Question First, let me thank you for your effort here. I've seen the body of work that you have on this site and I see that a great many people are helped here and really appreciate it.
I have an old 97 T&C that has slowly developed problems. My wife's brother's family is on hard times and we'd like to give it to them. Problem is that it starts and runs strong for a few seconds and the quits. I've tried many different patterns of trying to unlock the van with the key fob, using the key in the left and right doors, and the tailgate. I had the battery checked and charged yesterday.
Here's as much info as I can think to give. Engine starts and runs strong for a few seconds and then stalls. Odometer and trip odometer does not light up. Overhead info display is working and gives accurate temp reading. Key to accessory position lights up the brake, oil, service engine soon, alarm set, temperature and abs annunciators in the dash display. Brake, oil, abs remain on and others go out.
Other issues include the fact that the two rear wiper and re-circulation and A/C lights in the buttons in the center console are flashing. front and rear blowers work at different speed settings.
The passenger window became dislodged and fell down inside the track. I was able to push it back up. then I bent the end of a coat hanger, pushed it down into the inside of the door under the glass and pulled it all the way up and secured the coat hanger so that the window would keep out the elements. (could I have damaged that wire you've mentioned that is part of the alarm?) Driver's side window works.
Finally the left rear powered vent window quit in the open position. If I could close it I'd leave it alone. right one works.
Any help at all is truly appreciated
AnswerHi Lonny,
Thanks for the kind remarks. Let us take these issues one at a time, then as one is resolved we can take the next in detail.
If the engine dies in about 3 seconds reliably that would implicate a theft system that is not disarmed. The theft system light on the dash is probably still 'on'.
Several owners have reported that if they removed the ignition off draw (iod) fuse for a few hours and then put it back in that the system would recover. I can't tell how universally applicable that approach is. That fuse is in the rear corner of the underhood power distribution box, #28
Another approach which has worked on the earlier theft system, which had a separated module with a simple disarm grounding-type switch at each door, was to ground a pin at the theft module instead to which the switch is attached. When the theft systems were incorporated into the body computer the door switches instead had specific resistances which were to be grounded for the lock or the unlock action. In the case of the '98 (which appears to apply to the '97) the resistor for the lock direction is 4020 ohms, while for the unlock it is 665 ohms. The pin inquestion is #45 on the body control computer which is located on the rear side of the under dash fuse box (junction box). It has two plugs, with pins 1-40 and 41-80 and the wire is white/dark green. You would probably want to unmount the junction block so that you can access the plugs more conveniently.
Then after purchasing resistors of approximately those two ohmmage values (electronics store), I would put a pin through the insulation of that wire and then touch one end of the 4020 resistor to a nearby body ground metal surface and the other end to the pin. Then I would do the same with the 665 resistor. The theft light should then go out and the the engine should start and run. There is no way to remove the system easily, so the trick from that point forward is to only secure the van using the push-buttons interior locks; never use the door key to lock it, or the power door locks or the remote key fob as and of those could activate the theft alarm. You can unlock the doors with a key, but try never to lock with the key.
The alternative is to trace the wires from the door locks to the pin 45 and find out where the break is and repair it. At least this is my theory of beating such a situation.
To get to the bcm you remove the lower steering wheel column cover and the knee blocker reinforcement. The bcm's two pluga are on the bottom of the assembly, so if you can locate pin 45 on one of the plugs you are set to do the resistor trick. Otherwise remove the bolts that hold the junction block to its mounting bracket. Don't disassemble the two blocks as they are interconnected electrically. This technique has to be tried with the iod installed and the battery connected of course.
Let me know which way you try, and how it goes.
Roland
