Not that long ago, I had a 2000 Grand Voyager, 3.3L, and after that, I had an intermediate car, an '04 Trailblazer, but it was stolen. Now, I need to get a new (used) car. The best prospect is an '03 Town and Country, 3.3L, which is close to my previous Voyager


. The current owner is going to sell it to me for cheap (< $1,000), but there are a few problems. The problem with the problems is that she is not mechanically acquainted enough to describe them well, and she allowed a non-mechanic (to put it mildly) to attempt a repair.
It won't start now, but she said it ran beautifully until it didn't. The dash light flickered, and then it died. The non-mechanic took apart the dash and took out the instrument cluster. Plus the battery is missing. I need to get a battery, reassemble the instrument cluster and dash, and then figure out what's wrong.
My post here is premature since I don't have any details nor do I even have the car. But I will on both counts, and I warning all of you. I'm going to ask something soon.

 

I put in a battery on the 23rd, and I spoke with the guy who had tried to fix it. The Town and Country is a 2005. I had the year incorrect before.
Anyway, it's a no start issue, and it's complicated by the previous "mechanic" doing unknown things.
The previous mechanic put the instrument cluster back in, but it doesn't light up.
When the key is in the start position, the dash lights go on (except the instrument cluster), but the starter doesn't turn.
I turned my attention to the Integrated Power Module (IPM, "fuse box"). On this vehicle, the far-right (from the driver's perspective) relay is the starter relay.
When I test for a voltage at pin 86 on the starter relay, I get the expected voltage when the ignition switch is in the Start position. IOW, the ignition switch is functioning properly.
When I artificially bridge the relay, i.e., connect pins 30 with 87, the starter starts to turn.
However, I am not getting a ground at pin 85, which is supplied by the Powertrain Control Module (PCM).
That's the point I'm at now. I need to test the PCM and maybe replace it. This is perplexing because the previous mechanic claims to have already replaced it, but I can't trust what he says.
The is also the issue of no instrument cluster lights and (probably) function.
Any suggestions and advice are welcome.