My 2004 Impala (92K Miles) had an issue starting up. I put the key in the ignition and the engine wouldn’t turn. Engine check light was on, but other than that, no response at all. It seemed totally dead. I went back to the car 10 minutes later and it started up fine and normal. Battery was changed in June 2007 and I live in Phoenix, AZ where our temperatures are low 100’s so I am not sure if these things would affect it. Any ideas as to why this happened or what maintenance I should do to prevent this again?
The next time the engine won’t start, take the shift lever and wiggle it while trying to start the engine. If that doesn’t work, turn the ignition to the run position so the dash lights come on, step on the brake pedal and shift the transmission into neutral. Now try starting the engine. If the engine starts doing either of these things, it points to a problem in the park/neutral safety switch.
Tester