I and my immediate family have not had the problem, but we've had relatives who had it happen. could also be QC issues, road shock, whatever. lead oxide is a spongy soft compound in a battery (if it gets burned up by low water or heat it turns to a hard glaze and doesn't generate electrons any more, that's sulfation), and no matter how you alloy the plates, some are going to fail and break off, bow out and short, etc.
the solution, of course, is 10,000 pounds of D batteries... LOL
This type of battery failure can be a real safety hazard.
Firstly, the reason a side mounted terminal might fail is because a bolt is threaded into the terminal. Because lead is too soft to tighten a bolt sufficiently, a plated steel insert which is threaded is cast into the lead during manufacture.
Because of high engine compartment temperatures and then cooling off cycles often in freezing weather, mechanical stress is exerted between the lead and steel insert. Eventually, the bond between the lead and steel is broken and an electrolyte leak takes place.
Sometimes the electrolyte wicks down the starter cable causing severe damage before it is discovered. On other occasions the acid has leaked onto the wiring harness below the battery tray and even onto brake lines.
What makes the situation worse is the fact that "no maintenance" batteries have an extra reserve of electrolyte which will hopefully last the lifetime of the battery. Because the side mount terminal is below the level of the acid, any leak can spill a lot of acid onto vital components.
A top mount terminal battery does not have any of these problems as a broken or loose terminal post will be above the electrolyte level.
Until full saftey can be assured I believe that auto manufactures should avoid side mount terminals on batteries.
i have tried everything i can think of to get my truck going and cant seem to find the problem. i replaced everything in the starting system. the #1 piston is at top dead center,the rotor is at the #1plug can someone please tell me what or why it's not starting.
What does it do when you try to start it? I assume it does crank? Cranks weakly, strongly, in a surging fashion? Why did you rebuild, what was needing to be fixed? (May help us to diagnose the restarting problem.) Is it delivering fuel? What, specifically, have you already tried?
I've rebuilt a few and restarting is rarely a snap. Give us more description and we'll stand a better chance of being able to help.
Was in an accident with my 99 Mustang. Air bags deployed, but car kept running. Turned key off and then a few minutes later tried starting the car again. Totally dead, won't even turn over. Tried the fuel reset switch but it wasn't tripped. Any ideas? Is there an airbag reset as well? Have full power to lights, radio, horn, etc. Tried jump-starting as well.
so does it crank? what's in the oil pan, oil or everything?
a number of issues could exist. one is that the crankshaft was jammed a little when stuff (bumpers, radiator, telephone pole pieces, etc.) whacked the balance wheel bolted to the front of the crank. if the engine kept running a little while after the crash, it could have bent the crank further until it jammed. if you cracked the block in the crash, it could have spread under further operation, until you either jammed a piston or crank bearing, or lost your oil and seized the engine.
there could just be damaged sensors/coils/boltons in front that finally petered out. fun to find 'em, varying costs to fix.
the starter could have been roached or its power relay broken in the crash, so even if the engine is OK, you can't turn it to start it. could be a dead maxi-fuse. those are cheap fixes.
could speculate all day, but a mechanic who looks it over for a half hour or an hour will KNOW what is wrong, and whether it's worth fixing, or needs replacement.
oh, airbag reset.... that's a forklift upgrade, you replace all the airbags and any sensors you aren't comfortable about. you can't stuff the bags back into their frames and put another load of explosive in back.
good you're alive, hope you're in good shape. the car needs to be checked out by a pro.
Right now, my winter/extra/beater car is a 1992 Olds 88 - 3800 engine. It has 122,000 miles on it, has been babied and runs (or it did)like a charm.
About a month ago, when I left work I was puzzled when it cranked but wouldn't start. I shut off the ignition, waited ten seconds and tried again...same thing. On the third try it started and ran fine. Next evening the same thing happened and it was hard to start in the morning too.
I was going to taki it in but the problem went away. No more trouble at all until last week. When I went to leave work, I was just barely able to get it started. It cranks fine but wouldn't start. Finally, it did start and the drive home was normal.
Next morning...it wouldn't start at all.
It got towed to the shop and I'm waiting for the call now...what do you guys think?
The ECM can compensate for the loss of some sensor signals by falling back on default values, but if it loses track of where #1 piston is, it's game over. GM 3.8 crankshaft position sensors (CKS) have been known to cause intermittent stall or no-start, so I'd want to take a hard look there.
Camshaft position sensor failure can also give problems, but it's usually more of an extended crank complaint. Instead of sequential injection, the ECM gang-fires them.
AutoZone lists the Delco CKS at $42.99. They also carry Wells aftermarket at $29.99 but I'm not going there. LOL
I talked to the shop yesterday. They just can't get it to act up at all. I had a hunch something like this would happen. The guy is honest and I appreciate his reluctance to simply throw parts at it. Still, if he replaces something in the hopes it was "probably" the problem.
If he does this, and the car ever acts up again, it'll be down the road.
Anyone have an idea on this one? Daughter down in Bogalusa(I in Wis.)has 98 Town & Country, 3.8L, all the goodies. Last week She stopped at shopping center, went shopping, came back, van wouldn't start. Said it cranked over, started, then immediately quit. Called me, I said to check fuses in engine compartment(wiggle, make sure seated). Then it wouldn't even turn over. This has happened 3 times previously in December when in Kokomo for her husband's funeral. First time, no turn over; I and husband's brother cleaned battery terminals, it started up ran fine. 3 weeks later, same thing, no crank;, she got jump from relative, started ran fine. Other time, same, let it sit for half hour, started up, ran fine. Then last week. After checking fuses, let it sit for 20 minutes, started up runs fine. Could this be a misadjusted neutral switch or a weak/faulty relay(ASD) or maybe map sensor. In addition, I also replaced her battery with a bigger heavy duty one in late December, so the battery's not the problem; also, it charges at a good 14.6 volts, so alternator's not problem.
Yesterday it totally wouldn't start so today she had it towed to a chrysler dealer; They called later and said was a problem with the alarm system disabling the ignition system and were trying to pinpoint the cause before having to replace the body control module. They called later and said the body control module was gone, ordering a new one. $650.00 w/labor. Anyone know of a tsb or secret warranty on this? Seems awfully funny that a fairly new, and expensive, vehicle with only 130,000 miles should have it's electronics go bye-bye so early and not have the factory know about it.
I'm the sort of person who usually waits until the low fuel light comes on before I fill up. Since I have less than a ten minute drive to work, this is never a problem. I have driven the Olds for two or three days with the light on before.
On the day it acted up, I had noticed the low fuel light flcker once on my way to work. It didn't stay on, just an early flicker.
That was the night it barely started but once it did, it drove home just fine. In the morning it wouldn't start at all. I do live on a hill and I parked it in front of our house pointing down the hill. Not real steep but a pretty good incline.
Of course at the shop it started right up over and over fr them. Finally, they drove it and it cut out going around a corner causing them to suspect it was out of gas.
They scanned it for codes and everything was fne. They did find vacumn lines to the fuel sensor in pieces and they replaced those. He said that could cause a hard start situation and low fuel economy.
O.K....I guess I'm an idiot for letting it get that low on gas. Won't happen again...but, still...I have this nagging feeling it's something else. I guess time will tell. I just can't understand why the low fuel light didn't operate like it did in the past? The bulb isn't burned out.
THEN, I used the trunk remote button which I NEVER do, and now the blasted trunk won't latch!!
I have a 91 Cutlass 3.1 V6 that is in great shape. It only has 126,000K on it and runs fine in heat and cold. Lately though it will not start in wet weather (its spring in Ontario). It coughs and sputters, but won't turn over. If I leave it for a day in dry weather - runs fine again. In the old days (pre-electronic ignition) I would have changed the dist. cap and rotor and probably fixed the problem. Can anybody give me a clue what part of the ignition system is losing spark due to moisture?
My 1999 Chrysler Town & Country Van (3.8) has a starting problem that has the dealer and myself baffled. Every few weeks the van starts, within seconds, the engine shuts down. This happens three or four times, then the engine will not start (starter will not engage). When this occurs, all other electrics except the dash gauges work. After the car sits for a few hours or overnight,it starts up fine as though nothing is wrong. I have had it to two dealers for up to two weeks at a time, they find nothing wrong. Both say that they cannot diagnose the problem unless the van fails to start in their shop. This last time, van was in their shop, failed to start, but service manager had no techs present to investigate the problem !!! As I post this message, it is still sitting at that dealer .... HELP !!!
so what have they done? fuel rail pressure test? scope test? any computer codes? vacuum test? unplugged the sensor cables, cleaned the contacts, put a little lube on 'em, and plugged 'em back together again? does the engine kick up when it does start like there is a broken motor mount that could be pinching something off?
if all that has been done, it might be worthwhile, if they don't have a low-voltage scope input on their shop tune-up scope, to change the crank position sensor on suspicion.
No broken motor mount, first dealer "supposedly" checked fuel rail and theorized that it could be a faulty ignition switch, crank or cam sensor, but said they could not check further as van was starting and running just fine. It had been driven for a couple of thousand miles over a period of two months between the previous episode and this current one. Each time symptoms are identical. When this occurs,once you initially turn the key to the ignition position (before engaging the starter), you immediately notice that the fuel gauge is not working.
that's the RUN position, right before the spring-loaded START position. could be a fuel pump relay iffy as well. but everything ties together in the ignition switch, and I think shifty is right, that switch needs to be replaced. ford had issues with block-cut contacts in ignition and light switches back a dozen years or so ago, resulting in issues like this as well as a few switches that got hot and/or started smoking.
how many keys are on your key ring that you usually use to run this car? if there are more than four or a heavy logo fob, I'm going out on a limb and say it's definitely the ignition switch. I've known folks who used janitor-rings of keys that weighed more than their kids did that had to replace ignition switches often until garagemen pointed and said NO! leave them home!
Well if the dealer doesn't do SOMETHING this will never get fixed until it fails completely, and at the rate of one failure every few thousand miles, that could take you way out of warranty. Arghh!
I remember one visitor here actually videotaped the no-start and brought the tape and his camera to the dealer for re-play!
Only two keys on a standard type ring .... The van had not exhibited this problem again until two weeks ago and it occured three times during that week. Fortunately twice in my driveway after the van had sat overnight. The third time was twenty-seven miles away after a mid-day meal at a resturant. I will mention replacement of the ignition switch to the Service Manager as the van still sits at the dealer.
I have recently been having difficulty starting my car...It use to start right up after one quick turn of the key,now it's taking up to 3 or 4 turns of the key befor it turns over.. Dealer ran check and found code 720 present. Dealer wants to replace immobilizer transponder, key and antenna ring for the cost of 770.00..Then they inform me that this may not even fix the problem!! Is anyone else having similar trouble? Thanks for any imput, Julie
mgnut, I would agree with the assumption that it may be an ignition switch problem. There has been problems with the terminals and actuator shaft on the Chyrsler ignition switches. The only way to tell for sure is to get it to a no start situation, then check power going in and out of the ignition switch. The pink, pink with black and red wires should have power at all times. With the key to ON, the Blk w/Orange wire, dark blue wire and dark green with red wire should all have power. With the key to start, the yellow wire, dark blue wire and dark green with red wire should have power. If any of those wires don't have power, then suspect the ignition switch, unless it is the pink or red wires, then you have a connection problem somewhere.
jonjulie,
Was any work previously done to the vehicle before this started?
If this is a dealer, tell them to check Service bulletin; 3360015, release date 06/01/2000, Immobilizer Terminals - No Start Condition
If they don't have the service bulletin, let me know and I will provide it for you.
Is this the code that you got? ECM-720A IMMOBILIZER COMMUNICATION DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE (DTC) INFORMATION Condition This diagnostic trouble code (DTC) indicates that the configuration between the engine control module (ECM) and the immobilizer does not correspond. The immobilizer transmits the VIN code to the engine control module (ECM) at start attempt. Diagnostic trouble code (DTC) ECM-720A is stored in the engine control module (ECM) if the engine control module (ECM) interprets the code as faulty or missing. The engine control module (ECM) will not allow the engine to be started. Condition none Possible source Faulty signal: an engine control module (ECM) that does not correspond to the immobilizer code has been installed an immobilizer that does not correspond to the engine control module (ECM) code has been installed defective immobilizer defective engine control module (ECM) open-circuit in the communication between the immobilizer and engine control module (ECM). Condition engine does not start
Opatience..Thanks for replying. I bought this car used in 1/03. Took to dealer to be checked over..A few things done to date Mass Air Flow sensor replaced, Serp. belt, but this problem didn't start till well after all those things were done. I thought at first might be battery or starter problem but it continued to happen so I took to the dealer.This is what the service tech stated Inspected for fault codes. code 720 present for immobilizer fault traced for connection faults none found. fuel pressure ok. rec replacing immobilizer transponder, key ,and antenna ring. Apparently, he believes this is related to the anti theft system and the special keys..I will call dealer tomorrow am and relay whatinfo you have given me...thanks, Julie
jonjulie, Inspected for fault codes. code 720 present for immobilizer fault traced for connection faults none found. fuel pressure ok. rec replacing immobilizer transponder, key ,and antenna ring. Apparently, he believes this is related to the anti theft system and the special keys. I am pretty sure that the service bulletin is what you need, but can't be certain without having the vehicle in front of me.
This tech needs to do a little more research before he makes a diagnosis, as the volvo information states pretty clear;
The engine control module has detected a fault in the communication between the immobilizer and the engine control module on an earlier occasion. Visually check the immobilizer connections and connector. Check the signal wire between engine control module B22 (B32) and immobilizer B5 (A35) for an intermittent open circuit, for an intermittent short-circuit to ground and for an intermittent short circuit to voltage supply. Fault-tracing information If the fault is intermittent, do not verify fault-tracing if the fault does not recur.
Hi Opatience...Called Volvo service dept. to ask about service bulletin, they do not have a copy or record of this bulletin. Would you be so kind as to send it to me..I will take all this info with me on my next appointment and hopefully end the problem. Thanks, Julie
jonjulie, Click on the link for the service bulletin. Requires Adobe acrobat reader to view the file. If you have any problems viewing it, let me know. Service bulletin
Town Hall is a message board format, so we ask users not to post e-mail addresses in the message text--we want as many people as possible to benefit from the answers.
The car was not drived for about 3 weeks and after that the engine does not start at all. The starter does not work. The lights and other electronics work. The engine started with the battery from another car. Then the was drived for half an hour in an attempt to charge the battery if it was its fault. After stopping of the engine the car did not start again.
What could be failure? One options is the dead battery, though the lights and everythings else works well. And this battery is not old, it was replaced recently.
An addition to the previous message. In the morning the car started again from the first turn of the key. After stopping in several seconds and turning the key, it started again. It took it more time (several seconds). On the third time, it did not start at all. The starter was not rotating.
Bad battery cables come to mind, even if the lights work, since the starter draws far more current. So clean 'em up good.
The battery although new, may not be in good shape, so have it loaded tested.
Once you've elminated a bad battery or bad cables, then you should have the charging system checked to see if you are getting full voltage to this battery.
If all those check out, you might try jiggling your transmission lever to see if you have a tempermental neutral safety switch. This switch can also be replaced relatively easily on most cars.
After that, I'd have to suspect your ignition switch, so on a no-start you'd have to check if current is flowing to the starter motor relay. (come to think of it, checking for current to the starter relay on a no-start is a good FIRST step in this diagnostic process).
But the battery is the primary place to start, then to cable, then to items that interfere or manipulate current to the starter motor, which are usually the safety switch or clutch pedal start switch, and the ignition switch itself.
you need to have several checks made... a battery voltage check, and a system load test to verify both the battery and alternator. if they all pan out, there is probably a bad starter relay in the system. loose or corroded terminals at the battery or the starter could also be the cause of this, as could be lousy ground connections to the car's frame. it's not rocket science to fix this, but you have to crawl around and look at a lot of stuff.
Oh, by the way. NEVER use the alternator to charge up a dead battery!! Have it slowwwww charged, unless you want to be buying $350 alternators every 6 months.
Thank you very much for the such a detailed comment. Could I ask something more and add a few more details?
Actually, before standing for three weeks without driving, the car had the following problem. It NEVER started immediately after driving, when the engine is hot. However, it always started immediately and without problems after staying for a while. May be this is a separate issue, however..
1. How to have the battery loaded tested and find out whether it is good or bad? You mean to charge it somehow independetly from the car and then give it the load? What is the most convenient way to do it?
2. If the battery happens to be bad, than what is the reason? May be I shall need to replace not only the battery. I wonder, because during the last half year all of them: battery, alternator, starter were replaced. Can one not working detail kill the others?
3. How to check the current to the starter relay and what shall it be?
4. How to check whether generating system generates electricity properly to charge the battery?
Well you need special tools to do a load test on the battery and yes, it has to be charged up first. Basically, a machine stresses it out with a high demand. If the battery falls on its face, there you go.
The alternator could possibly be checked more easily, in a general way, by placing a volt meter on each terminal of a battery while the engine is running, to see if the battery voltage stays within range when the engine is revved up a bit. I'm a bit hazy on what is "good" voltage but as I recall in the high 13s is sufficient. If the voltmeter stays flat while you rev the engine, something is probably wrong.
current to the starter relay can be tested with a simple test light. It's either on or off to the relay.
This is not the same as testing STARTER DRAW, which requires a heavy duty ammeter than most people don't have. A starter can draw hundreds of amps, and a dragging starter maybe 400 amps! That would certainly cause harder starts when hot.
You may be dealing with more than one problem, too. One thing at a time. First off, get the "no starter spinning" problem solved and make sure you have good battery and good alternator.
Your car's engine computer doesn't like low voltage and will act funny if it isn't getting full battery power. It is quite sensitive to substandard voltages.
So to make the load test I need to charge the battery and then connect to some low resistance and measure how much the voltage will drop, right?
So, what i need to know is what should be the charging current and voltage to charge the battery, until what voltage (how long should it be charged, well probably this i can figure out from its capacity) and is it ok to do this in an appartment. Is there a danger of overcharging? How to avoid it. Is it possible to buy the charging device or I need to construct it myself? Then, what resistance shall connect to the battery? And then what voltage decrease is ok, and what is not?
My questions basically based on knowledge of theory, but I have NO practical experience with cars, so I would very grateful if you could tell where practically i can buy all the things to make these tests and find out the failure. (I had practice with circuits before and can solder and assemble them if required), but don't know where to look for all this stuff.
Comments
the solution, of course, is 10,000 pounds of D batteries... LOL
Firstly, the reason a side mounted terminal might fail is because a bolt is threaded into the terminal. Because lead is too soft to tighten a bolt sufficiently, a plated steel insert which is threaded is cast into the lead during manufacture.
Because of high engine compartment temperatures and then cooling off cycles often in freezing weather, mechanical stress is exerted between the lead and steel insert. Eventually, the bond between the lead and steel is broken and an electrolyte leak takes place.
Sometimes the electrolyte wicks down the starter cable causing severe damage before it is discovered. On other occasions the acid has leaked onto the wiring harness below the battery tray and even onto brake lines.
What makes the situation worse is the fact that "no maintenance" batteries have an extra reserve of electrolyte which will hopefully last the lifetime of the battery. Because the side mount terminal is below the level of the acid, any leak can spill a lot of acid onto vital components.
A top mount terminal battery does not have any of these problems as a broken or loose terminal post will be above the electrolyte level.
Until full saftey can be assured I believe that auto manufactures should avoid side mount terminals on batteries.
I've rebuilt a few and restarting is rarely a snap. Give us more description and we'll stand a better chance of being able to help.
Any ideas? Is there an airbag reset as well? Have full power to lights, radio, horn, etc. Tried jump-starting as well.
a number of issues could exist. one is that the crankshaft was jammed a little when stuff (bumpers, radiator, telephone pole pieces, etc.) whacked the balance wheel bolted to the front of the crank. if the engine kept running a little while after the crash, it could have bent the crank further until it jammed. if you cracked the block in the crash, it could have spread under further operation, until you either jammed a piston or crank bearing, or lost your oil and seized the engine.
there could just be damaged sensors/coils/boltons in front that finally petered out. fun to find 'em, varying costs to fix.
the starter could have been roached or its power relay broken in the crash, so even if the engine is OK, you can't turn it to start it. could be a dead maxi-fuse. those are cheap fixes.
could speculate all day, but a mechanic who looks it over for a half hour or an hour will KNOW what is wrong, and whether it's worth fixing, or needs replacement.
oh, airbag reset.... that's a forklift upgrade, you replace all the airbags and any sensors you aren't comfortable about. you can't stuff the bags back into their frames and put another load of explosive in back.
good you're alive, hope you're in good shape. the car needs to be checked out by a pro.
thanks for the reply...
About a month ago, when I left work I was puzzled when it cranked but wouldn't start. I shut off the ignition, waited ten seconds and tried again...same thing. On the third try it started and ran fine. Next evening the same thing happened and it was hard to start in the morning too.
I was going to taki it in but the problem went away. No more trouble at all until last week. When I went to leave work, I was just barely able to get it started. It cranks fine but wouldn't start. Finally, it did start and the drive home was normal.
Next morning...it wouldn't start at all.
It got towed to the shop and I'm waiting for the call now...what do you guys think?
Guess what? It won't act up now!
Starts everytime, no codes, nothing!
????
About what does this cost? If it's not too much maybe it's worth throwing a part at?
Camshaft position sensor failure can also give problems, but it's usually more of an extended crank complaint. Instead of sequential injection, the ECM gang-fires them.
AutoZone lists the Delco CKS at $42.99. They also carry Wells aftermarket at $29.99 but I'm not going there. LOL
I talked to the shop yesterday. They just can't get it to act up at all. I had a hunch something like this would happen. The guy is honest and I appreciate his reluctance to simply throw parts at it. Still, if he replaces something in the hopes it was "probably" the problem.
If he does this, and the car ever acts up again, it'll be down the road.
Thanks again!
http://www2.autozone.com/servlet/UiBroker?ForwardPage=az/cds/en_u- s/0900823d/80/15/e4/2d/0900823d8015e42d.jsp
Yesterday it totally wouldn't start so today she had it towed to a chrysler dealer; They called later and said was a problem with the alarm system disabling the ignition system and were trying to pinpoint the cause before having to replace the body control module. They called later and said the body control module was gone, ordering a new one. $650.00 w/labor. Anyone know of a tsb or secret warranty on this? Seems awfully funny that a fairly new, and expensive, vehicle with only 130,000 miles should have it's electronics go bye-bye so early and not have the factory know about it.
It was out of gas.
I still don't understand though.
I'm the sort of person who usually waits until the low fuel light comes on before I fill up. Since I have less than a ten minute drive to work, this is never a problem. I have driven the Olds for two or three days with the light on before.
On the day it acted up, I had noticed the low fuel light flcker once on my way to work. It didn't stay on, just an early flicker.
That was the night it barely started but once it did, it drove home just fine. In the morning it wouldn't start at all. I do live on a hill and I parked it in front of our house pointing down the hill. Not real steep but a pretty good incline.
Of course at the shop it started right up over and over fr them. Finally, they drove it and it cut out going around a corner causing them to suspect it was out of gas.
They scanned it for codes and everything was fne. They did find vacumn lines to the fuel sensor in pieces and they replaced those. He said that could cause a hard start situation and low fuel economy.
O.K....I guess I'm an idiot for letting it get that low on gas. Won't happen again...but, still...I have this nagging feeling it's something else. I guess time will tell. I just can't understand why the low fuel light didn't operate like it did in the past? The bulb isn't burned out.
THEN, I used the trunk remote button which I NEVER do, and now the blasted trunk won't latch!!
Maybe it's time to add a third Honda to my fleet?
seriously, now you know why I never drive on less than a half tank of gas. don't ask me why I got into that mode.
'a fairly new and expensive vehicle with ONLY 130,000 miles on it'!!!
Thanks in advance - Max Forte
if all that has been done, it might be worthwhile, if they don't have a low-voltage scope input on their shop tune-up scope, to change the crank position sensor on suspicion.
how many keys are on your key ring that you usually use to run this car? if there are more than four or a heavy logo fob, I'm going out on a limb and say it's definitely the ignition switch. I've known folks who used janitor-rings of keys that weighed more than their kids did that had to replace ignition switches often until garagemen pointed and said NO! leave them home!
I remember one visitor here actually videotaped the no-start and brought the tape and his camera to the dealer for re-play!
I would agree with the assumption that it may be an ignition switch problem.
There has been problems with the terminals and actuator shaft on the Chyrsler ignition switches.
The only way to tell for sure is to get it to a no start situation, then check power going in and out of the ignition switch.
The pink, pink with black and red wires should have power at all times.
With the key to ON, the Blk w/Orange wire, dark blue wire and dark green with red wire should all have power.
With the key to start, the yellow wire, dark blue wire and dark green with red wire should have power. If any of those wires don't have power, then suspect the ignition switch, unless it is the pink or red wires, then you have a connection problem somewhere.
jonjulie,
Was any work previously done to the vehicle before this started?
If this is a dealer, tell them to check Service bulletin;
3360015, release date 06/01/2000, Immobilizer Terminals - No Start Condition
If they don't have the service bulletin, let me know and I will provide it for you.
Is this the code that you got?
ECM-720A IMMOBILIZER COMMUNICATION
DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE (DTC) INFORMATION
Condition
This diagnostic trouble code (DTC) indicates that the configuration between the engine control module (ECM) and the immobilizer does not correspond.
The immobilizer transmits the VIN code to the engine control module (ECM) at start attempt. Diagnostic trouble code (DTC) ECM-720A is stored in the engine control module (ECM) if the engine control module (ECM) interprets the code as faulty or missing. The engine control module (ECM) will not allow the engine to be started.
Condition
none
Possible source
Faulty signal:
an engine control module (ECM) that does not correspond to the immobilizer code has been installed
an immobilizer that does not correspond to the engine control module (ECM) code has been installed
defective immobilizer
defective engine control module (ECM)
open-circuit in the communication between the immobilizer and engine control module (ECM).
Condition
engine does not start
Inspected for fault codes. code 720 present for immobilizer fault traced for connection faults none found. fuel pressure ok. rec replacing immobilizer transponder, key ,and antenna ring. Apparently, he believes this is related to the anti theft system and the special keys.
I am pretty sure that the service bulletin is what you need, but can't be certain without having the vehicle in front of me.
This tech needs to do a little more research before he makes a diagnosis, as the volvo information states pretty clear;
The engine control module has detected a fault in the communication between the immobilizer and the engine control module on an earlier occasion.
Visually check the immobilizer connections and connector.
Check the signal wire between engine control module B22 (B32) and immobilizer B5 (A35) for an intermittent open circuit, for an intermittent short-circuit to ground and for an intermittent short circuit to voltage supply.
Fault-tracing information
If the fault is intermittent, do not verify fault-tracing if the fault does not recur.
If you have any problems viewing it, let me know.
Service bulletin
Please let us know what is happening with this starting issue. I am having the same problem on my 01 Volvo C70.
I DONT want to spend $770 to fix a problem like this.
-Eric
you can email me directly at ysgiATbeerDOTcom
What could be failure? One options is the dead battery, though the lights and everythings else works well. And this battery is not old, it was replaced recently.
Any ideas?
Thanks for any help.
Any ideas?
The battery although new, may not be in good shape, so have it loaded tested.
Once you've elminated a bad battery or bad cables, then you should have the charging system checked to see if you are getting full voltage to this battery.
If all those check out, you might try jiggling your transmission lever to see if you have a tempermental neutral safety switch. This switch can also be replaced relatively easily on most cars.
After that, I'd have to suspect your ignition switch, so on a no-start you'd have to check if current is flowing to the starter motor relay.
(come to think of it, checking for current to the starter relay on a no-start is a good FIRST step in this diagnostic process).
But the battery is the primary place to start, then to cable, then to items that interfere or manipulate current to the starter motor, which are usually the safety switch or clutch pedal start switch, and the ignition switch itself.
Anyway, that's the basic logic I'd use.
Assume NOTHING is working until you test it.
Actually, before standing for three weeks without driving, the car had the following problem. It NEVER started immediately after driving, when the engine is hot. However, it always started immediately and without problems after staying for a while. May be this is a separate issue, however..
1. How to have the battery loaded tested and find out whether it is good or bad? You mean to charge it somehow independetly from the car and then give it the load? What is the most convenient way to do it?
2. If the battery happens to be bad, than what is the reason? May be I shall need to replace not only the battery. I wonder, because during the last half year all of them: battery, alternator, starter were replaced. Can one not working detail kill the others?
3. How to check the current to the starter relay and what shall it be?
4. How to check whether generating system generates electricity properly to charge the battery?
Thank you very much!
And how to check up alternator?
The alternator could possibly be checked more easily, in a general way, by placing a volt meter on each terminal of a battery while the engine is running, to see if the battery voltage stays within range when the engine is revved up a bit. I'm a bit hazy on what is "good" voltage but as I recall in the high 13s is sufficient. If the voltmeter stays flat while you rev the engine, something is probably wrong.
current to the starter relay can be tested with a simple test light. It's either on or off to the relay.
This is not the same as testing STARTER DRAW, which requires a heavy duty ammeter than most people don't have. A starter can draw hundreds of amps, and a dragging starter maybe 400 amps! That would certainly cause harder starts when hot.
You may be dealing with more than one problem, too. One thing at a time. First off, get the "no starter spinning" problem solved and make sure you have good battery and good alternator.
Your car's engine computer doesn't like low voltage and will act funny if it isn't getting full battery power. It is quite sensitive to substandard voltages.
So, what i need to know is what should be the charging current and voltage to charge the battery, until what voltage (how long should it be charged, well probably this i can figure out from its capacity) and is it ok to do this in an appartment. Is there a danger of overcharging? How to avoid it. Is it possible to buy the charging device or I need to construct it myself?
Then, what resistance shall connect to the battery? And then what voltage decrease is ok, and what is not?
My questions basically based on knowledge of theory, but I have NO practical experience with cars, so I would very grateful if you could tell where practically i can buy all the things to make these tests and find out the failure. (I had practice with circuits before and can solder and assemble them if required), but don't know where to look for all this stuff.