Last night my alarm system falsely tripped in the driveway. This morning the car would not initiate start. Key in ignition position, only the low pressure light comes on. The alarm system will not arm (according to indicator light), but the panic button activates the lights/horn. Battery is full voltage. An alarm system reset procedure and disconnecting the negative battery cable for a minute did not correct the issue. The remote will operate the door and trunk locks. Fuses 5 and 7 are fine. No engine fault codes stored.

What's next?? Thanks!

John

 

PS..... I have only 1 key for my car.

 

Does your scanner only scan the engine?? If not you should try and get access to a scanner that will scan the SKIM (sentry key immobilizer module)

 

I troubleshot it to a blown Fuse 8 (Power/Fuel) in the power distribution center. Since the fuse blows when the ignition switch is in the start position, it has to be either a short in the start relay control circuit or the PCM start circuit. If it is not a shorted start relay or wire to the relay or PCM, the next question will be what circuits are downstream of the PCM that are powered only during start (to rule that out before replacing the PCM).

 

With the start relay pulled out, the short disappears and the relay control circuit and relay are fine. Fuse 8 also supplies power to the starter's solenoid when the start relay pulls in. That's when the short appears. It has to be a short in the solenoid pull-in wire to the starter or inside the starter/solenoid itself. Another day......

 

Blown #8 fuse points to a bad starter. On every sebring I have owned (3) replacing the starter solved the problem. I suggest getting a new starter rather than a rebuilt. Each time I used a rebuilt I was back replacing a year later. Local shop will only replace with new starters; too many callbacks.

 

If the fuse blows while cranking, the starter is the most likely fault. The solenoid draws too much current and along with the fuel pump exceeds the amperage rating of the fuse.
If the fuse blows while driving, there is likely a short. The starter could only blow the fuse during cranking.

Agree though starter is most likely the cause!

 

I live on a farm and last summer a groundhog kept getting into the engine compartment, and it chewed wires going to sensors, including the aft (bottom) O2 sensor. The wire between the relay in the PDC and the starter solenoid is powered only during start, and it runs through the area where the culprit was chewing, and I might have missed seeing it needed repair too. Taking the wire off the starter/solenoid and testing it for a short will tell all tomorrow. I have changed so many starters on vehicles here that I can't remember if I've changed this one yet or not. If not, at over 100K miles, it's probably time.

 

Sounds good, let us know what you find

 

It was the solenoid power wire chaffing on the flexible heat shield about an inch from the terminal on the starter. It is a tight turn there. This could cause someone to change the starter unnecessarily. Changing the starter would re-position that wire, likely correcting the short, making you think it was the starter assembly that was bad.