QuestionQUESTION: Hi Roland, I wrote to you about my daughters 92 Lebaron LX that won't start. In your last e-mail you asked me to meter the 41 fuse, and the ASD relay for 12 volts. Well I go a chance to check both and they do not have 12 volts. What should I check or do next?
ANSWER: Hi Jim,
If you have no voltage on 41 then check 47 and also check 48 and 50, and if none of those show voltage then I would believe that the only thing that works is the hazard flashers. If 48 and 50 work, but not 41 and 47 then you have a disconnect of a wire in the box itself. If none of the fuses show voltage but the flashers work, then I would suspect that the torpedo-shaped connector on the black wire that comes from the + post of the battery is 'bad' or is disconnected. If nothing works, even the hazards, the the battery cable clamps are loose, or a wire at one of the clamps is corroded through, or the battery is dead. It is very basic, so check these out and let me know.
Roland
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Roland,to recap what has happened so far: Originally the car died and would not start. Was getting 12 volts to the "T" plug going into the coil, but nothing coming from the coil. Was hearing the fuel pump go on when the key turned on. Had coil tested at auto parts store & it tested good. Was able to get trouble code '55' -thats it. So, I put on a new rotor, distributor cap and spark plug wires. After that,(and trying to start the car several times) it still wouldn't start. But then I couldn't get any voltage at the "T" plug and I could not hear fuel pump when key turned to 'on'. Also, then the 'ant-theft/alarm' kept coming on when we were trying to get the trouble codes, which would not come on. Charged car battery and the anti-theft stopped coming on, but still can't get the trouble codes to come on. You suggested checking the ignition fuse and relay for voltages and here are the results: the 20 amp fuse only has 12 votls when the key is on. The 40 amp ignition fuse has 12 volts both with the key off and on. The ignition relay doesn't have any voltage at all, either with the key on or off. The fuses have all been checked and are good. The relays have been swapped with known working one's. Right now the car turns over but will not start. There is no voltage at the "T" plug at all. Can't get the trouble codes to come on now & do NOT hear the fuel pump come on when the key is turned to 'on'. The wipers work, the lights & flashers come on. Car just won't start. What is next to chrck? Would a new disrbutor pick-up coil be the answer? Also, you don't have the 'rate answer ' on so I have to wait until yo ca take questions again.
AnswerHi Jim,
I recall the history, and I'm trying to figure out why you don't have power to the fuel pump relay or the ASD relay and that is why I asked you about fuse 41 (20 amp) because that is what supplies those IF the relay is told to close by the engine controller. If there is no voltage on 41, even if the relays close, the fuel pump won't get power nor will the ASD relay, nor will the engine controller unless fuse 41 has 12 volts on it. So now, if 41 doesn't have 12v is true we have to solve that issue or we won't make any progress. In this 'follow up' you said there is voltage on the 20 and 40 amp fuses but you didn't tell me NUMBERS on the fuse's sockets. I have to ask for your understanding that I can't make sense of what is wrong unless we communicate in detail. Is fuse 41 showing voltage or not? If so, then the pin sockets I described earlier on the ASD relay and the fuel pump relay should be showing 12v (the pin sockets that are adjacent to the edge of the box). Are they?
You could certainly try a new pick-up in the distributor, but I was hoping to see if there is fault code 54 stored in the engine controller so you don't waste money on parts without a valid reason.
So that is why we are looking at voltage questions in hopes of getting voltage such that the check engine light will give us codes.
If the check engine light is not coming on either it is burned out or the engine controller isn't getting power either or it is faulty. You could therefor look at pin 9 of the 60-pin plug to the engine controller to see if it has 12V when the ignition switch is "on".
And pin 3 of that same plug is the one that gets twelve volts from fuse 41 all the time IF fuse 41 has voltage all the time. So you might want to verify that. Once we know the voltage is present on 3 and 9, and we don't get a check engine light at all, then it would be good to check the bulb of the engine light.
So you can perhaps see some logic in what I am asking you to check.
If you want to change the pick-up on the distributor I have nothing against that, I just wouldn't do it until we get these power supply issues verified.
I do answer quickly even though I don't use the thank/rate system. I have objections as to how the Allexpert site excercises quality control over that feature as other 'experts' are playing games to gain advantage in the ratings/recognitions.
This will be my last answer today, but I'll be back tomorrow morning. Please give me the info that I need, as described above so we might get this going again for you daughter.
Roland
