2004 Pacifica: Weird combination of Codes:
P0032, P0461, P0700, P0562 ( I know what the codes refer to )

1) Check engine light is on
2) all other gauge behavior is normal ( temp/rpm/gas/oil )
3) when you turn car off, and then back on, when it is sitting, it looks like a dead battery/will not start.
4) Jump battery starts.
5) battery tests out to be ok
6) alternator seems to be ok
7) gas gauge is accurate, no fuel system problem, not sure why P0461 is showing a problem
8) have had intermittent problem with car idling rough, then going off, at
drive-in windows, bank
9) have had a few ( recently ) incidences of very slow speed at initial forward ( normalizes in a few seconds, speed increases normally )
10) no fluctuation in speedometer at any time, normal
11) overall driving is normal, but am not taking it out as of today

My husband is an experienced mechanic, but this one is a bit confusing.
Any suggestions?

WrenchWench

 

Forgot to mention that, later, could not start with jump ( battery pack )
What the heck? First it does start with jump, then it does not.
( Did not check starter solenoid, or cable from battery to starter )


WrenchWench

 

try to put it in neutral and try to start it....did he check neutral safety switch? yeah sounds like a few different issues to me....

 

I had the same issues. You could use a long extension, (really anything that you could get to the starter) and bang on the starter and it would start. Okay so I got flat spots on the chingadera in the starter. Replaced the starter, and it was fine....for like two weeks and it started again. Same mechanic (friend / co-worker) said "then its gotta be a bad ground". Had already removed and wire brushed A BUNCH of the grounds that go to the drivers side fender well. So what I did (And it corrected these electrical issues) was went to OSH / Lowes (hardware store) and got a length (4' maybe) of (maybe) #3 cable and lugs to fit same. I soldered a lug on one end (using a torch cause the lug is too big for an iron to heat) and connected this wire to the - battery post (using existing terminal hardware). I routed this wire with some other existing cabling down then along the back of the fans then up to the existing ground connection (existing braided cable) and connected it there. Essentially I just duplicated the main ground cable (but with better wire). Have him give this a try.

 

Hi Shep,
Yeah, we suspect there a number of different issues at play here. Great fun when they all decide to appear at once....
Yes, he tried to start in neutral and checked the neutral switch, no difference.

 

Hi Blue Flames,
( chingadera in the starter, LOL .....been hearing lots of words like that in both Spanish and English the last few days)
He has been checking connections, cables, wires, ground all kinds of places, checked and swapped fuses, tightening things, cleaning things off, etc, etc., to no avail yet. He removed the starter and solenoid, which were likely originals and 10 years old, both looked a bit worn, although they both tested ok; replaced both. Voila! nothing. ( Quite the game to pull the started in this oddball car, the worst we have ever come across! )
He found that the fans are not going on when they should, hit or miss. He will be doing more electrical testing today. Main ground issue.....I thought about that.......I will make that suggestion. Thanks.

 

I just forgot the correct names for the starter innards, and was too lazy to look them up. Learned about chingadera's from the washing machine repairman about 20 yrs ago. Yeah, I was on the same path. The alternator went out, so that was a battery & alternator & the belt while I was doing the alternator. Then changed the starter, THEN had it bench tested only to find it was FINE...Doh. It was a pain. Disconnect motor mounts, jack engine up, remove cooling fans assy. Then my mechanic friend / coworker told me to do the ground, and its been fine since; in place & working for about 20 months. I could (I think) post pics of the fix I made. If not post, I could text or email them. I was skeptical when told to do this, but it took care of the electrical issues.

 

Hi,
That's a bummer that your starter was actually ok.
My husband is going to do the main ground testing today; he's creating a chingadera to use for the test.

 

So did a new, better ground do the trick?