Expert: Roland Finston - 11/24/2011

Question
QUESTION: Hi Roland! Thank God for you!

I have a 2006 Sebring 130,000 miles. went to gas station this morning, filled up, tried to restart car and nothing. Wont crank nothing. No diagnostic lights, no wipers, no turn signals, no radio...Here's what it does do. Dash lights work, headlights work, heater blows. Battery is brand new, connectors are clean and cables are solidly seated. Any help would be appreciated and Happy Holiday!

ANSWER: The wipers/turn signals/radio won't work unless the key is in the run position. I am not sure what the difference is betweek "diagnostic lights vs. dash lights" so that too is probably not relevant. I am thinking that your gear shift lever is not centered on the Park of the Neutral position which it has to be for the starter motor to activate. So try moving the lever slightly to one side and the other from the P or the N position to see if it will start the starter motor. If not, then open the hood, have a helper try the same thing while you open have opened the lid on the power box in the engine compartment try to listen/feel for a click response of the starter motor relay located in that box. If it doesn't click then it has to be the shift lever or a fuse, if it does click then it has to be the starter motor or the wire from the relay to the starter motor. You could try tapping in the side of the starter motor with a hammer or similar object while the helper tries the key again.Give those a try, and send me a follow-up one way or the other.
Roland
PS  I assume this is a Sebring sedan or convertible and not a coupe. I can check over the wiring diagrams but I need to be sure which Sebring body style that you have there.


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi Roland,
This is Dawn's husband, thanks for getting back so fast!
By diagnostic lights I mean oil check engine battery etc that all light when the key is first turned on. I had a seat belt light at the gas station when this first happened and noticed when I got the car towed home that I had none of the idiot lights come on when I turned the key on. I checked the connections on the battery to make sure nothing had come loose.

It started fine when I left the house and there has been no signs or sounds of anything funny when starting the vehicle. It's been perfect until this morning.  I filled up the tank at the gas station got back in and hit the key and nothing, I think it made a slight sound at first but never turned over.  I thought okay starter or neutral safety switch until
I started seeing things on relays and fuses that pertain to those things.

Is there something in that fuse block that can take out all of these things simultaneously? There must be because that's what happened here, I didn't realize all the idiot lights etc were out until I got it home and started checking things.

I certainly appreciate any help you can give me, I'm an old school mechanic but at a bit of a loss when it comes to all the computerized things that are being added to these cars now.

Thank You,

Daniel

ANSWER: Hi Daniel,
I would start by looking carefully at the fuses in the power box under the hood because one of those fuses being blown can take out the digital data communication system which is needed to communicate between the starter relay and the ignition key, etc. Please take a look at those and let me know what you find as blown.
Roland

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks Roland!
Okay from what I can tell or can't tell none of these fuses look odd. Can you tell me which ( what fuse #'s) of these would cause the the problem? I will take out the ones you suggest and get to the parts store and just buy those that would cause the problem(before it closes, great that they are open part of this Thanksgiving Day!)
Thank you for all your help you DEFINITELY deserve a 5 star rating for your patience even if I don't get it running today!

Answer
Hi Daniel,
Does the starter relay click (the middle one of three in that box) when helper tries the starter? Does the fuel pump relay click similarly when you turn the key to the 'run' position and then click off after a second. It is in the corner of the box, next to the starter relay.
Roland