Electronic Gremlins - Electrical Problems That Are Driving You Crazy

mrsacks1

Keep this one in the back of your head...
When two new batteries died within a couple of days and the dealership couldn't (rather wouldn't deal with it because I didn't buy a replacement battery from them - Atlantic Toyota :mad: Amityville Long Island)under warranty, I traced it down to a damaged electric seat adjuster that got jammed in the "on" position. The seat adjusters in Toyota's work with the key out /off. As I suspected there was a electrical draw. [Quick lesson - by disconnecting the negative battery cable from the negative battery terminal, then hooking up a 12 volt bulb from the negative battery cable to the negative battery terminal with all switches and all electric turned off including the dome light, if there is a bright light, then there is a constant draw from the battery (which there was). If there is only a very dim light, it is normal.] I removed fuses one at a time checking the light bulb each time to see if it dimmed. When I took out the final fuse (isn't always the last one) the bulb went very dim which is good, almost no draw. That fuse was for the power seats. In checking the seats my son noticed that the power seat button was out of place and jammed in the "on" position! Apparently someone either jammed something between the door and seat or something caused it to break, but there is was - the adjuster switch was "on" drawing down the battery, even when the key is out!

ohcee_714

Hi,

I have a '99 Ford Expedition which is acting up. Everytime it rains, all of the electronic things in the car starts turning on by itself without the key being in the ignition. The heater would turn on, radio would turn on, engine lights would turn on but the car would not start if I was to try and turn it on. I know there is a short somewhere but where? Can anyone help?

bopher

My dad had a '91 Astro Van that he had some starting problems with. Sometimes it would even die while just driving. What we found is that in the bottom of tilt steering column there are 3 bolts that would periodically work loose. These would make it difficult for the van to start and if you moved it work it would cut out while you were driving along. I believe they were torque heads on them but if you want to drop an email I would be more than happy to ask him. Once he got those bolts tightened the van would run fine.

bopher

Sounds to me like a problem with a ground but I have only run into this problem when installing subwoofers and amps for people. When another ground is added to the car sometimes it gets in the way of the other grounds in the car. so usually I install a ground loop isolator onto the amp and the problem goes away. Maybe they have something you could place onto the ground of the stereo under the dash. I would say U-Haul set another ground somewhere on the frame and thats causing it.I'm not going to get into how much I dislike U-Haul hitch installers here. Hope that helps, i I can offer anythign else drop and email.

astro2005

my check engine light has been coming on and off - mechanic says it is the knock sensor and a dealership can reset it. Anyone have an idea of what it costs and how long it takes? it is a subaru 2001 legacy sedan with 38K miles

ps: do they have to replace the actual part or can the code just be reset to fix the problem? Dealership says it is $180 to replace part and would take 1 1/2 hours, but I was under the impression from the mechanic that it was simpler than this to fix. any advice to help me not get ripped off would be appreciated.

drywindshield

I have a 2000 Chrysler Sebring, my problem is the windsheild washer will not work, we took to a shop they told us it was the multi function switch, we had a friend put that in, we are still having the same problem, the wipers work fine but no washer fluid?? PLEASE HELP

Mr_Shiftright

Can you hear the little washer fluid pump working under the hood?

bolivar

Anyone can reset a check engine light, by just removing the battery cable for a couple of minutes. This should reset the light.

But if there is an actual 'problem', the light will reset when the vehicle computer reads the error condition again when it is driven.

What does the 'mechanic' quote you to replace the part?
How sure is he that this is what is setting the light?
Has he used a code reader, gotten the error code, and 'looked it up' (or an expensive code reader may give him info on what the error code means)?

rediker

My heat only blows hot air when I push on the gas and am moving. I have replaced the thermostat, battery and alternator. I have had the radiator flushed and that seems to do the trick (it's happened before) but I don't want to keep doing it. Is there a bigger problem?

user777

i'm way out of my league here. but what the hey - i can tell you what i'd look for. it may help, then again it may not. you should be asking in sable/taurus problems and solutions (under Ford Taurus).

i'd make sure the coolant level was at the top of the radiator when the car was cold and that you had the proper mixture of coolant to water.

a battery and alternator isn't going to impact heater efficiency as far as i know... maybe you were adding detail to what you've replaced recently.

my thinking is maybe your water pump is sticking, or your belt driving the water pump is loose such that the pulley isn't spinning properly, meaning the blades inside the pump aren't pushing much fluid, and only when you give it gas is the fluid circulating properly because the pulley is spinning faster.

it's also possible the replacement thermostat is hosed.

maybe there's a coolant temperature sensor that gates coolant to the heat exchanger. don't know.

good luck.

pj3

My left blinker, front and back, are going off. Right side is fine. Replaced main fuse, but no luck. So, if it's not the fuse, could it be in the blinker housing on the column itself?

abranger

my 99 Park Avenue is shorting electrical power when turning sharply to the left, maybe to the right also. odometer resets to 0, clock resets, and lights blink but motor does not die.
anyone else with this kind of problem? ideas?
Thanks.
abranger

burdawg

Possibly a wiring harness being rubbed by the steering shaft inside the column when you turn the wheel, or some associated part inside the housing rubbing on wiring. Over time the isulation could be worn off.

Mr_Shiftright

Yeah, what he said!

dblades

I am having a problem with our '98 VW Cabrio and was wondering if anyone has ever heard of this before. The ABS light, parking break, head lights, and heater will all go out at one time. If you hold on the the high beam switch you can get everything to come back on. However, if you let it go the problems re-appear. The problem is intermittant, but getting worse. Also, if you turn the car of and restart it, it seems to cure the problem also for a couple of minutes.
Anyone have any ideas?

allchevyjim

1995 Chevrolet Tahoe, Throttle Body Injected, 190K miles ran well until this week. Week was cold, fuel tank about half-full, added ISO-Heet fuel dryer in case water in fuel but no sign fuel is bad. While driving out of parking lot engine stopped and would not re-start (spark, no fuel). Checked fuses in engine compartment and found 1- 20 amp mini-fuse blown (identified as ECM-B). Replaced fuse, drove 100 feet and blew again. Replaced fuse, drove 10 miles then blew. Replaced and blew after driving a block. Fuel pressure relay OK. This fuse is between the ECM and the fuel pressure relay and is hot at all times according to wire schematic. Is it possible that the fuel pump can jam occasionally (assume it is original) and create enough current draw to blow this fuse or is it more likely a wire somewhere that is grounding out at random times from vibration or something? How do I proceed with diagnosing the failure mode?

allchevyjim

Tried to diagnose problem today by inspecting and wiggling all wiring associated with the fuel pump, relay and oil pressure cut-off circuits. All looked to be in excellent shape and no evidence of shorts. Since pump had never been replaced, I bit the bullet and replaced the in tank fuel pump and the gasoline filters. BTW gasoline tank was really clean and no evidence of any real contamination. Started vehicle and it seemed to work OK. Drove it a few blocks and the same fuse blew again. :confuse: Replaced the fuse, drove it home and fuse blew and this time the radio went out along with the power window although the window did come back to life. Seems to blow when the vehicle is put into a turn. Dark and cold and I am now out of immediate ideas. Could this be the engine computer module(powertrain computer module on schematic)?

user777

i guess i'd check all fuse / relay blocks to see if there is anything loose, specially wiring, or signs of water infultration. where is the fuse block where the fuse is located? any chance making a turn causes water somewhere to make contact with the fuse block?

peeetr

need help! DISCONNECTED IGNITION WIRING HARNESS when replaced engine won't start.the vehicle is a 67 mustang coupe with a 79 v8 302 replacement engine with duraspark 2 ignition control. have wired it to schematic wiring diagrams 100 times, coil is firing, and engine is in time, dont know where i went wrong can't get started.

allchevyjim

Thanks for your suggestion. Fuse and the relay are right next to each other and are high and dry on the driver side engine compartment above the wheel well. I have inspected the plastic box (about 5 inch by 5 inch with a snap lock cover) and without really getting any more intrusive with this part of the circuit (large bundle of wires coming together under the sockets) I can't see anything wrong; there is no water and no mechanical damage such as charring of plastic to indicate this box is any different than the last 200K miles when it worked correctly! If this is a possibility, it would have to be one wire in a tightly bound wiring bundle making a random contact with ground (I suspect) which seems unlikely but I guess I might need to get more intrusive if this is still a possibility. Again thanks.

bill59

Has anyone an idea re how to fix this problem? The lights usually go on with the instrument panel the moment the key is in the ignition. Now the instrumental panel works, but the digital display for the clock/HVAC/radio/CD changer is dark...even though those functions appear to be operating fine. Sounds like a bulb but that's just a guess. If it is, how do I access it? Or does the whole dash have to be removed? I don't think it is a fuse. I doubt Honda would have a fuse for just one light.

Thanks very much for your thoughts.

user777

Hmmm. One might expect there could be grounding at any point where the wires to the fuel pump (or other parts of that ckt) transition through a cut-out, or where they are mechanically bound to other wires in a bundle, or where there is any kind of movement against metal.

With what you've done thus far, I guess that would be what I'd look for next.

It's also possible for moisture to move via capillary action between a wire and it's insulation.

Good luck!

bc13

Hi, just trying to find out if anyone has come across the issue before. Seem to have a short in the system. The fuse for my horn/alarm keeps blowing out. Works for awhile after i replace it, and then the fuse burns out again. Local mechanic said it needed a new horn assembly (?) at a cost of $ 2-300. was hoping it would be something much cheaper. appreciate any thoughts/help. thanks.

doemouse2

The dash lights, speedometer, tach, all flicker or drop to zero, then go back to normal. Also, the clock goes to 1200 and i loose all my preset stations like the battery got disconnected. This happens quite frequently and has been doing it for a few days. Any suggestions?

allchevyjim

I am still wrestling with this fuse problem and am still presuming it to be a short circuit **somewhere**. Most recently, I have disconnected the oil pressure sender to isolate that circuit. Truck started and idled perfectly with the gauge inoperative (it was pegged to the high side). I let it warm up and then drove the truck. It drove well but it blew a fuse coincidentally in the exact same location several miles down the road where it blew the last time. The ECM-B 20 amp fuse blew when I was stopping to make a three point turn to reverse direction and it stopped when I was turning the wheels to the left going forward. I replaced the fuse and drove it home and it blew another fuse on turning into the driveway. I have poked all the engine compartment wiring bundles and connectors to provoke the short to no avail (although I haven't really explored too much on the passenger compartment side of the firewall). I have replaced the fuel pressure relay and the fuel pump and, of course, these were not the problems. :confuse: My latest questions:

Can the EC computer be the cause of a short downstream of the fuse? Can the circuits relating to fuel pump circuit traverse the firewall into the passenger compartment? Is there any wiring of the fuel pump circuits that can relate normally to "stop circuits" (like brake lights)? Can turning the steering wheel, maybe in combination with left turn signal, be a factor? Is the engine being at operating temperature a factor?

I am at the end of my ideas and will probably need to take it to someone with more expoerience and ingenuity to figure it out.

user777

is the EC in some housing? seems like maybe there is something moving when you are turning (like a portion of a solder for a joint that fell off, and as you turn there's arcing on the underside of the Printed Ckt Board, or possibly there is moisture in the EC enclosure).

i'm stumped.

compassion

I have a '92 Honda Accord. Neither one of my turn signals work or flash. Also the emergency lights do not work. Headlights do come on. I got it checked this morning and was told that the flasher fuse is okay, that it is a short in the wire. What can I do, or could it be something else?

Mr_Shiftright

There are one or more relays that control those functions.

compassion

If one bulb goes out would that affect the signals altogether? The lights are not flashing or coming in at all in the dashboard as well as the outside of the car. I was also told about wires be exposed and touching. If that is the case what would you suggest?

allchevyjim

The EC is under the dash on the glove compartment side and is protected from the elements well. Although I suppose the heater core might leak on it. I have not looked at this component at all ... yet.

I had someone tell me today that they had this exact same problem with their GM truck and it turned out to be a wiring harness under the dashboard overheating and making contact with ground intermittently. A new $60 harness evidently fixed that. My schematic shows 12V hot going directly from the EC to the fuse but I am not sure the exact routing and is the reason why I was asking about wiring inside the passenger side of the firewall. I am going to poke around some more this weekend under the dash to see what I can see. Thanks for your continued interest. I'll let you know if I find it.

user777

well, do you ever have evidence of a musty smell, or dampness in the footwell area? sometimes a blocked (partially or full) evaporator pan drain line results in water spilling from the pan when making a turn. blocked drain can be debugged by turning on the AC with the car in park and emerg brk on. look near the front passenger tire, underneath near the firewall, is water dripping to the road surface. if it's spilling into the area where the fuse block is stored, that should be run to ground.

dgmedmunds

Having problem with wipers. Grounding terminal on the moter control module was intermitant and I resoldered it. Now I have fast speed availible 100% of the time but the slower speed and delay positions still drop in and out. (Wiper stops mid sweep)--- Fast speed always availible. Were else should I look for a bad connection or ????--seems to work fine except for random drop- outs.

matampuhin

dear dblades with '98 VW Cabrio.....we have '02 VW Eurovan with a very similar problem, did you find out anything further because 1st time it happened we took to the dealer and they said they couldn't find anything.....your comments would be appreciated, thanks

wiztech

IF YOUR VEHICLE IS A CHEVROLET TRUCK TRY THE ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR LOCATED JUST ABOVE THE SPARE TIRE ON THE DRIVERS SIDE SOME MODELS HAVE AN ELECTRICAL JUNCTION BOX IN WHICH THE SIGNAL LAMPS AND FUEL PUMP WIRES ALL PLUG IN TO THE SAME PLUG OFTEN TIMES WATER AND ROAD DEBRIS ARE THE CAUSE OF THE SHORT PULL PLUG DRY OR INSPECT REPAIR AS NEEDED THEN RECONNECT AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS

allchevyjim

Thanks for the advice. Vehicle is actually a GMC Yukon and the fuel pump wiring travels down the drivers side frame rail and branches out straight to the fuel tank connector which is bolted to the cross-member just behind the rear axle and just in front of the tank. I had disconnected this connector when I replaced the fuel pump and noticed no corrosion or poor connections. On the day before Christmas I dismantled the steel framework under the steering columns thinking there might be some shorting going out there. Drove the truck; fuse blew. Let it sit for a day; drove to an auto electric specialist and left it there on Christmas day. (Fuse did not blow on my trip to the shop). Elecrtical technician checked it out today and could not reproduce the problem. Drove it home and fuse has not blown yet! Not sure, but problem might have gone dormant and perhaps Santa gave me a gift! It will take a little time to build up the confidence that problem is solved. (I hate it when problems just go away as mysteriously as they appear).

alcan

Please find your CAPS LOCK key and press it.

blueinfiniti

How do you find the power seat ciccuit fuse? There is nothing with a label that even closely indicate the seat circuit/power seat, etc. Also, I found the technical service bulletin#00067 but it is not printable in a readable format.
Any suggestions?

Bluetoo

bolivar

You replied to a message of mine from July 31?

That's 5 months ago!! I have no idea what's being discussed!!

A power seat may not have a fuse, it may have a circuit breaker. This is larger than a fuse, but these usually are in the same power box as the fuses. Or, it could be in a power box under the hood.

lmahler1

Good morning, I have a 2006 CRV just 3 weeks old. Not more than 10 minutes after I left the dealer the "rear hatchback" indicator light started flashing on my dashboard even though it was tightly closed. I took it back to the dealer 2 days later, and after having done a door adjustment,the light keeps on flashing on and off. Sometimes it may not happen for a few minutes but eventually the light starts flashing again. Most annoying. Two days ago another problem arose. After closing the car doors I noticed the alarm was not engaging. Now, I have to close the door manually with the key in order to lock and set the alarm. I have an appointment with the dealer on Saturday however would anybody have an idea on what might be going on with the car? I am not a technician however if I had to take a wild guess I thought maybe the car alarm was installed incorrectly which might account for both issues. Help please.
Thanx

handicrip

Hi. I'm new, but on browsing I ran into this. I bought my son an 87 Dodge Dakota Wednesday and he went out in it tonight for the first time. A while later, he called and said the bat went dead. First tho the blinkers acted funny and when he used them, the radio went off. Then after turning off truck and getting back in, the bat was dead. He said a wire blew up, it was a fusible link. We checked it when he got home. So if the fusible link blew, wouldn't something have had to cause it? It kindof sounds like a regulator or alternator problem at first but since the fuse link blew??? Any ideas out there?

rbillieux

left rear door stopped working--no noise from it all others work -what would cause this Bob B :sick:

jakson1

I PUT MY DOOR KEY INTO MY 2001 VW CABRIO GLX TO UNLOCK IT & THE KEY SEEMED TO ROTATE 360 DEGREES. THE WINDOWS CAME DOWN & I COULD NOT GET THE KEY BACK OUT. WHEN I SAT IN THE CAR, THE AUTOMATIC WINDOW & LOCK SWITCHES WOULD NOT WORK EITHER. FINALLY I FORCED THE DOOR LOCK DOWN & WAS ABLE TO GET THE KEY OUT. HAS ANYONE HAD A SIMIALR PROBLEM? ALSO, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON INTERMITTENLY.

kkollwitz

The original front turn signal bulb burned out on my 2002 Camaro. I replaced it, 2 days later it's apparently burned out again. What's up?

kkollwitz

I didn't plug the new bulb in firmly.

knkoss

My wife purchased an 1987 Audi 5000 CS in November of '05 and we have encountered a problem that has baffled me for months. The battery died, so I replaced it only to have the new one die within a week. I took the car in to be checked out and was told the alternator was bad and that I would need to replace both it and the battery. I replaced both but after a week the battery died again. I took the car back and was told that both the alternator and battery were good but as soon as I returned home the voltage light came on and the car has since drained the battery below 2 volts. I have replaced the alternator, battery, belts, fuses but the problem seems to keep re-occuring everywhere but in the shop. Any ideas?

user777

see message 514 of this discussion...

or use an ampmeter that can handle a few amps.

when you pull the fuse associated with the circuit that has an atypically high current draw, the current flow should decrease dramatically.

hopefully this will help you localize the problem.

steprov1

I own a '90 LeBarron Convertable that is in excellent shape considering its age. However I have a problem with the digital dash display. All it will do is flicker on & off occasionally. As a result, I have no gas gauge, tach, or oil & temp gauges. The Dealer no longer stocks the parts to fix the problem (which would probably be costly). Can you help? Any ideas or suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

wilson10

I have a 2000 Frontier extended cab
When driving,the dash instruments quit functioning.
Odometer goes blank spedo & tack stays at the speed I was driving.

Cruise control quits working. It may be off for a few minutes or hours. I suspect it may be heat related as it happens in the winter when the heater/defroster is on but never in the summer with airconditioning on. If I turn the heat to cold air things start working again in 10 20 minutes.

ryanfiala81

I'm a frequent poster on Edmunds, but have never had one as crazy as this. My car's check engine light came on a few days ago. The car ran well enough with it on for a few days. The light even went off briefly. However, this morning, the light had returned, and the car refused to shift out of first gear. Additionally, the input to the pedal did not directly correlate with the motor's reaction. Strangest was my fuel gauge, which now randomly meanders between 1/2 tank and empty and settles for awhile before wandering again (I have a little bit less than a half tank remaining). I took it to a local auto parts store where they ran the trouble codes. TPS was listed as one of the codes, and so I replaced it. The car now idles well enough, but still refuses to shift out of first, and the TPS trouble code refuses to be erased when clearing codes with the OBD II. The clearing of the codes appears to have settled my idle, and replacing the TPS has made my pedal input better correlate with the motor's reaction. Additionally, the fuel gauge problem appears to have righted itself, but the car still won't shift out of first.

My friend suspects the problem lies in my Electronic Control Module, but he admits he doesn't know GMs all that well. I have the following questions:

- Does anyone else think this is the likely culprit?
- Would a repair shop be able to use their Snap-On Diagnostics to better pinpoint the problem?
- Is there any sort of traceable relay that might be fouled between the computer and the transmission?
- How likely is it that the problem resides in the transmission (I had it flushed a little more than a year ago)?

I appreciate any thoughts on what's ailing my car. Thanks.

buddha2948

V6 Standard. Gauge Fuse 10A blown with heater fans, driving lights, moonroof, power windows and gauges out. Replace fuse results in another blowout in 5 seconds. Plugged in 10a circuit breaker to track problem. Noticed some smoke radiating from firewall just behind engine. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks Buddha