Help! Dead Van! Electrical??

[GNXdreamin]

1996 Town and Country. 3.8 ok. So this is what happened. I'm driving along, speedometer drops to zero, van stops running, oil light comes on, and there's this repetive chime going off. I coast to a stop, put it in park, and try to start. Nothing. No noise, no click, nothing. Battery is new. Alternator tests fine. I turned the key to on position, connected a jumper cable from positive post on battery, and other end to starter mag wire. Cranks great, but won't fire. No engine lights are on. The weird thing is, if you turn the key to on position, and sit for about 30 seconds, the 'alarm set' light comes on, and stays on until you turn key off. I've never noticed that before. Also, when you arm the alarm, the light is supposed to blink. Now, it will arm, but the light stays on, no blinking. Is this related? Is the security system disabling my starting system? or am i way off here? i'm at a loss. I checked every fuse, every relay, disconnected the battery, everything. The weird part is, there's no check engine light. I'm stumped. and i need this van!! Any ideas??

[xcaravanx]

I do belive your alarm is the problem. I assume you`ve already tried the old disconnecting the battery, waiting 10 minutes, and reconnecting.

[GNXdreamin]

yes, i did that. No luck there.

[RIP]

Turn the key to start and smack the dash over the instrument panel. If it comes to life you probably have the all too common cracked solder joints on instrument cluster circuit board. All too common especially on 3rd generation vans (96-00). This has to due with the data bus wiring that goes through the cluster.

[GNXdreamin]

yeah, did that too. No luck.

[Alphabravo]

The check engine light not coming on seems key to me. When the ignition is in Key On Engine Off the check engine light should be on. Could it be you PCM that fried or some loose connection in relation to it?

[Airjer_]

Or maybe the ignition switch?

[GNXdreamin]

well, when you first turn the ignition switch on, the check engine light comes on briefly, then goes out. the oil light stays on. The wierd thing is, i've got no codes right now. I was hoping to maybe have a code in relation to whatever is causing the problem, to maybe steer me in the right direction. But i don't. I don't have any codes, and i should at least have a code 12, which is battery disconnect within last 50 key cycles, because it sat overnight with battery disconneced. I don't even have that code. Another weird thing is, if you disconnect/reconnect battery, then open door, the illumination ring around ignition lock cylinder works. After you turn ignition on, then off, it quits working altogether, no matter what you do, unless you disconnect/reconnect battery again. I've had probelems in the past with this van shutting down on my while driving down the road, but i'd just pull over, put it in park, and start it back up. This is the first time it's had this chime going off after it died. And it's never had the alarm set light come on when the key was in the on position for 30 seconds, like it's doing now. I'm convinced it's got something to do with the security system, but i can't find anyway to bypass it, or anything. I can't even locate a fuse or relay for the security system. I'm just at a complete loss here. I'm ready to just put a for sale sign on it.

[Alphabravo]

How are you pulling your codes? If I'm not mistaken, it has an OBD II system and I don't think you can pull codes with the "key dance" on OBD II. If I'm wrong somebody please say so. I think the code 12 you were looking for is on OBD I systems.

You should be able to get a loaner OBD II reader from Advance Auto or Auto Zone.

Good luck.

[GNXdreamin]

well, i've gotten cel codes from the 'key dance' from which you are referring in the past. Just last week, in fact, i cycled on/off 3 times, and got a series of flashes: 1-2-5-5. 12 meaning battery disconnect within last 50 ignition cycles, and 55 meaning end of codes. But now, i cycle on/off 3 times, and i don't get anything at all. That's odd. Then i do another test, the one where you hold the trip and reset buttons on the dash, then turn ignition to on position, hold for 5 seconds. First, it says code 940. Then it says code 999. Then it goes through all the tests. Someone told me that the code 999 is normal. the code 940 means it's not getting a signal from some bus thingie? i haven't got a clue what they're talking about. i guess i'll check all my grounds. I've ruled out the solder connections on the back of the instrument cluster. I pulled it out, and they look fine. It's definetely something electrical, i just don't know how to go about pinpointing it. is it a pcm? or bcm? bad ground? ignition switch? i need help here.

[RIP]

Code 940-No CCD BUS Messages From Powertrain Control Module (PCM) This is saying the cluster isn't receiving needed info from the engine's brain. The cluster gets this info through the cluster connector you inspected. General practice is to retouch each solder joint securing the connector to the circuit board regardless of visible cracks. Some cracks can be tiny and tough to see with the naked eye. Might concider revisiting the connector. While there give each wire in the connector a small tug to make sure they aren't frayed inside the connector. If the PCM doesn't see required info, it won't supply the ground to the starter relay coil. You won't hear a click.

You can test the ignition switch by removing the starter relay from the PDC (underhood fuse box) and watching for 12vdc at contact #86 on the panel using a multimeter. I would slowly cycle the key to start 30 times. If you see it all 30 times then I would call the ign switch good.

[GNXdreamin]

Okay, thanks. I will check that out again.....errrrgggg.....I don't have a soldering gun or solder, so i'll have to go get some. Good thing they're cheap. I was eyeballing a cordless one at home depot for only $20. Made by ColdHeat. uses 4 AA batteries, and gets up to 500 degrees in less than a second. Anybody ever tried those? Will that work fine for this particular application?

[Airjer_]

You'll need to remove the circuit board from the cluster and inspect the backside of the pins for the connector.

This one happened to have a bad ground joint. If you look closely at the joint you can see the crack. A quick resolder and it was working again.

[GNXdreamin]

So i was trying to pop off the red plastic plug connecter thingie on the curcuit board, and i crushed a little diode or capacitor or resister or something accidentally. The only problem is, there's not enough of it left in the circuit board to identify what the hell it is so i can get a replacement to solder in. Whatever it is, it's in the spot labeled C2 right above the red plastic connecter. Does anybody know what goes in there?? FYI, junkyard wants $40.00 for another cluster, which might need resoldered for all i know. any help would be great. Note to self: leave the red plastic connecter the hell alone!!! lol.

[GNXdreamin]

well, the component that i broke happened to have just enough still connected to the board that i was able to identify it as a resistor. But i just don't know what kind to get. I don't have any way to test the resistors.