whats wrong w/my 1997 pontiac firebird? lights go on but gauge says battery

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21onwed

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doesnt have life & it wont turn on? I have a 1997 pontiac firebird that doesnt want to start... when i open the key the gauges all seem to work fine but then i turn the key more to turn it on and it doesnt go on... i changed the ignition switch and the starter is fine also... when i turn on the lights to check if the battery works they go on.. all fuses were checked and they all work fine.. so my questions are
where can i find the neutral switch.. i know some cars have it under the car in front of the transmission also.. what do you think is wrong with my car...
 
try charging the battery pepboys kragen & autozone do it for free. it might have enough charge to turn on the lights but not enough for the starter to turn the motor over.
 
Yoy changed the ignition switch and now are looking for the neutral switch?? The ignition switch and the neutral switch have nothing to do with your problem. NEVER replace any part till you KNOW the problem. The one thing you can do is buy a battery brush, remove the battery terminals and clean them and the battery posts till they shine. This probably won't solve the problem but give it a try. How old is your battery ? If it's the original in a '97 it's prolly done for. Try a jump stsrt or a battery charger and see if battery will charge. A fully charged battery will read 13.5 volts. If less than 13 it is not charged. The alt. must put out at least 14 volts or it is not charging the battery.
You can have the battery and alt. tested at any auto supply. I suspect your battery is done but never jump to conclusions. Always test before making decisions.
 
Do you mean that all the gauges turn on when you first turn the key on and then when the ignition is in the "Start" position all electronics die?

Is the yellow "Security" light on when the ignition is moved to "Start"?
If so the little black and silver resistor in the ignition key might not be making good contact.and your cars ECM will disable the ignition...

They make three different resistors for these keys but most Wal-Marts even have the blanks for these now.

Or if you think it is a "Park/Neutral" switch try starting the car in Park and if that does not work then turn the key on,step on the brake and shift into Neutral and then try to start the car. If it does start it means the park portion of the switch is bad. This is assuming you have a Automatic Transmission if you have a Manual Transmission then the switch is usually triggered by the clutch being pressed in and is near the pedal.

Keep in mind though just because the electrical power works when you first turn the key on does not mean it will continue to function when you put a heavy load like a starter on it. Headlights do draw a lot of power also so kudos for turning the lights on to see if the battery and cables could handle the load. [Sometimes a open circuit condition can be caused by corrosion but only when the circuit is under a heavy load]
 
Check your battery first, lights dont need as much current as the starter to work. Get a boost, if the car starts replace the battery, if not at least you eliminated it and can focus on the starter solenoid, the ignition switch or the starter.
 
I do not know about the neutral safety switch, but you may have a bad battery or bad connections to your ground on the block or the starter. Good luck!!
 
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