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in my opinion, this sounds like a very creative story to hide an electrical problem with the car, in the ignition cylinder / wheel / stalk area.
this sort of thing, and i'm not trying to be alarmist here: it could leave one stranded, perhaps cause a short leading to blown fuses. in the extreme: it could contribute potentially to an electrical fire.
if it's under warranty, the thing to do is get it fixed.
call another chevy dealership if you have to and confirm the situation is not being presented truthfully.
I always thought you don’t need the battery once the car is started – the alternator should be able to supply all the power. I had the air conditioner off and all other electrical equipment off yet the car still quit a few times, so I am wondering if the culprit may be the alternator.
What do you guys think? By the way the battery was totally shot – very little liquid if any was present, and according to the shop it leaked. Any thoughts?
Besides, NEVER EVER try to charge a totally dead battery with the alternator---you'll ruin it.
I have a really annoying problem...
My Sienna 2000 headlight sometime work and sometimes not. The problem appears on both sides (left and right) at the same time. The low "running lights" are working fine, but the low beam lights sometimes turns off during driving and sometimes they never turn on. The high beam lights NEVER work. It seems like when the car is "cold" the low beam lights will turn on, and after driving for a while, they will switch off and stay off for the rest of the drive, which force me to drive with the low "running lights" which are very poor in their intensity and not very safe at night.
All other lights (indicators, tail, break, reverse etc.) are working fine.
I have checked the fuse/relay box and couldn't see any problem. I replaced the headlights fuses (15A each) and problem remains. I also replaced the headlights relay and problem remains.
Help!
Thanks,
Anyway, the battery had close to zero fluid in it. So it was definitely a problem. I had the battery light on the dashboard come and go intermittently for about six months now, and that normally happened after the car had been sitting parked for a while. I guess I should have addressed the problem earlier.
Now the question is - is it worth the trip to the dealer to check the alternator? Or shall I wait until the next oil change? Or are they even going to be able to catch an alternator problem even if there is one if it is intermittent?
The reason why I suspect the alternator may be at fault is because the car kept dying and needed three jumps in order to drive it to the nearest garage about 2 miles away. I would have thought the alternator would be sufficient to provide all the power – or am I wrong?
Now with the new battery – AC Delco – all seems perfect.
As for the car running, your car's computer does not like voltage drops.
:confuse:
Thanks in advance!
Henry
1- the over head interior light comes on everyonce in a while when doors are closed and while i am driving.
2-if i do not use car for a couple of days ,i need a boost to start car-battery dies.
3-while driveing car everyonce in a while i hear a distinct click sound, and i loss all power to car and it dies on me.have to pull over and put car in park and start car. and it is good to go for a couple of weeks or until the next time.i hear that click.
4-the alarm goes off everyonce in awhile.while car is parked.this is original alarm system since 1995.
my question's
1- what could be causing all these problems.
a-computer in car
b-alarm system
c-interior over head light draining battery
please help.
thanks --andy :confuse:
Take care,
Crackerjax
Crackerjax
Get some paper and a pen.
Put your key in the ignition.
Start with the key off.
Turn the key on, then off, then on, then off then back to on and leave it on.
The check engine light will start to flash. Write down how many flashes. The codes will blink in two digit numbers so say 23 will look like "flash,flash" pause "flash, flash, flash" the computer will run through all the fault codes in it's memory. You know it is done when it flashes 5 5, which is 5 flashes pause then 5 flashes. It is telling you that is all. you can look up the code numbers on the internet. I think I got this set of codes at www.allpar.com. It is pretty basic and you might go online for any more info and more detailed codes. Keep in mind codes can change with years and makes so you might use the set I list below and see if any flashes match the codes below and that might help you see where the problem is. I hope this helps.
Codes for many Dodge Caravans
11 No ignition reference signal detected during cranking (bad Hall effect) OR timing belt skipped one or more teeth; OR loss of either camshaft or crankshaft position sensor. Can cause the engine to stop working entirely with no limp-home mode.
12 Battery or computer recently disconnected
13 MAP sensor or vacuum line may not be working
14 MAP sensor voltage below .16V or over 4.96V
15 No speed/distance sensor signal
16 Loss of battery voltage detected with engine running
17 Engine stays cool too long (bad thermostat or coolant sensor?)
17 (1985 turbo only): knock sensor circuit
21 Oxygen sensor signal doesn't change (stays at 4.3-4.5V). Probably bad oxygen sensor
22 Coolant sensor signal out of range - May have been disconnected to set timing
23 Incoming air temperature sensor may be bad
24 Throttle position sensor over 4.96V
25 Automatic Idle Speed (AIS) motor driver circuit shorted or target idle not reached, vacuum leak found
26 Peak injector circuit voltage has not been reached (need to check computer signals, voltage reg, injectors) 27 Injector circuit isn't switching when it's told to (TBI)
OR (MPI) injector circuit #1 not switching right
OR (turbo) injector circuit #2 not switching right
OR (all 1990-) injector output driver not responding
- check computer, connections
31 Bad evaporator purge solenoid circuit or driver
32 (1984 only) power loss/limited lamp or circuit
32 EGR gases not working (1988) - check vacuum, valve
32 (1990-92, all but Turbo) computer didn't see change in air/'fuel ratio when EGR activated - check valve, vacuum lines, and EGR electrical
33 Air conditioning clutch relay circuit open or shorted (may be in the wide-open-throttle cutoff circuit)
34 (1984-86) EGR solenoid circuit shorted or open
34 (1987-1991) speed control shorted or open
35 Cooling fan relay circuit open or shorted
35 (trucks) idle switch motor fault - check connections
36 (turbo) Wastegate control circuit open or shorted
36 (3.9/5.2 RWD) solenoid coil circuit (air switching)
36 (Turbo IV) #3 Vent Solenoid open/short
37 Shift indicator light failure, 5-speed OR
part throttle lock/unlock solenoid driver circuit (87-89) OR
solenoid coil circuit (85-89 Turbo I-IV) OR
Trans temperature sensor voltage low
41 Alternator field control circuit open or shorted
42 Automatic shutdown relay circuit open or shorted
42 Fuel pump relay control circuit
42 Fuel level unit - no change over miles OR
42 Z1 voltage missing when autoshutdown circuit energized
43 Peak primary coil current not achieved with max dwell time OR
43 Cylinder misfire OR
43 Problem in power module to logic module interface
44 No FJ2 voltage present at logic board OR
44 Logic module self-diagnostics indicate problem OR
44 Battery temperature out of range
45 Turbo boost limit exceeded (engine was shut down by logic module)
46 Battery voltage too high during charging or charging system voltage too low
47 Battery voltage too low and alternator output too low
51 Oxygen sensor stuck at lean position OR
51 Internal logic module fault ('84 turbo only).
52 Oxygen sensor stuck at rich position OR
52 Internal logic module fault ('84 turbo only)
53 Logic module internal problem
54 No sync pickup signal during engine rotation (turbo only) OR
54 Internal logic module fault ('84 turbo only) - or camshaft sensor/distributor timing (7)
55 End of codes
61 "Baro" sensor open or shorted
62 EMR mileage cannot be stored in EEPROM
62 PCM failure SRI mile not stored
63 Controller cannot write to EEPROM
64 Catalytic converter efficiency failure
65 Power steering switch failure
my plug. I changed the coil and no fire, I had the E.C.M. tested at a local Auto Zone and it showed it as working properly. The sales person at the Auto Zone is telling me to try a cam shaft sensor.......or....the list go's on. I feel as if Im becomeing one of his "best customers"? I need HELP, if anyone can give some ideals or if they know what the problem is please help................thank you.
And as Shifty said, you can always click the Subscribe link in the discussion and when you return on your next visit click Read Subscriptions or Message Center to see if new messages have been posted in that discussion.
Hope you can help me with a lemon I have owned for five years, and spent $3800 on in the last 18 months. The mystery problem.....engine has a misfire at low rpm, three dealers have scoped it...nothing but emission codes....have installed a new egr, plugs, wires, fuel pump, fuel injectors, cap, rotor. Have unhooked every part of the emission control system one at a time to fool the computer....nothing.
All that works is to replace the cap and rotor....that buys me around 150 miles of carefree driving. then, time for a new cap and rotor. Inside of cap has no wear marks, but looks like some kind of corrosion, or coating on the contacts. If your step on the gas hard, she runs fine.,...low speed, or even cruise control on the highway, and you have a miss....It is not rain related......please help!
Does anyone have any idea how to turn this alarm off?
i have a escort 96 automatic 5 door. about some days a have the batery lighter on. i change the batery but after 2 day is the same. i put the multimeter to the batery and i have 14.5 when the engine is on. the batery is very hot and have some smell.
sorry for my english
One friend suspects it could be my GM AM-FM radio/integrated security alarm gone bad, and I additionally suspect a bad spark plug wire because it only starts happening when the engine gets warm after driving 30 to 60 miles, and the van has nearly 100,000 miles (about time for an expensive tune up with new ignition wires).
Once the engine is warm, the whine doesn't go away but can be quieted drastically (but not completely) by turning off the headlights. It drives me crazy listening to the high speed rpm-whine. (What a strange array of symptoms---only with warm engine, louder when headlights are on---sound is sympathetic to engine rpms----and whine comes through my radar detector, but when I unplug the radar detector it comes through my rear car radio speakers----even if the radio is OFF!)
Yes I have unplugged the power cord to the Radar Detector, and turned the GM AM/FM Radio off, and the noise still comes through this conversion van's rear speakers. Turning the headlights on makes the whining sound much louder, turning the headlights off reduces the sound to almost inaudible but not quite.
Maybe a poor ground somewhere? I am open to suggestions on how to trace this and fix it. It must be RF (radio frequency) because the Radar Detector is really just a radio receiver itself. Thank you in advance for any help.
I also have problems sometimes when it rains my car will barely move unless I let up on the gas and then press it again.
It's probably unrelated, but also about 2 weeks ago I started blowing my fuse which controls the courtesy lights, rear hatch and horn. At first I could change the fuse and it would last a few days. Today I blew three in a row and they sparked as soon as I put them in.
My mechanic's original guess was I might have a leak in my wiring harness.
Thanks in advance for any assistance.
Where that problem might be ????? I don't have any help for you.....
I think you are saying a non-dealership shop has been working on this vehicle. ABS problems are sometimes complicated, so I recommend you take this problem to a Chrysler dealer.
alcan, "Got a Quick, Technical Question?" #1700, 17 Jul 2005 12:56 am
What I got told was:
"I have centered the problem in the fuse block area. Now let's stay away from discussing the door switches. The main light switch, the roll dimmer switch etc".
I've already told him what to check and how to fix it, AND posted the circuit diagram, but he obviously knows better than I do. I'm not going to waste any more of my time on his problems.
Actually, Mr.Shiftright didn't post the diagram and information, I did. I believe you owe him an apology. One last piece if advice, even if the fuse box faries did come and do a rewiring job on your fuse panel it wouldn't cause the problem you have. The courtesy light circuit is supposed to be powered at all times, and the lights are turned on when one of the door switches or headlight switch completes the circuit to ground. Remove both door jamb switches and verify no inadvertent grounds. If the lights are still on then unplug the connector at the headlight switch, assuming yu don't have the knob turned all the way to on. If the lights are still on, then look for a broken wire shorted to ground in one of the looms between the doors and the body, usually the driver's side.
Anyway, you listen to alcan. I'm not a mechanic. You listen to me and you'll only burn your truck down.
You might be on the right track there. If you go back to the wiring diagram I posted, you'll see that there's a single white wire from a common splice going to each door jamb switch, either of which can provide the ground for the courtesy lights. So, only one wire, and if either is grounded you have a complete circuit. Also, the diagram shows that although the the cargo bed light is supplied current from the same fuse, it has a separate ground. It's identified in the diagram as I/P Compartment Box Lamp.