Reinstalled Cluster, car won't crank/start

[Febi Guibo]

Hi, this is prolly something simple, I didn't have time to fully diagnose the issue but am hoping to get a head start before I try to deal with it tomorrow when there's light.

Until tonight (see below) my car runs great, starts, cranks, idles, charges fine; fuel pump is relatively new etc.

Tonight, I started my car, drove around the corner, filled the tank, hit dunkin donuts, and parked to do some little fidgety fix-it work.

I took my instrument cluster out to replace the plexiglass, put it back in, turned the key, and no cranking, no solenoid noises, no power to the starter.

OBC, headlights, other electrical stuff works ...just no power to the starter.

Any ideas??

notes: awhile ago I did a 13 button OBC retrofit, but I did not install or connect the code box.

In the process of dealing with the cluster, it 'tugged' a little bit on the wiring harness that connects the OBC to the cluster.

thanks in advance for anybody's two cents.

[lordofthewaters]

Well you could just pull the ground off the battery and let it sit tonight, and if it were to happen to be the security code, then that'll fix that. Sounds like the little tug on the cabling might have done something though......

[Garageaholic]

Yeah, from what I remember with my OBC, everything will work except starting the car. That could be the problem.....

[lordofthewaters]

I've never needed to do that, but I've been told that it'll work. Maybe your's was just the exception.

[AdamF 88iS]

The OBC security fucntion still allows the starter to crank. It just cuts off the fuel and DME.

As far as cluster, the car will start and run with the cluster removed completly, so I doubt it's something to do directly with that. You must've yanked something else loose.

[EtaSport]

The OBC security fucntion still allows the starter to crank. It just cuts off the fuel and DME.

As far as cluster, the car will start and run with the cluster removed completly, so I doubt it's something to do directly with that. You must've yanked something else loose.

did you check the ignition switch and harness? That is very close to where you were working. Only other thing I can suggest is that I needed to tighten/clean the contacts on my starter for a no start situation once, could just be a freak thing.

[lordofthewaters]

I just had a thought. Probably not this, but something simple, easy and quick. If it won't even turn over, try clamping one of your jumper cable clamps ofto your oil pan drain plug and the other end on a bolt head or other solidly connected piece of metal, the try to turn it over. I had the engine ground go bad on mine not long ago, completely out of the blue. I stopped it to get my mail (I had to shut it off, because it's a lock box and needed my key) got back in and nothing, no turn over or nothing.