Hi Gang,

My name should show up in search results as I used to be a very active member before changing fields. Hopefully that will earn my request some consideration.

I got involved in this after stopping into a friends repair shop. They replaced the clutch in this car and since then no start. My curiosity and their desperation got me involved. They told me that the fuel pump wasn't operating. This seemed fairly simple (famous last words). Indeed it didn't but we found that if you manually operated the Constant Run Relay (called something like that at least) it would turn the pump on but still no start. I'll avoid recounting every step and try to give pertinent information.

The CEL is inoperative and the CR relay has proper powers to it but the control side is not being activated. They do share some common circuitry. Along with no CEL operation, the tach does not even slightly wiggle during cranking. I have scoped good cam/crank signals at the ECM. There is no communication with the ECM and if checked correctly, I got zero volts on the comm line with the scanner trying to get into the computer. It sounds like the computer is dead. I have verified good power and grounds at the computer. I still went ahead and voltage drop tested from battery to engine with lights and key on and got 0.02v max, just to be sure as far as the clutch work goes.

I am trying to ensure there is nothing I am missing on this and appreciate any help offered. We don't even know who will end up paying for this repair as the owners family members are paying for the clutch job! And trying to explain how it came in for a clutch and now won't start??? Oh, and the battery, which has been replaced with new, was so corroded that the piles were almost touching. I found that out when I asked if the battery was disconnected while the key was on (looking for a possible trigger to all this). It wasn't by the way. Thanks in advance. I will post this and spend more time pouring over printouts I brought home looking for something I might have missed.

Leo Schneggenburger
Technician/Consultant (Retired)
Howard Hanna (formerly Nothnagle)
Fairport, New York, USA