I have a 2005 Crossfire Roadster. I have been having trouble with getting it started and had the contacts on my RCM resoldered and tested. . When I got it back from him I was hopeful that the car would go but had no luck. I decided to dig into it a little further and took the dash apart in order to look for wiring that may have come disconnected. After I dropped down the covering underneath the steering wheel I did find a wire that was disconnected and I'm including a photo

for you to view. I have no idea what this would be for or if it would be causing the starting problems but would appreciate any input. The wire runs up and into the center console but I don't know where it goes from there.

 

If your failure to start is the skreem fault (three 2 second starts and dies three times then nothing) the wire your looking at is probably the wire that is supposed to go from the antenna ring around your ignition switch keyhole to the skreem.

 

I have a different view on that wire. It appears to me that someone ran a wire to the fuse box on the left hand side of the dash which has come loose, or was disconnected on purpose. To find out what it's powering you would need to trace it back. It's going behind the center stack but that does not mean that is where it ends.

 

Toolman, I think you might be right. The wire seems to be separate from all other wiring and just "hanging there". I don't think there are any aftermarket accessories on the car now but that doesn't mean there wasn't something at one time. I can also see the wire from the ring around the ignition switch is in place. Since I've already had the RCM resoldered do you have an idea of what to check next? At this point nothing happens when the key is turned to the start position but all dash lights come on when the key is in the accessory position.

 

Try disconnecting the negative battery cable for 5 minutes then hook it back up and try to start. If it tries to start three times and then nothing it is probably a bad screem. If so, send it to SOS Diagnostics for repair. Information is on their website.

 

There is more to an RCM repair than just soldering. The coils themselves could be bad on one or more of your relays; you may have a bad fuse on top of the RCM. I don't think you can rule the RCM out of your problem, just because someone did some soldering. There is a lot of information missing from this thread to draw any conclusions.

 

agree with zip439 100% who did the work on your rcm? if it wasn't tighed1 then send it to him for 100% rebuild or if u can try a known rcm, from a running crossfire (all rcm's interchange with all crossfires.)

 

I did the RCM work. As always, tested in my car before shipping back.
There have been a couple that didn't work once the owner received them. One was a flaky relay (new) the other a bad solder joint.

mlinster - You can verify the RCM operation by:
1. Open the RCM
2. Turn the key to the ON position
3. Two of the three middle relays should stay engaged

 

DJ, I am a complete novice and no way would anyone call me a mechanic. Can you tell me what to look for when you say that the middle relays should stay engaged? By open the RCM do you mean to take the black plastic cover off?

 

Yes, leave all the wires connected and take the cover off, You can do that using a couple of old credit cards.
Here's a picture of the relays :

 

Now, to be clear, the middle three relays will close (you will see their arms move) when you turn the key to "ON".
Relay #4 will then release in about 6 seconds... that is normal. It only stays closed if the car actually starts.

The RCM can be lifted out of the module box without using any tools but your hands. Getting the lid off is a little frustrating and tricky, but not all that hard.
I use two medium sized flat blade screwdrivers... but the credit card idea sounds better.

 

Once open and with the key in the ON position, relays 2 and 3 in the above picture should stay closed. As Mark mentioned relay 4 will close for a couple of seconds then open when the key is first turned ON.
If you don't know the difference between when the relay is open or closed, have someone turn the key On then off a couple of times while you observe the relays. The ones that are "clicking" are the ones that are working.

 

Thanks! I'll try that when I get a chance and let you know how it goes.

 

If you use a set of screwdrivers (or anything metal) be careful you do not damage anything inside the RCM. Good luck!


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I have tested the relay and each relay reacts the way you have described. What would be the next logical thing to test?

 

Damn, the comb trick is AWESOME, DJ!

 

From what I read in this thread, it is not possible to answer. You made the statement "have had trouble getting it started", what does that mean?

Does it mean:
.... the starter wont engage?
... the starter engages but the engine won't start?
... the starter engages and engine starts but won't keep running?

What are we chasing? If the RCM relays are acting OK, and the starter engages but the engine wont start, it's time to verify you have spark and fuel pressure. We've had fuse 11 blow (which, oddly enough, only powers spark plugs) due to bad coil packs - one Chrysler dealer actually replaced all six coil packs without checking the damn fuse! The fuel pump can fail (meaning no fuel pressure) due to bad pump, bad regulator/filter, or flaky relay on the RCM that LOOKS like it's working, but it's contacts have gone to crap!

 

The starter does not engage at all. All of the dash lights come on when the key is turned to the on position but nothing happens when turned to the start position. The relays on the RCM appear to be working as they should. Is there a good way to check to see if the starter is receiving power? Is there anything else that should be check between the RCM in the starter? The symptoms I'm having don't seem to match the symptoms of a screem problem.

 

It isn't the starter, so just know that. If the starter was bad, it would be obvious - I can tell you no power is going to the starter, the question is: "WHY"?

Here is my big question: if you turn the key to "start" and it won't engage the starter, release the key so it goes to the "ON" position.
Wait 30 seconds.
Does the engine fan warp up to high speed (you will hear it)? If so, it means the Fan Module is powering up, but the ECM is not powering up. This is almost ALWAYS either the Engine control relay on the RCM, a blown fuse on the RCM or fractured solder on the RCM where the connector plugs in. In cases where the fan speeds up like that, our success rate in fixing this is 100%, and it's usually pretty easy to fix.

If the fan dos NOT warp up to high speed, we have considerable homework to do here..... In cases where the fan does not speed up, it tells us the ECM IS powered up - in these cases, it is a possible clutch interlock problem, bad Pulse module, or (rarely) a failed ECM or some odd wiring issue. But again, this is rare.

 

It would be very helpful if you could hookup a good scan tool and dig into the diagnostic codes.