Nick <npolite@NOSPAMMONKEYS.hotmail.com> wrote in
news:nvvrkvk46uf2kumf2q2g69hhu81h2msd79@4ax.com:

> Shorting out the 2 pins should not cause the ECU to get damaged. Have
> you tried pulling the battery and waiting a few minutes before you
> tried again to start the car?
>
> Hope this helps,
> Nick

Yup, that was first thing I did was this hoping it would reset everything
and get me going, but it was a no go.

Could the ECU have started failing which caused the original performance
issues and the eventual "check engine" and now it is legitimately bad which
is causing the car not to start?

Is that plausible?

dc