My poor dying '94
After many repairs my '94 no longer starts. My local autoshop tells me it's some electrical issue, wiring needs to be redone. I dunno. This was after they charged me out the *** to replace the ECM. They tell me they had it running and driving a day before I went to pick it up and it wouldn't start. They don't want to put anymore employee time into it and I couldn't afford it right now anyway. I figure I might try and fix it myself before I junkyard it but I'm no mechanic. I don't have a garage, hardly any tools, and no "know how" beyond changing bulbs and oil changes. I am 21 years old, this is my first car. I've driven it for the past 3 years and have fallen in love. I dunno what I'm gonna do.

 

Can you give any more insight as to what electrical problem the shop said you have? Did they imply that it was somewhere in the dash or under the hood? Does your car do anything when the key is forward ?does the car crank?

 

About where are you at? rough area not too specific.

Is there any difference between what the car is doing now and what it did before you took it to the shop?

Finding a good shop is tuff. There are levels of mechanic's. Many should not work on electrical issues but may be awesome at suspension/brakes/exhaust type work. Those are all just different skills. Mechanics hate to admit when they are over their heads or not good enough a one of the skills. There are some common issues that someone who works on these cars would know. Someone that knows electrical and computers but has focus on Hondas may not know early 90's GM issues. Even some larger shops know of experts electronic guys that freelance. When they have a real tuff issue they will bring him in or send the car too him.

Was the security light on? Was the check engine light on?

 

​​​​​​​It makes a clicking sound but it doesn't seem to crank. The shop replaced the ECM but I was told it might need a new wiring harness without any other details really.

 

I live in Northern New Mexico.

Months ago the engine kicked out shortly after starting it and barely driving out of my drive way to go to an appointment. I then took it to the shop and after a month or two they said the ECM was the problem and they were waiting on getting one in to program but once they did they got it all working again. I go to go pick it up. No dice. Doesn't start. It's like I have the cursed touch. They fumble around with it for another week or so, say they got it working again and again I go to pick it up. This time it DOES start but it shuts off the moment I turn the wheel. They told me they were done with it and I towed it back home where it's sat ever since.

Security and check engine lights come on yeah. The security light goes away after a few seconds though I believe.

 

Not sure in your area but you may be able to borrow a code reader from a chain parts store. From there read the codes. That will tell you the area of the errors. It can be tuff these day to find a code readers as both the 94 and the 95 can be odd ball. Make sure you ask for a code reader that will rear GM 1994, You will have to leave a deposit Most of the cheapy code readers will not read codes from those years.

In the best case you have a bad connector or a broken wire in the computer system. In the worse case you have an electrical issue that is frying the PCM. There is also just a chance you just got a bad PCM.

I asked about the security lite because I think some of these systems are reaching their max life. Seem like in my area people are asking about disabling their security systems on the 90's cars like crazy. Not just camaros. The security system has the ability to turn off the power to the starter and it can shut down the fuel injectors. It can do both or just one depending on what fails. It will either run fine or not run at all. It can not make it run poorly.

If you can not get a code reader and the car will crank by the starter but not start then the next question is what is missing. If you have cranking that sounds normal then you most likely have compression. If you have compression, fuel and spark something should happen. So are you missing spark or fuel. We can go over that process but there are small tools you will need to buy.

There is just so many things it could be. I had a customer one time that did a bunch of work to his motor all in one weekend. Intake gasket, tune-up resealed the valve covers, When he was done the car would not start. He had it towed in and gave me a list of everything he did and I double check everything. After I was sure he did everything right I attacked it like it was just towed in and I knew nothing about it. Sure enough 5 minutes in I saw there was no fuel and 10 minutes in I had not fuel pressure I was in the parts room asking for a fuel pump. 2 hours later she was back on the road. Failure had nothing to do with what he did. Funny part for me is If I had done all that work no a Friday and it did not start on a Monday no way would a customer ever believe I did not cause the fuel pump to fail. Much less if it happened to failed on my lift.

Also be carful with mobile mechanics. I am sure there are some good one out there but a friend mine has a shop and he had a customer that used a "mobile mechanic" that put brake pads on backwards. The destroyed the rotors and was a death trap. I am sure if you could find the guy he did not have insurance.