Smartshield issues - Only engaging intermittently.

[MadnessEvolved]

Hey guys,

Been around here for a while and have been enjoying this great community. Lots of useful resources to help me learn how to fix, assemble and disassemble my car and understand it better on the whole. I feel like I've learnt more about cars and mechanics in general in the past year than I have prior.

First some background then on to my current problem with it.

Earlier this year I had the BEM replaced after the unit got flooded. Some $1,300 later and the car being absent for a few months I get the car back and it starts. Most of the time. After disconnecting a few frivolous things such as power windows, the car starts as it should. Overall the car has been going great for a few months, but recently it started to act up.

The problem is, Smartshield. Go to start the car and it's engaged. Can't start, nor getting any auxillery systems like door locks. Thing is, it doesn't happen all the time. My current situation is that I disconnect the battery, leave it for a while (usually a few days, I get distracted) and give it a go again when I've the next chance. When I started it last night, it worked for about an hour or so, starting twice (run down to the shops and back). Went to start it again this morning to reinstall the stereo and nothing. Smartshield has engaged again.

I've just had the interior stripped out (everything but the dash. Had to clean the crap out of the mould problem in there. That was a lovely 3 weekend process) and I spent some time cleaning out all the extra wires and cables left over from previous work. I was hoping to find something extra that was explaining this happening, but found nothing. Without taking the dash out, I've been unable to find any cords or cables that might be causing a short. At this stage, don't want to spend a few days or more running along the loom with the DMM trying to find faults. Wife *really* needs her car back during the week.

Do any of you guys have any ideas for things that I can look at to get it running again? I'm going to head back out after I'm done posting this and have a check of the fuse boxes, but it all looked fine the last time I checked. Really don't want to have to spend a heap more money on it as I really don't have money to spend right now.

Any help or suggestions is greatly appreciated.

Thanks