1999 Chevy Malibu Will Not Crank at Times

1999 Chevy Malibu
The car will not start when the ignition is turned all the way over. The battery is fine and I think it is a switch problem.  Sometimes I can leave it alone for a few hours and it will fire right up. Other times I just turn the ignition on and off about 5 or 6 times and it starts.
I can detect a pattern to this problem as it seems to come and go. This is very frustrating and I am thinking I am better off installing a push button switch on the vehicle. What do you suggest?

If the engine does not crank, then you may have a starter problem. If the engine does not crank, and the security / theft warning light stays on when it won't start- and you let go of the key to the ON position, then this is most likely a problem in the Passlock system. The ignition cylinder is also know as the Passlock Sensor. This is what sends the security data to the Body Control Module (BCM) to allow the car to start. This part failing is very common on this car. If there is no security warning, then this is a possible ignition switch problem. This would explain turning the ignition back and forth several times. This action will usually cause a bad switch to correct itself for a time.
Be sure to check the basics- battery cables clean and tight.

1990 Chevy Malibu
Engine Size : 6 cylinder 3.1?
Question: We replaced the alternator but car won't start.

Answer: Assuming you replaced the alternator because the battery was dead and the car will not crank over, you may have a bad battery or starter. If the battery tests good, then you would need to use a test light on the purple wire at the starter. It should light when the ignition is turned to the "crank" position. If it does but still wont crank, then the starter is bad. If that wire does not light the test light, then you could have a bad park neutral safety switch, or a security problem. The security / theft light would remain on the dash after releasing the key from a failed start attempt.

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