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No crank, no start, no communication

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Old Jan 17, 2017 | 01:36 PM
  #11  
malibuhhr's Avatar
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From: Montreal
I have been fighting this issue for 8 months (2007 HHR 2.2 liter 5 speed) and did all the above suggestions (plus a few more like the clutch pedal position sensor) and none of them addressed the real issue, which was a bad relay in the underhood fuse box. Remove the cover of that box and swap out relay #34 CRNK. Use any other 4-pin relay that fits without killing power to something essential like the fuel pump. Take the one for the rad fan. Does it start and run? Go get a new $20 relay. If it doesnt work theres another one called CRNK RUN", try that one. BTW relays are the big, square plastic objects in the fuse box. Leave the fuses alone.

The issue cost me hundreds for a new battery, new starter, labor, etc etc. Dealer did the ignition switch recall, this is NOT the issue. They even replaced it a second time at their expense because the TSB said the new ign cyl was causing a no crank-no click-no start problem, it was NOT in my case.

I got stranded in the middle of nowhere last week, not fun. Nothing I could find on this forum or elsewhere on the web hinted at burnt relays or suggested swapping them around and nobody else seems to have resolved this issue with a new relay. I have attached pics of the relay position 34 and the inside of the burnt one (you can see the burned points). Hope this helps!

BTW a lot of people believe the issue was solved by installing a new battery, starter, checking cables, etc. In fact what I had was an INTERMITTENT no crank no click no start issue, which tends to go away when you change something, practically ANYTHING that affects the current draw and the flow of voltage through the relays. Over time the points inside the relay develop carbon build up which affects its performance and eventually causes arcing and burning. The no-start no crank no click issue comes up intermittently, depending on a number of variables (temperature, humidity, weather, battery's state of charge, what color underwear you put on this morning, etc). It is totally unpredictable AND it goes away each time you spend $$$ on new parts that affect the vehicle's CAN bus in any way. My mechanic said you can't file down the points inside the relay but I suspect you COULD scratch between them with something sharp and pointy and this would work until you can get new parts. The points in a relay are like the old-school points inside a distributor. File them or clean them up and it may get you home.
Attached Thumbnails No crank, no start, no communication-20170117_124611.jpg   No crank, no start, no communication-20170117_132012.jpg  

Last edited by Oldblue; Jan 17, 2017 at 02:11 PM. Reason: House keeping
Old Jan 17, 2017 | 02:39 PM
  #12  
malibuhhr's Avatar
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I'm re-attaching the same pic with the burnt relay points circled and the fuse box pic turned around the right way (sorry about that)
Attached Thumbnails No crank, no start, no communication-burnt-points.jpg   No crank, no start, no communication-underhood-fuse-box.jpg  
Old Jan 17, 2017 | 02:50 PM
  #13  
malibuhhr's Avatar
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magnified shots of relay #34 CRNK burned points:
Attached Thumbnails No crank, no start, no communication-20170117_154201.jpg   No crank, no start, no communication-20170117_154705.jpg  
Old Jan 17, 2017 | 02:59 PM
  #14  
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yep, I would have thought of relays eventually!

Could very well be the solution.
Old Jan 17, 2017 | 06:00 PM
  #15  
whopper's Avatar
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Good find!!! Awesome find in fact. And great pics to go with it.
Old Jan 18, 2017 | 11:49 AM
  #16  
islaconmigo's Avatar
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Joined: 01-16-2017
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From: Dominivan Republic
Originally Posted by malibuhhr
Remove the cover of that box and swap out relay #34 CRNK. Use any other 4-pin relay that fits without killing power to something essential like the fuel pump. Take the one for the rad fan. Does it start and run? Go get a new $20 relay. If it doesnt work theres another one called CRNK RUN", try that one.
I replaced relay #34 CRNK and #51 RUN/CRNK by another, but this doesn't solve the problem.
When I turn the key in the position ON, only relay #51 and two relays of BCM have power, another relay - no.
When I turn the key in the position START, power no comes to other relays, include #34.
Old Jan 18, 2017 | 12:19 PM
  #17  
donbrew's Avatar
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Then is must be the neutral switch or the ground related to it.

Or the recalled ignition switch.

the red and purple wires go to the starter,starter solenoid and charging system.
Attached Thumbnails No crank, no start, no communication-start.png  

Last edited by donbrew; Jan 18, 2017 at 12:54 PM.
Old Jan 18, 2017 | 12:48 PM
  #18  
RJ_RS_SS_350's Avatar
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Is the shifter in Park or Neutral? Have you tried starting it in Neutral?
Old Jan 18, 2017 | 02:00 PM
  #19  
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From: Dominivan Republic
Originally Posted by RJ_RS_SS_350
Is the shifter in Park or Neutral? Have you tried starting it in Neutral?
I tried starting in N and P

Originally Posted by donbrew
Then is must be the neutral switch or the ground related to it.

Or the recalled ignition switch.

the red and purple wires go to the starter,starter solenoid and charging system.
But I have some another diagram, what is right?
Attached Thumbnails No crank, no start, no communication-start_circuit2.jpg  
Old Jan 18, 2017 | 02:44 PM
  #20  
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Same diagram only yours is more complete



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