Thank you so much for breaking it down for me pizza guy. I really do have ADHD and have a hard time following what happened and trying to put it down. So this was a big help. I just tried to jump the car. It cranked one time then nothing else. But since I was in there I figured I would try to make the keyfob work so I double clicked the open button and put it in and turned it on it flashed the turn signals twice and then I tried to start it again nothing but it did lock the car and unlock the car and the red light is flashing for the tow away thing I think it is. But the keyfob will not unlock the car now. I didn’t mess with the keyfob that has the red panic button missing I wasn’t sure if that would mess things up worse than I already have. I truly appreciate all your help and the help of everyone else.
should I order a Skreem? I’m game to try to take it apart and try to fix it. I am willing and have a son nearby if I get too stuck.
Originally Posted by
pizzaguy
Keep in mind I am not standing by your car, I have little more than your post to go on.
Let's look at this:
So no crank, nothing, but lights came on. So battery was not DEAD, might have been weak but not dead. A very weak battery in these cars will prohibit the pulse module from engaging the starter at all. But it COULD have been a bad RCM solder point, etc.
At this point, the starter engages but we get the "Bad SKREEM" symptom. So the SKREEM was ok, until this point. Sounds like the act of putting the jumper cables on blew the SKREEM - we have seen this before. Ok, so now the starter engages, now we know the RCM was fine and the no crank was due to a very low battery.
The door lock/unlock is in the SKREEM as well. With one FoB working and one not, sounds like the rolling code in the SKREEM for one key has changed, you can probalby reprogram the buttons in that FOB using the procedure - but that won't make the car start. This is a distraction, once you put a new SKREEM in, you can program both Key FOBs to lock/unlock the doors, it's easy, takes 30 seconds per key.
I really think you blew the SKREEM when you jumped the car. Again, I was not there, but from what you have typed here, that is what I think.
The replacement of the SKREEM is simple - it plugs in. But it's not easy: You gotta take the lower part of the dash loose, then pop the instrument panel out, the SKREEM sits behind the speedometer. Not as bad as it sounds - the worst part is the $700 for the SKREEM.
If BOTH keys cause a "three tries and nothing" , then it's the SKREEM. IF you find that one key starts the car and the other does not, well, you have a bad RFID chip in one of the keys. Disconnect the battery and reconnect it and try one key. If it starts and dies, try the other key. IF it starts and dies, you need SKREEM.
Don't disconnect/connect the battery and get three tries too many times - rumor has it the ECM will self destruct after so many tries. Then you need a $1500 ECM as well.