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Topic: Electrical Gremlins (Read 2074 times) |
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tintin
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Electrical Gremlins
« on: Mar 11th, 2007, 3:53pm » |
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ok, car is now running beautifully, but is showing a few minor issues driving to work and back today :
alarm has been going off on a whim, so its not armed at the moment....
sometimes the electric windows dont work, the panel on the door does not light up, then suddenly it lights up and the windows work
the sunroof is not opening anymore, although i think the motor is trying to
when i got back to the car, the interior hazards were ticking away when i opened the door, but outside lights werent flashing. key in, one turn, it stopped. it also flashed once on the way home. what makes the hazards flash? low battery?
nothing life-threatening, but would be good to get sorted. sound like fuse box?
stuart, want your first job? mates rates? 
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'95 Cosworth Ultima
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Kjetil S
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2001 BMW 520iat
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Re: Electrical Gremlins
« Reply #1 on: Mar 11th, 2007, 10:48pm » |
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Could very well be the fuse box.
Re the alarm, check the bonnet switch. They are prone to failure.
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Dave
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Tourmallard 24v (ex-owner)
Posts: 1984
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Re: Electrical Gremlins
« Reply #2 on: Mar 13th, 2007, 8:12am » |
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When you say the alarm is not armed, have you just disconnected the siren? Then maybe the ticking was the alarm going off but without sound 
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Rod
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'98 Lexus LS400 Mk IV
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Re: Electrical Gremlins
« Reply #3 on: Mar 13th, 2007, 8:34am » |
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on Mar 11th, 2007, 10:48pm, Kjetil S wrote:
Re the alarm, check the bonnet switch. They are prone to failure. |
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Hi Kjetil
I have a not dissimilar problem with my P plate 2.9 12v Scorpio which Bernie is kindly looking into.
In the meantime, do I do that check as in open bonnet, depress plunger with finger, double lock on key fob, release finger, make note to wear ear defenders next time - equals bonnet switch OK? 
Or is there another check? The plunger goes down and back up freely. Currently got the bonnet switch disconnected to stop the alarm going off, which it is prone to do some hours after parking the car. The car still double locks and the PATS light blinks normally.
Rod
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Simmo
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Re: Electrical Gremlins
« Reply #4 on: Mar 13th, 2007, 9:57am » |
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Rod, That establishes that the bonnet switch seems to be ok !. Are you sure it was the hazards going ? It sounds as though you have a locking problem and that will send the system into a 'frenzy' with all sorts of noises as the locks try to sort themselves out. A good first stage is to ensure that each closure mechanism is dosed with WD40 particularly if some of the doors get little use and the fob is used instead of the key. Obviously all the doors,boot etc need to be registering as secure for the alarm to set up properly.
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Rod
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'98 Lexus LS400 Mk IV
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Re: Electrical Gremlins
« Reply #5 on: Mar 13th, 2007, 10:20am » |
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Thanks Simmo
My low level of expertise runs to jiggling the switches and squirting them with WD40. Not sure where the boot switch is yet, but I will have a look.
My description of fiddling with the bonnet switch was a rhetorical question. I haven't done that yet - so I don't know if the alarm goes off when I do. Better try that now.
Anyhow, I'm on the case. Thanks. 
And sorry Tintin for butting into your thread. I hope that your problems are soon resolved - and your neighbours understand when you 'flash' on the way home 
Rod
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tintin
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Re: Electrical Gremlins
« Reply #6 on: Mar 13th, 2007, 11:34am » |
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lol, no probs,
im just not locking the car at the moment, seems my area is grotty enough for them not to p**s on their own doorstep
not sure why the hazards went off, it didnt do it on the way in this morning, although the windows only worked on the latter part of the journey. interestingly the mirrors still worked, so i guess its not the control panel as a whole thats the problem, but something more specific. need to get at the bonnet/boot switches and give it a good thrashing to see if that is the issue with the alarm....
seems to do it more when its wet outside, so still think this may be damp-related
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Kjetil S
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2001 BMW 520iat
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Re: Electrical Gremlins
« Reply #7 on: Mar 13th, 2007, 12:33pm » |
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If the problem goes away after disconnecting the bonnet switch, then the switch is probably the problem. If the problem is still there, then the switch is probably ok.
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Dave
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Tourmallard 24v (ex-owner)
Posts: 1984
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Re: Electrical Gremlins
« Reply #8 on: Mar 13th, 2007, 3:29pm » |
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on Mar 13th, 2007, 11:34am, tintin wrote:lol, no probs,
im just not locking the car at the moment, seems my area is grotty enough for them not to p**s on their own doorstep
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When I want to lock the car but not arm the alarm, I do the following:
-Shut drivers door having removed self from car 
-Open rear drivers side door
-Reach round to drivers interior door handle, push to lock car (all doors lock, including open door)
-Shut rear door - car is now locked
Will open on the remote/key as normal.
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tintin
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Re: Electrical Gremlins
« Reply #9 on: Mar 13th, 2007, 3:56pm » |
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lol, doesnt that lock yourself in the car
sounds good, will give it a go tonight, i just assumed i had to arm it to lock it.... many thanks
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Dave
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Tourmallard 24v (ex-owner)
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Re: Electrical Gremlins
« Reply #10 on: Mar 13th, 2007, 6:11pm » |
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Sorry should have read:
-Open rear drivers side door BUT DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES INSTALL SELF IN VEHICLE
PS Objects in the mirror may be closer than they appear.
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tintin
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Re: Electrical Gremlins
« Reply #11 on: Mar 19th, 2007, 6:54pm » |
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ok, cure to hazards flashing = turn on the indicators, then off again.....
i can live with that especially as the windows have started working again !! might go crazy and arm the alarm this weekend
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tintin
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Re: Electrical Gremlins
« Reply #12 on: Mar 21st, 2007, 10:15am » |
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ok, im going to have to rename my car Christine !
this morning, windows have stopped working again, the hazards were going off more than normal, and now a new one.... the alarm horn (god its loud when you are inside the car) sounded twice (single parp on two separate occassions). hasnt rained since the last drive. still drives well, just a bit embarassing (although with the hazards going, no-one tail-gates me )
so my thoughts are either
1) the PATS module is damp and is getting confused
2) the battery is getting run low, and that is triggering the alarm somehow (even though its not set??). battery light on the dash has always glowed faintly since i got the car a year ago, but it doesnt drain.
3) aux fuse box is damp
any ideas?
i have a spare PATS module, so will be swapping that over to try it. might just get a new battery as well this weekend, as mine is the low-crank variety.
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sector-9
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No scorpio anymore
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Re: Electrical Gremlins
« Reply #13 on: Mar 23rd, 2007, 10:01pm » |
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With the engine stopped, disconnect the alternator and see if the battery light goes out as the rectifiers are known to break down and cause a current leakage (causing the same symptom) - may also explain the alarm going off, but won't affect the windows.
However, the alarm and windows are all controlled from the central control module mounted above the main engine ECU, below the cable entry grommet for the aux. fusebox and this area can get rather wet if the seal is broken!
Darren
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tintin
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Re: Electrical Gremlins
« Reply #14 on: Mar 24th, 2007, 7:44am » |
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ahhh now that sounds more likely, i know i am damp in that area
i knew the ecu was down there (its now dry and out the way) and the PATS was there (i am going to pull it out and give it a dry today), guess i need to look for the central control module too (which i thought was in the centre armrest thing )
getting close to the Basil method of branch beating soon
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sector-9
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Re: Electrical Gremlins
« Reply #15 on: Mar 24th, 2007, 11:47am » |
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It's possible the CCM and PATS are one and the same thing as I've read people describing the PATS unit as being directly above the ECU and held in place by a clip either side - which is exactly the description of the CCM!
Unfortunately my car doesn't have PATS so I can't double check if this is the case...
Darren
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tintin
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Re: Electrical Gremlins
« Reply #16 on: Apr 7th, 2007, 12:25pm » |
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ok, i think i have got to the bottom of these issues :
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l230/tintin74/DSC00124.jpg
the CCM has had water in it, by the looks of it. I had a spare from the scrapper, but when i plug it in , the alarm goes off and wont disarm. The codes on them are slightly different.... the watery one is a 96GP, but the one from the scrapper is a 96GG. Incompatible?
the car actually still drives fine, just these strange electrical problems, should i attempt to clean up the PCB board, or could i make it worse? is there a way to make the 96GG unit work? dont want to be stranded down in Birmingham
as always, all ideas welcome
PS im with the scrapper cossie at the moment, if anyone needs bits pulled off and sent, let me know.
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scorpio_man
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Ford Kuga awd
Posts: 5654
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Re: Electrical Gremlins
« Reply #17 on: Apr 7th, 2007, 12:29pm » |
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hi sam
i'd try cleaning it with a rubber and then some switch cleaner and cotton buds.
leave it to dry and see how it goes.
btw, are you saying the car drives fine with the ccm out of it?
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tintin
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Re: Electrical Gremlins
« Reply #18 on: Apr 7th, 2007, 1:56pm » |
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lol, no not out of it,
given the damage inside i would not have expected that it would have started at all, but it drives fine, just parps its horn and flashes its hazards every now and again (oh, and the windows only work when it is doing those things)
im afraid if i clean it, i will disturb something and it will stop working.... its a long walk back north
i am not sure why the car is not happy with the other CCM, i thought they would all work in any car, but i guess i am wrong. or do you have to battery reset to get them to work, or something?
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scorpio_man
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Ford Kuga awd
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Re: Electrical Gremlins
« Reply #19 on: Apr 7th, 2007, 3:01pm » |
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hi sam
are you using the 'other' key? the one from the scrap car?
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