I'm thinking I have an ees issue. I just finished replacing my head after 3 weeks of being off battery power. When I started working on it, I forgot to disconnect the battery before I removed the ecu though.

Would/could this cause the car to forget my key? I can bump start it, but once I turn it off it goes back to the starter not getting anything at all - Zero clicks when I turn the key. Before I started the work I had no issues with starting at all. Very reliable, started every time.

What say you guys?

Sorry for choppiness of writing - posting from phone.

 

Forget to disconnect the battery when you disconnect the ECU is not the best thing to do, but hopefully there is no damage done. Have you since cycle power to the ECU, which I assume you have if you realized what you did before reconnecting the ECU. If not I would try that.

 

Do you just mean plug ecu back in, let sit under power, remove battery again for 15 minutes, then reinstall?

 

Yes. Hopefully the immobilizer module would just need to reboot because it went into the weeds.

 

Yeah. Took the battery out to swap with known good battery. Still wouldn't crank. Took known good battery out and left mine on the battery tender for about an hour. Same symptoms. Then bump started and ran fine.

I guess itd be good to know the symptoms from a bad ews handshake... on my e46, it was just like this where there was just nothing from a bad key. On our old jeep it would start and run for about 3 seconds before killing it.

 

Yeah. Took the battery out to swap with known good battery. Still wouldn't crank. Took known good battery out and left mine on the battery tender for about an hour. Same symptoms. Then bump started and ran fine.

I guess itd be good to know the symptoms from a bad ews handshake... on my e46, it was just like this where there was just nothing from a bad key. On our old jeep it would start and run for about 3 seconds before killing it.

 

Have you checked to see is the starter is getting voltage? Perhaps stupid but you did reconnect the engine ground strap at the passenger side motor mount?

 

As long as you didn't create an arc, you shouldn't have any issues with the ECU.

mQubed Motorsport, Manic Tuning Dealer

 

Triple checked every electrical connection we had - map, o2, injectors, cam sensor, throttle body,temp sensor, ground, and whatever is on top of the radiator. All were fine. Even disconnected them to double check pins.

 

If it is the immobilizer system it cuts voltage to the starter, plugs and fuel. If you can push start it then it is not the EWS. Bad starter or ground. Check to see if you are getting voltage to the starter solenoid when you turn the key.

 

I wasn't able to get the leads onto the starter wires to check voltage due to space. We tested at the battery, though, and there wasn't any drop when turning key to position 2.

Tested both keys and neither works. I know ground is good because the strap actually wore through where it rubbed the... bumper support? So electrical taped the hell out of that as a temp fix and that serves as memory of strap being connected.

Are you positive ews cuts voltage to all? I was able to run my e46 with a bad key...

Edit: stumbled on this thread somehow: https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...rank-over.html

That guy was able to bump start with same symptoms and dealership diagnosed as faulty ews.

 

There is another recent thread here where there were questions on the starter and the guy found he had bad connections at the main engine area post/connection. I would also pull up a schematic on the key circuit. I know a Dodge key circuit has inputs from the transmission and the body control module.

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...e-i-buy-2.html

 

Yep, I posted in that saying to have battery checked. My main terminal was perfect, and at first we tried jumping off of that until I decided the battery was a more reliable spot. Unless something came loose below with pulling it off the airbox/reinstalling?

 

Check this out.

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ement-psa.html

I had same symptoms, turn the key to on and everything came on fine, try to crank and absolutely nothing. I bought a new battery under reccomendation and it made absolutely no difference. Turned out the bare wire that runs from the solenoid to the starter corroded so bad that the voltage running through it popped it like a fuse.

I left home for work, stopped to get some coffee, and when i tried to start the car again it turned over once then did nothing. Bump started fine, and when i hit the solenoid with my multimeter it tested fine. Well that was because my problem was after the solenoid.

I only found this out because i was running out of ideas and decided maybe it was something internal to the starter like bad brushes or something. I saw this when i pulled the starter.

 

Out of curiosity , did you get the click from the relay when you turned the key or no? I hope it's as easy as the starter. $70 and a couple hours and I'm good then.

 

I dont recall hearing a click, look up the mod mini video on changing a starter. Its a pain to get at. And will need some extra tools

 

Already watched it. After just doing the head, a starter is a minor annoyance.

 

I honestly think it would have been easier and faster to drop the exhaust than his way. If i ever have to do that again i will.

 

Verdict - ground strap.... So apparently triple check ground strap.

 

[QUOTE=r53coop;4306242]Have you checked to see is the starter is getting voltage? Perhaps stupid but you did reconnect the engine ground strap at the passenger side motor mount?[/QUOTE]

There was this justice center down in Florida. Got ready to open and they could not get the fire alarm panel to work. Spent big money on testing everything but the chip the controlled the panel. Guess what, it was the chip so they go and and get another chip and put it in. Still cannot get the panel to work. Spend another bunch of money, before realizing that the second chip was no good either. They spend hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars on this issue.

Sometimes the answer is the most simple of things.

 

[QUOTE=r53coop;4306602]Indeed. I know I did a visual inspection but didn't even think that it could be making a bad connection or could be bad. I'm just thankful it's not something big.