Hi Matt,

The photo I included in my first reply showed water dripping on the ignition control unit from the wiper motor's grommet. While that occurred, the OBD did not work, similar to your report. There was water inside the ignition computer, on the circuit board. I assume the microprocessor was not running its code and that is why the OBD did not respond. It did again after carefully drying the circuitry and cable connector.

Since then, I've looked at another car that sometimes is balky after a heavy rain. There's the same witness mark showing the path of dirty water from the grommet, but in this car it veers to the side where the fuel computer is mounted. I'm beginning to imagine this is another 240 vulnerability across the board, and not just an isolated instance.

No-start diagnosis, on the road, is a stressful task, the stress highly dependent on how safely you're off the road. There have been times I've foregone the glove box kit and moved directly to the cell phone to call for a tow.

In safer situations, I suggest first of all, be sure the cranks-but-doesn't-catch symptom isn't the result of a stripped timing belt. It's easy. Look inside the oil cap, memorize the position of one of the cam lobes, bump the starter and look again to be sure it moved.

Next, I want to know if it is missing spark or fuel. If I haven't a clue (like the fuel smell) I can take the spare plug from the kit and connect it to the coil wire, and using the long male spade wire in the kit, crank the car from under the hood. Of course, the key must be on.

If there were no spark, I'd check the OBD for any unexpected reaction from the #6 slot. If the code stored was the "checks good" 111, I'd look at the CPS wire, maybe give it a shake while cranking, watching for spark. Then, I'd use the test light to check for battery voltage at coil terminal 15. Assuming there is, I'd connect the light between 15 and 1 (across the coil primary) and crank again, looking for the flashes indicating the power stage is switching the coil.

Now, if spark does exist and the trouble is fuel, I'd want to first check the power to the engine management systems under load at the FI relay terminal 30. That's the wire from your blade fuse that's famous for being corroded at the fuse holder or battery connection. To check that with a load, I slip the boot back from the AMM and, using the paper clip as a probe, connect the test light to the orange wire terminal to see that power is there with key on. If it is, I know that blade fuse (or 6 in your later cars) wiring is handling its load and that the FI system relay is doing its thing.

Assuming all is looking normal thus far, I'd move to what you already did, I think, and use the jumper to bring power from fuse 6 (unused in your car, but still wired to battery) to fuse 4, which hot-wires the fuel pumps. I'd listen for the pumps -- which can be a challenge on a busy highway -- and then try to start the car with the pumps running. If still stumped, I might try to "test" the fuel ECU by running through the pin-2 OBD output checks, in Mode 3, where you expect to hear the idle valve clacking, and the injectors clicking. When I forget how to put it in Mode 3, I pull out my phone and get the OBD section from the Brickboard's 7/9 FAQ list.

This all sounds simple and easy, but I can assure you, the situation changes when your family is not safely removed from it.



--
Art Benstein near Baltimore

It's all fun and games until your jeans don't fit.