Help! 1990 740 Won't Start after clearing codes

[MR]

I checked my diagnostic codes, and after clearing them, the car won't
start. No crank, nothing. Instrument panel lights come on, so the
battery is there and working, I just get no crank.

My Chilton's manual has a cryptic statementp at the end of the
code-clearing procedure, "If car won't start, enter Control Function 2."
I went through the Control Function 2 procedure, but still no start.

Any ideas appreciated. I need to get my car started!!

Thanks,
MR

 

[Sharshera]

This might be an ignorant question but I want to know how did you do
the diagnostics codes?
I do have a light saying service that comes each time I start the car
and I don't know how to make go away and if there is a way to know
what is this light coming for.

I hope you will get your car started ASAP.

 

[Mike F]

I checked my diagnostic codes, and after clearing them, the car won't
start. No crank, nothing. Instrument panel lights come on, so the
battery is there and working, I just get no crank.

My Chilton's manual has a cryptic statementp at the end of the
code-clearing procedure, "If car won't start, enter Control Function 2."
I went through the Control Function 2 procedure, but still no start.

Any ideas appreciated. I need to get my car started!!

Thanks,
MR

I doubt that clearing the codes is related to the no start. I've never
heard of this happening before. (Not to say that it can't.) I suggest
starting with the basics - move the shifter back and forth a dozen
times, try neutral as well as park.

--
Mike F.
Thornhill (near Toronto), Ont.

Replace tt with t (twice!) and remove parentheses to email me directly.
(But I check the newsgroup more often than this email address.)

 

[martin_riddle]

I doubt that clearing the codes is related to the no start. I've never
heard of this happening before. (Not to say that it can't.) I suggest
starting with the basics - move the shifter back and forth a dozen
times, try neutral as well as park.

--
Mike F.
Thornhill (near Toronto), Ont.

Replace tt with t (twice!) and remove parentheses to email me directly.
(But I check the newsgroup more often than this email address.)

Hello Mike,

After more reading and research and testing, I think you are probably
right. I performed the diagnostic check on the "idle speed
compensation for automatic transmissions" (basically I think this is
just a test of the neutral safety switch), and it failed. So, I
suspect that the neutral safety switch in my shifter is bad. Moving
the shifter back and forth and trying to start in neutral did not
work, and my reverse lights do come on (controlled by the same switch,
I think), so these clues don't point to the neutral saftey switch, but
I don't think they necessarily rule it out, either. I bought a new
switch yesterday and will report back when I get it installed.

Sharshera -- the service light can usually be reset. On my 1990 740
there is a small button behind a rubber plug near the odometer. Just
use a small screwdriver to push in the button and the light goes out.
Not all models have this button, though I'm sure there is a way to
reset the light.

Thanks

 

[MR]

I checked my diagnostic codes, and after clearing them, the car won't
start. No crank, nothing. Instrument panel lights come on, so the
battery is there and working, I just get no crank.

My Chilton's manual has a cryptic statementp at the end of the
code-clearing procedure, "If car won't start, enter Control Function 2."
I went through the Control Function 2 procedure, but still no start.

Any ideas appreciated. I need to get my car started!!

Thanks,
MR

Solved. As suspected by most here, my no-crank condition had nothing to
do with clearing the codes. It was the neutral safety switch. Just a
coincidence that the switch died just before I cleared the diagnostic codes.

Thanks to those who responded.

 

[Michael Pardee]

Solved. As suspected by most here, my no-crank condition had nothing to
do with clearing the codes. It was the neutral safety switch. Just a
coincidence that the switch died just before I cleared the diagnostic
codes.

Thanks to those who responded.

And thanks to you for the feedback. The next guy will benefit from your
experience.