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Cadillac Repair/Car wont start

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Expert: - 6/5/2011


Question
I replaced the right strut, drove it & turned it off. Went to turn it back on and nothing. I had the alternator checked..its ok. The battery wires..ok. The check engine light comes on even without key in ignition including radio when  I reconnect the battery. The battery light stays on now too.. yet still no sound to turn over but can hear fuel pump. I am stumped. Can you help?

Answer
Hello,

Sounds like you made major problems for yourself. Sounds like you crushed a harness while changing your strut. The check engine, and stereo should not be on and it sounds like you may have crushed a feed wire from the alternator into the check engine harness and stereo harness back feeding them.

I would be checking the right inner fender area as to where they are pinched. You should find this simply and all you need to hope is that you have not burned sensors up or the computer.

You didn't have the problem before changing the strut. It could also be a chassis ground, but I am leaning on you crushing a harness.

Good luck!

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Rob Painter

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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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