Need help, won't start
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,336
Likes: 4
From: Springfield MA
Need help, won't start
I'm pissed. The car was fine yesterday morning. I parked in the garage and took my truck to work.
We are having construction done in the basement and it was raining so the builders decided to do their sawing in the garage. The car is covered in MDF dust.
I planned to clean it before I head out this morning and it won't start. I tried charging the battery, it will click but the engine light comes on.
I can't imagine that this is coincidence. It has to be due to the dust in or on a sensor.
Any ideas? The Chevy service dealer is not open today here.
Thanks,
We are having construction done in the basement and it was raining so the builders decided to do their sawing in the garage. The car is covered in MDF dust.
I planned to clean it before I head out this morning and it won't start. I tried charging the battery, it will click but the engine light comes on.
I can't imagine that this is coincidence. It has to be due to the dust in or on a sensor.
Any ideas? The Chevy service dealer is not open today here.
Thanks,
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 2,673
Likes: 9
From: Upstate New York
I would doubt it's the dust. Those sensor plugs are weatherproof to keep water out, dust would not get past them, and the dust is probably just on the surface of the car, not throughout the engine compartment. If it's just clicking it sounds like a bad battery connection/ground or a dead battery to me - and they do just go bad sometimes. First clean off the terminals and the connectors on the cables. Try again. If still no dice, hook up a voltmeter and see what it reads as you try to crank the car. I believe anything under approx. 10v is bad. If that's the case get a new battery.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 2,655
Likes: 5
From: Brea CA
Well..
How old is the battery? And my guess is a cell died... it won't charge. You CAN pull the battery, drive to AutoZone, they will test it. If bad, you can get a 84 month battery for $100, with 3 year Free Replaclement, no pro-rate. I did.. been great.. 
Team Owner
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 46,295
Likes: 2,596
From: Northern, VA
St. Jude Donor '15
"In honor of jpee"
could be, but don't hold out a lotta hope. I agree with LMB tho and suggest you do as he suggested re cleaning, checking, loosening and re-tightening, etc. But I also think I read somewhere that below about 11.5 or so and the battery's toast.
Question: has this happened before?
Question: has this happened before?
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,336
Likes: 4
From: Springfield MA
No dice. Disconnected and reconnected the battery cables. No change. New battery, still won't start. It doesn't even turn over. I get a click and that is it.
Check engine light is on and the code is 1642 (unknown on my reader).
I guess that I will have it flatbedded to the dealer in the morning.
Check engine light is on and the code is 1642 (unknown on my reader).
I guess that I will have it flatbedded to the dealer in the morning.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 2,673
Likes: 9
From: Upstate New York
No dice. Disconnected and reconnected the battery cables. No change. New battery, still won't start. It doesn't even turn over. I get a click and that is it.
Check engine light is on and the code is 1642 (unknown on my reader).
I guess that I will have it flatbedded to the dealer in the morning.
Check engine light is on and the code is 1642 (unknown on my reader).
I guess that I will have it flatbedded to the dealer in the morning.
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Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,336
Likes: 4
From: Springfield MA
I think that you are right. I tested the voltage and it has to be the starter or in the connections beyond the starter.
I had it flatbedded to the dealer this morning for the warranty work.
I should have it back later today.
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 16,025
Likes: 1,656
From: Toronto, Canada
C7 of the Year - Unmodified Finalist 2021
Did you put it into "ignition mode" and see what voltage the DIC is saying? Anything less than about 11.6 volts I noticed it has difficulty starting.
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 10,399
Likes: 26
From: Austin Texas
DTC1682.
"The ECM detects that the voltage level difference is greater than 3 volts between the run/crank and the ETC ignition 1 voltage circuits for more than 3 seconds".
2 pages of steps to follow to test and clear. One of the things mentioned is a fuse in the underhood fuse block for the ECM.
Note that all tests assume a fully charged (12.6 volts at rest) battery.
New batteries don't always have a full charge, old batteries sometimes have to be disconnected from the car to be charged.
"The ECM detects that the voltage level difference is greater than 3 volts between the run/crank and the ETC ignition 1 voltage circuits for more than 3 seconds".
2 pages of steps to follow to test and clear. One of the things mentioned is a fuse in the underhood fuse block for the ECM.
Note that all tests assume a fully charged (12.6 volts at rest) battery.
New batteries don't always have a full charge, old batteries sometimes have to be disconnected from the car to be charged.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 2,673
Likes: 9
From: Upstate New York
I'd still like to know what the voltage drop was when trying to start the car - that may have helped in diagnosing this further. Just in looking at the schematic for the starting circuit, if the starter is clicking and not turning over then there is not enough energy to power it, or it's gone bad, or something is causing the engine not to rotate freely. The manual states that a resistance of as little as 5 ohms in the circuit or underhood fuse block is enough to set P1682 - that's not a lot of resistance. My bet would be a bad connection/corrosion in one of the connections. Let's see what the good Mr. Goodwrench says.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 3,355
Likes: 11
From: Beverly Hills, MI
Hold the show! I had this happen on my TrailBlazer once! It turned out to be the starter solenoid (my solenoid was IN the starter). I did a test and used a screwdriver to jump the solenoid and the starter kicked over and the engine started. After that, the starter worked fine for about a week then died again. Took it to the dealer and it was a bad solenoid.
Hope this helps.
Hope this helps.
