So my car is currently not starting after running earlier in the day twice with no problem. The electrical systems in the car have been finniky lately. Check engine light has come up p0116 & p0191, but after scanning to pull codes and erasing they didn’t come back up. DSC has turned off but come back on also car has seemed to forget key fob more than once, trunk release doesn’t fully engage sometimes, but car runs great. Dash had the engine oil light on and battery light on and wouldn’t start but was cranking. Already replaced fuel sensor with no change, also replaced battery with no change… any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

Some codes do not return immediately. You may have to complete at least part of a drive cycle for some codes to be flagged, but this is not possible if the engine won't start.

P0116 relates to the coolant temperature sensing circuit. This isn't going to cause a no-start, so I'd put that on the back burner for now.

P0191 is for the fuel pressure sensing circuit. If the pump is not running for any reason, you could be getting a valid (but potentially misleading) code because fuel pressure was out of the normal range. I say potentially misleading, because if the pump command was inhibited for any reason, you might still get a fault code for invalid fuel pressure.

The first thing I'd suggest is to connect your scanner and verify normal fuel pressure, even if the engine won't start.

Also, check the status of the security system. Watch the red LED at the base of the windshield. Here's how the light is supposed to behave if all is good and no faults are present:

First, lock the car with the key fob. Press the lock button a second time to set the alarm system. The horn should chirp once. Watch the little red light. It should flash once every few seconds to show the system is armed. Now press the key fob unlock button twice to unlock all the doors. The red light should go out. Now hop in the driver's seat and turn the key to RUN (Not start yet). The red light should come on solid ONCE for about 3 seconds and then go out. If it flashes anything after that, you've got a stored fault and the security system may have inhibited the fuel pump.

One last thing: Charge that poor battery. Most new batteries are not fully charged at the time of sale. Not sure a low battery would be the root cause of your symptoms, but it's easy to rule out. You want to have a fully charged battery before beginning any electrical troubleshooting.

 

I have two batteries one was in the car when the no start happened. I took it out and had it tested it was at 12.3 volts, the brand new one is near 12.6 volts. That’s enough to start the car? Or do they need to charge more? The codes that popped up weren’t present while driving earlier in the day before no start issue…

 

Generally 12.6 volts and below is not enough to start these vehicles. I would charge them up.

 

Charge the battery to be sure. 12.3 is too low for sure. 12.6 is right at the lower limit, but is not conclusive of being good. Determining a battery's state of charge with a voltmeter is tricky business. I don't put a lot of stock in this method. Lots of variables, and it's easy to condemn a good battery and pass a marginal one. Ideally, you should take your voltage reading after turning on the headlights for about 15 seconds to dissipate any surface charge. This is a phenomenon where a battery at rest shows a relatively high voltage, but quickly drops off under load.

Also, be careful if trying to judge a battery's condition by observing starter speed. A generation ago, if the battery had enough oomph (sorry for the technical terms) to spin the starter at a reasonable clip, that was generally enough for a good start. But thanks to the presence of many computer modules on modern vehicles, even if the starter speed seems normal, that does not mean the battery was adequately charged. The 2003+ models are VERY susceptible to problems due to low prestart voltage, even if the starter speed seems okay.

Put the new battery on a charger just to be sure. I recommend an automatic charger with at least a ten amp output. A trickle charger won't cut it, so don't waste your time. If you don't have access to a charger, most auto part stores will charge your battery for free.

 

I have a Duralast 12v battery charger. I’m going to hook it up to the newer battery right now. Since it’s new I hope it doesn’t take too long to charge…

 

Brand new battery can’t even believe it’s not at full capacity because it indicates it’s taking a charge.

 

Use a smart phone with the Torque app and a Bluetooth interface through the OBD port to check the fuel pressure. Pressure should be around 3 bar with the ignition in the ON position without engaging the starter motor. If there is no fuel pressure, remove the fuel pump relay and swap it with another similar relay, then check fuel pressure again. If there is still no fuel pressure, the pump has likely failed or the Crankshaft Position Sensor (CKP) is faulty.

The CKP sends a signal to the PCM that the crankshaft is rotating. If there is no signal, the PCM shuts off the fuel pump.

 

The car was cranking almost starting, but didn’t want to stress the starter too much… also I’m pretty sure I could hear the fuel pump engaging. Check engine light was on also battery light was on during no start. Battery is still charging once it’s complete and I put it back in I’ll be back on here to post results. Thanks for all the advice I really appreciate it.

 

Yeah, careful about that. You don’t want to burn up the starter.

A fuel-injected engine in good working order should start with a few seconds of cranking at most. This isn’t like an old carbureted engine with a mechanical fuel pump, and lots of cranking was required if the fuel in the carb had evaporated from sitting.

If your engine doesn’t fire up quickly, be mindful of the poor starter as you were thinking. Run some basic troubleshooting to figure out why, such as checking for fuel and spark. Your wallet will thank you.

 

Battery just finished charging. Installed and tried starting and had the same no start. Dash lights showing oil light, battery light, and check engine light. So I will start checking fuses, sensors, etc., tomorrow. Engine oil is topped off, battery is brand new and fully charged.

 

Flooded maybe. WOT cranking worth a try.

 

The fuel pump primes for about 1 sec. when you turn the key to the run position (before the spring start position). You should here a buzz from the pump under the rear seat, RHS.

 

What is the fuel pressure?

 

I don’t have a guy fuel pressure gauge. Is there a way to check using the trip reset to pull up the self testing diagnostics on the dash?

 

See post 8 above.

Use the Torque app with a smart phone to access the vehicle's PCM via the OBD port with a Bluetooth interface. You can read the fuel pressure and other functions through the app.

 

I don’t own a Bluetooth obd scanner… I have a little duralast one. Is it possible to check fuel pressure with a regular obd scanner? How much does a Bluetooth obd scanner cost?

 

Is this a scanner or a code reader? What is the brand and model number? We could look it up and tell you.

A code reader is a basic tool that can only read and clear codes.

A scanner reads and clears codes, but more importantly, it also displays live data such as fuel pressure, air flow, etc.

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/27507296279...3ABFBMvuLIvbxf

 

This is the scanner I own. Serial# M0216206.