2004 chevy van 4.3 electrical problems

[imiceman44]

Hey guys.
I was helping my BIL with his van, after 3 mechanics failed him.
I will post pictures of the cap and rotor, I can't believe it was still running but rough.
I changed the cap and rotor and I couldn't get any life out of the starter.
Anyway because it sat for a month before I got to it the battery died, he took it off charged it, got it tested and put it back in.
When we hooked up the battery the horn came on continuous and the dash lights were blinking non stop for about five minutes.
The starter would not engage.
Even after all this stopped, the starter still would not come on.
I was checking the starter relay and when the lights were flashing the relay was too, but when you try to start, the relay would not.
He doesn't have a key fob, just a regular key but it sounds like an alarm system.
He has owned this van for 8 years and never had that happen.
Could the battery dying have reset the factory alarm and now it needs to be disabled or reset or something?
I bypassed everything and got the starter going from underneath and it runs fine.
I just need to get it to start the normal way.
Thanks

 

[Capt Ron]

I think if you lock then unlock the drivers door with the key it turns off the alarm.

 

[Wes Harden]

the battery should not have change the key coding. 2004 may not even have transponder. Is there a security lamp in instrument panel flashing ?

 

[rampage]

When I hear about weird electrical problems like this the first thing that comes to mind is a bad ground, either where the ground straps are connected or corrosion inside a battery cable. You can use jumper cables to go from ground on the battery to the engine block to bypass the battery cable.

 

[imiceman44]

the battery should not have change the key coding. 2004 may not even have transponder. Is there a security lamp in instrument panel flashing ?

There is a red LED below the heater controls flashing

 

[imiceman44]

I think if you lock then unlock the drivers door with the key is turns off the alarm.

I forgot about that, I will try it tomorrow

 

[imiceman44]

the battery should not have change the key coding. 2004 may not even have transponder. Is there a security lamp in instrument panel flashing ?

The security is not flashing or on.

 

[imiceman44]

I think if you lock then unlock the drivers door with the key is turns off the alarm.

I tried that and many times but it didn't work.
It's a WT manual locks and windows.
I am stumped

 

[Wes Harden]

So there is an aftermarket alarm ? If so find the splice into the purple wire under the dash and eliminate

 

[imiceman44]

So there is an aftermarket alarm ? If so find the splice into the purple wire under the dash and eliminate

I am going to look tomorrow but I did not see any alarm stock or aftermarket.
Maybe tomorrow with a clear mind I will find it

 

[Wes Harden]

I am not sure what the red led below the heater controls is. Possibly the passenger srs ? I am thinking this is add on security system.

Don't see where a red led might be 2004 astro

 

[imiceman44]

I am not sure what the red led below the heater controls is. Possibly the passenger srs ? I am thinking this is add on security system.

Don't see where a red led might be 2004 astro
View attachment 484447

I will follow the wire from the red light and see if I can find whatever it is

 

[cheavyk10]

I can tell you in my 2004 Tahoe the PassLock security feature has been a problem, but that is located in the ignition key cylinder, (it is not a transponder) and it causes a crank no start issue.

 

[Blue85]

It's common for an alarm to have a relay on the starter circuit and the horn/flashing thing really screams alarm. There may be some obviously added wires passing through the firewall to accomplish this. That's what I found on my daughter's car. Spliced them together and presto, it cranked. A remote kill switch might be useful sometimes, but it could also be one of those used car disablers that could cause trouble at an inopportune time, so I decided eliminating it would be better.

Also, couldn't it be just a bad starter relay or fuse in the BEC?

 

[imiceman44]

It's common for an alarm to have a relay on the starter circuit and the horn/flashing thing really screams alarm. There may be some obviously added wires passing through the firewall to accomplish this. That's what I found on my daughter's car. Spliced them together and presto, it cranked. A remote kill switch might be useful sometimes, but it could also be one of those used car disablers that could cause trouble at an inopportune time, so I decided eliminating it would be better.

Also, couldn't it be just a bad starter relay or fuse in the BEC?

I found the alarm connection tapped into the ignition circuit next to the ebrake pedal.
I pulled the 2 wires on the tap and everything is back to normal.
Pictures to follow

 

[imiceman44]

I found the alarm connection tapped into the ignition circuit next to the ebrake pedal.
I pulled the 2 wires on the tap and everything is back to normal.
Pictures to follow

 

[Blue85]

I found the alarm connection tapped into the ignition circuit next to the ebrake pedal.
I pulled the 2 wires on the tap and everything is back to normal.

Win!




Looks like a super pro install?