I've got another ICM that I've put on there when it wasn't sparking just to try it but it didn't work so I put the original one back on it. But I'm really wondering if the crank sensor is the real culprit working intermittently.

 

start checking connections and connectors. look em over and clean em. adjust if needed. some of the plugs get worn or bent so they dont connect right. some can be adjusted some break when trying.

 

craby, I just happened to notice, your wheels are similar to mine. 17" Eagle Alloys.

 

mine are billet specialties wheels. there are a few different names with similar style boyd coddington made some a long time ago, i have a set of his with one thats been curbed bad and they quit making them when he died so i had to go with billet

 

Well a NEW development in this ongoing problem. for a while now its been cranking good with only a couple of no starts. but even then after a few attempts it fired right up. the other day it wouldn't crank and the next day I needed to move it and when I tried to crank it I noticed the SECURITY light was on constantly and when I turned the key it wouldn't even turn over, as if the clutch wasn't pressed but it was. I tried disconnecting the battery for a few seconds and hooked it back up and went to re-try it but SECURITY was still lit up. after a little while it went off but the car would crank over but not start. Its REALLy gotten to be a royal pain! Can't take it to get it checked when it doesn't crank but couldn't find the problem when it does crank.

 

thats your vats acting up. jesse may be right could be a problem in the columm. look at 25 and 25.5 here https://camaroforums.com/forum/93-02...rt-here-38462/

 

Got in it this afternoon and it fired right up! can't seem to make up its mind.

 

Its been cranking for the past 2 weeks until after it came a hard rain and now it won't crank again. I've recently noticed my windshield has a leak on the passenger side. I looked through the glove box and noticed condensation around the heater blower. I removed the lower cover and pulled the BCM down just to see if it might be getting wet but its was dry and actually had dust on it. I opened it up and same inside, all looked good. I've thought about just getting all that crap de-programmed from the computer IF it doesn't cost an arm and a leg. I don't have a key fob for it (don't really know if there was one anyway) it has manual locks and windows. I love the car, love to drive it but its getting annoying to the point I can't depend on it and have thoughts of just letting it go on to someone else.

One more thought if anybody can comment on: If there isn't enough fuel pressure will it cause a no spark condition due to the ECM not knowing it has insufficient pressure? I ask this because I pressed the little valve on the fuel rail and it barely spurted gas, even after cycling the key several times. I held it open and got someone to turn the key and it sprayed. I need to get a gauge and check it. The pump is SUPPOSED to have been replaced just before I got the car last fall BUUUUUT........

 

Finally got a new ignition switch and replaced it. Its been cranking good . I drove it to work 4 days this week and went all over yesterday stopping different places and it is working! I took the old switch apart to see what it looked like, the terminals were wore flat and black with carbon build up! I believe it was the original switch because it had 1996 stamped on the side of it. Thanks for all the help.

 

I've been there my father owned a 96 caviler, it started doing just like your describing we checked all the normal things, we were thinking the pump was going bad (we figured out that if we would play with the key and and cycle it back and forth until we heard what sounded like the fuel pump but it wasn't ill explain, that the car would start everytime after it made the humming noise, we took it the shop and discovered that the key ignition switch was going out, I bet that you lock cyclinder where the key goes is touch meaning that sometime you have to move the key and maybe even the steering whell to get the key to roll forward from the lock position. and its probable getting worse. 1996 chevys iginition system changed they have a flaw in the design meaning that any other year you can get in the car and hit the key all at once and it starts right up, in 96 the pcm is programmed to run through and check all componets before it boots up and is ready to operate, a lot like ur home computer, and if you crank the car before Its ready it wont start might take 3 or 4 tries when all is working right . my suggestion is the next time you drive your car pay attention to the switch and note weither its as smooth as u would expect or if it drags and also listen for the sounds the car makes when key is on and engine is off before starting in comparison to not starting, make sure u turn ur key on DONT CRANK count to 10 and then continue to turn key on and she if ur luck changes. the switch in the caviler was roughly 800 dollars and that was 4 years ago the parts was right at 5 and the labor was costly cause they had to program the pcm to the key good luck and hope this helps