Hi All

I have a strange problem on my 1998 3.3 Grand Voyager. Very simply the starter wont trun when you turn the key. 3rd time this has happened. 1st time was incorrectly diagnosed by a dealer as a bad starter (£200 - thanks for your help!). 2nd time I managed to get it started again by going though removing & relpacing relays, disconnecting battery, unplugging ECM etc and it came back to life but, 24 hours later, it has done it again.

Battery is 100%
All lights come on the dash, immob light goes out , shift lever in Park, you can hear the relays click in the PCM but the starter wont turn.
So far I have checked:
Starter itself - is fine
Battery is fine
All leads are ok, tested for continuity and all connected
Ign switch ok - tested slots on PCM and they are doing what they should when the key is turned
Cant seem to oull a fault code via any method I know (turning key 3 times, holding trip & reset etc etc)
All guages & Cluster works ok

Question is - the ECU is about the only part in the chain I cant test. What is its involvement in the starting process, is there any safety checks it might do (checking car in neutral or park for example?) that might be getting a bad reading or bad sensor to check?

PLease help, it's driving me CRAZY!!!

 

-when you turn the key and the starter will not turn, what's happening to the dash lights?
do they go off, or they keep being on?
-is that a new starter on the car?

I think that ECU (or PCM) has nothing to do with starter.
starter relay needs a signal from the switch that the brake pedal is depressed and that the gear stick is in neutral. if it doesnt have those two signals, the starter will not turn.
PCM will only not open the fuel line if it doesn't recieve a signal that the engine is turning with sufficiant speed.
if I were you, I would check those two switches, for gear stick and brake pedal.

 

Thanks I Wonder

The wiring digram I have in the Haynes manual shows the Starter relay connects into the PCM hence the question. All other things being equal then it can only be the gear switch ( I dont need to press the brake to start). I will test it tomorrow. I did notice that the transmission oil was over filled - maybe that might have caused it?

 

you did not answer my questions.

PCM - relay connection and brake switch were just a blind shot. don't know if oil overfill would cause such thing.
gear stick sensor might be worth looking at.

 

Hi

Sorry - answers to you questions as below:
Starter is new replacement on the car about 6 weeks ago
Dash lights stay exactly as they are at the 'run' key position. The only 'quirk' i have just noticed is that a specific gear is not highlighted (i cant remeber exactly but im sure there should be just a circle around 'P' and not all the gears which is what is showing). My only problem is that I dont have a working car to look at to check!

 

Problem seems to have mutated (is that possible!lol) that the solenoid now clicks in about 3 or 4 times before starter engages and off we go. Not sure if this is the same problem or a different one? Battery is fine (my first thought)..

 

from what you say, it's not the battery and it's not the starter. or even gear selector sensor.
I would try replacing starter relay and cleaning contacts on starter but that's it. anything further should be done by professional.

 

Thanks I wonder

Might have sold it by accident! I was under the hood and I noticed that a grounding point for a harness had a loose screw (rhs of the engine block, just below the transmission fill/dipstick pipe). Tightened it up and problem gone away - cross fingers that was it!

Many thanks again

 

I BET that's the cause.
good luck.