESS!! It started it turned over the starter finally engaged. So i left the car running took it for drive just to get the battery charged up. After about a 20 minutes around the neighborhood brought it back home and parked it. Nervously i went to start it and it turnrd over, I did this about 15 times everything was good. I did notice that a few times when starting the car that I turned the key all the way to the start position and nothing happened right away but as i let the key rotate back to the ACC the car then started. I was just wondering if you think that this could be the actuall ignition switch or something else. Either way it is working and I could not be more happy.

I took some advice from Silverbulle,t I told the car i was going to get rid of it. I think it too knew better and decided to start working. Little does it know I was lying, it is not going anywhere any time soon I have 9 more payments left on it and it is all mine. Plus I enjoy the car way to much.

thanks to both of you for your help. If all is well with this i have some other things you guys may be able to help me with.

Thnaks Again

Brandon