Need help, off to a bad start
Tech Contributor
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 32,910
Likes: 2,402
From: Anthony TX
CI 6,7,8,9,11 Vet
St. Jude Donor '08
Re: Need help, off to a bad start (Matt Oldham)
Matt
My 98 had the exact same NO START problem a few years back. It turned out to be the theft deterent relay. I found it to be full of water!!! :eek:
The relay is in the passengers side foot well behind the toe board. You will also have to remove the cover just above it (the one with the light attached to it) Look directly above the Body control module (silver box) and you will see a wiring harness and some relays. The relay that you need to look for has 4 wires and they are YELLOW/BLACK, PURPLE, YELLOW and YELLOW.
The relay will have 6 pins but only uses 4 of the trrminals.
The water gets in the relay from the black hose that comes from the heater box and goes to the fan blower motor. When you run the AC, the humid air in the vehicle condenses on the hose and drips into the relay. Disconnect the relay, take it apart and if it is corrroded, it needs to be replaced. I jumpered mine out so that I could drive it until I got a new relay. If that is your problem contact me and I will tell you how to solve the problem once and for all.
Please let all of us know how you make out and what you found the problem to be!!!!
Good luck!
Bill Curlee
My 98 had the exact same NO START problem a few years back. It turned out to be the theft deterent relay. I found it to be full of water!!! :eek:
The relay is in the passengers side foot well behind the toe board. You will also have to remove the cover just above it (the one with the light attached to it) Look directly above the Body control module (silver box) and you will see a wiring harness and some relays. The relay that you need to look for has 4 wires and they are YELLOW/BLACK, PURPLE, YELLOW and YELLOW.
The relay will have 6 pins but only uses 4 of the trrminals.
The water gets in the relay from the black hose that comes from the heater box and goes to the fan blower motor. When you run the AC, the humid air in the vehicle condenses on the hose and drips into the relay. Disconnect the relay, take it apart and if it is corrroded, it needs to be replaced. I jumpered mine out so that I could drive it until I got a new relay. If that is your problem contact me and I will tell you how to solve the problem once and for all.
Please let all of us know how you make out and what you found the problem to be!!!!
Good luck!
Bill Curlee
Drifting
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 1,715
Likes: 1
From: cAshburn VA
Re: Need help, off to a bad start (Matt Oldham)
No one thinks this might be the column lock problem, maybe not being displayed on the DIC right? Other than no message on the DIC about the column lock, sounds exactly like it, and he did get that message earlier.
Can you move the steering wheel when the key is in the on position?
Before I got the dealer to fix this I could sometimes make it work by turning the key off/on and rocking the steering wheel back and forth.
Just a thought... Good luck!
Can you move the steering wheel when the key is in the on position?
Before I got the dealer to fix this I could sometimes make it work by turning the key off/on and rocking the steering wheel back and forth.
Just a thought... Good luck!
Pro
Joined: Apr 1999
Posts: 740
Likes: 0
From: Chelmsford, MA USA
Re: Need help, off to a bad start (Matt Oldham)
Sorry to butt in, C4 guy here lurking in the shadows :seeya
Matt. Do you have a Lemon Law in KS? The car should still be under some kind of used car warranty, right? I would (my opinion) not fool with it. Get it picked up by the dealership and let them straighten it out or get your money back. $20,000 + is a lot of money to spend for a garage sculpture.
Good luck,
Bob
Matt. Do you have a Lemon Law in KS? The car should still be under some kind of used car warranty, right? I would (my opinion) not fool with it. Get it picked up by the dealership and let them straighten it out or get your money back. $20,000 + is a lot of money to spend for a garage sculpture.
Good luck,
Bob
