car won’t start has remote starter

My wife has a 2002 Pontiac Grand Am with a Python 474P remote starter. She was driving down the road and the car died so she pulled into a parking lot. The car will not restart. I think it has to do with the remote starter. I unhooked the battery and when reconnecting the positive terminal, the car tried to start itself 3 times. The car will turn over. I would be convinced that it was the alternator by the way it won't start if it didn't have a remote start and trying to start itself. It is obviously an electrical issue. Is there anything I can check or do before I have the think towed? Thanks!

Does it crank with the key or not do anything? Is the security light flashing anywhere? Don't look too far into the vehicle trying to start itself. Many remote starters will activate upon reconnection of the battery. That is completely normal (especially with pythons)

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Kenny
Owner / Technician
KKD Garage LLC
Albany, NY 12205

unless the security light flashes when you attempt to start it with the key, the remote start has nothing to do with the issue

there is a hood pin switch thats supposed to keep the python from trying to start when the battery gets connected. that hood switch has a problem but that has nothing to do with your main problem of the car not running.

a poor quality remote start install is the main way that a remote start system could kill the motor as you drive down the road.

if you dont see a wire hanging loosley from the remote start wires especially ones from the relay bank,

i would lean toward a regular grand am problem like bad ecm, dead coil, fuel pump etc.... if you take it to a mechanic either fix the pin switch under the hood or remove the fuse on the small red wire that powers the remote start brain. you dont want someone getting hurt when the thing tries to start from a battery re-connection.

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yuk
quiet rural missouri, near KC.
If your system moves you physically and not emotionally, you have wasted your money.

Exactly what itsyuk said. Regardless of what failure a remote start can have, if properly installed, it is VERY unlikely to shut down a running vehicle. I would look around the install, but I wouldn't say it's 100% the starter's fault.

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Kenny
Owner / Technician
KKD Garage LLC
Albany, NY 12205

I agree, an issue with an immobilizer bypass wouldn't shut the car down while driving it, only during the start process.

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Mike M2
Tech Manager
CS Dealer Services

if the car turns over and wont start, the alternator would be about the last thing i suspect.

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yuk
quiet rural missouri, near KC.
If your system moves you physically and not emotionally, you have wasted your money.

At this point I would say you either have NO SPARK or NO FUEL situation.  I would remove enough of the air intake parts to have access to the throttle body intake, kinda where the carburator used to be, and while someone cranks over the motor, spray some carb cleaner into the air intake to see it the engine fires up or at least tries to start or sputters. If it does that should eliminate the NO SPARK and point to a NO FUEL situation.

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