V1 Out of storage and won’t start… ideas?

[MisterDave]

It started!!!
I’m not confident what I did to fix it…. I got a relay tester and tested the fuel pump relay and two others that I thought might be involved in startup…. The tester cycles the relays 10 time and then gives a green light if the relays are good. They were all good. I also remove and check the red cable to the fuse box. I believe it’s power steering power? It looked fine but I made sure it had a good connection.
After all this I reconnected the battery and it started right up!
my guess is either there was a loose connection or the relays were stuck and by testing them it loosened them up.

Thank you everyone for all of the help and suggestions. Now that I have a scanner I will run another scan and update here in case anyone notices anything unusual.

thanks again!

 

[Ross]

This sounds a lot like the data issues I had on the GM high speed LAN. I was getting intermittent data communication, so it would sometimes give me the Power Steering message, sometimes the key wouldn't turn over the engine. My car's issues were caused by rain water getting in the power steering controller, and replacing that fixed it. I ran the car for about 6 months with the intermittent issue. When it wasn't communicating, I was able to get the engine to start by turning the key on, and giving the starter motor 12V+ to the small purple wire. Just something to watch for, if the problem returns.

 

[Gtstorey]

His ECM didn’t look like it was communicating but the other modules were. I think he either had a bad connection on a relay, a stuck relay, or intermittent connection on the back of the fuse box. A decent chance it will be an ongoing intermittent problem, but the area of the problem is getting narrowed down.

 

[MisterDave]

Well…. The problem seems to be back. Not sure what I’m going to do. I drove it up my street and it cut off on me. Managed to get it started and made it back home but then it cut off again and wouldn’t start back up.
I tried checking the relay again and wiring. All seems to be the same.
Can’t seem to make it any better or worse with any fiddling.
I am wondering if it could be a problem with the ECM.
the check engine light flickers. The click of the fuel pump and the fuel gauge going up and down all mimic the engine light flickers. As if there were a loose connection. But nothing is moving and when I move cables I can’t find anything that makes it behave different. Then randomly it will start up fine and cut off soon after warming up.
I might need to see if I can find someone to look at it at this point. See if I can get a local mechanic‘s opinion. I’m just west of Raleigh, NC if anyone has recomendations.

 

[Gtstorey]

It's not likely the ECM. It's a bad wire connection or ground connection. But it's hard for us to guess where that is.

 

[Desert Sasqwatch]

This issue is a year old, when did you drive it last? Sept 2024? Has it been sitting since then? It's possible you have a bad tank of fuel and that may contribute to the run-die-run-die you're experiencing.

 

[MisterDave]

This issue is a year old, when did you drive it last? Sept 2024? Has it been sitting since then? It's possible you have a bad tank of fuel and that may contribute to the run-die-run-die you're experiencing.

It’s been driving fine this past year. I don’t drive it a lot, but it hasn’t been sitting.
Bad fuel is a thought, but would that make the check engine light flickers? Could be a clogged line? Thing is, sometimes it starts up fine and then shut off.

 

[MisterDave]

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[Gtstorey]

I would bet this is an electrical problem. This
Needs a good scanner available iwhen the problem happens with the hope that it will register an out of bounds value or that you can try to test things and make them work. Unfortunately there are just a lot of things that can cause a no start/dying problem and it’s just hard to accurately guess what it is. If may or may not be the same one as last time, it might be there is more than one problem.

 

[Rttoys]

Yep. Looks electrical. loose connection, fried battery.

 

[Markm]

Have you check for any stored dtcs?

 

[MisterDave]

Attached are pictures from my scan tool from this morning. It has codes P0452 and P0449

I tried the battery test through the scan tool and it said that battery was good.

I’m new to using a scan tool so I welcome any tips.

 

[Gtstorey]

None of those codes are a problem. This would indicate that the problem is probably more on the main wiring side not the sensor side. I'm not sure about data wiring setting a code that that scanner will pick up. Since it isn't registering some of the missing modules, it might not pick up a loss of communication on the data network. You really need to be able to determine what is missing during the non-start, assuming it will crank. Does it have spark? does it have fuel pressure? Do the injectors fire? Although the fuel gauge moving indicates either a data problem or a very basic power issue that is affecting everything. I would start with cleaning and tightening all connections from the battery to the fusebox. both + and -.

 

[MisterDave]

None of those codes are a problem. This would indicate that the problem is probably more on the main wiring side not the sensor side. I'm not sure about data wiring setting a code that that scanner will pick up. Since it isn't registering some of the missing modules, it might not pick up a loss of communication on the data network. You really need to be able to determine what is missing during the non-start, assuming it will crank. Does it have spark? does it have fuel pressure? Do the injectors fire? Although the fuel gauge moving indicates either a data problem or a very basic power issue that is affecting everything. I would start with cleaning and tightening all connections from the battery to the fusebox. both + and -.

When the fuel gauge is working and the fuel primes it starts fine. It would stay running though. It‘s like whatever is happening is cutting power to the fuel system. All I can think to do it to continue rechecking all the wire connectionS more thoroughly. If there is a battery issue it would affect everything right? Not just the fuel system, gas gauge, and check engine light? All of the other lights are steady. Headlights, parking break, seatbelt lights all stay solid.

 

[Gtstorey]

I don't think there is really any connection between the fuel pump and gauge. If there is, it may be a ground shared. Check the wiring diagrams and see what is shared between the two if this seems limited to only the gauge and fuel pump.

But it's possible that there is an ecm power problem or data problem that you are only noticing the fuel pump systems since they are the most noticeable. Lights probably won't be affected or least most of the light functions keep working.

 

[ah.b.normal]

It’s been driving fine this past year. I don’t drive it a lot, but it hasn’t been sitting.
Bad fuel is a thought, but would that make the check engine light flickers? Could be a clogged line? Thing is, sometimes it starts up fine and then shut off.

Harbor Freight(and probably any parts store) has a simple remote starter switch that just clamps onto the starter purple wire and the Batt+ pole on the starter with long lead wires. Easy to leave in place to determine if a problem in the start circuit is blocking start. If remote start switch always works it could narrow your search a little........ My 06 currently will not start with the key, I am using the remote switch because I've got bigger fish to fry. I always listen for fuel pump prime and TB actuation/test before start. Key switch has always initiated both, to my surprise.

 

[ah.b.normal]

Have you replaced that big(50A?) fuse on the feed from Batt+ to the BCM?........... I believe all power to brains(computers) goes through that fuse and if it is rotten it can do funky intermittent stuff(like opening internally when they heat up). I believe it is a common feed to all the brains; the fuse and holder can look pretty but be corroded inside. They were in the trunk, near battery gasses and not weatherproofed(IIRC). After 10 years on the road and possible trunk leaks many times they got wet too. Also check the rest of that fat Red/Blk Stripe wire and it's connector at the BCM.

 

[MisterDave]

I really appreciate all of the help. I’m learning with every step of Goblin build and ownership..
I’ve been going through every plug and ground around the back of the Goblin a few times. Trying to be systematic and check to see if the problem is worse or better frequently. This morning I did the same check of the back and then started on the front, double checking battery connections and ground. No check.
then I looked at the power steering control module…. Unplugged the top grey plug, looked fine, plugged it back in. Then just wiggled the other two plugs to make sure they were press all the way in.
Check start and it started without hesitation. Everything stay solid and ran fine.

This is great, but I don’t feel like I’ve fixed anything… I tried to wiggle the plugs while the car was running to see if there was any effect. Nothing.
So the question is; what would you do from here? DO I just run with it and if it happens again see if that plug fixes it? Do i pull the plug completely and see if the problem occurs narrowing down to that plug?

 

[Gtstorey]

If it's the EPS module, it has to be data wires. The car will run with the EPS unplugged if you add in a 120ohm resistor to the data wires. I'm running the Saturn Vue EPS that is separated from the data wires. Nothing else about the EPS wiring would cause the car to not run.

I would (and have) go through the wiring and tighten up all of the individual connections. At least the ones on the fuse box, although that will require un-pinning them. The smaller connections like on the BCM and ECM are hard to do much with.

And I would keep a live data scanner connected to the car anytime I drove it so I could see what is going on as soon as it dies.

 

[ah.b.normal]

I really appreciate all of the help. I’m learning with every step of Goblin build and ownership..
I’ve been going through every plug and ground around the back of the Goblin a few times. Trying to be systematic and check to see if the problem is worse or better frequently. This morning I did the same check of the back and then started on the front, double checking battery connections and ground. No check.
then I looked at the power steering control module…. Unplugged the top grey plug, looked fine, plugged it back in. Then just wiggled the other two plugs to make sure they were press all the way in.
Check start and it started without hesitation. Everything stay solid and ran fine.

This is great, but I don’t feel like I’ve fixed anything… I tried to wiggle the plugs while the car was running to see if there was any effect. Nothing.
So the question is; what would you do from here? DO I just run with it and if it happens again see if that plug fixes it? Do i pull the plug completely and see if the problem occurs narrowing down to that plug?

Sadly you're just going to have to run it and watch to see if it happens again....... I had left the ABS computer off my car. It would run for 5-6 seconds and die. I was using the remote start switch. When I finally noticed the ABS cable was dangling loose in the front compartment. Looking closer I saw it's connector has the brn/tan HS LAN wire pair! I plugged the ABS computer in and the car would run; but still no key start....... As I mentioned, my no key start is effectively bypassed with my bump switch and will stay that way until I fry all the bigger fish!(finishing coolant system, building rear brake system, then bleeding brakes and clutch)