QuestionQUESTION: HI Roland,
I want to thank you for all the advice you have given me so far. My 1998 Chrysler town and country still will not start. I was going to have it towed but the driver told me that it was an alarm system problem. It has completely turned off the van and won't start. Do you know how to disarm the alarm so that it will start? I bought the van used and only have a key. Thank you.
ANSWER: Hi Sally,
I wonder about the advice that you got because the alarm system (vehicle theft security system) on the Chrysler vehicles works in this manner: when it has not been properly disarmed the starter motor will nonetheless work, the engine will start, but then after a few seconds the fuel and spark are cut off. In your earlier questions you said that the problem was no voltage on the brown wire that goes to the solenoid switch at the starter motor so the starter won't turn over the engine, and that would not be indicative of the theft system being involved but rather one of the other possibilities that I gave you. I am not clear about what volt/ohm instruments you have to make measurements, nor if you are personally doing these measurement or is another party? But if I am correct that the starter motor still won't turn over the engine then may I suggest that you check through the other possible tests to see if we can localize why that brown wire is not getting voltage? If it is now starting but dies in a few seconds let me know as that may indeed be the theft system.
I'll look forward to your follow-up question. I am attaching the earlier q and a's for your reference.
Roland
PS Thanks for the rating and nomination. You are entitled to do it again if you feel so-moved.
History:
QUESTION: We did as you suggested on a prior post. We have no power from the brown wire to the starter. What can we do?
ANSWER: Hi Sally,That brown wire should show 12v when you try the starter of course. If it doesn't then either the starter relay in the box under the hood is not conducting through its internal switch points (if you feel/hear it click#, or the fuse that brings power to the relay is blown, OR if the relay doesn't click then the fuse that powers the actuation coil of the relay is blown, or the park/neutral safety switch is off center #try moving the shifter slight to either side of the detent for P or N to check for that possibility#, or the start position of the ignition switch is flaky. I assume that the battery is connected well to its clamps of course.
So let me know if the relay clicks or not, and what is the year of the vehicle so I can tell you which fuses to check and where to check for voltages at the starter relay socket that are important.
Roland
PS Please 'rate' my answer and where you see the question about a 'nomination to be volunteer of the month' consider giving a 'yes' response. Thank you
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
We did as you suggested on a prior post. We have no power from the brown wire to the starter. What can we do?
Answer:
Hi Sally,That brown wire should show 12v when you try the starter of course. If it doesn't then either the starter relay in the box under the hood is not conducting through its internal switch points #if you feel/hear it click#, or the fuse that brings power to the relay is blown, OR if the relay doesn't click then the fuse that powers the actuation coil of the relay is blown, or the park/neutral safety switch is off center #try moving the shifter slight to either side of the detent for P or N to check for that possibility#, or the start position of the ignition switch is flaky. I assume that the battery is connected well to its clamps of course.
So let me know if the relay clicks or not, and what is the year of the vehicle so I can tell you which fuses to check and where to check for voltages at the starter relay socket that are important.
Roland
QUESTION: Hi Roland the battery is hooked uptight and good. Relay is clicking but not getting any voltage to the brown wire. 1998 Town and country. No loud click inside car when I turn the key. Thank u for ur help.
Answer:
Hi Sally,
Check fuse 23 #40 amp, 5th counting from the rear of the box#. If it is blown, then if your meter has an ohm function see what it reads between the 'cold' side of the fuse socket and ground when you move the key to run position. It should be 0.5 ohm or more because if not a replacement will blow again if you replace it. We can deal with that if so.
Similarly see what the reading is in the 'start' position of the key. If it too is at least 0.5 ohm then it is safe to put in a new fuse and try to see if you now get power on the brown wire, and if so then rehook the brown wire to the starter motor and see if it will start. Any reading of ohms below about 0.5 will draw so much current that the fuse will blow. Then we can try some other things to solve the 'short'. If the brown wire still is 'cold' then borrow the ac compressor clutch relay or the front blower motor relay or the 'spare' relay in between them if available. If that works then the problem is the starter motor relay's internal contacts and you need a new relay.
There may be a 'spare' 40 amp fuse in #20 position, or borrow the 40 amp fuse from # 27 #rear window defogger# if you don't have a new fuse to use.
Roland
PS Please 'rate' my answer. Thank you
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Hi Roland,
my husband is trying to do the repairs as you suggested. We took the starter to get checked and it works properly. The brown wire was getting voltage 2 to 4 v when we turn the key. My husband cleaned the brown wire and that gave us the 2 to 4 v. The tow driver was almost able to start the car by going underneath and using the screw driver on the starter. After several times it would not crank over. He suggested the vehicle is not getting any fuel so he said the alarm system was activated.
AnswerHi Sally,
Thanks for the clarification of where things stand. If the starter relay clicks but the brown wire only shows 2-4 volts, then either 12v is not getting to pin 30 of the relay socket (that is the front pin in the socket) via fuse 23, OR if it is, then either the contact pins inside the relay are oxidized and not passing through the full 12V, OR possibly the brown wire is shorting some of the voltage to ground due to a break in its insulation. As I suggested earlier, try switching the starter relay with the adjacent front blower relay or park lamp relay and see if that corrects the low voltage situation on the brown wire. If so, then you should be back in business. If not, then I would advise tracing the brown wire back to the relay to find out where its insulation has gone bad. If you have an ohmmeter function you could check to see if the brown wire is showing any resistance to ground other than infinite (with the relay removed from the socket and the other end of the wire disconnected from the starter motor. If it reads infinite then it is not shorting voltage to ground. Otherwise it is and that needs to be corrected by finding where the short is occuring.
Please let me know how it works out.
Roland
