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No start, no crank, no lights, but New Battery?

7K views 10 replies 3 participants last post by  HybridKid 
#1 · (Edited)
Ok, I just picked up a 04 SRT4 last week. When I brought it home, I had to push start it cause the original owner said it was sitting for the past 6 months and the battery was dead. I got home and it would barely start so I went out and got a brand new Duralast battery. That was good for about 3 days then shit started happening. First, I'd be driving and my gauges would all die except the fuel gauge, then they would automatically come back on? If I shut the car off, sometimes it wouldn't restart. All I would get would be one "click" and that's it. Then for no reason it would start again?? The red dot (security light I think) would remain solid and the display said "No Bus"? Then it would crank for a long time, then finally kick over. Now it's been sitting in my driveway dead. No dash lights or interior lights whatsoever and the battery tests at almost 13V because it's 3 days old. Go figure?

* The check engine light was on when I bought the car but it was because he put on a straight pipe exhaust with no 02 sensor which threw 2 codes P0032, P0038. The third code P0073 was for "ambient air temp" and that sensor was no hooked up to anything as well. I was expecting a CAI but he put a flat round filter directly on the turbo.
Another thing I just noticed is there isn't any hoses connected to the 3 solenoids yet the car was running a few days ago?

The car has a bunch of goodies on it: Borg Warner Turbo, HKS BOV, Perrin Fuel Rail, Turbonetics Evolution Wastegate, Turbo XS boost controllers, catless side exit single exhaust, and a huge FMIC. I am not sure what Stage pcm it has.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!! Thanks in advance! Heeeeelllpp please!
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#2 ·
Not to beat you up but why buy this car? I hope you didn't pay too much for it........
From your description it sounds like too many possible multiple issues, wiring, security, electrical short burnt the main fuse or fuses.
I would check all the fuses first, inside and in the engine bay. FYI, the little coloured things in the fuse box in the engine bay are fuses.
If you find bad fuses and replace them, DO NOT try starting the car. Turn the ignition to run to see if the cluster works and if the Red Dot comes on, then there is a chime and it goes off. If it doesn't then you have a Security issue and the car won't start and if it does will not run for more than maybe 10 seconds.
Good luck. Hate to say it but it sounds like you have some work to do. You will be learning under fire and it will probably take some time. I hope this was not to be your daily driver.
 
#3 ·
Not to beat you up but why buy this car? I hope you didn't pay too much for it........
From your description it sounds like too many possible multiple issues, wiring, security, electrical short burnt the main fuse or fuses.
I would check all the fuses first, inside and in the engine bay. FYI, the little coloured things in the fuse box in the engine bay are fuses.
If you find bad fuses and replace them, DO NOT try starting the car. Turn the ignition to run to see if the cluster works and if the Red Dot comes on, then there is a chime and it goes off. If it doesn't then you have a Security issue and the car won't start and if it does will not run for more than maybe 10 seconds.
Good luck. Hate to say it but it sounds like you have some work to do. You will be learning under fire and it will probably take some time. I hope this was not to be your daily driver.[/QUOTE


It was my daily until it shit the bed so I bit the bullet and took my Vette out of storage and put it back on the road. I checked all the fuses and they're good. However, I just realized something. The other day when it died I tried to jump it. No lights on the dash were on at all, I put the jumpers on another car then when I hooked it up to the SRT, the lights all came back on and it could start without the jump. Could that be a ground issue? The battery was relocated to the trunk and I checked that ground and it was solid to the body of the car.
 
#4 ·
I would check the ground for the battery. I have mine in the trunk as well but ran another 0 gauge ground wire run to the front and a grounding kit installed for extra measures. :)
Also is the positive for the battery running to the connection on the fuse box in the engine?
 
#5 ·
Just what I thought, a bad ground. It was a faulty battery terminal. Although the screw looked as tight as it would go, the terminal would actually spin around the post. Everytime I hit a hard bump, it would move giving it a shitty connection. Ran out to Autozone and grabbed a brand new set and solved that problem. My new cold air intake, serpentine & alternator belts, upstream & downstream 02 sensors just arrived via UPS. Hopefully, this will solve the pcm codes. Then all I have to do is bring it somewhere for them to make sure all the vacuum lines are hooked up the right way. Thanks for the input, I appreciate it!
 
#7 ·
Ok here we fucking go again. Driving around town running errands and the gauges (speedo and tach) shut off. "No Bus" appears instead of the mileage. Car's still running, everything's fine. I get home thinking it's a loose wire or something and see a clusterfuck of wires dangling from under the dash. I find an aftermarket alarm unit up there. To clean up some of the wiring, I tried to neatly tuck everything back up there and zip tie it off. I run a few more errands and same thing, "No Bus" message, gauges die then turn back on. I go grab a bite to eat and come out, car won't start. Mileage is showing and I turn the key and get one "Click". No start, no cranking, nothing. I think it's a fuse so I check them all, all is good. I made sure all the plugs in the PCM are in secure, they are. I take the starter out thinking it's that and take it to VIP, they bench test it 8x and it starts every single time? I re-install the starter and same thing.....one single "Click". Anyone have any idea what this could be?
 
#8 ·
When I bought the car, the kid only had one key to it. I asked him if there was an alarm or keyless entry remote and he said no.
 
#10 ·
That's what I was afraid of. I took the brain of the alarm down and there's no brand on the black box. Just a wiring schematic on the backside. Going to have to do a lot of disconnecting. I see a lot of wires tied in with electrical tape.....ugh. I hate when people can't wire shit up right.
 
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