hotmine Posted January 31, 2004 Report Share Posted January 31, 2004 for the past 3 cold days, I have been having with the car not starting . Checked the battery..I think it is ok..lights and everything else battery-related work fine..when I turn the ignition key on to start the car..nothing...it is as if there is no battery connected to the car..the only thing I hear is one faint click coming from the right passenger side of the car..this probelm started about 3 days ago...the first day...on the first try ..it did not start..2nd it did not...3rd it did..and it was fine the rest of the day..second day in the morning...same thing..but this time it took about 5 tries...3rd day in themorning....nothing..I could not start it at all..again acted as if there was no battery connected to the car....please note it started doing this when the outside temp. fell below 15oF...any idea what could the problem be..soundsto me it is somehow weather related..I checked the archives and found nothing usefull....thanks for your help.. the car is a cad deville 1995 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
careldo Posted January 31, 2004 Report Share Posted January 31, 2004 sounds like the starter is going probably has weak windings or solonoid is getting weak.Check battery and connections for corrosion. careldo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JIMDTS Posted January 31, 2004 Report Share Posted January 31, 2004 Just a guess you may just have a battery starting to go.Or it's possible the starter. I would check the battery termnials for corrosion and clean them if they have corrosion.you can't see it unless you remove the cables from the battery.The easy was would be try to jump start the car on see if it starts rite up.How old is your battery? Good Luck Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hotmine Posted January 31, 2004 Author Report Share Posted January 31, 2004 The battery is fine..I did try to jump it..but did not make a bit of difference..how do I check if is the starter, selenoid or whatever else it could be...thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Nunnally Posted January 31, 2004 Report Share Posted January 31, 2004 Can also be the PRNDL switch has a faulty connection cold. Next time it won't start at all, with the battery on car off run the gear shift lever through its positions and back to park, then try again. Bruce 2023 Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing Follow me on: Twitter Instagram Youtube Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hotmine Posted February 1, 2004 Author Report Share Posted February 1, 2004 excuse my ignorance..but what is the PRNDL . where is it located? can it be replaced easily by someone like me, with little experiece (I do know common sense,however)...is it the ignition switch by any chance...thanks for your help .. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob*97 SLS Posted February 1, 2004 Report Share Posted February 1, 2004 The PRNDL refers to the gear the car is in. The gear shift will light each gear you are in or pass over to go to another gear. there by being, P: Park, R: Reverse, N: Neutral, etc. There is a switch to tell the car that you are in park or neutral to let the car crank for starting when you turn the key. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MICHAELWSMITH Posted February 1, 2004 Report Share Posted February 1, 2004 prndl switch Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loucar1 Posted February 1, 2004 Report Share Posted February 1, 2004 The next time you have this problem, turn on the head lights and try starting. If the lamps dim you will know if the PNR switch is good! I would try jumping the car to see if the battery is the problem and if it starts check the terminals to be sure they are clean. When you jump the battery and the problem is the same, I would then start looking at the starter / cable as a possible issue Lou 94 Seville STS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hotmine Posted February 1, 2004 Author Report Share Posted February 1, 2004 for as long as I owned the cars,I could never start it in neutral (unlike other vehicles I woned) ...is that normal for cadillacs..or does that explain the Prdnl switch problem.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
98Concours Posted February 1, 2004 Report Share Posted February 1, 2004 That explains the prdnl switch problem. Jeff 98 Concours 90 Seville 04 Corvette Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hotmine Posted February 1, 2004 Author Report Share Posted February 1, 2004 can I replace the prdnl switch myself or is it too hard to do so...what do you guys recommend...and what is the average cost out there for that kind of a job..thanks agin.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ranger Posted February 2, 2004 Report Share Posted February 2, 2004 can I replace the prdnl switch myself or is it too hard to do so...what do you guys recommend...and what is the average cost out there for that kind of a job..thanks agin.. The switch as I recall is right on top of the transmission and relatively easy to access from over the right front fender. No idea on cost. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Nunnally Posted February 2, 2004 Report Share Posted February 2, 2004 First you need to make sure the PRNDL switch is at fault by seeing if cycling through the gears fixes the no start condition when it happens. My dealer replaced mine, but my impression is that the switch is under the gear shift assembly. Bruce 2023 Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing Follow me on: Twitter Instagram Youtube Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjhat Posted February 2, 2004 Report Share Posted February 2, 2004 I had the exact same problem on my 97 Concours, only during the summer. It was my cable connection to the battery. Check for corrosion on the battery contacts. Mine showed no signs of corrosion by looking at it with the battery connected, so take the cables off of the battery to have a good look. Cadillacs draw more current from the charging system because of all the electronics, so a VERY good battery connection is important. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adallak Posted February 8, 2004 Report Share Posted February 8, 2004 had the same problem two months ago. the battery was fine. i put additional wire from battery's positive to starter's positive- it started right away. the problem is the cold weather - starter needs more ampers and if the cable is old it cannot provide with enough current. it is just a temporary fix. make sure the connections are reliable otherwise will get a lot of sparks. at the same time it will prove that the problem is wiring not solenoide, starter, battery or whatever else. try. The saddest thing in life is wasted talent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MICHAELWSMITH Posted February 8, 2004 Report Share Posted February 8, 2004 mine did that and it was the pass key worn on the sides of the pellet when i got a new key , starts every time Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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