99 d2 w/ace- 120k miles - stalls and won't start

[landrovergeek]

IT WAS THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT FUSE BOX !!!

as mentioned previously, the dealer thought that my engine control module (ECM) was corroded and required a replacement. well, after getting the new ECM installed, the dealer still couldn't talk to it via testbook.

while the tech was troubleshooting circuits one by one in the engine compartment fuse box with a test light, i went back to the waiting room and started studying my RAVE cd (in private).

i discovered that testbook communicates with the ECM and other computers using the diagnostic socket (the obdII port under the driver's side dash) through a circuit that passes through the engine compartment fuse box.

then it struck me.

one of of my temporary fixes to the "stalling" and "no starts" in the past was to pull the fuel pump relay and wiggle it and reinsert it or switch it with another one. i guess that this little bit of movement in the fusebox was enough to make contact at the corrosion point....at least for a short period of time.

that "relay action" combined with "testbook not being able to talk to the ECM" through the diagnostic socket and circuit in the engine compartment fuse box made me think that THE FUSEBOX ITSELF was the problem.

by the time i walked back to the service bay, the tech had already come to the same conclusion. so he put in a new fuse box and put my original ECM back in and it started right up. (i guess it wasn't corroded that much after all.)

the good news in all of this was that i didn't have to pay $1,800 for a new ECM, labor and testbook programming.

i only had to pay for the new fuse box, labor and testbook diagnosis (which was only about a third of the first option).

of course, only time will tell if this is a long-term fix.

thanks for all of the advice on troubleshooting over the last few months.

Originally Posted by landrovergeek

louisville.

i had it flatbedded there and met with craig yesterday.

i am going over this morning and will wait for the ecu to arrive and be installed.