6th Gen ('00-'05): Startup problem, throwing curveballs
Thread Starter
Joined: Sep 2015
Posts: 140
Startup problem, throwing curveballs
Last night I finally went ahead and converted all of the gauge lights to LEDs. They look great and all went well there. Today, with all of the extra bulbs I had I took out the hvac and started to work on that.
Two problems here - the left side climate control bulb will not work no matter which way I set the LED, but the right one works.
Problem 2 - my car won't start. I put the hvac back in its place. I turn the ignition, I get an electrical sounding crank, then I see a series of icons - first the battery warning, then the check engine light clicks a few times. After those two go away, the radio turns on. I don't know if it's the battery or something else.
Two problems here - the left side climate control bulb will not work no matter which way I set the LED, but the right one works.
Problem 2 - my car won't start. I put the hvac back in its place. I turn the ignition, I get an electrical sounding crank, then I see a series of icons - first the battery warning, then the check engine light clicks a few times. After those two go away, the radio turns on. I don't know if it's the battery or something else.
Last edited by Onion39; May 7, 2016 at 03:55 PM.
Monte Of The Month -- January 2016
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 2,293
From: Pacific NW
Hey Onion.
First , are you sure the new climate control LED bulb is good? Have you tried swapping with a known good one. Otherwise, probably a bad wire or connection.
As for the starting, probably the battery. Did you have doors open and the battery still connected while working on the HVAC and bulbs? If the battery was already weak it probably drained it.
First , are you sure the new climate control LED bulb is good? Have you tried swapping with a known good one. Otherwise, probably a bad wire or connection.
As for the starting, probably the battery. Did you have doors open and the battery still connected while working on the HVAC and bulbs? If the battery was already weak it probably drained it.
Thread Starter
Joined: Sep 2015
Posts: 140
Hey Onion.
First , are you sure the new climate control LED bulb is good? Have you tried swapping with a known good one. Otherwise, probably a bad wire or connection.
As for the starting, probably the battery. Did you have doors open and the battery still connected while working on the HVAC and bulbs? If the battery was already weak it probably drained it.
First , are you sure the new climate control LED bulb is good? Have you tried swapping with a known good one. Otherwise, probably a bad wire or connection.
As for the starting, probably the battery. Did you have doors open and the battery still connected while working on the HVAC and bulbs? If the battery was already weak it probably drained it.
Thread Starter
Joined: Sep 2015
Posts: 140
Update -- I got home and tried jump starting the car. Nothing. I then tried charging the battery: the charger said the battery was fully charged. Bought a new battery and put it in. Same thing, no crank, no sounds, no clicks, just a check engine light when I turn the key.
>Good Luck<
Update -- I got home and tried jump starting the car. Nothing. I then tried charging the battery: the charger said the battery was fully charged. Bought a new battery and put it in. Same thing, no crank, no sounds, no clicks, just a check engine light when I turn the key.
Well that just sucks
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Monte Of The Month -- January 2016
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 2,293
From: Pacific NW
OK, so now you know you have voltage. If the battery ran down it should have tripped the Battery Run Down Protection Relay located in the fuse panel on the right side of the dash. It's possible that relay is bad, allowing the run down,
The next thing I advise you try that won't cost anything but your time is the Security Relearn Procedure. Here's the procedure as written by Jason, "the_Maniac" in a previous thread:
Below are the exact steps for a security relearn from the GM shop book itself. On step 3, from my experience with this relearn, it should take 10-15 minutes (if you wait beyond 15 and the security notice has not stopped you are either doing something wrong or it's not working for this problem).
If you follow those steps below and it's not working, you are going to need a scan tool (and a GM TechII may be the only one for this) that can access the security system in the car and determine what is wrong. Potentially, you might have a PassLock chip that has failed and needs replaced.
1. Turn ON the ignition, with the engine OFF.
2. Attempt to start the engine, then release the key to ON (vehicle will not start).
3. Observe the SECURITY telltale, after approximately 10 minutes the telltale will turn OFF.
4.Turn OFF the ignition, and wait 5 seconds.
Repeat steps 1 through 4 two more times for a total of 3 cycles/30 minutes (the vehicle is now ready to relearn the Passlock™ Sensor Data Code and/or passwords on the next ignition switch transition from OFF to CRANK).
Important: The vehicle learns the Passlock™ Sensor Data Code and/or password on the next ignition switch transition from OFF to CRANK. You must turn the ignition OFF before attempting to start the vehicle.
Start the engine (the vehicle has now learned the Passlock™ Sensor Data Code and/or password).
With a scan tool, clear any DTCs if needed (history DTCs will self clear after 100 ignition cycles).
Hope that works, let us know. If it doesn't, you may have a bad ignition switch, lock cylinder (chip embedded), or starter.
The next thing I advise you try that won't cost anything but your time is the Security Relearn Procedure. Here's the procedure as written by Jason, "the_Maniac" in a previous thread:
Below are the exact steps for a security relearn from the GM shop book itself. On step 3, from my experience with this relearn, it should take 10-15 minutes (if you wait beyond 15 and the security notice has not stopped you are either doing something wrong or it's not working for this problem).
If you follow those steps below and it's not working, you are going to need a scan tool (and a GM TechII may be the only one for this) that can access the security system in the car and determine what is wrong. Potentially, you might have a PassLock chip that has failed and needs replaced.
1. Turn ON the ignition, with the engine OFF.
2. Attempt to start the engine, then release the key to ON (vehicle will not start).
3. Observe the SECURITY telltale, after approximately 10 minutes the telltale will turn OFF.
4.Turn OFF the ignition, and wait 5 seconds.
Repeat steps 1 through 4 two more times for a total of 3 cycles/30 minutes (the vehicle is now ready to relearn the Passlock™ Sensor Data Code and/or passwords on the next ignition switch transition from OFF to CRANK).
Important: The vehicle learns the Passlock™ Sensor Data Code and/or password on the next ignition switch transition from OFF to CRANK. You must turn the ignition OFF before attempting to start the vehicle.
Start the engine (the vehicle has now learned the Passlock™ Sensor Data Code and/or password).
With a scan tool, clear any DTCs if needed (history DTCs will self clear after 100 ignition cycles).
Hope that works, let us know. If it doesn't, you may have a bad ignition switch, lock cylinder (chip embedded), or starter.
Thread Starter
Joined: Sep 2015
Posts: 140
Just figured I'd come back and give an update on what happened...
I had two strange battery terminals that were quite loose and definitely weren't stock or normal battery terminals. I bought two new ones and the new battery worked, simple fix.
I had two strange battery terminals that were quite loose and definitely weren't stock or normal battery terminals. I bought two new ones and the new battery worked, simple fix.
