QuestionROLAND,
I JUST SPOKE TO YOU YESTERDAY IN REGARDS TO MY VAN THAT HAD THE BAD TRANSMISSION AND WE REPLACED IT THEN THE STARTER AND NOW WE HAVE NO POWER. THERE WAS AN AFTER MARKET WIRE THAT LOOKED LIKE IT CAME FROMT HE FUEL PUMP AND IT WAS RED. WE DID THE ERROR CODES AND GOT 123455. I READ THE ERROR CODES AND 12 IS BATTERY RECENTLY UNHOOKED OR DISCONNECTED 34 BAD CONNECTION OR WIRING AND 55 IS END OF CODES PLEASE HELP
AnswerHappy New Year, Robin!
May I ask for your help?
I need your vote of confidence.
I'm in a close race to be recognized as 'Volunteer of the Month' at Allexperts
Purely symbolic, but it means alot to me.
Please click on "Thank/rate the expert" button below/left
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Click on the "YES"
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Thanks for taking a moment to help a fellow Chrysler-owner.
Roland
PS:Do it now, the contest closes at 6pm central time.
Hi Robin,
The codes don't point to any explanation for a no start. The 34 is about the cruise control which has nothing to do with starting/running the engine, and the 12 is routine if at any point in the recent history the battery was disconnected as part of the repair work.
So we are back to basics: is there spark when cranking, does the fuel pump run for 1 second or so when the key is switched to the 'run' position? If both those are true, then I would verify that the injectors can be heard to click quietly as the engine is being cranked just to be sure you have fuel injection occuring. Also, the fuel pressure could be checked by pressing gently on the small valve on the fuel rail on top of the engine.
So if you have spark and fuel and presumably there is nothing new with the engine internals, it means the mixture of fuel/air may be wrong. I would suggest to the mechanic that he check the exhaust gas recirculation (egr) valve to see if it might be sticking slightly ajar which would cause a too lean mixture to allow it to start and idle. It is located in a small pipe that runs from the front exhaust manifold across the front of the engine (near the oil filler cap) and is mounted in that pipe. You will see a round top with a vacuum hose attached and a flange between it and the valve body in which there is hidden the valve stem with a circumferential slot. You can use the slot to test the action of the valve stem. If it is sticking, spray some WD-40 on the stem of the valve where it enters the valve body and work the stem back and forth via the slot in the stem using the tip of a screwdriver.
If you don't have spark them perhaps it is the rotor in the distributor that is bad. So find out if you have spark or not. Test the rotor and if not that, also check the distrubtor cap, and and test for spark at the tip output wire of the spark coil where it enter the distributor cap.
That is about all I can suggest. The loose red wire, if the mechanic wasn't responsible for remoing it, probably is not involved in the problem, particularly if it is located at/near the fuel pump and nonetheless the pump is working. Presumably it was detached earlier before work began.
Best of luck and I hope something I have suggested works out for you. Please let me know.
Roland
History:MY TRANSMISSION WENT ON MY VAN IT MADE TWO LOUD BANGS AND I COULDN'T GO ANYWHERE. I HAD SOMEBODY PULL ONE FROM A JUNK YARD AND PUT IT IN AND NOW THAT EVERYTHING IS BACK TOGETHER AND THE STARTER WAS REPLACED BECAUSE SOMEHOW THE STARTER WENT. NOW THE GUY SAYS THAT THE CAR ISN'T GETTING ANY FUEL. HE CHECKED THE RELAY'S AND HE ALSO SAYS THERE IS AN EXTRA WIRE THAT LOOKS LIKE IT IS COMING FROM THE FUEL TANK AND HE DOESN'T KNOW WHERE IT GOES TO. NEEDLESS TO SAY THE CAR WON'T START AND THE FUEL PUMP IS TURNING ON! PLEASE HELP I JUST HAD A BAD TRAN IN ANOTHER CAR AND BOUGHT THIS ONE TO ONLY HAVE IT HAPPEN AGAIN....ANY IDEAS WOULD BE GREAT
Answer: Hi Robin,
If the fuel pump is turning on then there should be pressure in the fuel rail at the engine. That could be verified. It may be that the injectors aren't releasing fuel and there may be no spark because of a lack of pulses from the engine position sensors (cam and crank).
One thing to definitely try: see if there are any fault codes stored in the engine computer which would give us a clue as to why it won't start. Turn 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, which remains 'on', to start to flash, pause, flash, etc. Count the number of flashes before each pause. Then repeat the process to be sure of an accurate set of flash counts. Then combine the counts in pairs in the order of appearance to form the 2-digit fault code numbers. The last 2 sets of counts is always 5 in each, forming the code 55 which means 'end of readout'. The other numbers will be useful to solving the 'no start'.
On the fuel wire that is loose, ask what the colors of the wire are so I can ID it and tell him where it goes. If the pump runs then it probably is the fuel level sensor wire.
Write back and tell me the fault code numbers or go to www.allpar.com/fix/codes.html for a code list. We can go from there, but tell me which size engine is in the van as that will be helpful.
Roland
