Chevrolet Cobalt - No Crank No Start Stalling - Bizarre Problems Part I

[@geosutube]

I spit a mouthful of cereal when he said, “they replaced a 10-amp fuse with a 25-amp fuse because that’s apparently what they do”, laughing as I cleaned up the mess it made. So damn funny. I love his dry delivery.

[@kellyappel3015]

Actually, he said "that's what we do, apparently". You don't know for sure if the other shop swapped out the larger fuse, or if the owner did.

[@brandonlink6568]

16 year old me did that when my car kept blowing dome light fuses, I'd grab a pocket full of fuses whenever I went to the junkyard and just plug in anything from a 5 to a 30 amp

[@abrahamrhys6269]

pro tip: you can watch movies at flixzone. Me and my gf have been using it for watching loads of movies recently.

[@jeromemoshe8653]

@Abraham Rhys yea, been using Flixzone for months myself =)

[@shaneharrison4775]

Your not alone

[@lpuccio]

definitely more Mrs.O. her smile is contagious

[@theprojectcollector7260]

Ok, mrs O steps into the frame, kids are at school, sparks are flying.... Suddenly the video is ended.... H mm. Wonder what came next.. LoL She is a nice lady and she keeps being interested in your work. Count your blessings.

[@Pnormandin13]

yes more Mrs O! she makes every video better.

[@toysareforboys1]

^^ This! Every time you get a tricky diag let Mrs O take a guess at it first. It's like "Question Period with Mrs O".

[@cornishcat11]

great idea lol

[@bentleybloke]

Considering you say Mrs O is camera shy she just shines when in front of the camera. She might get her own Chanel so watch out

[@tommy-ehiphopthugsta5338]

@@cornishcat11 lol

[@angsta22]

they would make a fortune on a onlyfans camsite... js

[@robertdavis6708]

Eric O explains the scenarios in extreme . That's why I support him. There are others on this sight started working on Beaters and that's what the viewing audience want. After the subs started rolling in they gave up on the hard stuff and leaned toward easy repairs. Eric O. Brian, Ivan, stay with real repairs on customers cars and trucks , stuff that is what is needed in our everyday lives. That's why I watch few repair videos today. Too much I,I,I,and not enough education on repaired broken down customer units.

[@laohantun7404]

Mrs O is as gracious as ever.....you are blessed man brother Eric O.....

[@RNMcustom]

You guys are just great, and Mrs. O put a smile on my face when she said hi to the people and again when she made the comment about not being in the field.

[@HUBBABUBBADOOPYDOOP]

Jam a piece of wood in there. Nice to see you again, Mrs. O.!

[@SouthMainAuto]

That is what part 2 is. 1 min vid... DONE!

[@100SteveB]

I would guess that one of the main grounds is bolted to one of those panels, someone left a bolt or two out of the panel, thus the panel is no longer grounded correctly.

[@Cheepchipsable]

LOL, love the briefing of the problem. "I swapped the little boxes...", this apparently coming from another shop mechanic. I would hear things like this all the time from DIYers, who had no clue, knew they had no clue, but persisted in poking around anyway.

[@forthrightnight]

When you see Mrs. O it's like seeing a sasquatch. Not that way! You've heard that they exist but you've never seen one. You keep hanging out where they are supposed to exist. All of a sudden there she is. Looking very pretty Mrs. O. Two years and a half years late I know. You're a lucky man Derrick, or whatever the hell your name is. ;-) Cheers from B.C.

[@philsnaith6646]

Mrs O is the star of the show

[@ozzstars_cars]

My guess,it's a midget living inside the cowl. Everytime you push it tickles his belly and his foot jumps and kicks the ignition relay contacts on and off? i'm pretty sure thats it. lol Man that is a crazy problem!

[@attkissonautomotive802]

Timmy doesnt like being called a midget

[@CVARANGER]

Eric, it is s a small world, I started viewing your video about a month ago. Watched almost all of them, really enjoy them and your sense of humor. I was just watching a video you did some time ago, You where talking about yourself and how long you had been in the auto repair business. I heard you say you where from up state NY. I google your business. Well, I was born in Penn Yan, went to school in Hammondsport. Lived on family farm on Keuka Lake between Branchport and Pultney. I knew there was something I liked about your way of doing things. Keep up the good work and keep the videos coming.

[@547Rick]

Another "Cliff Hanger"! DAMN! Now I will be on all night waiting for Episode #2.

[@mph5896]

Eric the car guy did some welding on that car, Scotty Kilmer cleaned the cat converter out with scrubbing bubbles, and Scanner Danner had no intentions of laying on the ground at Petes to diagnose that. That lady is your problem

[@johnaclark1]

Now that's funny!

[@armandonika]

Hahaahhaahhahahahahahaha 👌👌

[@amadafaka]

Anything making fun of Eric the Car Guy is hilarious.

[@johnaclark1]

These are all good guys sharing knowledge with us and doing a pretty good job. I didn't take it as an insult on any of them. It knocked me of my chair laughing, though.

[@BigDog50001]

Two thumbs up!!!

[@DarrenCoull]

Pure guess - part of the cowl is shorted out and is 'live' +12V, only when you move it, it shorts to ground, kills the power feed to the ECU.

[@robertduverger3442]

ditto darrin.

[@peterb678]

hey Eric. I really enjoy your videos just the way they are. l like the approach you take to finding the problem and the way you explain your thought process along the way. A 3 minute video of you fixing a broken wire without knowing why and how you found it has no value to me. so thanks for making your videos and keep up the great work!

[@newjerseybill3521]

You are actuating the underhood emergency stop switch. :)

[@jonathanlechman]

This video helped immensely helped me diagose intermittant no crank no start. Probe light showed run crank relay power had a short or bad connection diagnosed by wiggling a new one which cut motor off. Replaced old runcrank relay with a new one and car would start. replaced fuse box, then grounded tcm which another video recommends, after u101 code and power steering warning came on odometer, now car runs fine. 2005 chevy cobalt 2.2l sedan. The other video is 2005 chevy cobalt no crank, no run by another group of guys. See comments on other video for details.

[@Gears.and.Gadgets]

Thanks for the video. usually when you wiggle metal like that there is a grounding issue.

[@Mebob2001]

everyone ones going to think ground, it screams ground, but i'm honestly thinking, there is a short to ground originally which blew the 10 amp fuse, and when he put in the 25 amp it melted that portion of wire, and the damaged area in the harness that runs along the fire wall in the engine compartment, theres nothing that runs that close to the firewall on the inside of the car only in the engine bay OR the pass through for engine bay to body. very interesting find. i kinda wish ya gave me some of the codes to work with :)if theres lost comm codes it would really give a good hint. but the part that bugs me is when Misses o couldn't get it to stall, it only stalled when she squeezed the plastic to the body...

[@RonRobinson-GOPHERsystem]

Bingo that there lady is your problem. What the thunder!

[@dwoodog]

Not overly car techy myself. But IMO not a good idea to replace a 10amp with 25

[@brainfreeze44131]

That way all you have to do is follow the smoke.

[@bentboybbz]

Lol I Try And Only Do That On My Own Cars. I Am Kidding I have A Fire Extinguisher It Will Be Fine.

[@cccdetective787]

Hey Eric and Mrs O glad to see you back. This just isn't fair leavng us hanging like that. My guess is bonding straps missing or broken. I see the cable raceway is unbolted in a couple of spots as well. Looking forward to tomorrows episode to see what the real issue is. Have a good one. Brian & Shotty

[@63256325N]

I love a good cliffhanger! Fortunately I'm playing catch up with SMA videos, so I don't have to wait until tomorrow. Lucky me! Thanks for the really fun head scratching video!

[@leonemarroquin3691]

He makes it look eady, but it's no gravy.... Keep up the good work Eric.

[@oyesimon8112]

That's a good question, I'm not a mechanic but I know plenty to know that that noise isn't normal for a car to be doing and I'm pretty sure that if it was taken to a dealership they won't have a clue but charge you just for checking it and not finding the solution, Eric your an awesome mechanic and you shouldn't depend on us viewer's for our opinion, I'm learning alot by just watching your video's

[@movingupautodiagnostics8645]

Replacing the 10 amp fuse with a 25 amp one could be the curse. It may had melted the wire somewhere that is delicate to the touch. Oh and it's a GM. Hi Mrs. O! You guys are wonderful, shalom.

[@mikepratali5582]

Cliff hangers are the best....Thanks Mr.O for the continued great videos and information.

[@rrmech11]

Regardless of what the real issue is. I know that we all will be able to learn as always from you Eric.

[@webslinger2011]

Could also be burnt wiring since they put the wrong fuse rating earlier.

[@jalopyrips8081]

I watch this video just to make my day better

[@coolmikedogg]

Dang you for giving us a cliffhanger like that! I guess I have to wait until tomorrow :)

[@Sandbag1300]

Nice video. I would go with what you know. The AC electrical was the issue that started this. Fix the A/C circuit and it may lead you to the current problem. My thought is that there is a short somewhere along the a/c electrical line. A simpler approach may be to check the blower circuit since that is affected too and it is a less complex circuit.

[@voland4513]

Diagnostics,nice field,for sure there's something to learn every day.Nice easy fix,but hard to find.

[@livnowpayl8r]

I see some "non-factory" wiring up front along the rad support... could it be Aftermarket Junk causing the problem?

[@lucyp.3119]

I'm thinking a ground wire of some sort, Mrs. O. should do a video diagnosing a car all on her own. I think it would be fun to watch. I wonder what she would do to it.

[@SouthMainAuto]

She would call me :)

[@BigDog50001]

Wow, South Main Mystery Series!

[@ericcorse]

Mrs O off all summer good help is hard to get these days.Its good she could do that the your kids will be grown before you know it.

[@joetiller1031]

Don't have a clue, good to see Mrs. O , my old farm truck had some wiring problems, other day I drove it to check on cows parked it and about a hour later someone called a said truck is on fire burned to the ground, so I would never leave a car like that in my shop over night unless I disconnected the battery which I'm sure you did.

[@opl500]

I blame the cows, they created a diversion to get you away from your truck.

[@molsky13]

Cant wait for part 2 more Mrs o please

[@Just_Your_Average_Guy]

Mrs. O has the prettiest smile!

[@andrewshanewarkentin]

Tell Mrs. O. You love her on camera!

[@theoldwizard998]

The look on Mrs. O's face while you were demo'ing ....

[@aboutmyfathersbusiness8324]

Well lets see hea, You pushing in sheet metal. Obviously sheet metal is connected to the body and body connected to ground. I would suggest a bad ground on the firewall is the ladys problemooo!... My second guess would be the muffler bearing...

[@wyattoneable]

You tease. I haven't even finished my coffee and the video ends. As for a guess...I'll need Mrs. O's blue ribbon so I'm smarter. :) But this is cool, you got my brain hurting.

[@andrewshanewarkentin]

Every Cobalt I've ever worked on I'd rather push it off a cliff than get paid to fix it. My guess is a wire got hot and melted. Lost ground. The wiper cowl is metal to metal between the tabs and making connection in just the right spot to ground the vehicle. Or ground out.

[@satamanschmidt3428]

Eric, as a mathematician I've got some equations that you need to use in your business. Now follow along closely: Normal customer brings in a car with a problem = (Normal rate) Another garage sends a car to you that they can't fix = (Normal rate X 2) Another garage sends a car to you that they not only couldn't fix but also screwed up trying to fix = (Normal rate X 3) Used car dealer sends a car to you that they can't fix, screwed up trying to fix and then put odd used parts into that they thought might fit = (Normal rate X 4)

[@SouthMainAuto]

I have printed and posted this in my waiting area

[@rrmech11]

I'm replying to your comment about BBB industries. I know about them from Ivan. What I was commenting on is there is a better repair database called Identifix Direc- Hit.They have information about the most common repairs almost like snap- on's.Troubleshooter.You can try it for free. Just call them and ask for there Test Drive. ..😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎

[@mdorf61]

this just made my Eric O greatest hits folder. !

[@shadowdog500]

The previous shop turned a blown 10a air condition fuse fuse into a major problem. (hope they are paying your bill!!!) Without looking at it I can only guess that there is a grounding problem. First guess would be in G109 which is right under where you are pulling. My second guess is that you need to replace the gas cap. LOL Chris

[@BlueCollarBachelor]

I've located the problem. The car was manufactured by GM.

[@ElectoneGuy]

LOL!

[@toysareforboys1]

^^ this. After my timing chain broke in my 2007 cobalt 3 months after the warranty ended and they refused to cover any of the cost even though there was a TSB saying that "some cobalts were incorrectly manufactured with non-hardened timing chains" and my VIN# was on the list. What a complete joke. Last GM vehicle for me forever!

[@anti0918]

"THERE'S YOUR PROBLEM LADY!"

[@jamesh6229]

It doesn't sound like GM is looking for any repeat customers...I guess they figure they have enough business.

[@paulcarroll750]

+toysareforboys thats gm for you. They always leave you holding the bag on warranty or campaign work if your over by one day or one mile.

[@billspotten9872]

I think it might be a ground issue. Connect a strap to the bracket and to a known good ground to see if it does the same thing.

[@patricksmith5655]

I think Bill is going in the right direction. I would use a jump start cable clamp on neg. battery post then ground the body of the car with the other end if you can touch that same spot and the car doesn't stall then find the broken body ground strap. Look around front of car for wreck damage.

[@stuzman52]

Looks like you've got a nice one there Eric. As soon as I guess what might be wrong, I'll be way off base. As always with your videos, another nice one :)

[@simonbates9779]

Can't wait to see what it is. Sucks about you wasting a hour but at least the people get a sweet video. keep up the good work. ps great to see Mrs O

[@Really2u]

Mrs's O. Love the right off the cuff one liner. " I haven't been in the field much" You brought the funny. Not that the car problem isn't funny enough.

[@v8berenguer372]

Bizzare indeed....Me myself, i have just conected a ground to the relay ( since its power side switch ), and send it out the door...Great job.

[@DodgerthaRoger]

Lol, "Shivy" Cobalt... Bout time Mrs O got back to work!

[@dans_Learning_Curve]

@5:16, am I hearing the engine starting to accelerate just before it dies? Like many others have stated, it does sound like the ECU looses it's ground when you flex the metal. Eric O, would you cover the difference between a SHORT and a loose or open connection for "the people"? My pet peeve is people calling a loose connection or open circuit a SHORT! I ask them, "were there sparks flying?". Great channel! Found your channel by watching ScannerDanner's channel when he was taking you guys to ECTG's bash. I watched some of your older videos, and you've really improved your presentations! Mrs. O is really a great sport as are your other family members! Keep the great vids a coming!

[@dans_Learning_Curve]

But, the blown fuse isn't covered........."What the THUNDER!" LoL

[@smtshrek3674]

Big thumbs up! Now you got me interested to see what happens! I say pinched wire harness under the cowling or pin fit issues in a bulkhead connector under the cowl.

[@frankgonzalez24]

You got my curiosity going as I have an 07 Cobalt. But mine is an SS, 2.4L with a five speed manual trans. That 'bolt is a 2.2L auto. I went out to mine and looked around that same area on mine. All I see is a factory pinch weld, wires for the front right wheel speed sensor and some wires with a three wire connector that comes off one wire loom from side of the engine and into another wire loom that's behind the fuse box. No ground points. I can't see anything that would cause an issue.

[@SouthMainAuto]

Hmmm.... we will see :)

[@haywardsautomotive6156]

This one would be PowerProbe territory for speed... The other thing is are there any DTCs and does the scan tool communicate b/c the serial data will be lost also with a bad BCM ground. You're killing me...I have way too much free time on my hands :-) Good thing you kept messing with it even though it started & ran b/c that for sure would have slid you! Mrs "O" definitely has the harder job!

[@SouthMainAuto]

I was hoping it was a bit more involved than it gets ... sorry to leave you hanging but for $50 I can tell u the answer haha

[@haywardsautomotive6156]

Yea I always look forward to the troubleshooting and then when I find it quickly or it's not hard I get disappointed...I like the hard ones! $50...that's what I charge for the diagnosis and you are having all the fun so no money for you...I lalso hate waiting.hint hint...which is why I usually work late on the hard ones b/c I can't sleep until I find it...not fix it but at least find it! Swollen hands came in handy b/c someone with smaller hands may have never found that!

[@SouthMainAuto]

Hayward's Automotive That is right, first time having big mits helped me with a diag :)

[@lyricsmaster8457]

Hi, so my Dad's Pontiac G5 Coupe's dingers don't work. When you turn on the headlights and leave them on, it doesn't ding. Same thing with the doors. Thank you!

[@Bigbacon]

What I really want to know about it why the other garage brought it to you? Did they realize they screwed up and admit they couldn't fix it or just dumped it on you to make the problem go away?

[@rstephe]

Ms O, Erik is right. Gotta make your presence known so we are sure Eric is not running the place into the ground.

[@ThePlowGuys]

Oh *Eric* you are being down right cruel to all of us. If it was a positive problem like someone said earlier then I would think that the fuse would blow every time you jiggled that piece. Now since it didn't blow a fuse I have no choice but to opt for the Ground issue. By the look on your face I would go with a body ground. Now you say how could this happen. Ahh this is where things get interesting. I say the car was in a wreck and rebuilt. In the process of being rebuilt either a ground wire was overlooked and not connected or the body panels that normally passed the negative current throughout the whole car no longer does that because the repair was not done properly. Proof of concept is: Connect a wire from point to point around that area and see if it is true. If so then I would do one of two things. 1st (the lazy way) just run a wire from one piece to the other and call it a day. 2nd Try and locate the gap and maybe spot weld it. I opt for the lazy way. It cost less and will work just as well. Alright *Eric* now that I fixed this one lets move on to something a little more challenging..LOL -John

[@chevychase3103]

And that lady is your problem!

[@dreally7029]

Hi Mrs. O! Hey Eric, It's a S.P.C.A. mandated kill switch. Will be phased in by all the manufacturers in 2017 model year, requiring ALL vehicles sold in north america have an in place, engine shut off in case a small animal enters the engine bay. Cadillac is going with thermal imaging! , most others are just using this type of switch. (this car got one of the early prototypes.

[@Uticagreens]

I agree with (plow guys John). I think it is a ground issue somewhere too. I once had a plow truck that, over the summer months the field (barn) mice chewed through two grounds. The frame ground may have been due to corrosion from the road salt, but the teeth marks on the wire insulators didn't help any. After running a ground connection to the frame and lacing it through the body (at the firewall and front clip) with some old copper wire that I cannibalized from an old jumper cable, the truck fired up. After having to have the computer reflashed, it plowed all winter.

[@fsteddie98]

main ecm ground stud on the cowl loose due to rust?

[@markwheeland3329]

I would guess there is a hot wire with melted insulation on it from that 25 amp fuse he put in there. Hot wire is being shorted to ground. Can't wait to see part 2 tomorrow with the correct answer!

[@TheShop10]

your losing body ground when you lift up on the cowl. loose ground wire, move ground to another panel. Just a guess. It's a good chance the last shop didn't put everything back the way they should. You should charge double for having to fix another shops problem.

[@baxrok2.]

Yes, sir, that is indeed a good one! Thanks Eric.

[@donaldswink6259]

You and the Mrs. are a cute couple, you guys probably do a lot of laughing together. You both have great personalities.

[@wilson713]

I have a priest coming out to the shop on Tuesday to perform an exorcism on this 2009 Audi A4 with a no crank/no start/no gateway communication. Ignition does not come on, but the windows roll down, flashers work, etc. Key is stuck in the ignition. I'll send the priest your way afterwards.

[@SouthMainAuto]

u lost me at Audi...

[@wilson713]

+South Main Auto Repair They usually aren't too bad to diagnose electrical problems on. Just find the massive puddle of water in the car.

[@wysetech2000]

One of the more weird problems i have ever seen. Can't wait until prt 2.

[@YOUPSYCHO]

My guess is when they changed the amps on the fuse it melted a wire near the firewall, but the kicker is that it stalls when the column is pulled up which throws me for a loop. Now what happens when you don't squeeze the two pieces and pull up, what is only one is pulled?

[@mackesamerine9788]

wow heee Miss O is back welcome i miss U lol

[@colinsmeaton7453]

Hello have a good Xmas day love your work and all the best for 2022 from Colin in the UK

[@michaelking550]

Eric you found the cars G spot... 😆

[@davenay1645]

Can't wait for part two

[@rc3140]

A cliff hanger..... Sweet deal Mr.O 🍻🍺cheers

[@andrewwmacfadyen6958]

I would start check powers and ground on the main relay when wiggling the panel, if the main relay has a bad ground through the panel it would explain everything. I would gues a loose bolt on the ground or brocken wire rather than a corrosion issue.

[@wshultz74]

Mr O, could that be a pinched wire between the firewall & wiper motor? Or the harness going into the firewall to the cabin..

[@Mrflash222006]

battery in the boot, correct ? usually there is a live and negative terminal post possibly mounted to the bulkhead, the short from the a/c has stuffed the insulator - move the cowl it shorts everything to ground - not that clued up on the yank gm stuff

[@Mrflash222006]

Maybe a touch of the green crusties on the battery terminal at the front of the fuse box

[@jeffjankiewicz5100]

Pull the cowl.....check wiper arm area for shorted wire. Mrs O has a lovely smile. It`s great how you can chuckle at your "mistakes", but in the end....Problem solved Lady!

[@louoldschool3163]

wiper motor shorts to ground when cowl is touched? or wiper relay fried and shorted?

[@nikolaosskordalellis3364]

Eric I do enjoy your videos thanks

[@glenharper3136]

i saw your Allstate brake tip video, Cool!

[@SouthMainAuto]

Thanks :)

[@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics]

bad ground.

[@SouthMainAuto]

how did you guess?

[@tctwg1]

Pine Hollow Auto Diagnostics 🖕🖕🖕🖕🖕🖕🖕🖕🖕🖕🖕🖕 @sshole 🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬

[@sinformant]

@@SouthMainAuto which ground was it? I've been dealing with intermittent electrical issues for as long as I've owned my cobalt...I bought it with 18k miles on it. I've checked every ground I can find and cleaned them and bolted them up again. I've had it to multiple dealerships and they have replaced multiple things and never fixed it.....

[@leonautomotive1225]

Any DTC p2138 if so theres a TSB,

[@cornishcat11]

where is part 2 ? lol I love this channel an I am so pumped for the answer lol

[@opl500]

I hope they didn't fry the ECU. Why stop with 25A? Why not just stick a paperclip in the fusebox and call it a day? I'm curious, have you ever gotten car in your shop that had the check engine light taped over by some other shop?

[@johnaclark1]

If you look at the wiring diagram for the Cobalt the AC clutch is powered direction off the battery so, a direct short will melt the wiring in the fuse box and the feed wire from the battery to the fuse box. I don't think it would fry the ECU.

[@demolitonfreak]

If the ECU was fried the car wouldnt start back up like it does

[@johnaclark1]

Many cars run just fine with a fried ECU driver for individual components. He did say it had some codes so it's always possible that a driver for something is fried in the ECU. That will be another video, though.

[@demolitonfreak]

+johnaclark1 I know theses cars inside and out .. these do not

[@johnaclark1]

Very well. I've seen cars that run fine that need a new ECU. Maybe this one won't. I've not worked on one. Just by the wiring diagram I'm pretty certain this incident didn't damage the ECU, though.

[@CraigPerry]

is there some kind of modification and they've run a wire under the weather seal strip? The wire is the one which took 25amps and has melted the insulation in some place and it's being grounded on the body when it's moved upwards? No idea but good mystery

[@jbattleztm4476]

the purple plug next to the brake reservoir and a/c line. Do you know what that is called or does? Mines not hooked up and was wondering if i needed that for it to start???

[@subwayguy1610]

I'm guessing that when you flex the cowl, it's making a connection somewhere with an ignition wire and shorting it out or causing it to skip somewhere allowing no crank or start.

[@joeytucker8161]

it's completing a circuit when u pinch the metal together on the wiper motor. I will guess, naked wire thru wiper motor housing.

[@TheDaf95xf]

Wiper arm mechanism has rubbed a wire........🤔 Love Mrs O 😀 Stevie 🇬🇧

[@catmando4855]

Had a similar problem with a neighbor's vehicle. Would hit a bump in the road and all functions would go crazy but the engine would not shut off. He had to the dealer several times and finally they put a complete wiring harness in the vehicle. (a lot of money by the way.) He drove the car several days and everything seemed okay. Until the bump in the road came and the problem returned. I was a field service tech and he would see my service truck in the driveway at times so he decided to get my opinion. I looked at the car and I found the end on the body to frame ground had corroded and was making poor contact. Repaired the ground strap problem solved.

[@andrewwmacfadyen6958]

I had that in a Lotus Plus2S it on happened on a double wheel bump when it would die for a second and them come back to life ---Because it was an intermittent transient problem I never found the break in the ignition feed and ended up doing a complete by-pass of the wires involved.

[@haywardsautomotive6156]

Well I hate guessing b/c it could be a lot of easy & crazy stuff but here is my logic with what you have given...it acts like a ground but it is affecting different components that do not share the same ground however the PMM in the BCM does control the power to the run crank relay and the BCM's ground is G201 LH I/P along w/G203 RH side of I/P. When you move the wiper cowl I believe it's also attached to the instrument panel so when you flex the wiper cowl you are affecting the BCM ground. There is also a TSB 10-08-45-001E on welded stud replacement & maybe it's loose or corroded affected by the flex. Time to get busy & see if your losing power or ground...get it to fail and stay failed and break out the test light! The ones like this are fun to diagnose. Hope to see the video tomorrow...

[@SouthMainAuto]

I think the test light will be coming out in part II....

[@rodpalm6398]

It's acting like there is a ground wire stuffed in there not quite tight enough. I'm on the edge of my seat here Eric waiting for a proper diagnoses.

[@zombietherapy1759]

Are you completing a ground by squeezing the metal together?

[@michaelszweda]

OK eric just a quess there is a short to power on the cowl area and when you touch the area you ground that circuit

[@dougkubash8673]

it looks like the spot welds broke and maybe when you moved it the 2 pieces touched and it completed the ground. I'm curious!