Another BCM/ECU question

[2O4TS]

!2.3 volts could be a little low, have you tried another battery?

The young fella here got a brand new battery for his VT yesterday morning. 550 CCA as is mine. Cranks like a champion. Checked the voltage on that, 12.7. Can understand mine being down a touch not being started for near on three weeks now but at the least you'd think I'd get the flat battery click with 12.3. Might still try that though 'cos I'm at the point where almost anything's worth a shot. As I posted earlier my roof light does seem abnormally dull so who knows.

Interestingly, I removed the starter relay from the other VT and swapped it for mine for testing and after we pulled it out and attempted to crank the other VT the sounds from the engine (which I'm assuming are coming from the injectors primarily) were identical. It seemed very similar overall except that he has lights. My indicator relay clicks once when I flick on the indicators or hazards but that's it. No flashing at all. I have to re-wire the lights in the boot anyway as the WH uses different plugs so perhaps there's the possibility that because I only have one indicator connected the resistance is too low for the flasher relay to work properly? Due to the strange issue I have with the lack of length in the wiring for the thermo fan I'm yet to wire the passengers headlight and indicator as well but I would expect the drivers headlight to still work, ditto with the indicator unless the resistance is just too low. The WH also has a single plug for the combined lower indicator and fog light assembly so I need to sort which is which there eventually to connect my fog lights but again, very low priority. I think I might head back outside a little later and swap batteries again.

I really prefer it when stuff just works the first time but this is pretty much par for the course for me in so far as if something can go wrong it usually does. Good experience I suppose 'cos I rarely make the same mistake twice. Everything else has been as expected or even a touch easier so by the law of averages some part of this little job was always gonna bite me!

I'm really looking forward to letting you all know what I've stuffed up! :yeah:

 

[2O4TS]

if you can, post a pic of the fusebox so we can identify it better
do you have access to a multimeter and a bit of an idea how to use one

Yes and yes. You are referring to the under bonnet relay box, yeah? I don't have any diagrams for either so have just put everything as it was prior in both the under dash and under bonnet except where there was no provision in the hope I could get 'near enough' until I could source the diagrams.

 

[lout]

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I am basically lazy so this is the easiest fusebox id to upload
the starter relay wiring can be easily tested remove the relay
place multimeter on dc volts, put neg lead on neg battery post probe terminals from where relay was
with a helper holding the key in the crank position 2 of the terminals in the fusebox should be live and 2 should be negative

 

[2O4TS]

Champion. May not get on to it tonight now but I certainly will tomorrow. At a glance looks like the '98/'99 but I'll check when it's light. Definitely not 2000. I'll let you know what I discover. Thanks again. Huge help.

 

[oska]

why did you replace the wiring ?

the BCM is a straight swap then get it linked

if you wanted to add some of the extra features that's fairly simple having to rewire the loom

i don't get it, another frankenstein in the making ???

 

[2O4TS]

why did you replace the wiring ?

the BCM is a straight swap then get it linked

if you wanted to add some of the extra features that's fairly simple having to rewire the loom

i don't get it, another frankenstein in the making ???

Um, no. The BCM is not a straight swap. I actually followed advice on here which proved to be incorrect. If I could just straight swap the BCMs that's what I would've done. There's not even the same amount of plugs and they're different! Somewhere I have on my old computer photos comparing the two. There's 30% more electronics in the High as compared to the mid and if you'd ever pulled one apart as I have then you'd see the difference. The vast majority, as I posted earlier, is plug and play with the replacement loom. Sure, I could've stuffed around cutting and soldering a hundred wires for clocks, Climate, interior lighting, variable speed wipers, power steering, courtesy lights, blah, blah, blah but it seemed and was a hell of a lot easier and neater to just swap the looms. I HAD to remove the entire dash anyway to replace the heater core. I HAD to remove all the carpet to replace that anyway. Like I said, it's all proven to be relatively simple up until now. I've owned this car since almost new and know its' history. I don't want a Statesman because I prefer the shorter wheelbase but I do like all the little refinements the all but base model VT didn't have (it's a 9C1). Rather than buying someone else's problems and selling mine after I've already upgraded and repaired a bucket load of stuff on which I'd never get my money back then doing it all again on someone else's thrashed bucket of crap I decided to upgrade mine. Sheesh, if everyone had the attitude you clearly have the Hot Rod industry wouldn't exist, Chuck Barris would've been a grease monkey and Nitro Funny Cars would never have been invented. The performance car industry wouldn't exist and we'd all drive bog stockers and get 'em serviced exclusively by dealers. Fortunately AFAIC, that isn't the case and I dare say the overwhelming majority of posters on here would agree with me 100%. Thanks for your input. :doh:

 

[2O4TS]

Well, no problems with the relays. All good. My relay panel is clearly the 98/99 one as I suspected and I had everything in the right place. Have full power to the relay terminal when someone else turns the key. I can feel and hear the start relay engage even when the key is turned after refitting the relay. Have also found power to other places too. Swapped batteries with the brand new one that cranks the other VT fine, then swapped my battery in to the other VT as well and it cranked that one like a charm. But still, mine won't crank. It seems really strange to me with everything that is testing fine that it still won't crank at all. If the lights dimmed when I turned the key I'd be thinking that the starter solenoid had an untimely demise but they don't dim so I keep crossing that off the mental list. Can't wait for the sparky to get here. I even considered the BCM could be faulty but have doubts 'cos if the start relay engages I suspect that would suggest otherwise. It's gonna get fixed one way or the other so I keep fishing but jeez I wish they'd start biting. Also wish I was better with electronics and reading wiring diagrams 'cos I'm sure I could sort it if that were the case. Of all the issues I expected to occur, this is not it.

 

[lout]

if the start relay "clicks" and you have substituted another relay
the problem must be
wiring from relay to starter motor, starter motor itself or negative strap to motor

 

[2O4TS]

if the start relay "clicks" and you have substituted another relay
the problem must be
wiring from relay to starter motor, starter motor itself or negative strap to motor

Cheers lout. Yeah, that's what I'm down to pretty much. Of those three I lean towards the first two as the neg strap hasn't been touched. It wouldn't be the first time some random basically unrelated fault has stuffed me up along the way so I've certainly considered starter motor for the reason you posted IRT the relay. Unfortunately electricals/electronics aren't my strong point which is one of the reasons why I thought I'd do the full transplant rather than trying to work out what to cut here/solder there as what I knew I would have to do that with (the fog lights and tail lights etc.) I can work out with a test light and earth. I still have issues with other things too like no dash illumination, constant voltage to fog lights/headlights so who knows and I'm still not writing off this BCM having issues but the sparky can determine that tomorrow. Really appreciate all your help. Things were so much simpler when computers weren't involved and I could just trace wiring for faults.

I have to jack the car up to inspect around the starter, no room to squeeze under so that may well be happening tomorrow now but again, appreciate everyone's help with this. As I've said, it WILL be solved so once I know whatever the issue was I'll be sure to post again. Hopfully I'll know by tomorrow night. Cheers.

 

[oska]

Um, no. Thanks for your input. :doh:

the D plug now becomes the E plug all you had to do was match (20 wires) the colour to colour to the plug is the same, it doesn't change, very simple and the climate control is controlled by the control electronics and not the BCM

but hey what do i know