Cobalt No Crank No Start When Turning Key Fix

Car would start and stall out right away. Maf engine light came on. We thought starter since it looked really old and the one wire between the alternator and starter was corroded and almost broken.
We replaced the starter and it cranked and started and stalled out. But then the car would not crank or anything when turning the key. We checked all the connections and made sure the starter worked. We eventually narrowed it down to a wire and the fuse box somewhere. We checked relays and the Crank Relay was corroded. So we pulled it out and made sure it was good. Checked all the contacts and only the ground was not getting any volts or omhs going through.
Then we ripped the fuse box apart and saw the ground wire in that spot and followed it through all the loom and tape to the ground on the tranny. We took the ground off and found all the wires corroded and falling off which made horrible contact.
We cleaned the contact and cut the wires and reconnected it and made it all shiny and new, then we tested the connection from the ground to the positive post on the fuse box and we got full 13 volts.

[@cameronsmith5824]

I was stuck 60 miles from the house stuck in a hospital parking lot, the cobalt wouldn’t start. Messed with this ground after an hour of trying everything else. Started right up!! Thanks, you saved me a ton of money and got me out of a tough situation!! The 266,000 mile cobalt lives on!!🎉🎉🎉

[@DevoutSiren311]

I can’t even begin to explain to you how much your video helped me. After countless videos and countless hours of researching you helped me fix my car. When the car FINALLY turned over and started I was filled with such relief and I started to cry. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Please keep making videos, you have no idea what you do for people.

[@brandonbrockway8051]

Does it really work????

[@heingysen9875]

If you get a wiring diagram, you could have fixed it in 1 hour (by testing the control wire first. before the new starter )

[@originalsoundjunky]

Thank you VERY much for posting this "totally unprofessional" video for all the other hopelessly unprofessional people out there... It was of great assistance!

[@nickwhite8105]

You are the MAN tried new engine bay fuse assy new battery checked every fuse replaced the starter still nothing but a click. Found your video entire ground was rusted like crazy I owe you one

[@lorenzo42p]

I wasn't even getting a click, just nothing. checked fuses many times, couldn't find the problem. this was exactly it. makes me wish I found this video sooner.

[@megabaneen8057]

Excellent now I know where to check

[@Korvonis]

This fixed my 2008 Pontiac g5. Same issues put a new starter, alternator and ignition switch. Checked the fuses and relays everything should of been working. After watching this I went out in the morning and checked,and it has same exact issue. The only difference was the ground was mounted on the front of the motor instead of the side.(only difference between cobalt and the g5) but had a completely green corroded eyelet with not 1 but 3 wires completely disconnected. Your a lifesaver. Not to mention I was lucky enough to be neighbors with two licensed mechanics who were stumped as to why it wouldn’t crank. If you have a no crank no start on a 2008 Pontiac g5 with a good alternator, starter, battery and ignition switch give this a try it may just save you a shit load of money.

[@markebbert9990]

Great video!!! Helped me fix my problem on my daughter’s car. $200 in parts and hours of labor later unfortunately. So glad I finally came across it.

[@bradhuston8838]

Yes! I was struggling. Battery good. Starter good. Relays tested good. I wish I had found this video at the beginning on my problems with a 07 cobalt. Thank a bunch. God bless you!

[@LostCause64]

Just wanted to say that I wish I had found this video about 6 weeks ago. Before my Cobalt sat for over a month. I'm an OTR truck driver, so I have limited time to work on things. The Cobalt ignition would come on, I'd get a sound like a relay clicking, but no crank. Was going to try jumping the solenoid directly to see if it would crank. Started moving some wiring, the same wiring you show in the video, and the relay clicking got real intense, then stopped all together. Started playing with that same wiring harness and found that same connector you found with all four leads corroded and broken off. I cleaned up the loop connector, spliced in new wires and secured them to that connector. Car starts and runs perfectly now. Great video. Like I said, just wish I'd had found it sooner.

[@stevekrahn9707]

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!!!!! Noticed when I was checking relays, fuses ect., said relay was severely corroded on the relay ground pin. Did what you did and Angel's started singing the Glory of God!!!!! The cobalt is a running and thank you for your video. I eventually would have got there but you saved me a couple hrs in the track down. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!!!!!

[@rickeyviger5271]

You sir just saved me hundreds of dollars! Ive been on this for around 7 hours now Thank you very much 💗

[@aprilcrook1650]

OMG! I am so glad you made this video. I have watched so many of the same things that I have already checked. I'm doing this as soon as daylight appears.

[@Mightyjojoidiot]

Insert praise here. 👍🏿

[@lessurette4772]

Mine also had this problem, after fixing that it worked but car sat for a year and would not roll over intermittently at first then not at all. It was the starter itself, the small link that is soldered on the back of the solenoid was corroded and Burnt open. I was able to solder a small piece of wire from the stud to the solder tab. Saved a few hundred 👍

[@donalexander322]

Thanks for the video, my Cobalt out of the blue would not crank over. After watching you video, I decided to check the fuse block ground and that was the problem. Runs like new again. Only wish I seen your video a few hours earlier.

[@Orval1977]

Thank you! This video was very helpful! I got my wife’s car to start by wrapping a wire around the ground post of the relay and around the bolt to the strut as a jumper for the short term.

[@DGillyy]

Working on a neighbor's 2006 Cobalt. I had no ground at the ground socket, i jump the ground pin to a good ground and the engine would crank. The were no grounds by the engine like the video shows. I did see I've under the coolant tank as someone else mentioned. I couldn't find a black wire with a white stripe anywhere. I pulled the fuse panel out of the box. From what i can see, it's a circuit board that everything plugs in to. But the socket for the ground is vacant, there is no wire there. So I'm thinking the anti theft might be the cause. The amber light comes in and goes off like normal. Jumping the ground pin on the relay again does make the engine crank, but doesn't start. With the ignition to run. It does have the 50a fuse in the trunk, the trunk is all wet, i didn't check the fuse.

[@montydaniels1054]

I told my son about this but don't know if he's bothered to do what you ended up doing. Great video, thank you for posting it.

[@drivewaygarage1561]

Thanks I have a 2009 Cobalt with several issues and I'm trying to locate that group of ground wires. I've watched several videos and I think that is my problem.

[@DecepticonZombie]

Having a similar issue with my cobalt. Just had ignition coils and plugs put in, and got the no start issue when I was at the gas station omw to work. Gonna check this out when I get home tonight.

[@davidpayette209]

Thank you, i found the same issue and your video was the solution to resolve my no crank problem.

[@lorenzo42p]

thank you for this video. I've been trying to hunt down this problem for a while, ready to give up. swapping parts and tracing wires, couldn't find the problem. keep watching youtube videos looking for what could possibly be the problem. the dash gives no indication of a problem, even swapped out the computer and other parts. this was exactly it. 2 wires hanging free, wtf. why do those wires even need to go to the engine. I'm sure there are other grounds in that fuse box, or at least near by. why do they need to go to the engine, where they corrode and break off. looks like it could be a very common problem. I stripped the wires, clipped onto the stud, started right up.

[@chevyguy2536]

This was a big help to me I had same problem ,another y.t er said the grounds was under the radiator fill tank it was not the problem and I had overlooked these even after pulling the radiator hose back I couldn’t hardly see them , thanks

[@AndrewBrowner]

Great video, apparently a common problem as this was my exact issue.. i knew the relays werent getting ground but finding why could have taken hours this made it take minutes to repair

[@raycesari1280]

Thank you for posting this video, this was the same issue on my 09 ss. Soldered the wires to the ring terminal and it's good to go now.👊

[@ScrapyardFights]

My car has been down for 4 weeks (09ss) we traced it to the starter relay but that didn't fix the problem. Then i saw your video, i pulled ground off and it was green and threads of the wires were falling off it. I replaced it and the car fired right up. Thank you!

[@BlessedNoob]

No problem man, took us 4 hours to figure out its a ground issue. But I know for next time

[@lorenzo42p]

@@BlessedNoob 4 hours isn't bad. had me stumped for a good long time. it's difficult to find when you don't know to even look there. easy 2 minute fix once I found the problem, but finding it was difficult. thank you for this video.

[@InterNetInc]

This great and loads of help. I can't see in the video if it matters which way a relay is put in?

[@BlessedNoob]

It doesn't matter

[@winstonbrown1574]

I have 2005 Chevy Cobalt and reading sayings Fuel range omi

[@davidgordon1597]

Thanks for your help👍

[@d2excess]

Thanks so much . I had same exact thing. Put new starter in and no start. jumped it like you did and it started. I may snip that wire and reroute it to a easy place to get to.

[@d.j.9961]

I see that your missing the cooling fan 2 relay. Thats is the hi-speed fan relay.(if I am correct) my relays on my Pontiac G5 were put in upside down & all disorganized before I obtained the car! But, I noticed that the spot in the fuse box where my cooling fan 1 relay belongs has 5 pins where the cooling fan 2 only has 4 pins but, the parts store says it is supposed to take the 4 pin relay...I have never seen my cooling fans work & i am trying g to sort it out & ensure I have the correct relays in place...

[@lorenzo42p]

did you manage to figure it all out, get it working? my car has all 4 pin relays. it's possible, even likely, that 5th pin isn't used. these specific 4 pin relays can go in either way, it's impossible to put them in backwards. it may affect people with ocd, but they work perfectly fine, exactly the same, if you put them in backward. this is because the pins are paired up cross-corners, and it's non-polarized.

[@brandonbarker4654]

My issue was a 5 dollar fix replacing the 50 amp fuse in the trunk that ran off the battery

[@shanecook542]

How’d you know that was the issue?

[@brandonbarker4654]

@@shanecook542 I tried everything else I Went to make sure the battery was grounded good and seen the fuse was fried

[@tonacordero419]

Cuál es el fusible del tacómetro de un Chevrolet Cobalt 2006 dando problemas Quiero saber

[@rick343]

Common problem with the Cobalt, Ive seen other videos had the same thing happen.

[@keishladejesus9379]

Thank u!!!!!! For this video

[@rolandomendoza4216]

Thank you!!!

[@xloscarlx]

Does one of the 2 on that ground wires on that screw originate from the subframe right by headlight on the driver's side?

[@BlessedNoob]

that i dont know, its definitely the ground for the MAF sensor. i would use a meter reader and see if you get any current/flow edit: there are a lot of ground wires attached there, not just two

[@lessurette4772]

Yes, main ground from sub frame behind headlight also goes to this stud.

[@RLJmusic4life]

Love his accent. I’m expecting him to say: “Vell, dis car has failed me! No more! Ve haf vays of making you verk! I try this and nothing! I try this and nothing! My patience is gone! I am angry! Now mine hammer speaks for me! First I smash it! Zen ve sets it on fire!!!” Car maintenance is frustrating at times.

[@Waffle_cones]

Wow, great video thanks so much. I would have never found that. Thank you!

[@BlessedNoob]

yea man, no worries. took us pretty much all day to figure it out and lots of electric testing which we are not the best at. car is a lot different now. wheels, lowered, exhaust, supercharger

[@tommy-ehiphopthugsta5338]

Pppo

[@dennismartin5807]

@@BlessedNoob i have a 07 had the same problem but when i hooked it back up the ecm would short out and cause me to loss power can you help me out with any information

[@lorenzo42p]

@@dennismartin5807 what is shorting out? what exactly do you mean by "shorting out"? what exactly is losing power? we would need much more information to be of any help. did you look for the wires as shown in this video? btw replying to a 1 year old comment on youtube usually isn't the place to ask for help.

[@garykendall1376]

If the engine starts then dies, why the hell would you change the starter?

[@eyeonart6865]

How to fix it you did not say?

[@BlessedNoob]

It's the ground on the transmission

[@lorenzo42p]

the fix is, find broken wires, properly connect the wires again. it 100% solves this specific problem

[@useless-trash3425]

What year is this, because my cobalt has a fuse box that looks nothing like this, even the fuses are different

[@BlessedNoob]

2010

[@abdulganiyuhamza7810]

hi gays i have 2007 chevrolet cobalt it came from another gareg to me i ask the owner of the car what is the history of the car he said he gave the car to a technician to put the radio to step one of the ignation key so the car start 2 time and from that time the car did not crank i make a comment on yutube on scanner danner he ask me to remove the radio wire and re progrmm the key and i did the car did not crank and the theft light on dash is on pls i need help

[@Evilyellowtang]

Was your theft mode engaged on the no crank key turn?

[@BlessedNoob]

Don't remember. I think the key was just turned

[@lorenzo42p]

what do you mean by theft mode? could be something I don't know about. there is a thing where the car reads signals from a chip inside the key. if that is the problem, the lock light should be on in the dash, but for me that light was not on. it seemed to be working fine, just no start, no click, no response.

[@youngskuddaa]

T

[@tonacordero419]

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