Iv'e spent every day of my career since 1982 in troubleshooting (to the component level, not just changing boards) in electronics from DC to 1 gHz RF. And (in answer to your parting questions) my gut feeling is that the ground issue we keep referring to is the issue.

It is my position that you have fooled yourself here into thinking that the RCM is at fault. But, I COULD BE WRONG. It's just that as I look at the diagrams, I'm having a hard time blaming the exact results you describe on the RCM and it's wiring. It's this "dash lights go out when I turn to START" that I am 'keying' on. Again, I am NOT there with your car so this is hard....

I hate to see someone order a $130 RCM when you are describing (IF its the RCM) a fractured solder joint or intermittant pin in one of the connectors.

IF IT WERE ME, I'd do two things:

1) Yank the RCM and carry it into a radio shop where technicians work who know how to solder. For maybe $20 one will reflow the solder on the RCM board.
2) Do my ground cable mod I wrote about.


That's all I got right now. I'm still really convinced there is a ground going open. HELL, even an intermittent battery cable terminal clamp can cause this.

I just don't know....................................