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I'm new to this site and I hope I'm doing this right. Here's the deal:

A few weeks back my 2004 Chevy Silverado started acting funny. I'd be driving it around town then stop for something, like running into convenience store, and then when I'd get back in it wouldn't crank up back up. when I say wouldn't crank I'm talking no noise at all, no struggling engine, nothing save the gauges coming on. The first couple of times I got nice folks in the vicinity to let me hook my jumper cable to their batteries and after a few tries the truck would crank. After the second time of it happening, in the middle of the work day, I went to see my battery guy (about an 8 mile drive from my office) and he tested current battery and said it checked out just fine. While there I tried to crank truck and it wouldn't crank. We hung out talking for a few minutes and tried truck again and it started. So, I quickly took truck to the shop since I was also having trouble with the air conditioning not always blowing. Figured I'd get both issues handled.

 

The mechanic had the truck a week and, a couple hundred, later told me he had fixed the AC problem and that the truck always cranked for his guys even after driving it around. The next day I leave work to drive to the neighboring community (about a 25 mile drive) and when I got back to my house to pick up lunch, the truck won't crank. I call mechanic he says to bring it back so I wait about 30 minutes and finally the truck cranks right up. But this time the air isn't blowing cold. Mechanic looks at it, figures out he can manually trip the compressor on, which is baffling to him and tells me he needs the truck for a while longer. I explain that I can't leave it that day due to availability of another car to use for work. I leave, and go back to office.

 

Later that day I get ready to head home from work and what do you know, the thing cranks right up and air blows cold. For about a week everything is fine. I'm able to get to the office, run quick errands, whatever and the truck cranks and the air blows cold. All short trips though. Then one day I have to take a longer drive, like 30 miles and when I get where I'm going I'm only there about 10 minutes and when I come back out the truck won't crank. I wait 40 minutes and it cranks but now the air won't blow cold. So now I'm in a pattern. Short drives, it cranks up and air blows cold; longer drives, it won't crank, wait 40 minutes, it cranks but air won't blow cold; park it for a few hours, it cranks fine and air works fine. Rinse and repeat.

 

Now I'm in constant state of paranoia that I'll get called to an assignment (I'm a reporter) and will get stuck and can't get back to office to write story by deadline. I trust the guy that looked at the car the first time who said he checked that thing stem to stern (everything except the truck's main computer module because he doesn't work on those) so I feel certain it's not something like starter or solenoid or battery or loose wires. It just doesn't make any sense. I can add that sometimes my radio will be dead and other times it works fine. Also, I'll get weird stuff where the interior dash lights go dim and I have to turn on the dome light and then turn it off to get the lights to brighten back up. The truck has less than 100,000 miles on it and otherwise has been a good vehicle.

 

As a reporter, who's already out a few hundred bucks, I'm really fearful of spending more money needlessly. So, I'm trying to find out on my own what my happening to get a handle on how much money I'm likely to spend because if I'm looking at something really expensive, like $800 plus, I'll have to just deal with the uncertainty of whether it will run from day to day for a while longer. Any thoughts?

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I endured almost that exact same thing with my '98. Truck would randomly not start and then a half hour later it would fire up. I took it in several times. They thought it was an issue with fuel pressure, etc. new fuel pump, same problem.

 

Finally someone tried to take the steering column apart and look at the ignition wires. They found a loose wire on the passlock system. Which I understand is some sort of security feature to prevent the ignition from starting the truck without the GM key. anyway, they repaired the wire, and no problems anymore.

 

So my advice if it keeps happening is to tell them to inspect the passlock system. let me know if you get it resolved. good luck.

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