Hi guys,

Quick introduction: I've had my crossfire for a year now. No problems until this weekend just gone!

Was driving and the engine just randomly cut out - all lights were showing. Afterwards trying for 10mins the first time it turned on.

Then it happened again in the middle of a roundabout!

I have read about the RCM... but before I dive into that area, the engine wont even crank now... there is just no noise. I don't know if the battery is flat, due to trying to start it up so many times, but I after the mechanic towed it away he said it was the starter motor.

Now, I know where the RCM is to look at the soldering joins for that part, but I don't know where to find or how to access the start motor. My private part-time mechanic has it at the moment, but was wondering if someone could help and guide me through how to gain access to the start motor.

Your quick guide will really be appreciated on how to access it, pictures would be a massive help... but even how to get to it or how to solve this problem would be greatly appreciated!

Many thanks
Sanjay

 

Check the battery for power, check the RCM for bad solder joints and forget about the starter motor. It never caused the car to stall in the first place as it was probably the RCM.
If the car does not turn over it is probably the RCM, if it turns over and does not start it is probably the CPS.

 

Thanks for your reply. I will let the mechanic know asap.

What would prevent if from not turning on the engine now?
I will continue to post back as I hopefully get it fixed!

Thanks again!

ps: when I had the car and I turned the key... all lights appeared but there was no clicking from the engine. There was for a few times as I kept trying it. In the end, all that happens now is turning the key causes all the lights to come on but that is all.

When I was driving it, the light on the left I believe to look like an engine icon appeared on for 20mins whilst I was driving.

 

Sounds like the RCM to me too. I failed with the solder repair and ended up purchasing a new one.

Les

 

So would the RCM kick in first before the starter motor?
many thanks!

 

My experience was: One day it wouldn't start, first it would click, then not even that. I put a new battery in the car and nothing. I kept cycling the key until it clicked and cranked. It was around the 10th attempt and it started, ran 3 seconds or so and quit. From that point on it never clicked again. Lights worked, radio, power seats, everything had battery power except the starting system. Disconnecting the battery didn't result in any change. New RCM fixed it.

Les

 

There is a whole troubleshooting sequence for the SKREEM module that begins on page 8E-61 of the (downloadable) service manual. Starter schematic is on page 8F-42 Is the RKE working ?

 

Sanjay, be sure to let us know what your mechanic did, and if it fixed it. I would go with the RCM repair as well. But 180 gave you the proper response.

 

I definitely will do! I'm in a different city at the moment. Apparently my dad has taken out the RCM with the mechanic today, now they have said the solder joints seem to be ok, a part from maybe one. So they are getting a second opinion tomorrow and will see. Once they put that back in tomorrow they will attempt to turn on the engine again.

Hopefully this cranks over. I just don't know why the clicking or the turning over of the engine is not working anymore, even if the car wont start!

So stressed! thanks for all the help. will continue to post back.

 

Tell them to use a magnifying glass to see the joints as you won't see the separation with the naked eye...

 

Don't even inspect the joints, just smother them with solder.

 

All my solder joints looked fine to me. I used the wrong tip on the solder iron and it overflowed a bit. I messed it up or the joints I soldered weren't the culprits. A new RCM fixed it. I was confident it wasn't the SKREEM because my searches told me if it's the SKREEM, disconnecting the battery would give 3 click/crank no starts before returning to the no click no start.

Les

 

As indicated above, no one told you to 'check' the RCM, we told you to RESOLDER IT.

Reflow every joint on the board, and I used a 170 watt gun to speed things up.
The broken joints are usually obvious, but not always. Solder can separate and break around the pins of the component on the board and yet LOOK fine from the solder side. This is why so many have reported, "the RCM looked fine, but replacing it fixed the problem." Of course, it can also be pitted contacts on the Engine Control Relay - but the vast majority of the time, it is fractured solder around the pins of a relay or connector.

Don't make this harder than it is.

 

++1 Spend half the day scratching your head looking at it and wondering or 5 minutes re flowing the solder joints.. sounds like a no brainer to me..

 

The joints were re-soldered and put back in. The circuit board was checked to make sure it is ok too and all joints was re-soldered.

The mechanic is now taking out the starter motor to have a look at this today and will see where we end up by tomorrow.
Thanks

 

It's not the starter... Best way to check is to ground the violet wire that runs to connector 4, pin 25 to see if the starter spins.

 

I'm not to sure what they are doing. All I know is that they will take out the starter motor out, have a look at it and see what happens. I guess if the starter motor is fine once its checked over, I know to order a RCM.

All I know so far is that they have touched up the soldering and put it back in. The battery is healthy and has more than enough power to start it. I will be back at home tomorrow, so will be with the car all weekend.

Thanks

 

If they want to go through the insane amount of work to pull the starter, and you're ok with paying that, then do whatever you want. All I'm saying is you could save a couple hours of labor by grounding that wire.

 

Sure... quite a noob at this... could you tell me how to do this? step by step if you could. Your help is much appreciated.

I'm not trying to make this more difficult than this is. I just don't have the car and I am passing on the message to my dad and the mechanic. I can only tell them what you guys are saying. All your advice is really appreciated. The mechanic won't be touching it until Saturday, so hopefully when I go back tomorrow I can test the starter motor as you've advised.

Thank you

 

Sure, no problem.

The PCM, in the box where the RCM is (right next to the RCM), has 5 connectors. Connector 1 is the connector closest to the firewall. You want connector 4. If you pull the connector out and look at the bottom of it, it explains which pin is where (re-clip connector 4). You need pin 25, it's a violet wire. Cut it (far enough back to solder it back together later) and add a small section of wire for slack. Just twist them together for now. Then take the other end and touch it to the battery ground, your starter should then engage.

If it does engage, then strip and solder the violet wire back together.