Re: Security light - no crank- 2001 Impala

About a month after I bought the Impala [in 2001-- but had been used

>by the dealership] it wouldn't start one morning. The lights and >horn worked, but not the stereo. > >Dealer came and got it, replaced the stereo & said they couldn't find >anything wrong otherwise.

BTW-- The dealer had to tow it-- but when it got to the shop it started fine.

>A couple months later I found a mouse nest on the intake manifold. >The mice had chewed the wiring harness & exposed some wires, but >hadn't broken any. I removed the mouse nest- called the dealer to be >sure it wasn't covered by warranty - coated the exposed wires with >liquid tape. > >Fast-forward 3 years--- A couple weeks ago I noticed the security >light was on in the dash. I drove a few blocks-- pulled over, turned >off the car & restated. Security light went off. > >Yesterday I drove the car in the AM -- 4 hours later I went to start >it & I have a no-crank [not even a click]. I notice the lights >aren't coming on the stereo or the 'information center'. Headlights >are bright- horn is loud. No fuses are blown. > >I tried jumper cables anyway, but no joy. As a last ditch effort I >put the battery charger on it. Something reminded me of the mouse >nest from before & I look to see if the liquid tape has peeled off. > >CRAP! There's another mouse nest in the same place. [There is a big >plastic shroud over the intake manifold & it makes a perfect place for >a mouse-house. I check the wires, though & don't see any new chew >marks-- and no bare wires. > >But now I get back in the car & it starts up fine. Have gone >through several run-park cycles & it hasn't repeated. Am I good for 3 >more years-- or will it strand my darling wife someplace next week. >[Both times it has happened right in the driveway.] > >Any guesses on whether it just cleared itself, if the battery needed a >slight charge-- or did I clear a short when wiggling the wiring >harness?

This time I tried wiggling everything & it didn't seem to make a difference. The battery only measures 12.5 volts so I put the charger on it. What *seems* to have done it this time was wiggling the ignition up and down and back and forth.

This time, though-- The security light stays on, and the "service engine soon" light has appeared, along with the 'alternator' light [the red battery]. The appear in sequence & didn't go off in the 10 minutes that I drove the car.

The stereo display is showing "locked" when it lights at all. The radio doesn't work.

>And any hints on how to discourage mice from nesting there? I'm >tempted to just toss the shroud that covers the manifold. Is it just >decorative, or does it serve a purpose? [other than to state in bold >letters "V6 3800 Series II"] > >Thanks- >Jim
Reply to
Jim Elbrecht
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