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2001 T&C No crank, no spark (Fuel Pump?)

519 Views 24 Replies 8 Participants Last post by  Turbo84
So my 2001 T&C (3.3 l) was running spectacularly until two months ago it would start after my sons soccer game. (Btw, I had just filled the gas tank less than 5 miles before). I had it towed home and posed some questions to the group under the thread “PCM Swap - VIN decoding”. I am just now getting around to troubleshooting the van.

The symptoms: I had a no crank, no spark situation. There was a single click at the starter relay. When I jumped pins 87 and 30, it spun just fine, but no spark. I read every forum post I could find and was pretty sure it had to be the TransmissionRange Sensor (TRS). I was finally going to perform the necessary surgery this weekend, but decided first to test all the relays and fuses on more time. Everything checked out except there was a very light ‘spark’ when I was plugging in the fuel pump fuse. I went in the cabin and the van fired right up. I drove it a few miles and everything was great. I turned it off and tried to start it again and same issue. I pulled the two circled fuses, wiggled around the female ends, plugged the fuses back in and voila, she started again. After nearly a dozen driving cycles, the symptoms are somewhat sporadic.

My thoughts: I wonder if it is the fuel pump. The gas gauge has been wholly unreliable for more than a year, so I am now thinking that is the root problem. Would a faulty fuel pump cause the no crank, no spark?

Either way, I need to burn off a metric crap-ton of fuel before dropping the tank! :)

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If in park you jump plus 12 to small terminal on stater solenoid and see if it cranks you will have learned alot

Brisk crank means starter battery and battery cables are good and problem with circuit that controls starter (wires, key switch, range selector ect )

No crank with 12 volts jumped to small terminal means starter or battery or battery cables have an issue or engine is mechanically locked
Any possibility you have a bad crank sensor? If the ECU does not receive a signal, it will shut down ignition and fuel...

That seems more likely to me given the sudden-ness of the issue.
I see no corrosion under the IPM at all. But the pictured fuses are encased and not accessible.

re: the possibility that it is the crank sensor…wouldn’t that trip a code?
Motor vehicle Electrician Hood Automotive tire Automotive exterior
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Ok, I took the IPM apart and scuffed up every fuse and connection. I reassembled and still have the same symptoms. I even did the same with a spare IPM and swapped it out. Same symptoms.

I do have a strong crank jumping the starter solenoid.

I can still get an occasional start by pulling and reinserting the two 25 amp fuses for the fuel pump and/or EATX Batt. But I can not find any pattern. It seems totally random.

I guess my next step will be to pull all of the transmission sensors to clean and inspect. Will report back, but I am open to other suggestions. Thanks for the responses so far.
Unfortunate to say, I believe that black cover needs to come off, so you can visually see or inspect the contents for corrosion. I would normally take photos of every step I take when removing connections for safe reassembly.
Thank you. I did completely disassemble and clean everything. No sign of corrosion and I even tried to do the same with a spare IPM. Every connector (make and female) was scuffed and cleaned. Once installed, I had the same symptoms with both IPM’s.

I do have the day to myself (no kids) and am troubleshooting it. I did, in fact, eventually burn out the fuse for the fuel pump, so I think that is a clue at least. It led me to pull off the cowel and plenum to check the injector harness, but I replaced it just a few years ago and used a metric crap ton of asbestos and heat resistant tape to protect it from the heat. That is where I am at right now….still inspecting that harness. But everything looks good in the typical problem areas so far.

Also, I did put a multimeter on all the fuses and everything checked out (once I replaced the burned out fuse for the fuel pump).

I will report back. Still open to suggestions about the blown fuse. I must have pulled and replaced it four dozen times trying to find some pattern for when it would start and when it wouldn’t. I never identifies a pattern. :(
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I took the fuel pump connector off and cleaned both ends. Did not help inititially, but I am currently in a cycle of starts right now. I suspect that by morning, I will be back to a no crank, no spark condition.


Here is a video which I made which may or may not contain a clue. Does the fuel pump hold a charge and then discharge? Or do I have a parasitic draw somewhere?

Parasitic draw?

btw, the key was in the run position.

Also attached is a picture with the handwritten readings I took at each relay terminal with the key in the run position. I am not very good with electric and it befuddles me why there is power at different terminals for each relay. I would think that the relays would all work the same way. Maybe these readings provide a clue or a red flag for someone with more expertise than myself?

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Thank you all. I wirebrushed under the carpet and the battery tray (both were pretty clean already). In doing so, I found what may be a few more clues:

1. When I disconnected the vacuum line from the battery tray, it was definitely still holding a vacuum. When disconnected, it made the suction release noise. I do not know if that is how it is supposed to be. But probably.

2.When I am in a cycle of no crank, no spark, the “key dance” absolutely will not work. When it is in a cycle of operation, the key dance works fine and I get the disconnected battery code (p1684)…and only that code. If the ignition coil is bad, it should throw a code, right? Anyway, I just replaced the coil not that long ago.

3. When I was disconnecting the battery to get under the tray to clean the ground, my negative connection slipped and touched the negative battery post. The IPM began rapid clicking. I felt the relays and it was the EATX relay clicking. Is this a clue?

EATX rapid clicking

In another thread a few months ago, someone suggested I might look at the Transmission Range Sensor. I am thinking I will change out the fuel pump and if that doesn’t do it, the TRS might be next up to investigate.

thanks for your ongoing support.
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