Hi again.

BoxVolvo is logical stepping through the areas of problems in an order of probability and it makes sense too. I think he may have been there and done that.
The FLAKY CPS idea is a good possibility.

I was wondering if you have been visiting with the pictures and the words from Art's posts.
In particular the one posted by Art Benstein on Tue Nov 29 20:34 CST 2016.

His approach is two fold.

I would do the second picture first since you are familiar with working out there with the PS.
He is wanting to read a wire looking for a signal from the ICU that the CPS triggers with the cars systems.
He uses the LED test light not an incandescent on a wire for a reason.
You can get them a Walmart and are rather inexpensive. Less than $10 if I remember correctly.
It is also a high impedance instrument. Meaning, It does not load the signal circuit and draw too much current from the electronics involved as I mentioned above.
Study the wires he is talking about and remember he is saying, a term of "back probing" the connector when he says "loose or not."
These are a fast a dirty instruments, like a gun fighter uses "because" it gets the job done.
A good gun fighter will use any gun available, even if it's not his favorite. Tom Seleck stated that in "Quigley Down Under." A point made well in the movie.


Study this one well!
The FIRST picture is Manual testing the Power Stage by using a incandescent test light to make a signal as if it were coming from the ICU to that Power Stage. It is an operational test and you are powering things up.
This can be dangerous but Art has his stuff together in one holster or in electronics a black box.(:-)

You have stated using one of these that maybe you made yourself. Notice his bulb size as in this case size might matter for a current limiter.
Its just a word of caution from someone who may not know as much as he should and IS a real work in progress. (:-)

He is very clear that he does not want full current from the battery going into the Power Stage or feeding back down ANY WIRE! As this can burn things up elsewhere. He is specifically pointing out that the gray wire of pin 5 and it going towards the ICU not just coming from it. It's suppose to be a one way street only!

Just make sure you either "undo" the connector from the ICU that's in the car, on the firewall up high or remove the gray wire from the Power Stage connector in the test.
There is one advantage to doing this, as it can brighten the pins on the ICU if there is a connection problem from corrosion from a water leak in the past. Something to think about with all used cars let alone those that don't start.

Also learning how to remove terminal from a connector is valuable experience. Corrosion can run deep in tiny places.
You will need a narrow thin blade of something like, a precision flat screwdriver, to push down a click tab that sticks up on the terminal. The tab grabs a molded notch on the inside of the connector. One has to look, with a bright light, to locate a path to the tab to insert the blade into.
Upon putting it back, you carefully and gently bend it back up. Insert it until it clicks or cannot not pull back out. This is real handy on the infamous AMM connector.

Remember, I said you will gain skills sets working on your own car with the Brickboard.
Hang out here, like a tab on a terminal, you'll catch onto something yet!

Phil