No crank, no start

[greenlantern181]

I've had this intermittent problem with no starting and the engine running poor occasionally. When it doesn't start I hear the secondary fuel pump making a lot of noise. It won't start until I get that to stop by shaking some wires from the 3 auxiliary relays. But at this point I can't get it to start at all. I seem to only have power throughout some of the car under this condition. Has anybody experienced a problem like this? Could the main relay cause this?

[Sean]

What you're saying is that by "shaking wires at the aux relay box" the issue is no longer present, correct?

Try a different relay. Pull out an unneeded one (fan relay for example) and pop it in there. I'm PRETTY sure the relays are the same. Make sure the numbers match first!

[jlevie]

A lot of noise from the high pressure pump is a sign of pump failure or a sign of plugged filter or inlet screens. That could be the cause of the non-start condition. A fuel pressure check will tell.

[dark89e30]

So, its not really a 'no crank no start' is it?

[greenlantern181]

It is a no crank, no start. I only seem to have power throughout about half the vehicle and I guess the starter isn't part of that. What does the main relay control?

[JGood]

It is a no crank, no start. I only seem to have power throughout about half the vehicle and I guess the starter isn't part of that. What does the main relay control?

You didn't say the starter wasn't engaging. What else isn't getting power or isn't working properly? Explain step by step what you do to get the car started, with as many details as possible of what's going on.

This sentence doesn't make sense: "It won't start until I get that to stop by shaking some wires from the 3 auxiliary relays. But at this point I can't get it to start at all."

It sounds like when you turn the key to the start position, the fuel pump whines, but the starter doesn't turn the engine. Is the starter spinning but the solenoid not engaging it to the flywheel, or is it just not doing anything? Does your fuel pump continue to whine when you turn the key back to position 2? And wiggling wires near the fuel pump relay causes it to stop whining? But then the car won't start? That's what I gathered from your posts. So how do you get it started? What do you mean by "runs poorly"?

The 3 relays, if I remember correctly, from front to back, are the main relay, fuel pump relay, and 02 sensor relay.

[greenlantern181]

I'm sorry if I haven't been so clear but it is a very confusing problem. I know the car will start after the buzzing noise from the secondary fuel pump goes away. To make that noise go away I need to play around with the wires under the hood. I can't tell you which wires exactly because I have not yet pin pointed the exact location of the problem. When I say the engine runs poorly I mean that is sometimes stumbles and misses with an occasional erratic idle. But it only seems to do this in sequence with the "brake lining" light coming on. Also the brighter that light is, the worse it will run. But it seems to miss in perfect sequence with that light coming on as if I'm losing power somehow.

I could get it started by moving a few things around before. But at this point whatever was loose to begin with has become completely dislodged.

[JGood]

I'm sorry if I haven't been so clear but it is a very confusing problem. I know the car will start after the buzzing noise from the secondary fuel pump goes away. To make that noise go away I need to play around with the wires under the hood. I can't tell you which wires exactly because I have not yet pin pointed the exact location of the problem. When I say the engine runs poorly I mean that is sometimes stumbles and misses with an occasional erratic idle. But it only seems to do this in sequence with the "brake lining" light coming on. Also the brighter that light is, the worse it will run. But it seems to miss in perfect sequence with that light coming on as if I'm losing power somehow.

I could get it started by moving a few things around before. But at this point whatever was loose to begin with has become completely dislodged.

So the car won't start now? Is the starter engaging or not?

Like I said, explain STEP BY STEP what's going on.

From what you've said so far I would check all the connections at the fuel/main relays and the relays themselves, although from what you say the pump is getting power. Just start checking all the wires in the harness in that area for bad connections. If you are moving wires and your symptoms are changing, you have a wiring issue at the very least.

[greenlantern181]

Starter is not engaging. I just found what looks to be a ground under the driver side intake manifold. There are a lot of wires going to it and they end on the block. It was extremely loose so I tightened it and there was no change. But I'm still pursuing that it could possibly be a bad ground.

[dark89e30]

Sounds like you might be in for some cross-short fun! I'd start by chasing the starter circuit. It's probably the most simple.