03 Cav no start no dash light need some help
Thread Starter
CF Beginner
Joined: Oct 2015
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
03 Cav no start no dash light need some help
I am not a mechanic and have limited skills in this area but I need to get my car back on the road 
03 Cavalier 2.2
Here are the problems I have noticed
For a long time I've had a ticking noise coming from my instrument cluster upon turning my key to the on position and some of the gauges are completely broken/occasionally broken
When I started the car up since a few weeks ago, the engine would rev really high
engaging the brakes dimmed my headlights, but I'm not sure if it did much else
When I turn my key 2 positions now, no dash lights come on, but the dome lights and radio do.
Yesterday, When I first noticed turning the key, they engine would turn over but not start. Today it didn't try to turn over.
I know the fuel lines are all good (I just changed the fuel pump a few months ago)
Every single fuse at my door is slightly black, but all still pass a current
I put my actron on it today and it wouldn't even connect and when I tried to turn the engine over, all things electrical turned off
I have been doing some reading and my big idea at the moment is the BCM is bad. There might also be a wiring issue, like a bad ground or bad wire. I feel like its definitely something electrical
03 Cavalier 2.2
Here are the problems I have noticed
For a long time I've had a ticking noise coming from my instrument cluster upon turning my key to the on position and some of the gauges are completely broken/occasionally broken
When I started the car up since a few weeks ago, the engine would rev really high
engaging the brakes dimmed my headlights, but I'm not sure if it did much else
When I turn my key 2 positions now, no dash lights come on, but the dome lights and radio do.
Yesterday, When I first noticed turning the key, they engine would turn over but not start. Today it didn't try to turn over.
I know the fuel lines are all good (I just changed the fuel pump a few months ago)
Every single fuse at my door is slightly black, but all still pass a current
I put my actron on it today and it wouldn't even connect and when I tried to turn the engine over, all things electrical turned off
I have been doing some reading and my big idea at the moment is the BCM is bad. There might also be a wiring issue, like a bad ground or bad wire. I feel like its definitely something electrical
Thread Starter
CF Beginner
Joined: Oct 2015
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
After feeling kinda special for a minute, I went back and looked at a few things.
The clicking is my relays (lol I shoulda remembered that)
I switched a bunch of them out and nothing changed. I am assuming they are all working fine.
I still have no dash lights, but the car does turn over again after I pulled the battery out and put it back in.
The car will still not power on my OBDII port so the problem must have something to do with whatever is powering or computing all the things in front of the drivers seat
The clicking is my relays (lol I shoulda remembered that)
I switched a bunch of them out and nothing changed. I am assuming they are all working fine.
I still have no dash lights, but the car does turn over again after I pulled the battery out and put it back in.
The car will still not power on my OBDII port so the problem must have something to do with whatever is powering or computing all the things in front of the drivers seat
Super Moderator
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 9,175
Likes: 521
ensure you have a fully charged battery before doing any voltage checks
put a charger on it for the duration of testing.
key on; go to the dlc where you connect the scan too. with a dvom, check for battery voltage on pin 16 orange wire. check for grd on pin 4 & 5 black and black/white wires.
check for voltage out of pin 2 the purple wire. this is the class 2 data line from the bcm.
post back what you find
double check these fuses at the left I/p fuse box key in run
bcm
cluster
radio/interior lamp
rfa batt
cm/clu
mir/dlc
put a charger on it for the duration of testing.
key on; go to the dlc where you connect the scan too. with a dvom, check for battery voltage on pin 16 orange wire. check for grd on pin 4 & 5 black and black/white wires.
check for voltage out of pin 2 the purple wire. this is the class 2 data line from the bcm.
post back what you find
double check these fuses at the left I/p fuse box key in run
bcm
cluster
radio/interior lamp
rfa batt
cm/clu
mir/dlc
Last edited by tech2; Oct 18, 2015 at 8:17 PM.
Thread Starter
CF Beginner
Joined: Oct 2015
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
I didn't check the voltages at my dlc. A mechanic told me to check if the hazards/headlights/turn signals worked. My hazards and headlights worked but my turn signals didn't. He told me it was potentially the ignition switch so I swapped it out and every works great again.
