2002 cavalier wont start

Okay We are at a loss for this one.  The car turns over but wont start. when the ignition is turned on the fuel pump primes.  We are getting spark, it is not the coils.  We are guessing at the ignition control module, but that wouldnt be an intermittent problem. See every once in a while the car will start. 

History:

Car was running great have owned it since April of this year and bought from a dealer no extended warranty.  It has 70k miles on it it had 66537 when purchased it.  yes we have changed the oil recently. at just a little over the 3000 mile point. When problem started I had driven the car about ten miles went in a store came back out about 15 minuites later and the car would not start.  I tried turning it over  a few more times it started I dorve about 100 ft and it stalled and wouldnt start.  Towed it to a friends and tinkered with it... the Pump was priming and we messed with the relay and a few fuses in the dash and it started.  we drove it ten miles home and it ran perfect.  we turned it off/on about 4 times then it quit starting again.  Now it starts very rarely usually it just cranks.   But it makes no sense.  Sometimes the check engine light will come on, but  it kicks off after you turn it over. 

you can here the pump kick on when the ignition is turned on, so I really dont think it is the fuel pump.  We did switch out the fuel relay and that doesnt seem to be the problem, however if you pull the relay when the car is running it the car will stall after a few seconds, If I am not mistaken, shouldnt the car still run even if the relay is pulled while the car is running? 

But we had a friend suggest the ignition control module, but everything I have read has said that the ignition control module wouldnt be an intermittent problem, it will just go out. 

Form experience withour 96 cavi, the only time a code throws is if the check engine light stays on, so we havent had it checked for a code yet, becase the check engine light stays off once you turn the car over.  there is no service light on either. 

We are very frustrated and am hoping for any good suggestions.  We live in a small town and the local mechanic parts changes as much as we would only our labor is free. His isnt.

a friend of mine has a very similar problem with a 2002 cavalier,  I came to this site to see if there are similar probs.  It is still under warranty but they can not find the problem.  His stalls intermitently, they replaced fuel filter, but then it has happened again.  I suspect the fuel relay, I dont think they can retrieve a code for an intermitant problem.  not sure hope someone can suggest  a remedy.

Well we went ahead and replaced the ignition control module and that didnt work we re now changing out the crankshaft sensor.  Our car is not getting fire so we really dont think its the fuel pump. 

As far as a fuel relay swithc that should take like all of 5 min. to check???  its right under the hood to the right you can switch it with the one behind it to see if that fixes the prob.  A relay switch is like 15 bucks at Autozone.

but if your friend is getting fire you might try the fuel pump I had a 96 that hadd the same problem and it was the fuel pump.  but this time its different, we are not getting fire.  so we are checking the crankshaft sensor after that we will cave and go to a shop. 

We are not sure if the PCM could be bad either.  but we are starting to talk expensive parts even at my dads cost (he runs and auto parts store)

Keep in touch hope this might help!

Clarissa,

Check on MSN's Auto Reliability website...it mentions a couple of things that cause problems with 2002 Cavaliers starting...you can enter "MSN", "Auto" and "Reliability" in the Yahoo search engine and the site will come up...you will need to enter the year, model and make in their chart and it will then pull up the info that I'm talking about...good luck!

Here is a link to the MSN site...I hope it works!

http://autos.msn.com/research/vip/reliability.aspx?year=2002 &make=Chevrolet&model=Cavalier