I have a 2011 Chevy malibu 2.4l it is the flex fuel model. it all started when i got up this morning. i went out and as soon as i opened the door it was dinging like i left the key in the ignition. the key was in my hand. i went to start it and nothing happens. i took the key out and the car was still dinging. so i checked the fuses and the battery. i disconnected the battery for 30 min and the dinging no longer happens like it is stuck in acc but it still will not start. when i turn the key to start. nothing happens like it usually dose. usually the light shut off they do not now. usually the odometer and every thing on the dash would go all the way up and back down like the speedometer would go from 0 to 140 and back to 0. the fuel level would go from E to F and back down to E then to the fuel level that dose not happen. the only light that dose shut off when I turn the key to start is the gear select light for park. the radio dose not shut off when i turn to start. im at a loss of ideas. if you have any kind of help it would be extremely appreciated. i am willing to try anything you might have an idea about.
you need to start with the battery-
Does it have sufficient charge?
Does it have sufficient cold cranking amps left? (Many chain auto parts stores offer free battery testing, some offer charging)
Are the battery cables clean and tight?
Are you sure you didn’t leave the headlights on and completely drain the battery?
You might have a bad ignition switch, so when you remove the key it leaves some circuits in the car in the “on” condition, and that drains the battery overnight. First thing to do is to ask your shop to use a battery charger to re-charge the battery. This may take some time, maybe 24 hours. But once it is fully charged, see if will starts acting normally again. If so, ask your shop to do a phantom current drain test to see if the ignition switch is somehow remaining on when you remove the key.
the battery is only a a few months old and is clean and has a good connection.
I disconnected the battery and went caving with some friends. So about four and a half hours. When I got back home I plugged the battery in and it turned over, but not quiet enough juice to start it. I asked my friend if he could jump my car and it started right up. I had tried to jump start it this morning but it didn’t even try to start. Everything on the dash did not work correctly. It works now that I disconnected the battery. I don’t know what it was, But I hope it dose not happen again.
It could still be the battery. I needed a new battery and had two fail within a week of getting both of them. I’m sure that is rare, but it does happen. Take the battery to a chain auto store and have them test it. There is an Advance Auto near me that tests electrical parts, and any of the big chains will do it as well. If the battery does not function, take it back to the place that sold it to you and get a new one.
Good batteries can go bad. I’d get it checked before it leaves you stranded somewhere.
Having said that, if you disconnecting and then reconnecting the battery took care of your issues, I would greatly assume that the cables were not clean/tight before. You remedied that situation by disconnecting/reconnecting.