QuestionI have a '94 Concorde with a 3.3 engine. The car doesn't want to start sometimes. The starter cranks well. When I turn the key to start I can tell whether it is going to start, because when it does it fires up right away. If it doesn't start I just turn the key back off and try again. Sometimes it starts the first try, other times it may take 6 or more attempts before it will fire up. I retrieved the following error codes: 12, 35, 77, 33, 43, 43, 43, 33, 35, 55.
Yesterday it took about 40 attempts to get it started. At one point I tried in neutral and then I shifted back into park. Then I noticed that my PRNDL lights were all out. I shifted back into neutral, but the light didn't come on. Then I shifted back into park and noticed the light under N was on. I shifted back into neutral and the back to park and the light under P was lit. Then the car started right up. I believe that was a new problem. I never noticed the lights being out before.
AnswerHi Dave,
I would begin by listening for the fuel pump to hum for about 1 second when you first turn the key to the "run" position. If you always hear that 1 second hum then you know the fuel pump and autoshutdown relay are working. Let me know if you don't hear it; the pump is located in the fuel tank.
Most of the codes are unrelated to a starting problem:
12 means that the power supply to the computer has been disconnected recently (usually by disconnecting the battery). If this is not the case then I would verify that the wire inside fuse B in the power box under the hood is not cracked or that the fuse is not loose in its socket.
33 is about the A/C compressor clutch, 35 is about one of the radiator fan relay circuits, 77 is about the cruise control. The only one related to engine is the 43 which says that one or more of the three primary coil windings of the spark coil pack is not responding properly which suggests that the coil pack or its wiring harness are the problem. I would test for spark at spark plug caps 1,2,3 or 4,5,6 using an insulated handle screwdriver inserted into the cap of each and holding the handle of the screwdriver so that its shaft is 1/4" from the cylinder head while a helper cranks the engine. Watch for whether a spark jumps across the gap or not. Check all three plugs as there are three separate coils. If you get spark on one or two of the three then the coil pack is bad, if you get no spark then it may be the wiring or the autoshutdown relay is not reliable (though it should set a specific code for that were it the case).
The relationship of the shift indicator lights and starting is useful: it suggests that the powertrain controller may not be getting its voltage (see above) and that too would explain a no start. The info about the trans position is sent from the trans to the controller and then to the instrument cluster. So that is a good reason to recheck the condition of 20 amp fuse B in the underhood box.
Let me know what you learn and we can go from there.
Roland
