Diagnostic Strategies

How to Read Flowcharts







A flowchart is designed to be used from start to final repair. It's like a map showing you the shortest distance. Do not go off the "map" anywhere except after a "stop" symbol, or you can easily get lost.

NOTE:
- The term "Intermittent Failure" is used in these charts. It simply means a system may have had a failure, but it checks out OK at this time. If the Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) on the dash does not come on, check for poor connections or loose wires at all connectors related to the circuit that you are troubleshooting (see illustration shown).
- Most of the troubleshooting flowcharts have you reset the Powertrain Control Module (PCM) and try to duplicate the Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC). If the problem is intermittent and you can't duplicate the code, do not continue though the flowchart. To do so will only result in confusion and, possibly, a needlessly replaced PCM.
- "Open" and "Short" are common electrical terms. An open is a break in a wire or at a connection. A short is an accidental connection of a wire to ground or to another wire. In simple electronics, this usually means something won't work at all. In complex electronics (like PCM's), this can sometimes mean something works, but not the way it's supposed to.