I have an 02 Rendezvous with 48k miles on it. Great car until now.
Here’s the problem:
Memorial day, the car won’t start. I have power to everything, but it won’t turn over. Jump starting doesn’t work so it’s towed to a dealer. Dealer says it’s the ignition switch and they replace it.
The next day, the car won’t start again. Same exact symptoms as before. I tow it to another dealer (I was out of town) and this dealer says it’s the Body Control Module. I don’t buy it and ask for the error codes. They can’t give them to me, so I have it towed to a trusty mechanic.
Trusty mechanic finds a blown 10 amp fuse. He says that it’s not the BCM but could possibly be the ignition or ignition relay that is causing the fuse to blow. He replaces the fuse, puts the old ignition switch in and has me drive it for a couple of days to see what happens.
4 days later, I’m driving at 55 mph and the car just dies. No warning, nothing. I pull over, replace the same blown fuse and try to restart the car. It will turn over this time but will not spark.
So what is the real issue here? Is it the computer, the ignition switch or the ignition relay? Or something else entirely?
I’ve had no electrical problem prior to this so I don’t think it’s the BCM. Also, I had the same problem with the fuse blowing with the old and new ignition switch. This leads me to believe that it’s a short in the ignition relay. Am I on the right track here?
I’m spending a whole bunch of money but not finding the right answer. I’d love some help!
Thanks!
Julie
You say your independent mechanic reinstalled your original ignition switch? how did you get possession of the switch? You asked for old parts back? Are you going back to the dealer with the “new” switch that is now used and try to recover the cost (parts/labor) I would
Yes, I always ask for the old parts back. I am trying to recover the costs that I paid out to the original two dealerships since none of their fixes or diagnostics were correct.