NastyNate338 Posted May 15 Share Posted May 15 (edited) Got a funky one for you guys. This past Monday, I’m sitting in Van, idling w AC on, closing out a work order when Van dies. I turned ignition off then tried to restart it and a “parking aid malfunction” message accompanied by a “starting system fault” appeared on the dash. Checked all fuses = GOOD tested battery = GOOD inspected backup sensors, harness and connectors for corrosion, connection etc = GOOD Visually inspected wiring at PAM in cargo area = GOOD I disconnected battery to force a reset of the PAM and to clear any faults and then I was able to start it again. 45 min later at a stop light, it did it again and this was also resolved by DC the battery for 5 min. I bought a BT OBDII adapter and downloaded FORScan and tried to unsuccessfully recreate the fault so I could pull a DTC. It only happens when I’m parked and once while moving. I just have to wait til it happens and each time it’s reoccurred, FORScan is unable to pull DTCs off the PAM. I can reboot the PAM with FORScan now and start the van vs DC the battery so at least I have that going for me. When fault is active, it seems to trigger the anti theft because I can’t shift into neutral, roll down windows, nothing. I’ve disconnected the PAM for the time being and the van starts but I get the “parking aid fault service required” message. I’m thinking the PAM itself is hosed but don’t know how to test to verify before I drop $200 on a new one. I’m thinking if it was a sensor FORScan would spit a DTC that’s related to a sensor. Anyone know how to test a PAM? Anyone have any other ideas that I may be missing? Attached is a screenshot of the logs when the fault is active. Thanks in advance guys🤙🏽 Edited May 15 by NastyNate338 Forgot something Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Ridley Posted May 19 Share Posted May 19 It is strange that there are no DTCs. What happens if you disconnect the PAM? It may be pulling the network down. You may be able to disable the PAM in Forscan if the disconnected module causes too many problems. I have a 2016 but don't have a PAM so I'm just guessing. windguy 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NastyNate338 Posted May 19 Author Share Posted May 19 10 hours ago, Don Ridley said: It is strange that there are no DTCs. What happens if you disconnect the PAM? It may be pulling the network down. You may be able to disable the PAM in Forscan if the disconnected module causes too many problems. I have a 2016 but don't have a PAM so I'm just guessing. If I DC the PAM, I get an orange info warning but aside from warning, can operates normally. Agreed, it’s weird there’s no DTCs and that’s why I’m inclined to think it’s a failing PAM. windguy 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
windguy Posted May 19 Share Posted May 19 @NastyNate338 - Sorry to hear of your woes. You provided good diagnostic details. Sounds like you've isolated it to a bad PAM. I too have a PAM in my 2015 cargo, located in the right rear. Very accessible. Only PAM issue I had was the front sensor speaker failed located above the headliner. No issues driving with the error condition. If you're thrifty and have spare time, perhaps you can locate a used PAM from a salvage yard. Probably the same part for 2014 - ? model years. A low mileage van should yield a newish PAM. Good luck! Keep us posted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NastyNate338 Posted 21 hours ago Author Share Posted 21 hours ago On 5/19/2026 at 8:24 AM, windguy said: @NastyNate338 - Sorry to hear of your woes. You provided good diagnostic details. Sounds like you've isolated it to a bad PAM. I too have a PAM in my 2015 cargo, located in the right rear. Very accessible. Only PAM issue I had was the front sensor speaker failed located above the headliner. No issues driving with the error condition. If you're thrifty and have spare time, perhaps you can locate a used PAM from a salvage yard. Probably the same part for 2014 - ? model years. A low mileage van should yield a newish PAM. Good luck! Keep us posted. Thank ya Sir! I found a PAM at the local wrecker for $150 but oddly enough, this issue has not reoccurred since it left me stranded last time. The last time it happened I reset the PAM w FORScan so I’m thinking maybe it just needed to be rebooted, I dunno but it hasn’t happened in a few weeks and this van logs at least 150 mi/day in the same conditions that triggered the first incident. windguy 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
windguy Posted 20 hours ago Share Posted 20 hours ago Good update. Seemed like it was happening regularly and now it's not, so you may be right on the reset fixing the problem. It was a strange problem to begin with. Forscan is such a great tool. Glad you were able to use it effectively to solve your problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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