QuestionQUESTION: I have acquired the subject vehicle recently and have been unsuccessful at getting the vehicle to start.
History: I was told the car was running fine and all of a sudden it would not start and the headlights were flashing. The previous owner did a couple of things to it and was able to get it to run again long enough to run around the block once. Not sure what he did to it to get it to do this, sorry. Since then, the car has not run. I can turn the key on and allow the fuel pump to shut off, then attempt to start the car. After several attempts, it will barely start and run for about 3-4 seconds before dying. Headlights flash, but no horn. Horn does work though. They flash for about 3 minutes or so before shutting off on their own until another attempt is made to start it.
What has been done: (previous owner) Computers have been replaced, both the module under air cleaner and behind glovebox, albeit from junkyard. Crankshaft sensor replaced.
(me) I started off by attempting to figure out why the headlights were flashing and have come to the conclusion that it is some sort of security system (perhaps VTSS?). In an attempt to disarm the system I tried using the key in the door to no avail. I do not have a key fob for keyless entry, so working with an aftermarket key only. I assumed something might be wrong with switch on door lock cylinder, so I disassembled the door to have a look. I found that there was no door lock switch, only the door lock motor. There are no wires to indicate it had been previously installed and subsequently removed. The door lock motor is faulty and does not lock the door, but with only two wires to run the motor, I believe there is no way for any sort of switch to be associated with it to signal the security system that I used a key in the door in order to disarm.
Do you know of any "easy" way to reset the security system by merely jumping a couple of wires or something of that sort? I believe, or hope anyway, there should be a simple way to do it without having to tow the vehicle to a dealer. Any assistance you can provide would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for your time and efforts.
ANSWER: Hi Ken,
There are a number of possibilities here. Because of the uncertain history almost anything is possible. I agree that if there is no wire on the driver door lock cylinder that the vehicle didn't originally have the vtss. But if by chance the pcm or the bcm was exchanged from a vehicle that had such a set-up then a potential for alarming the system with no way to disarm it was established and came to pass. I am not clear as to what module was 'behind the glove box' but if anything I believe that was for the remove keyless entry system not the vtss. The vtss is centered in the bcm (body control module) which I know for the 94 model and probably the 95 model is located on the right side kick panel, essentially in front of the passenger door opening, behind the knee bolster, and hidden behind the trim panel.
It is mounted diagonally on the side wall (cowl) fairly high off the floor, not behind or under the glove box. Once you get the trim panel off you may be able to feel it through the liner:
"Remove right end cap from the dash
Remove right cowl side trim panel and pull carpeting back exposing dash liner
Cut dash liner along perforated lines and pull back dash liner.
Remove mounting screw (top edge of module) through oblong hole at right hand end of knee bolster.
Remove push-pin fastener at lower rear corner leg of module from underneath the instrument panel and maneuver module down and out, disconnect the three electrical plugs to remove the module."
But rather than unplugging the three plugs, may I suggest that instead you find the light green/orange wire (if there is one) on pin 3 of the black bcm plug (and if no wire then deal with the metal pin) as that is the connector to the vtss switch on the driver door. Take a jumper wire and touch it between the pin/wire 3 and ground, then lift it off ground. That would replicate the door lock signal to disarm the system. Then see if the engine will start and run.
If it does, then the trick for the future is to only use the door key (assuming there is no wire on the door key lock) or the push buttons to lock up the car. Don't use the power door locks as that will arm the system.
If it doesn't start then you may have to involve the dealer in programming the pcm/bcm to recognize oneanother and allow for the ablement of the vtss and then going thru the disarm shorting trick and subsequent avoidance. I am not certain about this, but clearly in the next iteration of the bcm it was necessary to do some programming with the drb if either module was changed out and a vtss was in the picture.
That is my best suggestion for the moment.
Roland
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QUESTION: Hello. Thanks a ton for the above information. It did in fact seem to turn off the flashing lights and all; however, it still will not start and appears there is not any power getting to the injectors. Checked with meter and cannot seem to get a reading. Would you have any other suggestions on how to solve this one? As a follow-up on a couple other things, I checked to see if locking the doors with power locks would set it off again and it did not. I had also disconnected the battery and that did not setit off either. Not sure if that additional info helps. Thanks again for all.
Ken
ANSWER: Hi Ken,
I suspect that the signal from one or the other engine position sensor is absent, which kill the voltage to the spark coil, the injectors, and the oxygen sensors, as a safety matter. But the best way to go since it is a '95 is to take advantage of the self-diagnostic capability of the engine controller:
I wonder if you have any fault codes stored in the pcm memory. Try the ignition key:"on-off-on-off-on and leave on" doing that in 5 seconds or less elapsed time. Then watch the check engine light to begin to see it flash, pause, flash, etc. Count the number of flashes before each pause. Then do it again to be sure of an accurate set of flash counts. Then combine the counts in order of appearance to form the 2-digit fault code numbers. Then go to www.allpar.com/fix/codes.html for a code list. The last number is always 55, the code for end of readout. Or send a follow-up question telling me the codes and we'll go from there. Mentionw whether you have the 3.3 or the 3.5L engine.
Roland
PS Glad to learn you got around the VTSS
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QUESTION: Went back nd checked the codes and only had two: 12-batt disconnected within last 50 key on cycles, and the 55 code. Still no start. It is the 3.5L engine. Thoughts?
AnswerHi Ken,
Do you have spark when you are cranking it over? I assume that the fuel pump still runs for about a second when you first turn the key to run. Ideally it should run while you are cranking it also, but it will be difficult to hear it. You could remove the fuel pump access cover under the floor mat in the trunk and have a helper verify that it runs while you are cranking it. If you don't have spark/fuel pump while cranking it then try removing the ASD relay and jumping from the rear pin of the socket to the front pin which will fire up the coil pack and the fuel pump. Then try and start it. If it starts, then either the asd relay is no good, or the signal from one or the other engine position sensors is weak enough to cause the pcm to kill the ASD relay, but without setting the codes. If it doesn't start and you don't have spark, then that does suggest one of the sensors or its wiring is bad, but why no codes is a puzzle.
If you have spark and fuel pump and still no start, then I would check the egr valve to make sure that it isn't stuck ajar. Spray some WD-40 on the stem where it enters the body of the valve and move the stem back and forth with the tip of a screwdriver inserted in the slot of the valve stem. It should close to a dead stop by means of the internal spring-action. If that valve were ajar the mixture would be too lean to sustain an idle. The valve is under the throttle body mounted in a pipe that runs from the exhaust manifold on firewall side of the engine back to where the throttle body is located.
Roland
