HELP - truck will not start - tried everything - HELP PLEASE!!!

[dna]

My H2 is not cranking now but all electrical is fine. It started about 10 days ago with a slight delay to crank when the key was in ignition mode - this was sporatic. After 10 days it now will not crank at all. I thought it was the ignition switch as my first one went on me 2 years ago. Went and got a new ignition switch and unfortunately no differrence. Then though it was the starter (another common problem). I bought a new starter and after install the truck started - I turned it off and tried again and it started. Thought I had it so I put all tools away and went to start/move the truck. ****n thing did the same **** - again had electrical but no crank. Tried it a dozen times now and still notrhing.

Now I do have some off stuff:

1) when key in igntyion mode the dash/display obviously goes on but I get 'service 4wd' message and I notice my rear air shocks are low (the ass end is drooping). If I could start the engine and hit the 'hiehgt control' I assume it would fix but I can't start the engine. Could this message be disabling the truck from starting??? Also why would my bags have deflated?

2) after no start, I try to remove key but it gets stuck as if the battery were dead - but the battery is not dead. To remove key I am forced to hit the little silver button on the in the steering column. I believe this may mean that the truck (or the brain) does not think it is in park. However the digital display shows park and if I shift the lever the digital display shifts correctly? Could my cable still be disconnected or broken causing this???

3) related to #2 above, I think it may be cable related? The other day when the truck could not start I had it blocking my neighbours driveway since I was just running into the house and turned off the H2 for a second. Being that I had a golf game I got the wifee to call BCAA (free anyway) to have them tow/move it. Apparently the tow truck driver went underneight the truck to 'force' it into neutral and they pushed it to a parking spot. Apparently the driver went under again and put it back. I think he manually shifted the tranny lever - could this have f'ed something up?? I doubt it though since as my description states I was able to start it after replacing the starter???

4) I now wonder if I replaced a perfectly fine starter for nothing. After removing it, I ran a battery power to the big power bolt and grounded the starter. I then ran a lead to the big power to the solendoid (small bolt) and the gear would flip out as it should. I then ran a lead from the big power to the other big bolt on the other end (that feed the starter motor) and I got nothing. I assume a properly working starter would have spun when I made this connection??? Or would it only have spun had I run a feed to both the small bolt and big bolt at the same time??? I Although it is too late as I can not return the new starter, just trying to confirm whether my original starter was maybe good or was it truly bad.

Thanks

[dna]

I've done some more experiments. Perhaps my results can point someone in the right direction of what may be wrong:

1) if I turn the key just to the acc position, the key does not get stuck. It only gets stuck once I put it in the run position regardless if I go the extras position of start.

2) when I put the truck into run position I get a slight humming/buzz from the onstar speaker (or mic) right above the drivers seat?? This stops if I am only in the acc position or obviously in the off

3) when I go into run position (before going to start), I get the DIC information saying Driver1 and all elec is on including the headlights (if dark outside) or the drl - once I put/hold key in the start position (with no cranking) the headlights and drl go off along with DIC but the radio, inside lights, etc still remain on - once I givbe up and put the key back into run position the headlights and drl go back on and so does the DIC again telling me Driver 1 (almost like it just got power for the first time).

Could it be a fuse issue??? Could it be a Passlock issue (perhaps I pinched one of the small wires near the ignition switch when I first replaced it)???

Lastly, when it first happened and the wife called BCAA (while I was away golfing), the tow truck driver apparently first tried to jump the H2 (although my wife told them it was not battery related). Shortly after connecting the cables I was told by my wife and neighbour that something started to smoke quite a bit from the H2 engine area, and my neighbour told me that the driver then switched the cables. I think the idiot corss the jumper cables and put pos to neg and neg to pos. Could that have damaged something??? I doiubt it being that before that even happened, I had a H2 which had a sporatic starting problem for the last 10 days and then eventually a totally non starting one, and the fact that after I swapped the starter today I was able to start it twice (if the crossed wires did something I would expect that I would not have been able to start it today at all).

Any and all advice would be greatly appreciated. I'm thinking of removing the shift assembly tomorrow to see if any wires appear broken - apparently this could cause the brain to think the trans in drive and prevent starting and sometimes prevent key from removal.

Thanks

[HummerJim]

Saw something similar at an offroad event where the cables where crossed on the battery for a jump on an H2 and there was smoke. After that the H2 wouldn't start. At the end of the day we got him a new battery and helped him put it in, but it still wouldn't start and couldn't pull his key out with a new battery. He was also getting weird messages on his dashboard display and couldn't roll down the driver's side window.
He had it towed to the dealer and the wire that interacts from the ignition with the BCM was fried as was part of the Body Control Module. As it was expained to me by the owner later, the BCM has to interact with the PCM to start the H2. I think the tow guy owes you big bucks, but will probably never admit he screwed up! HumTech could explain it better and might know of something else.

[dna]

Personally I think my H2 is OK even with the crossing of the wires. Cause I have a 'battery guard' on the pos battery terminal which totally disconnects the pos to the vehicle if the batteryu is low or I hit a button to activate/close it. Fortunately I hit that button prior to leaving for gfolf, thus the effect was as if my pos cable was completely disconnected fromt he battery. Thus by this idiot driver crossing the wires, the only effect would be to the battery unless the ground still connected could have done something?

The odd thing though is that after I replaced the starter, it started instantly and I had no issues with the key. The starting and key thing started about 30 minutes later after trying it again??

Can someone please put their key into 'run' (to see the DIC lite up) and then turn key to start. Does the DIC dislay go out during the start position????

Thanks

[dna]

Well, I got it goin again and the cause was rather embarrasing. As stated earlier after I first replaced the starter it started and seemed to work perfect. At that point I reinstalled the steering column bottom cover and put away tools to find the H2 again not starting and the key stuck in the ignition.

After trying everything for hours, this morning I removed the new starter and did a bench test - it passed fine. At least this bench test gave me piece of mind that my original starter was dead as the same bench test on the original starter proved a bad starter motor.

So I re-installed the starter and still same issue. I then checked my fuses and found the ignition 40a fuse blown - I installed a new fuse and the truck started fine and the key is no longer getting stuck. I'm still puzzled what caused the fuse to blow, but I suspect as I was fiddling to get the steering column cover on perhaps I pushed on some wires causing a short??? Anyway I turned it off and on a few dozen times and drove around and all seems fine. Hopefully I do not end up with another blown fuse as that may suggest the idiot tow truck driver may have done some damage when he crossed the wires when jumping it.

BTW - where were all the helpful techs or advice?? Am I the only handy/techy H2 owner that does his own repairs or is not scared to get his hands dirty? I guess most of you take it to the shop for everything (probably even to get a oil change):giggling:

[porschett]

Sorry I couldn't help, but glad to see you got it figured out!

Yep, I take mine to a shop to get the oil changed. Spent way too many years getting dirty to worry about the extra $50.00

Besides, mine has NEVER seen a garage for ANYTHING other than an oil change. :jump:

[alsalsa]

Had same exact problem...mine turned out to be the security feature. Trying to tune it(superchips tuner) while the battery was not fully charged screwed it all up. After charging battery, removing certain fuses and tuning...it started up like nothing ever happened...reinstalled fuses and it. Went thru about 10 days of hell. Thanks to the superchips tech(an awesome young lady...got me thru it.:jump:

[HummerMann]

My Hummer dealer closed up shop last year, and the nearest GM dealer is 85 miles from the house, so I do whatever I can myself. If it's mechanical and I can do it with a wrench and tools I'll try it. When it comes to electrical stuff, I'm limited to installing offroad light bars and changing fuses.