I have a friend with a 04 Cavy and I stopped by her house today to help her figure it out. It clicks when you try to start it, and if you hold it, it will click several times very quickly. We checked the battery, and it's fine. The lights dim when you try to start it, so we were thinking the starter silnoid since the battery was fine. We tried to jump it just in case, same thing.
She had it looked at and they said they thought it was the timing chain, but wanted $1500 to make sure.
The crank will move by hand, so it's not locked up, which was one thing we were afraid of. When we checked the sparck plugs, they were in horrid shape. One (number 4)looked fine, another looked like it was running rich (number 1), but the number 3 had no gap in it, and the number 2 the prong on the spark plug was bent to the side.
When I ran my scan gauge I got a B1000 error code, which read as ECU malfunction.
The history I got was it started stalling out and became difficult to start a few weeks ago, and now it won't start at all.
Any info would be nice if anyone has had something like this before. I did a quick search and didn't come up with much. I'm gonna search some more on various sites but figured I'd try to get this out before it got too late, as the car is gonna be towed soon.
If there are no electrodes or the gap is closed up that engine is toasted inside
time to tow and tear apart
ministock64 wrote:If there are no electrodes or the gap is closed up that engine is toasted inside
time to tow and tear apart
The piston will not hit the spark plug even if the timing chain did break, WTH are you talking about?
B1000, ECU malufunction does not mean the ECU is bad.
How did you checl the battery, you said it clicks and clicks.
Did you load test the battery, can you start the vehicle by jumping it with another vehicle. does the dasj light up with the key in the on position?
If the engine was locked up, you would NOT be able to turn the crank. If the engine was locked up, the battery would not click, you would get NOTHING, you would hear fuel pump noise that would be it.
I seen this a few weeks ago on a Grand Am, went to start, all you heard was dead silence and the fuel pump turned on, the tensioner didnt hold tension and the engine was destroyed. The engine would not turn by hand at all.
I would seriously keep this simple, if you dont have 12V at the ECU it wont function properly, that could set a ECU code.
I would have your battery load tested first off.
- 2004 Cavalier - 124k, owned since new
I believe the car is being towed up north to one of their family members shops. The scan I did showed the PCM getting 12.2 volts, and 12.4 when we had it jumped to another car. Even without the jump, the lights all came on pretty bright.
If the plugs are smashed... then something is wrong on the inside. Likely a smashed piston.... or something foreign got INSIDE the engine. Either way, you want to do a compression test first and see what it reads. If it's low on any of them, time to do a full tear-down..
He said that they wanted $1500 just to check to see if the timing chain is junk?
I'd be finding somewhere else to take it too.
Sounds like a bad starter to me , but the spark plugs thing seems a little strange. espesially if you can turn it by hand. You did turn it around a time or two, not just a little bit , right? If its out of time to where the piston is hitting anyting on the head, your going to have to turn it around at least 180 degrees to confirm that nothing is hitting.
Im assuming it is an echo, someone else mentioned that this isnt an interference engine earlier, Im not sure so I wont say it is or isnt. If it isnt then you shur do have a problem if the plugs are smashed.
01 cav w/01 3400 gam gt 4t45e
Any updates on this.
I'm interested to know what your problem was.
- 2004 Cavalier - 124k, owned since new
Per GM:
Quote:
DTC B1000
Circuit Description
Each control module runs a program to detect internal memory faults. No external circuits are involved. If a control module detects any type of internal memory fault, that control module may set DTC B1000.
DTC Descriptor
This diagnostic procedure supports the following DTC:
DTC B1000 Electronic Control Unit (ECU) Performance
Conditions for Running the DTC
*The control module has power and ground.
*The ignition is ON.
Conditions for Setting the DTC
DTC B1000 will set if either of the following conditions occur:
*The control module detects an internal write malfunction.
*The control module detects an internal checksum malfunction.
Action Taken When the DTC Sets
Any of the following actions may occur:
The control module refuses all additional inputs.
*The control module requests the malfunction indicator lamp (MIL).
*The check gages chime sounds.
Conditions for Clearing the DTC
*A current DTC clears when the ignition is cycled, and the malfunction is no longer present.
*A history DTC clears when the ignition is cycled 100 times without a repeat of the malfunction.
Diagnostic Aids
*DTC B1000 may be stored as a history DTC without affecting the operation of the module. If stored only as a history DTC and not retrieved as a current DTC, do not replace the module.
*If DTC B1000 is retrieved as both a current and history DTC, replace the module that set the DTC.
Repair procedures include replacing the module that set the DTC.
John Lenko wrote:If the plugs are smashed... then something is wrong on the inside. Likely a smashed piston.... or something foreign got INSIDE the engine. Either way, you want to do a compression test first and see what it reads. If it's low on any of them, time to do a full tear-down..
+1
Yea if you have a B1000 code then an ECU is bad, end of story.
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