Just died while driving wont start no codes

[papason]

2011 grand caravan around 160,000 miles never any problems. Wife was driving and it died. does not turn over lights and bells like usual when turning the key but that's it. can't take it out of park. fan and windows work. battery is a year old but doesn't sound like that anyway.
Wife claims no warning it just died. must say though I think all the wheels could fall off and she might not notice anything.

So, I tried getting a code with 2 readers and it says no communication. that and not coming out of park hopefully says something to someone. I use the access hole to release from park and towed it home.
My internet searches for clues talk of fuel pump mostly but starved fuel is not immediate so makes me not think there.

Please how do I find the problem.

[Stealthee]

You say it does not turn over, but your overall post is confusing. Is it cranking and not starting or is there no attempt at the engine cranking?

[papason]

no cranking no clicking.

[Stealthee]

Ok, just clarifying, because multiple people seem to think cranking and turning over are two different things.

Anyway, have you tried starting in neutral? Helped my brother solve an issue once after he put a Traverse back together after doing a heater core. He got no crank, no click.

I had a hunch because of how it was acting so with him in the car holding the brake I shorted the starter relay and it turned over. After further investigation the shift linkage fell off when reinstalling the console so he wasn't in park. If you're not fully in park it will act like nothing is there.

You could also try shorting the starter relay to see if you get any action.

[papason]

"Anyway, have you tried starting in neutral?"
Yep, tried that.

[fredjacksonsan]

Fuel pump? Can you hear it? Getting fuel pressure to the engine?

Edit: sorry just read your other thread. So normal lights, nothing when turn to start. Check battery to starter connections. Then see if starter getting voltage. Could also be the NSS or a bad ignition cylinder. I have a friend who had his vehicle die and something metallic had fallen on the computer.

[papason]

Thanks for the thoughts. I keep wondering what the issue is that wont let a code reader read for codes.

[papason]

I feel the starter relay is not my culprit but it is often mentioned. So can you tell me how to "short the relay?"

[Stealthee]

I'm not necessarily saying the starter relay is the culprit either, though it could be.

The point of shorting the relay is just to see if you can get it to turn over at all.

As for shorting it if the relay is the style where the plastic "cap" comes off you can pull the cap off, then just push the contact down. If the cap doesn't come off you can get a piece of wire (decently heavy gauge, not something like 18 gauge, and feed power to the necessary pin. One should be hot all the time, the other is what is supposed to get power upon starting.

The easiest way if that scares you is to get a remote start switch. They are relatively cheap. It hooks to the positive on the battery and the switch terminal on the starter, then has a button that is depressed that allows power to go to the terminal.

[papason]

Thanks you.
It didn't scare me, just wasn't sure about shorting. I have heard of this as jumping. Might be worth a shot. won't even get dirty doing it. Not getting any attention on this thread so it must be puzzling to everyone. Without any real direction I think I will try selling it as is. if jumping doesn't work. If I had a real idea of what it was, I would fix it. Normally I would keep checking things and asking questions and check more things, but I hurt in too many places right now and I had been thinking of selling it and getting a car anyway.