No-Start Unique Situation?

[TNbigman]

Hello all!! I am new to the community. I freaking love my 2000 LC and am saving money to do some of the cool mods i see other people making on here. I have been reviewing the FAQs and other posts and have learned….hopefully…a good bit about crank-no start issues experienced by others in this forum. However I have some unique symptoms I would like to check with the group about. My LC100 has 197K miles and is not used a daily driver. It is mostly used on the weekends to run short errands. Life got in the way and i went 3 weeks without starting the truck which i know is no good.

I had some weird things happen when i finally tried to start it this weekend.
First off, i went to unlock the truck with the “key fob” buttons and my fob battery was dead. Instead of replacing the battery in the fob, I went ahead and unlocked the car with my key and proceeded to turn the key to start the truck. 1st try was a strong crank with no start. 2nd try was a strong crank, but i noticed the smell of something (plastic, wire, other) burning and smoke coming from the drivers side air vent next to the door. 3rd try was strong crank with some smoke and a buzzing sound coming from the engine bay. Subsequent tries yielded a strong crank with no start, smell, buzzing, or smoke.

Next, I started looking for burned stuff. Nothing looked torched at the ECU in the engine bay. There are what seems like a million wires and connectors on the driver side at the floor. Couldn’t see any apparent burn marks there either.

I bought the truck a year ago and didn’t know how old the battery was so i replaced it. The first time I tried to start after installing the new battery, I got the burning smell and smoke coming out of the dash above the steering wheel. After that, I have not gotten any smoke, buzzing or burning smell in subsequent starting attempts

The burning smell and smoke bothered me but, since its a crank-no start condition, I decided to walk through the Air/Spark/fuel process.

I started reviewing the threads here and went through the immobilizer test process. FYI immobilizer light does not flash when trying to start. I even performed the terminal block F to battery + terminal for an extra check.

I jumpered across the terminalsl on the starter relay to check it.

I am assuming since I am getting a strong crank that my spark is good.

So I wondered if the fuel pump had seized up due to age and lack of use. Maybe the burning had something to do with a failed pump??? I was building a cart in partsouq, and thought that i would check with the experts on here before i invested in $500 parts to replace the pump.

Is there a way to test the fuel pump to rule it in/out?

I can’t help but think that something got burned and damaged during cranking. Maybe some kind of overload? I am worried it could be some random wire in that huge loom of wires on the driver side on the floor. Seems like it could be a needle in a haystack situation.

I appreciate your patience in reading the long description, but I feel like the detail is necessary to convey the sequence of events and symptoms.

I appreciate any thoughts

 

[2001LC]

Concerning. "I got the burning smell and smoke coming out of the dash above the steering wheel"
Indicates a short. This short, may be only issue, maybe unrelated crank no start. Fuel pump can be ruled out first.

Check fuse in LH junction box ( DS footwell left of left foot) also. Also check RH junction box (PS footwell RH of RH foot). Main engine comparement fuses box. Blown fuse(s) can help isolate which wire(s) may be affected.

Any aftermarket wiring/toys add-on, especially under dash. Investigate.

You can test the fuel pump in few ways.

• This one I've not tried, but could be a good indicator fuel pump is building pressure. Check that the pulsation damper screw rises up when the fuel pump operates. Crank engine, should activate fuel pump and rises the screw. I need to try this one. It is a test while activating/running fuel pump with tech stream (no cranking engine off) Provided damper working. So I'd move to next test, in any case.
• Disconnect fuel hose from fuel filter. By pinching green clip and pulling hose off fuel filter. Connect a hose (clear surgical hose works well) to fuel filter and run to a catch can. Crank engine. Fuel should flow into catch can while engine cranks. Needless to say, gasoline vapor is highly combustible. So no open flames or sparks.
• Use tech-stream to activate the fuel pump (engine is not cranking or running). This is how we test fuel pump, fuel pressure regulator and leak down. It's laid out in the Factory Service Manual (FSM) diagnostic section. Many PDF copies FSM, online.
• If no fuel from pump check circuit (12 Volts) to fuel pump is next. But you can just work from fuel pump. To see is working, by jumping the fuel pump with 12 volts. This can be done from undercarriage at wire housing blocks, under DS rear door near frame. Doesn't pump from frame jump. Jump directly at pump, under 2nd row seat. Still not pumping. Replace the pump.

Fuel filter yellow arrow. Green clip Red arrow.

DS under 2ND row seat

 

[Bisho]

Smoke = Bad.

Continuing to try and start it before you find the short just increases the odds you’ll be using a fire extinguisher and filing an insurance claim.

 

[2001LC]

Smoke = Bad.

Continuing to try and start it before you find the short just increases the odds you’ll be using a fire extinguisher and filing an insurance claim.

Good point.
But he did say "After that, I have not gotten any smoke, buzzing or burning smell in subsequent starting attempts"
So either a fuse blew or wire or component burned out.

 

[TNbigman]

Concerning. "I got the burning smell and smoke coming out of the dash above the steering wheel"
Indicates a short. This short, may be only issue, maybe unrelated crank no start. Fuel pump can be ruled out first.

Check fuse in LH junction box ( DS footwell left of left foot) also. Also check RH junction box (PS footwell RH of RH foot). Main engine comparement fuses box. Blown fuse(s) can help isolate which wire(s) may be affected.

Any aftermarket wiring/toys add-on, especially under dash. Investigate.

You can test the fuel pump in few ways.

• This one I've not tried, but could be a good indicator fuel pump is building pressure. Check that the pulsation damper screw rises up when the fuel pump operates. Crank engine, should activate fuel pump and rises the screw. I need to try this one. It is a test while activating/running fuel pump with tech stream (no cranking engine off) Provided damper working. So I'd move to next test, in any case.
• Disconnect fuel hose from fuel filter. By pinching green clip and pulling hose off fuel filter. Connect a hose (clear surgical hose works well) to fuel filter and run to a catch can. Crank engine. Fuel should flow into catch can while engine cranks. Needless to say, gasoline vapor is highly combustible. So no open flames or sparks.
• Use tech-stream to activate the fuel pump (engine is not cranking or running). This is how we test fuel pump, fuel pressure regulator and leak down. It's laid out in the Factory Service Manual (FSM) diagnostic section. Many PDF copies FSM, online.
• If no fuel from pump check circuit (12 Volts) to fuel pump is next. But you can just work from fuel pump. To see is working, by jumping the fuel pump with 12 volts. This can be done from undercarriage at wire housing blocks, under DS rear door near frame. Doesn't pump from frame jump. Jump directly at pump, under 2nd row seat. Still not pumping. Replace the pump.

View attachment 4010740
Fuel filter yellow arrow. Green clip Red arrow.
View attachment 4010731

View attachment 4010743
DS under 2ND row seat
View attachment 4010733View attachment 4010744

View attachment 4010732

WOW! Thanks for the response 2001LC!!! I really appreciate you taking the time to provide so much detail in your response. I’ll run through these tips this weekend.

 

[SteveH]

My fuel pump wiring fried under the truck - see pix and check this elbow in the wiring. Fuel pump wiring failure - and the fix - https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/fuel-pump-wiring-failure-and-the-fix.1325429/

 

[TNbigman]

I feel stupid. I can’t find the location of the relay box circled in the diagram below?

It looks to be right next to the fuse box but I don’t see it

 

[2001LC]

Looks like may be RH junction box. PS foot well RH of RH foot.

 

[TNbigman]

Update: Spent most of the day yesterday troubleshooting. Couldn’t find the the relay box i circled in the message above. So i punted and decided to start at the fuel pump. I took the back seats out and opened the hatch to the fuel pump and saw that I had a similar issue to SteveH ( thanks for the idea!!)

so i tested the fuel pump (it works) then i repaired the electrical connection (see pic below)

However the saga continues. The truck starts and runs, but the instrument cluster doesn’t work. Maybe this was a result of the smoke/burning smell i referenced in my original post. Will keep posting updates….

 

[89BIGBLUE]

Did you check the fuse and relay box under the hood, in the engine compartment?

 

[TNbigman]

Is there a fuse in the engine compartment relay box that would be in the instrument cluster circuit? I changed the 15A fuse in the DS floor fuse box.

 

[89BIGBLUE]

Is there a fuse in the engine compartment relay box that would be in the instrument cluster circuit? I changed the 15A fuse in the DS floor fuse box.

I'm not sure, and I'm away from my rig to check.
Might be something in the book you referenced above.
I'd also check ALL the fuses in the DS floor fuse panel to make sure they're all good and there's nothing missed there just in case there's a correlation to your issue.
Just thinking at it.

 

[TNbigman]

I'm not sure, and I'm away from my rig to check.
Might be something in the book you referenced above.
I'd also check ALL the fuses in the DS floor fuse panel to make sure they're all good and there's nothing missed there just in case there's a correlation to your issue.
Just thinking at it.

I didn’t get a chance to work on the LC this weekend. I think I am going to try and remove DS fuse panel to make checking each fuse easier.

 

[TNbigman]

Since repairing the wiring to my fuel pump fixed my no start condition, I am going to close this thread and start a new thread for my gauge cluster issue. Thanks to everyone for your help!!!!