2003 Sable, 70K miles, won't start....sometimes

This Sable doesn’t make a sound when we turn the key to start it, sometimes. When it does start it runs fine, has a new battery, and the starter looks good.

P.S. The engine doesn’t make a sound, but ALL the dashboard lights go on.

Does the starter click when you turn the key? Are all the wires hooked up properly? Could be a range of things from a busted starter to a few messed up wires, could be a bad ignition switch thing (Those of you who do this for a living, I make up words. Close enough.) It could even be a seized engine, which, unless you’re out of oil, shouldn’t happen. (Oil conveniently is a good thing to check while you’re in there)

It seems to me if the engine was seized, it wouldn’t be an intermittent problem

@macans

what do you mean by “the starter looks good” ?

When it doesn’t start, connect a voltmeter to the starter and try again. If voltage is getting to the starter and it’s not even cranking over, the starter has failed.

Maybe the neutral safety switch (a.k.a. a range selector switch) has gotten iffy. Try shifting into neutral to see if it will start when it acts up again.
This test is not 100% definitive but can point to a range switch problem.

I had the car looked at by a mechanic and was told “the starter looks good.” I am not sure if it was connected to a voltmeter though. Hopefully this was done, and I will try to find out more.

Also, next time I will try shifting into neutral when it happens again. Thank you for the replies!

One other thing that happens I forgort to mention earlier, is when it won’t start and we let it sit for about an hour, it will start next try.