This 2000 Chevrolet Impala came in with several complaints. The main complaint was that the engine would not crank over or run. Also the ABS lights would come on. The problem according to the customer had been intermittent and going on for about a year. Luckily, when the vehicle arrived the problem was still present. The first thing that I did was connect my Tech 2 to the dlc and check for codes and data. Just my luck, no communication. There were however multiple abs codes for the rear sensors.
Well, where to start on this one. I knew the first thing that I should do was to check the fuses but, when I opened the hood, I decided to look around the computer area. The computer is located in the air filter assembly.
One of the first things that I spotted was this gray in line harness connector. I realized that some of the wiring went to the engine control computer. I also thought that some one might have unplugged it to change the air filter or get to the computer. So, what the heck. Let me see if it is fully seated. CLICK!!! No, I couldn’t be that lucky.
Well, I was that lucky. Data stream was back and the engine fired right up.
I took the connector back apart and checked for any signs of arc damage. The connector looked fine.
I cleared all of the codes out of the vehicle computers and test drove the car. No Service Engine Soon light or ABS lights. This poor customer and multiple other mechanics had been fighting this problem off and on, for about a year. Just goes to prove the old saying true, ” I’d rather be lucky than good sometimes”. I also proves that the KISS diagnostic theory is best. KISS = Keep It Simple Stupid