# CTD won't start



## Black20cruze (Mar 8, 2015)

My 2014 CTD has an intermittent starting issue. Battery is good, when it happens I have no crank or sound but all lights come on and no cels. Remote start won't work either, wiggle key and try over and over it finally works, but getting worse. I know, dealer time, but it's the weekend and warranty doesn't apply because Chevy service sucks. Anyone else have this?


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## ChevyGuy (Dec 13, 2014)

Do you get a click, or is it dead quiet when you hit the starter?


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## Black20cruze (Mar 8, 2015)

I don't hear the solenoid click on the starter, it's very quiet, but I can hear a relay in the dash clicking. Seems everything is normal accept no power going to the starter


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## Tomko (Jun 1, 2013)

Bad battery ground?


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## Black20cruze (Mar 8, 2015)

I checked cables, cleaned reattached when it first happened a month ago, then about once a week it won't start right away maybe third try, well today it was about 20 minutes of trying


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## Jim Frye (Mar 16, 2011)

The problem with Cruze battery cables is usually the crimp where the cable is attached to the battery connection. The Special Coverage #14311 covers it. Has anyone tried squeezing the crimp with a pair of ViseGrip pliers to see if it gets them going? 

http://www.cruzetalk.com/forum/25-s...al-coverage-14311-negative-battery-cable.html


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## ChevyGuy (Dec 13, 2014)

Black20cruze said:


> I don't hear the solenoid click on the starter, it's very quiet, but I can hear a relay in the dash clicking. Seems everything is normal accept no power going to the starter


I think it's a starter relay. The contacts are going bad. My 2013 shop manual (no diesel in 2013) shows the relay is in the underhood fusebox. But I'd check the labeling.

If the click was louder, I'd say starter solenoid. That's a typical failure pattern for them. At first it's just a second try but gets progressively worse until every start is a multiple attempt.



Tomko said:


> Bad battery ground?


I'd think that would cause an immediate power failure, brownout, chatter or other noticeable symptom. If the dash lights and everything else seems normal, I doubt if that would be it.


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## Black20cruze (Mar 8, 2015)

I had an issue with a semi recently. No crank, but everything else including lights come on as well as bright headlights, it was loose cables, but idk, I did get the bulliten about the neg cable, I'm going to make another with alligator clips to kind of assist/bypass if I can get it to happen again


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## oilburner (Jun 13, 2013)

swap the relay with one of the others with same part # in the relay box if still persist its not the relay.


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## Black20cruze (Mar 8, 2015)

oilburner said:


> swap the relay with one of the others with same part # in the relay box if still persist its not the relay.


Ok oil burner, I got it to screw up and not crank again, I tried 6 times, three with each key, then remote start to no avail, then I tried my battery ground bypass with alligator clips so I could leave original alone just to assist a possible weak connection, nothing again, then I disconnected the extra wire I just had clipped on and swapped starter relay with fan relay(only choice that matched) and that worked, unless by bs coincidence, thanks everyone and I will post any updates


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## ChevyGuy (Dec 13, 2014)

Black20cruze said:


> and swapped starter relay with fan relay(only choice that matched) and that worked,


I'd get a replacement relay. I'm not sure which fan relay it is (what speed) but you could have a overheat problem in your future. (It might be the high speed aka "jet mode" which is rarely used.)


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## oilburner (Jun 13, 2013)

Black20cruze said:


> Ok oil burner, I got it to screw up and not crank again, I tried 6 times, three with each key, then remote start to no avail, then I tried my battery ground bypass with alligator clips so I could leave original alone just to assist a possible weak connection, nothing again, then I disconnected the extra wire I just had clipped on and swapped starter relay with fan relay(only choice that matched) and that worked, unless by bs coincidence, thanks everyone and I will post any updates


those relays are not expensive, till then keep eyes on temp.


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## Black20cruze (Mar 8, 2015)

I will just get another relay instead of dealer hassle. It's still possible that wasn't the problem and car just happened to start. When it started I noticed the cooling fan was on because the a/c was on. Turned off a/c and fan went off. I'm guessing there's one relay for high coolant temp and another for drawing air through a/c condenser. Wish I had a service manual


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## Black20cruze (Mar 8, 2015)

I tried to let the car heat up to check if fan comes on, car idled in driveway for 20 mins in 92 degrees and held normal temp without fan ever coming on. I will keep you guys posted and thanks again


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## ChevyGuy (Dec 13, 2014)

Based on my 2013 manual, there are 5 relays for the fan. Having a bad relay will cause the loss of one or more speeds. I'm not sure how you can test all three speeds without some kind of scan tool to step you though all of them.

A bad relay is a bad relay. It won't magically work just by putting it in another spot. If the relay doesn't cost that much, I say change it out, or you'll find out what's missing at the most inopportune moment.


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## diesel (Jun 8, 2013)

I keep relays in my glovebox in case anything like this happens to me. it's a habit I got into from driving old Benzes. A spare can be the difference between getting stranded or not.

That being said, i have noticed as my CTD ages, it is getting a bit harder to get the key in the ignition. i wonder if this is another ignition switch fiasco in the making. The fact that the car won't remote start in your case might rule that out. Have you tried both keys to see if same result?

Good luck and definitely keep us posted.


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## Black20cruze (Mar 8, 2015)

I tried both keys and no difference. I'm also talking about the engine cooling fan not the blower for cabin. My under hood fuse box shows two relays for engine fan. Only one is the same as the starter relay


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## ChevyGuy (Dec 13, 2014)

Black20cruze said:


> My under hood fuse box shows two relays for engine fan. Only one is the same as the starter relay


Based on my car, (and the owner's manual for the 2014 looks the same) you swapped relay 2 for relay 10. Relay 10 is the low-speed fan relay. So you may lose the low-speed function. 

The worst I can think of is that you take the car in for some problem and the techs discover the bad relay, fix it (perhaps on your dime), proclaim the car fixed and get it back to you - with the original problem still there. But paraphrase something my dad taught me, if GM thought they could skip the low speed, they would have. So there must be a reason for it. After a lifetime of fixing things, I try to fix the small simple stuff before it causes problems down the road.


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## Black20cruze (Mar 8, 2015)

Car still starting fine, must have been the relay. I tried a few auto parts stores and no one carries these. I got two on Amazon for 3.50 each plus $5 for shipping, they are exact GM part, sadly made in Korea. Thanks again everyone


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## ChevyGuy (Dec 13, 2014)

Black20cruze said:


> Car still starting fine, must have been the relay. I tried a few auto parts stores and no one carries these. I got two on Amazon for 3.50 each plus $5 for shipping, they are exact GM part, sadly made in Korea. Thanks again everyone


Either that or reseating the relay fixed it. A hard-core person would put the "bad" relay back in and see what happens. But most rational people consider $12 well worth it and move on down the road.


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