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Cadillac Repair/'94 Deville Concours 4.6 Northstar Starting

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Expert: - 10/31/2010


Question
I Really appreciate your depth of Cadillac knowledge!, but more, your willingness to share it with us Hacks! My problem is in the starting system. Turn the key and the fuel pump immediately builds pressure. Turn to start and nothing. New Battery, clean contacts and connectors, yet there is no voltage drop on the battery when the key is turned to start. The headlights stay bright when trying to start, and I know that they would either dim or go off completely before when it was started. Before I tear off the intake to get to the starter, is there a relay, or something else I'm missing? All fuses are good, I even broke off the shift lever trying to move it to the right place, (repaired). Also moved stearing column everywhere, no results. No way to jump starter motor as the + battery cable goes directly under the intake. Car was in storage for over a year on blocks and battery unhooked. Help! Thanks, Mark.

Answer
Hello,

My first thought would be the vats.

You needs to read the ignition key by placing two leads of an ohm meter on each side of the resistor pellet on the key or you can have it done at an alarm store. You can get the correct resistor from them as well.

Go under the dash and look for two very thin white wires in an orange sheath going to the bottom of steering column. Cut the wires and attach each wire to opposite ends of resistor.

Connect after soldering or using butt connectors and tape. See if engine starts.

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Rob Painter

Expertise

Alarm system questions cannot be answered on this forum. These systems are not what I can answer. Without being physically at the vehicle and not knowing what kind of electrical service has been done on the vehicle, there is no possible way to give an accurate answer over the internet. My expertise is in Ignition/key based anti-theft systems. These issues include GM VATS (resistor chip in key blade) PASSLOCK (MRD)-ignition lock rotation based, no special ignition key and the PKIII Transponder (computer chip in key) systems. These systems are not alarm based and are integral with the starting of the engine. This is why I cannot diagnose alarm problems without physically looking at the vehicle: Alarm systems are a completely different annimal than ignition key/lock based anti-theft system. Many alarm questions come from vehicles 10 years old, and since older, many hands that had been involved over the years.I am an expert in all GM factory (ignition/key based)systems. Alarm system questions pose to many situations beyond my knowledge as to what has been done to the vehicle over the years. Some guy may have actually wired the stereo into the alarm system. Who knows? Over my past 30 years in vehicle wiring repair, I have seen unbelievable wiring disaters done by guys that consider themselves "mechanics." I have seen stereos and alarms intalled using surgical tape. I have seen modules burn up, un-fused circuits, wiring jambed between the doors and even lamp cord used for a starter kill. To answer alarm questions over the internet without examining the vehicle is like asking; What does it take to remove a dent?

Experience

Education/Credentials-ASE certified. 11 years with a GM dealer and 17 years with a repair facility dealing with only the repair of theft recovered vehicles.

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