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hanssturm10

Equus No Start

Alright, I'm at my wit's end. My 2004 Hyundai Equus with a gasoline engine is stone dead. Won't even try to start. I've got 147k on it. I'm pretty sure it's an engine control malfunction, seeing as how it's doing absolutely nothing. I suspect a fuel injection issue or ECU problem. I had the engine diagnostics run and I'm getting an engine light but that's all. Could this be a full-blown ECU failure, or am I missing something obvious?

Summary of the thread

The main issue was a 2004 Hyundai Equus that wouldn't start, suspected to be due to an engine control malfunction, possibly related to fuel injection or ECU problems. The suggested solution was to check the battery cable connections, as poor connections can prevent the engine from starting by causing voltage drops and signal interference. Upon inspection, a corroded negative battery cable was found and cleaned, resolving the issue and allowing the car to start.

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4 comment(s)

majasilber9

Have you checked the battery cable connections? A poor connection there can cause all sorts of electrical gremlins, including preventing the engine from starting. Even though the diagnostic tool reports other things, these tools only find a correlation, not necessarily the root cause. Make sure they are clean and tight. By tight I mean, try moving the cable by hand. If you can wiggle it, it's not tight enough.

hanssturm10 (community.author)

Good call on the battery cables. I'll double-check them. But even if they're a bit loose, would that completely prevent the car from starting? I mean, wouldn't it at least try to crank or something? Like, is there enough juice to run the starter? I am not sure what an ECU is doing at start.

majasilber9

A bad enough connection can indeed prevent any cranking. The ECU (Engine Control Unit, which is the computer that controls your engine) needs stable power to function correctly, and a poor connection can cause voltage drops and signal interference. It's the easiest thing to check before assuming the worst. If the connections are solid and clean, you're probably looking at a more complex electrical issue. At this point it is likely you need to take it to a shop.

hanssturm10 (community.author)

You nailed it! Turns out, the negative battery cable was corroded something fierce. Cleaned it up, tightened everything down, and she fired right up. Cost me 155€ for the cleaning. Thanks a million for the advice! I was all ready to start tearing into the fuel injection system!

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HYUNDAI

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EQUUS