On Board Diagnostics (OBD) test

HI All I have a 2000 Chrysler Concorde 2.7 liter engine with a 3rd party alarm system installed I took it to Maryland?s Vehicle Emissions Inspection station(VEIP) to test for emissions. The analyst started the test and the car passed and as soon as the analyst finished testing my car the car would not start, it cranked on time and then it would not crank again. I noticed that it had full power, the horn lights everything was working. I then had it towed to a dealership and they stated:



vehicle will not start

performed diagnostic and found PCM with security feature, vehicle does not have a security system and software should not be in computer. PCM is looking for a security disabler but vehicle is not equip with FOB: PCM is locked as result Traced to internal PCM malfunction. replaced power train control module.



can someone tell me if taking this to the VIEP station and them plugging in the On Board Diagnostics (OBD) test cause this…?

thanks in advance

As I read your harrowing story I wondered if you could legally have left your car in the test bin after it would not start and told the test station manager that you drove it in and it is their responsibilty to fix what they had done to it so that you could drive it out. In other words, the vehicle should be returned to your control in the same condition it was was given to them. Are there any legal experts in our audience who could advise on this case.

It so reminded me of my entering the military way back in 1964 at Ft. Riley, Ks. We had to pass a vehicle inspection to get a base sticker. The tester pluged my exhast on a 1960 Ford Falcon and suddenly a small hole poped on the muffler and I had to go off base to replace it (muffler approx $50 bucks then) . I was too naive and frightened to put up a big stink. The hole was not there when I pulled in, but it was there as I pulled out. We are at the mercy of our legislators, are we not.
Good Luck…sorry I don’t have any real information for your problem.
RockyDocky

Well, it stands to reason that whatever caused this failure happened while they were testing it; whether the testing process actually caused the failure is another matter entirely. Maybe, maybe not; it’s hard to say.

The way the dealer describes the problem, it’s as though this should not even have been possible. The computer’s security feature activated somehow (I can’t see how simply plugging in a code reader could do this), and since the other required hardware wasn’t present, it simply didn’t know what to do with itself. Being an IT guy, I see similar things happen with Windows all the time; not so much with auto PCMs though.

Did replacing the PCM take care of the problem? Was a reprogram/reflash not possible, or didn’t they say?