2004 VZ will not crank over and will not start at all

[TNT69]

I have a 2004 VZ executive sedan that I bought last week and it's a very clean car and has been running great and bought it from a second owner who had it sitting at his house for a while.
It was unregistered when I bought it so haven't driven it around except on the inspection.
I do know that it hasn't been serviced for a while so, have booked it into my mechanic next week but, now it will not turn over or start, at all.

On checking the oil level, I noticed that the oil was thick and showed a high level on the dipstick so, I removed about a litre of oil via the dipstick pipe hole as I am unable to get under the car to access the sump plug.
I keep getting a high level reading on the dipstick but am starting to think that I am getting a false reading because of the oil being cold and thick and I may have now drained too much out.

That's all that i have done today...

That's not my problem though and it may be a coincidence but, my car will not start at all now, no cranking just a tick and I am old school and it doesn't really sound like the starter motor ticking that i remember when the starter motor solenoid dies

Could a low level oil cause my engine to not crank over or start at all?

Backed out of the drive yesterday and it was running great and today it just will not crank over or start, it's like it has been immobilized but, key unlocks doors okay and I am able to turn ignition on okay so, can't be the immobilizer

I have bought a new battery, topped up with fresh fuel, bypassed the start relay, checked all fuses but not all relays, but, still nothing.
All dash and lights are working fine and dash just shows service oil change needed and system okay.

Could it be the starter or alternator?

Is this a familiar problem to any members and viewers?

Does anyone have any info or ideas on anything else that I can try before I have to tow it to my mechanic?

Any help or advice would be very appreciated,

THANKYOU

 

[lout]

oil rising could be head gasket or head
oil level does not rise on its own under any circumstance,
see if you can turn engine over using bolt on crank pulley
at that age starter motor is a distinct possibility, but could just be the start relay
anything could be wrong

 

[rambunctious]

I used to get the odd click and first time I changed the remote which stopped it for a while
The battery in the remote was dead and I have since changed the remote cases and added new batteries to them..
Then it started the odd click again a few years later so eventually I changed the starter.
I have found if it clicks, sometimes, removing the key and trying again works.
Also removed, cleaned, and refitted all earth connections as well as thoroughly cleaned battery terminals and leads with sand paper and or emery cloth.
All good ever since.
I had the high torque $67 starter on the shelf for about 7+ years from the first time it started to give me the clicks.
Been great ever since

 

[Fu Manchu]

When this happens, what is the dash doing? Is the fuel gauge doing anything odd? Have you got the flashing lock on the cluster?

Is the pin on the key touching the slip ring around the ignition barrel the whole way when turning the key?

Remove the key blade and clean the earth in the key head and the mating surfaces of the key. Use metho and a cotton tip.

Check all your relays with one of these:
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/3139548...VTSobbORpi&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

Great tool to have.

Further problem solving will require circuit tests and to really get somewhere, high end diagnostic scan tools that will see which circuits are active and which are not.

Clear your service message

(That’s a you tube link. I don’t know why it’s coming up weird)

Clean all the harness earths in the engine bay. There are quite few. Use a small brass brush. Do both surfaces. Do threads. Spray out thread hold and the earths with CO contact cleaner. Snug them all back up
* of note is the major one behind the battery. Unplug it. Clean the pins as best you can. Remove the earth. Clean threads. Clean surfaces.

 

[TNT69]

When this happens, what is the dash doing? Is the fuel gauge doing anything odd? Have you got the flashing lock on the cluster?

Is the pin on the key touching the slip ring around the ignition barrel the whole way when turning the key?

Remove the key blade and clean the earth in the key head and the mating surfaces of the key. Use metho and a cotton tip.

Check all your relays with one of these:
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/3139548...VTSobbORpi&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

Great tool to have.

Further problem solving will require circuit tests and to really get somewhere, high end diagnostic scan tools that will see which circuits are active and which are not.

Clear your service message

(That’s a you tube link. I don’t know why it’s coming up weird)

Clean all the harness earths in the engine bay. There are quite few. Use a small brass brush. Do both surfaces. Do threads. Spray out thread hold and the earths with CO contact cleaner. Snug them all back up
* of note is the major one behind the battery. Unplug it. Clean the pins as best you can. Remove the earth. Clean threads. Clean surfaces.

Thanks mate some really great advice and will try all of them

 

[Fu Manchu]

To add more to this.
Voltage spikes when a low voltage condition occurs and voltage is irregular, or a new battery is installed by connecting positive last can cause a lot of head aches.

Some circuits can have capacitors that can be damaged. I’m not sure if GM used them, curious to have a look, but many BCMs and I’m guessing PIMs have PTC thermistors which can trip, preventing some circuits from working. In this case it maybe a security circuit.

Try a capacitor discharge on the car. There are a few ways. Some boffins have a gadget that does that. We don’t. So disconnect the negative terminal of the battery. Tuck it away safely or put a plastic cap over the negative terminal to be extra sure.

Then open all the doors. Interior light on. Hazards. Beep the horn. Put lights on. High beams on. Turn the ignition on. Pretend start the car. Go through the gears. Hand brake on and off. Brake. Depress the accelerator. Fan on full. Leave it like that for a coffee, cup of tea or a relaxing beer depending on time of day. Maybe a biscuit with your tea. That should be enough “to be super sure” time to discharge anything. Some may say it’s not required but let’s get perspective.
This costs nothing to do. It’s easy. You get a cup of tea and a biscuit.

Then go through and make sure everything is off. Everything is set back safe. Lights off. Handbrake on. Gearbox is in park.
You get the idea.

What that does is drain any residual current stored in capacitors in the ECM and BCM and hopefully PIM. Also in the hope that it also reset any PTC thermistors if any exist.

Then make sure positive terminal is clean and tight. Put negative back on. Tighten up.

Give it a go. It just might work. If it doesn’t, you’ve lost nothing but 15mins of your time.

Another bit of the puzzle we have found is that the Crank Angle Sensor unofficially(?) forms part of the security. (I think that’s how it went off the top of my head).
They are sort of easy to get to. Set behind the right manifold side near the firewall. Won’t see it. You can feel it. In that area near the brake booster. 10mm bolt holds it on. Pulls out once unplugged. No codes will be present. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn’t. Heat can affect a bad one. Works when cold. Not when hot. The. Cools and works again. A few have replaced it and had a no start condition become resolved.


Oh. Also there are ignition relays under the steering wheel as well.

*always connect negative battery terminal last. It’s just safer.

 

[TNT69]

Thanks mate some really great advice and will try all of them

When this happens, what is the dash doing? Is the fuel gauge doing anything odd? Have you got the flashing lock on the cluster?

Is the pin on the key touching the slip ring around the ignition barrel the whole way when turning the key?

Remove the key blade and clean the earth in the key head and the mating surfaces of the key. Use metho and a cotton tip.

Check all your relays with one of these:
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/3139548...VTSobbORpi&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

Great tool to have.

Further problem solving will require circuit tests and to really get somewhere, high end diagnostic scan tools that will see which circuits are active and which are not.

Clear your service message

(That’s a you tube link. I don’t know why it’s coming up weird)

Clean all the harness earths in the engine bay. There are quite few. Use a small brass brush. Do both surfaces. Do threads. Spray out thread hold and the earths with CO contact cleaner. Snug them all back up
* of note is the major one behind the battery. Unplug it. Clean the pins as best you can. Remove the earth. Clean threads. Clean surfaces.

fuel gauge was low but topped up fuel and no low fuel warning now

 

[TNT69]

Thank You to everyone that replied and I am happy to say i just diagnosed the problem as being a bad or stuck Starter motor and after a couple of taps with a light hammer she started, with no problem so, will be getting it checked to see if it needs replacing or it may just be a result of the vehicle sitting for a long period of time, which I know it did, before I recently purchased to car just over a week ago.