Car won't start; only light on dash is Door Open indicator

[paulerickson107]

I have a 2009 3.8 sedan that has been rock-solid for years. A couple of nights ago I was in a parking lot and the 'Turn Steering Wheel' indicator came on (first time for that); I turned the wheel left/right and it started. Next morning, it wouldn't start.

The battery seems fine and has given no indication that it's failing; it's about 3 years old. The remotes unlock/lock the car as per usual. I charged the battery just to ensure that it was at full charge. I changed the batteries in the remotes. I tried putting the remote into the slot; still nothing.

I have nothing on the dash display except the 'Door Open' indicator; pressing the start button without the brake doesn't put the car in accessory mode. I was hoping to get that far to see if I could get error codes on an OBD2 scanner, but I can't.

I can't get the gear shift to move at all, even when removing the Shift-Lock button; it's possible that I'm doing something wrong here.

I have checked fuses and they all seem fine. I haven't checked relays but I'm going to get a relay tester tomorrow.

I tried disconnecting the negative terminal from the battery for an hour to get the system to reset, but that does nothing. I tried holding the start button in for an extended period (over 30 seconds) and still nothing.

It seems like the vehicle is immobilized.

I'm aware of the brake switch issue, but I don't think that would cause the Accessory Mode to disable (maybe I'm wrong). I'd like to be able to get some error codes returned to help pinpoint the problem. Is there any test to determine if the brake switch has gone bad?

Has anyone else experienced this? Thanks in advance.

 

[shahhere]

I know you stated that the Battery is good but if you can get it tested at a store if its still under warranty as that's the only thing that jumps out based on what you are saying as more components should fire up unless your main ECM/CPU is fried or something along those lines.

Shahhere

 

[paulerickson107]

I know you stated that the Battery is good but if you can get it tested at a store if its still under warranty as that's the only thing that jumps out based on what you are saying as more components should fire up unless your main ECM/CPU is fried or something along those lines.

Shahhere

i tested with another battery with the same result.

 

[Gunkk]

to the forum.

I'm reaching a bit here... No codes on OBD2, so if the OBD2 does not have power, then check the power system starting with the battery terminal fuse block (which can fail internally). If the OBD2 port has power, then it might be the serial bus because the PDM, ESCL, BCM all seem affected. Way too many things from dumb-simple to expensive can be wrong here for an internet diagnosis.

I suggest you get it to an automotive electrician (or have one who makes house calls one come to you) with a Hyundai GDS capable scan tool that can talk to all the modules on both networks and see what's going on (and not going on).

 

[paulerickson107]

Thanks Gunkk -

You're right on the mark on your comments & I am planning on taking it to a dealer. My hope was to see if there was something simple or obvious before I took it there. Last night I tested as many of the relays as I could & the ECU relay in the panel inside the engine bay on the passenger side seems to be bad. I'll swap that out and see what happens.
I appreciate your comments!

 

[Gunkk]

Yeah that could do it. Good luck.

 

[paulerickson107]

Yeah that could do it. Good luck.

well I finally got my car back today ... It required a new Power Distribution Unit Module & a Steering Column Lock Module from Korea. Both of the parts were updated versions of the original parts. It's been running as expected, but I was without it for 7 weeks ... waiting on parts was the main culprit. Parts cost was just under $400 USD (eBay); if I got them from the dealer it would've been $1800 USD and no faster. Labour was $900 USD. Overall it's a small price to pay to get another year or two out of it .

 

[thomscar]

well I finally got my car back today ... It required a new Power Distribution Unit Module & a Steering Column Lock Module from Korea. Both of the parts were updated versions of the original parts. It's been running as expected, but I was without it for 7 weeks ... waiting on parts was the main culprit. Parts cost was just under $400 USD (eBay); if I got them from the dealer it would've been $1800 USD and no faster. Labour was $900 USD. Overall it's a small price to pay to get another year or two out of it .

Having almost the exact problems with 2009 Genesis 4.6 and did similar troubleshooting. Will check modules and once I determine what needs replacing will try to buy parts on ebay. Also, trying to find the vendor you used on eBay. Any feedback would be great.

 

[OhNine]

well I finally got my car back today ... It required a new Power Distribution Unit Module & a Steering Column Lock Module from Korea. Both of the parts were updated versions of the original parts. It's been running as expected, but I was without it for 7 weeks ... waiting on parts was the main culprit. Parts cost was just under $400 USD (eBay); if I got them from the dealer it would've been $1800 USD and no faster. Labour was $900 USD. Overall it's a small price to pay to get another year or two out of it .

Hi - how did you end up diagnosing the root cause? I'm having a similar but not quite identical problem - just posted about it today.

 

[paulerickson107]

Hi OhNine -
I'm not a mechanic, but I do some simple maintenance items on my vehicles. That being said, I originally just wanted to eliminate anything obvious ... i.e. fuses, relays, battery condition & OBD codes. I couldn't get the vehicle to the point where it would give me ODB so I ended up taking the car to an independent mechanic that I trust ... they have more experience and far better diagnostic capability. They correctly diagnosed the problem, although they weren't able to diagnose the Steering Ignition lock until the Power Distribution Module was fixed.

It was a matter of searching for the correct part #'s on eBay (by the way, these were both parts that were upgraded versions from what I had):
Power Distribution Module (95460-3M100) and Steering Ignition Lock (81900-2J710).

The car has been running like a champ again.

Good luck!

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