97 SSEi Stalled won't restart
#1
DINOSAURUS BOOSTUS
Expert Gearhead
Thread Starter
97 SSEi Stalled won't restart
Posting this up in mechanical for everyone to learn from.
I was leaving the post office on my way to drop off a supercharger at UPS for Pinky (of all the luck), took a turn, blipped the throttle. Felt the nice pull and then it stopped pulling. A quick check of the gauges told me the car stalled. Popped it into N and tried to start it. No go, coasted to the side of the road and called AAA for a tow. That brings us to this thread.
http://www.bonnevilleclub.com/forum/...ic.php?t=86369
It'* got fuel at the rail (never confuse this with the injectors working). I assume at this point, since I'm on the side of the road with no tools that I have no spark. Fast forward to being home and starting the diagnosis.
I've got spark!
Got fuel at the rail
Security light is happy and it'* cranking over fine....no rpm showing on the tach when I crank it. Hmmmmm, this means SSEi cluster in my year doesn't show rpm until it'* running.
No start. I had about 25minutes on the car since updating my pcm. Hmmm
Now..I'll tell you up front I took the wrong diagnostic steps. Because I figure it'* not something simple.
Changed the crank sensor.. no start. (Free by the way)
Changed the ICM ... no start ((Also sitting in a parts case)
Changed the PCM... no start...
At this point..I'm saying W T FFFFFFFF
Now..I have a light bulb in an injector wire and I'm getting no injectors. That'* why it'* not starting.
Realizing I'm leaving out the simple things, I start at power for the injectors. Got it at the passenger side fuse block for the injectors. No power at the injectors, this is odd. Unplug all the injectors in case one is pulling down the power. No luck. Test at the firewall connector pin H7 for power, no luck? That'* the pin for the injectors???
Strip a little coating off the H7 wire and put the connector back together. Using a jumper, I power the wire from H7 and it starts right up.
Ready for the explanation?
The fuse is at the bottom of the passenger side fuse block as pictured below. From there a wire runs up behind it to the firewall. Somewhere from that fuse to the firewall that wire has a break in it.
There'* no history of an accident on this side of the car. There no water in the car. There'* nothing that can get up behing the dash to do anything to that wire. And most important..there'* absolutely no reason why this wire would break at the moment it did.
Pure dumb luck. Meanwhile...some of our resident non-gearheads were trying to assist me with ideas in a thread of their own. Some of the guesses are good..and others are quite far out past the center field wall. :P
http://www.bonnevilleclub.com/forum/...ic.php?t=86374
Oh yeah..I checked for spark and fuel as soon as I could.
PCM.. yep.. checked that
Crank/cam..yep..checked those.
One broken wire in a location that is not possible to get at w/o pulling the dash. Tomorrow..I'll pull the dash, fix this wire and move on with life.
I was leaving the post office on my way to drop off a supercharger at UPS for Pinky (of all the luck), took a turn, blipped the throttle. Felt the nice pull and then it stopped pulling. A quick check of the gauges told me the car stalled. Popped it into N and tried to start it. No go, coasted to the side of the road and called AAA for a tow. That brings us to this thread.
http://www.bonnevilleclub.com/forum/...ic.php?t=86369
It'* got fuel at the rail (never confuse this with the injectors working). I assume at this point, since I'm on the side of the road with no tools that I have no spark. Fast forward to being home and starting the diagnosis.
I've got spark!
Got fuel at the rail
Security light is happy and it'* cranking over fine....no rpm showing on the tach when I crank it. Hmmmmm, this means SSEi cluster in my year doesn't show rpm until it'* running.
No start. I had about 25minutes on the car since updating my pcm. Hmmm
Now..I'll tell you up front I took the wrong diagnostic steps. Because I figure it'* not something simple.
Changed the crank sensor.. no start. (Free by the way)
Changed the ICM ... no start ((Also sitting in a parts case)
Changed the PCM... no start...
At this point..I'm saying W T FFFFFFFF
Now..I have a light bulb in an injector wire and I'm getting no injectors. That'* why it'* not starting.
Realizing I'm leaving out the simple things, I start at power for the injectors. Got it at the passenger side fuse block for the injectors. No power at the injectors, this is odd. Unplug all the injectors in case one is pulling down the power. No luck. Test at the firewall connector pin H7 for power, no luck? That'* the pin for the injectors???
Strip a little coating off the H7 wire and put the connector back together. Using a jumper, I power the wire from H7 and it starts right up.
Ready for the explanation?
The fuse is at the bottom of the passenger side fuse block as pictured below. From there a wire runs up behind it to the firewall. Somewhere from that fuse to the firewall that wire has a break in it.
There'* no history of an accident on this side of the car. There no water in the car. There'* nothing that can get up behing the dash to do anything to that wire. And most important..there'* absolutely no reason why this wire would break at the moment it did.
Pure dumb luck. Meanwhile...some of our resident non-gearheads were trying to assist me with ideas in a thread of their own. Some of the guesses are good..and others are quite far out past the center field wall. :P
http://www.bonnevilleclub.com/forum/...ic.php?t=86374
Oh yeah..I checked for spark and fuel as soon as I could.
PCM.. yep.. checked that
Crank/cam..yep..checked those.
One broken wire in a location that is not possible to get at w/o pulling the dash. Tomorrow..I'll pull the dash, fix this wire and move on with life.
#4
DINOSAURUS BOOSTUS
Expert Gearhead
Thread Starter
The way to get this diagnosed and figured out is to accept the challenge life has given me.
Life is full of challenges and to overcome them..all we have to do is lean on people here for ideas. I thought back to many of the things the gearheads and members here have suggested for similar cases. After a big of shotgunning parts, which usually results in new parts on the car and no change in the situation... I diagnosed it and found the issue quick.
Life is full of challenges and to overcome them..all we have to do is lean on people here for ideas. I thought back to many of the things the gearheads and members here have suggested for similar cases. After a big of shotgunning parts, which usually results in new parts on the car and no change in the situation... I diagnosed it and found the issue quick.
#5
Senior Member
Certified GM nut
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: plattsburgh NY
Posts: 2,037
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Thats just god saying dont tune me, i am fast enough....
The last thing i need is a LSD, smaller pulley and a tune.
But on a serious note, i am glad it is something simple Bill. Once you fix that single wire things will be good again. Just next time you call dont start it by.... "Oh good atleast someone answered there phone, i am just sitting here on the side of the road waiting for a tow truck".
The last thing i need is a LSD, smaller pulley and a tune.
But on a serious note, i am glad it is something simple Bill. Once you fix that single wire things will be good again. Just next time you call dont start it by.... "Oh good atleast someone answered there phone, i am just sitting here on the side of the road waiting for a tow truck".
#10
DINOSAURUS BOOSTUS
Expert Gearhead
Thread Starter
I should probably mention the dash is held in with about 8 bolts/nuts. Once you remove the console, it should be more accessible.
The plan is to pull the dash only as far as the seats. Reach over...repair the wire and put it all back.
The plan is to pull the dash only as far as the seats. Reach over...repair the wire and put it all back.