Ok so this has happen 4 times all on my way home from work. Around the same area on the freeway ill be driving and the car dies. Does not sputter its like the key shuts off. I put it in neutral (its a auto) and turn the key and it starts. well today it happened and it took 4 try's turning the key before it started. It did nothing the first 3 times no crank or noise. I had power because my headlights were on. Any ideas on what this could be? maybe a common problem or maybe some sort of recall that this could have been? Its a 01 cavalier Z24 2.4L

How much @!#$ do you have on your keys?

I've seen people load up keychains that bounce the ignition to hell over bumps. Just a thought given the broad info you supplied.

What is the condition of the road that it happens on?

I only have 3 keys and the remote to the car. I talked to my buddy and he said to try another way home and see if it happens. There is no bump or anything where it has been dieing. Its almost as if there is a radio wave that messes with the car in that area!? It is odd because I take the same route to work, But it has only happened at night on my way home. Im going to take the back roads home the rest of the week to see if it happens again. Any ideas on this?

Oh and I have not had a SES light come on and this has happened a few different times with no light..

Which way is longer, the ride to or from work?? Weather conditions?? As much info as you possibly can give us is the absolute best. It sounds like a ground wire maybe loose, causing the car to stall out. Check the ground under the battery tray, and the one bolted to the side of the transmission, underneath the power steering pump/reservior. If they are corrodid or loose, repair as needed. Do that then post back up, and we can go from there.

It only has happened on my way home, I take the same route to and from work. when I come home it is around 10pm so its cold outside. I don't think it has anything to do with a loose wire because I cross train tracks both ways but the tracks are about 2 blocks from my house and work is about 10 miles from home. I am always running around before work going to gym, gas station for a drink, stores ect. It has never happened during the day only at night in this one area. My friend has worked on cars for years and think it may be something as crazy as microwaves...? There is a truck stop at the exit that it happens around. I main street home tonight with no problem. Been trying to take another route home and see if it does it again. Its just so weird it only happens at night on the way home. I guess the only thing different is I get in and drive strait home with no stops on the freeway.

Well, try this. Drive that way during the day, only in the spot that does that to you. Leave some time early and drive the same way home before you go to work, and see if it does that. If not, then its something else. It is weird tho, ill give u that. Give that a shot, and see what happens. If it shuts off on u in the same spot where it does everynight during the day then u might be onto something abt the waves. If not then something is wrong with ur car, and due to it running for a extended time, and just happens every night in the same spot.

Teknik_Z24 wrote:Ok so this has happen 4 times all on my way home from work. Around the same area on the freeway ill be driving and the car dies. Does not sputter its like the key shuts off. I put it in neutral (its a auto) and turn the key and it starts. well today it happened and it took 4 try's turning the key before it started. It did nothing the first 3 times no crank or noise. I had power because my headlights were on. Any ideas on what this could be? maybe a common problem or maybe some sort of recall that this could have been? Its a 01 cavalier Z24 2.4L

I don't know what is wrong with your car but I just want to clearify something for you. It takes 7.2 volts from the battery for the starter to work and crank the motor, just because your headlights are on doesn't mean you had enough for the starter to work, headlights and everything else take much less. When you started the car (or atleast tried to), did you hear a click noise like the starter was trying to start? That problem may be a bad starter.

As for your other problem, I used to have a jeep that did the same thing. Although yours happening in the same spot on the way home is a wierd thing. Start your car and play with the key, like tap it around in a way that you would actually turn the key. As Kris Brickman said, your ignition might be messed up, maybe loose just like my jeep was and the car vibrating will eventually turn the key off if you get what I'm saying.

I have played with the keys and smacked around the steering wheel, But I get nothing. Im pretty sure that I had enough battery power because I have HID's and they stayed on. I did not here a click or anything..