QuestionHello Roland,
My 93 Sundance (2.5 liter, automatic, tilt steering, and airbag) will crank up and then immediately shut off. The relevant code is 34 (others, 12 and 55). I have a service manual and did the Servo Electrical Tests. Turned ignition to "ON." Tested pin 2 of servo's main harness four-way connector for battery voltage? No voltage. Disconnected six-way connector at the stop lamp switch and tested pin 1 of the main harness for battery voltage? No voltage. Removed vehicle speed control switch and disconnected four-way switch. Tested pin 1 of main harness for battery voltage? Battery voltage detected. Performed vehicle speed control switch test? Everything fine. The next step says to test continuity across the clockspring. I know where and what the clockspring is but I don't know how to test continuity on it? The wires (pin numbers) coming into the clockspring don't seem to match up with the wires (pin numbers) coming out of it that go to the speed control switch. Do you know how to do a continuity test on the clockspring?
Recent history: Parking brake shorted out some wires that went to the ignition. Car sat for about 3 years. Burnt wires were traced and replaced. Fuel pump, alternator, battery, wires, plugs, distributor cap, ignition switch, and oxygen sensor were replaced. Car ran fine for about a week but then started to lope while idling. Before it stopped running at all it started to turn off while loping sometimes. At the same time the alternator belt started getting looser and looser and squealed when first starting. It got so loose I just replaced it. Should I replace the water pump? The belt to the air conditioner would squeal when it was turned on and then finally the belt disintegrated. The timing belt was replaced about a year or two before the wiring short.
HELP!
Thanks for your time! James
AnswerHi James,
If the issue you are most concerned about is that it won't start at all, then I would set aside the code 34. That one having to do with the speed control would not cause the engine to refuse to start or idle poorly.
So what you really have is a "no start with no codes". That being the case I would do the classical things: check for spark while a helper cranks the engine. If that works, then check to see if you are getting a fine mist-like spray from the fuel injector falling on the throttle body butterfly valve when you are cranking it over and when you stop cranking observe whether you get any large droplets of gasoline. The latter would implicate a faulty fuel injector. If those two observations pass, then I would check the exhaust gas recirculation valve which is behind the engine, high, at the very front (e.g. close to the passenger corner of the engine. Look for a flange between the valve body and the vacuum actuator on its top side. Look inside the flange area for a vertical rod with a circumferential slot. That is the egr valve stem. It the valve/stem were sticking ajar that could cause a no start and a loping idle. So take the tip of a screwdriver and insert it in the slot so as to move the valve stem up and down, against spring pressure in the up direction. Verify that the velve stem moves freely and closes all the way down via the spring action. If it doesn't then spray some WD-40 on the stem where it enters the valve body and move the valve again with the screwdriver to free up it action. Then see if the car will start and run.
The alternator belt may just have been worn out. I wouldn't replace the waterpump unless it was leaking or you had poor circulation in the system and thought it might be faulty impeller. The AC compressor or clutch may be bad which would explain why that belt failed. Timing belt should be ok. But if the engine still won't start and idle and you have only the 34 code, then you might want to do a compression check to verify that the valve timing is ok as based on the compression readings.
On the clockspring, with the control "on" you should get continuity between the yellow/red wire and the white/red wire. And you should get a measureable resistance between the red/light green and the yellow/red at all times.
The clockspring has 5 wires, three for the speed control, two for the horn. The red/light green is pin 1, the yellow/red is pin 2, and the white/red is pin 4.
Let me know if anything interesting show up, please.
Roland
