Let's start by saying it is a cold day and my battery was initially dead.

Well I go out to the garage today to go to work and realized I didn't hear the fuel pump prime up upon key-on. (That of course was after charging the battery )

So I try to start it, crank no start...

Anyhow, I jump the pump with the prime wire under hood and it primes up to 45 PSI... but still no start...


I had a simliar problem a few weeks ago, for some odd reason I replaced the coil and she fired right up and ran good until now.

One thing I did do was install an alarm, but the alarm wouldn't disable fuel pump power, just the starter.

Maybe a bad ground or something? What are the odds of the fuel pump relay going bad? Never experience a bad relay...

Thanks.

 

Stupid question did you check the fuses? If you did then you probiably have one of three things. A bad PCM, or when you installed the alarm you are causing in intermittent connection on the IGN wire in the steering column. I know you installed that because that is how the alarm senses to disable the starter kill relay. If you have a connection problem there and it will cause what you are describing. Another thought the PCM is what grounds the relay to prime it so if the PCM isn't getting power it won't ground the relay. If you manually primed it and still no start then you obviously have no spark or no fuel injector current. Check fuses (cheap), check your connections on your alarm and if you are in doubt solder and shrink wrap the connections (won't pull apart like a scotch lock can, and cheap), and if you are good there and you for sure have power to the switched power pins on the PCM then I would suspect a bad PCM (getting expensive but easy to replace). Another potential problem is the ignition switch is on it's way out (not real expensive but a PITA) I hope this helps trouble shoot your problem

 

Thanks for the speedy reply.

Fuses are all good. Checked them. I pulled the alarm fuse to disable the alarm, like I thought, no difference.

I'm gonna assume the PCM is good for the time being, I can get a reman'd one for $40 is I needed it.

I think I'll start looking in the direction of the ignition switch, where is this located? And does it have anything to do with the lock/tumbler? Sometimes it won't "ding" when the key is left in it when I open the door.

All the alarm wiring was done with quick connects, so I didn't have to splice any original wires in half. So I'm also gonna assume those are good....

Damn assumptions

Thanks.

 

how long did you charge it?

my battery isnt dead (almost a year old now) but my car sits in a parkinglot and i go start it every week, and its hooked up to the jumper cables for nearly 45 minutes before anything starts to turn over...

although i think im getting better at it... placing the jumper cables not on the battery but the possitive and negitive terminals of the car

 

Man, sorry to hear youre having problems again, well if you primed it with the grey wire underhood you bypassed the vats and relay so you know for the fuel it now has to be either, the circuit for the vats (key included) ,FP relay, FP relay energizing circuit (wires and ECM).
For the ign problem is there power to the coil? Is the ign module seeing the pulses from the opti? Power to the Ign module?

 

Ok, well I replaced the coil already. The opti is Good. I know it is because I found out the hardway by removing it and checking it out via disassembly.

Weird thing... Before I had this problem the first time I was getting error #42, so I replaced the ICM and the SES code went away. A day or so later the car would not start. So I returned the ICM and swapped it for a coil to save some money. It fixed it and the car ran up until now. (Yes Code #42 came back with my old ICM).

 

Did you check the pcm fuse? i believe it gives power to the pump, i had a similar problem on a grand prix and that was the problem. I would start at the pump with a test light and start working your way forward and find out where you lose your power at.

 

LMAO, I'm such a dumbass.

I found the problem. I forgot to plug in the Blue Connector behind the passenger kick panel.

That's what happens when you're working on multiple things at once, and then drop everything you're doing and forgot where ya were 3 days earlier!

 

Don't feel bad, the other day I was soldering and the iron was really not working I tried and tried to get it to heat the wire and solder until about 10 MINUTES I realized the iron was unplugged...lol