96 grand am gt won't start

[SilverCoupe]

Im posting this for someone who cant post yet but has a problem.

1. 96 grand am gt 2-d------my son was working on the car
and for whatever unknown reason it lost all power when
attempted to start it.....the windows were down and there
wasnt' even any power from the battery to power the
windows back up.

2. this morning i went out and attempted to start the car
and nothing.......no clicks, nothing at all.........so i took the
battery down to the autoparts place and they told me
the battery was shot.......

3. i purchased a new battery, hooked it up with all the
correct connections (tight, etc.) and i still have the same
problem: no nothing.......

4. here is what i'm finding as i turn the key:
a. with new battery Power windows won't even go up
b. headlights can be turned on

5. i did notice that when i got into my sons car this morning
that he had taken the radio out completely for whatever
unknown reason............it was an aftermarket radio....


6. this car does not have the passkey system installed
but i notice the "theft" light comes on if i key the ignition
without trying to start the car....

7. it just seems like nothing will work.....it has to be
electrical of some kind.......checked the fuses and they
are all ok.....

i just don't know what to do because when you turn the key it won't even click, nothing, no noise or anything......and like i said the power windows won't even work.............please help.....thanks

[rixGAphx]

Headlights WORK???

But not the rest of the electrical, including the starter motor circuit and stuff thru the ignition switch.

I'll bet the cabin 'courtesy lights' work.

The problem is right where I told this guy it was in the PM I sent him (Sat, IIRC; I can't check or copy my response, since my 'Inbox' overloaded and Shawn/Kelly made me empty it :( ):

That damned POS cable end, where the red cable attaches to the battery.
There's no power going down to the starter solenoid, and thence to the starter circuit.
Because the heavy copper cable (about #2 gage) has been eaten-thru where it's cast into the lead terminal end.
At this same location, there's another, thinner wire (about #10 gage) that goes directly to the junction block.
* This thinner wire provides power to the 'unswitched' circuits (headlights, courtesy lights, power locks, etc.).
So these systems are getting good power from the new battery.

It is the large cable that provides charge from the alternator to the battery.
Because his cable is rotten (I'm sure), no charge got thru and the previous battery died.

Note that this same condition would be caused by any defect in this POS cable, from the terminal that I mentioned to its connection at the other end (at the solenoid).
This connection at the solenoid is kinda near the oil flter and oil pressure sender unit, and an oil leak can really load-up this connection.
Oil is a terrific insulator (it's the liquid fill inside pwerline transformers), so a thoroughly-oiled connection will also disrupt power from the battery.

Solution is to perform a COMPLETE GA Batt Cable Service:

Check the entire charging system: Alternator, Battery, and,........
BATTERY CABLES/CONNECTIONS:

Battery cable ends must be clean and tight and shiny bright.
Even the best new alternator and the best new battery can't provide adequate power (volts and amps) if the connections are so dirty/loose/corroded that power doesn't flow thru them.
Bad connections will also kill both the alternator and the battery very quickly.

So, inspect/clean/repair/replace/tighten all THREE ends of both cables to provide maximum flow of electrical power.
Disconnect cables: NEG (Black) first, then POS (Red).
Cut the molded rubber boots from the battery connections, since water seeps thru them and corrodes the copper wire into useless powder.
(This step is VERY important. You can't just look at the outside and think, "They look alright".)

Dissolve corrosion with a paste solution of baking soda and water, applied with an old toothbrush.
Scrape/sand/wire-brush all the metal (cable ends and batt terminals) to shiny metal.
In an emergency, Coca-Cola poured over the corrosion will partially-clean it.

Pay attention to the Body Ground: This is a smaller Black (Neg) wire that comes from the battery terminal and attaches directly to the bodywork, somewhere near the left (Driver) side hood edge. This is a source of rust, and must be kept clean and shiny. (This is the ‘3rd end’ of the NEG cable.)
The POS cable has a ‘3rd end’ that connects inside the Main Junction Box, about 12 inches from the battery.

Reconnect cables: POS (Red) first, then NEG (Black); this is OPPOSITE of the way you disconnected them.
Replace the cut-off boots with new aftermarket slip-on rubber boots to protect against short-circuiting while allowing for future inspection and service.
* * *
Still having trouble? Verify that the heavy cable from the alternator, around the back of the engine and connecting to the starter solenoid, has good connections and conductivity. The alternator can't charge the battery if this cable is bad.

Weird things happen to GA's when the cables aren't in pristine shape.
ABS is a particularly sensitive system, and will often show a random 'ABS' light though nothing else appears to be wrong.

Battery cable/connection service is necessary and cheap ($5 for new rubber boots), so there's no downside to servicing them immediately.

Good luck.
-Rick

PS:
The car came with 'Passlock I', and it's quite difficult to remove it or disable it (unless a qualified alarm installer performed the 'resistor disable' or 'relay bypass' when installing a Remote Starter.
The present symptoms don't correspond to 'Passlock', but I can't imagine why he believes "this car does not have the passkey system installed."