Electrical Problems When Hot
07-08-2015, 06:15 PM
#23
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You Rock burdie
I hate to keep updating this old post but I finally fixed the problem and thought others would like to know. I took the car back to the dealership and they wanted to start replacing modules on the comms buss starting with the ECM. I didn't want to loose my programming or start to pay for many modules (the BCM didnt fix the problem). I started keeping religious documentation of all the codes when the problem occured (generally 6-10 with several repeats). They always had communication errors and an antilock brake error. This weekend, I removed the Alternator to get access, removed the connector, cleaned and re-seated and walah!!! Drove 160 miles in stop and go traffic in the 90's and no issues.
I had the same issue, it started very intermittently, months between episodes, then gradually became more frequent and severe. It got to the point that it affected everything in the car, speedo, tac, windows, gauges, DIC, lights, radio, AC, exhaust, and the list goes on. Always ran perfect in the morning when it was cool and on the way home from work it would turn into something out of a Steven King novel. Because it was heat related I bought freezer packs and placed them in different areas around the electrical system to try to isolate the area. No luck. After your post I cleaned the connector on the alternator, which looked clean, with some electrical cleaner and then blew it off with air. As you said "walah!!!" I got my car back.
Thanks burdie
Last edited by Clyde D; 07-08-2015 at 06:20 PM.
08-27-2015, 02:37 PM
#24
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I had the same issue, it started very intermittently, months between episodes, then gradually became more frequent and severe. It got to the point that it affected everything in the car, speedo, tac, windows, gauges, DIC, lights, radio, AC, exhaust, and the list goes on. Always ran perfect in the morning when it was cool and on the way home from work it would turn into something out of a Steven King novel. Because it was heat related I bought freezer packs and placed them in different areas around the electrical system to try to isolate the area. No luck. After your post I cleaned the connector on the alternator, which looked clean, with some electrical cleaner and then blew it off with air. As you said "walah!!!" I got my car back.
Thanks burdie
Thanks burdie
09-02-2015, 06:36 PM
#26
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09-03-2015, 01:15 PM
#27
I had the TCS/ABS light come on near the end of a 2500 mile drive 
Turn off the motor and restart and the lights go away for the day. Then the lights come on again the next day. Stop-start and it's gone.
Now each time I start the car it comes on almost immediately.
I'll try cleaning the batter posts, Starter connections and the alternator connections.
Thanks for posting back the results and what appears to be your solution. Others have stated the same thing with going to the battery and starter first.
Turn off the motor and restart and the lights go away for the day. Then the lights come on again the next day. Stop-start and it's gone.
Now each time I start the car it comes on almost immediately.
I'll try cleaning the batter posts, Starter connections and the alternator connections.
Thanks for posting back the results and what appears to be your solution. Others have stated the same thing with going to the battery and starter first.
09-03-2015, 04:32 PM
#28
At lunch today I decided to take a look at by battery and the connections. The battery itself looked clean, the battery posts were also clean. I decided to see if the positive and negative terminals were secured properly and as I twisted on the positive cable it turned and came right off without much effort. The ground lead was tight.
So I twisted and pressed it back on as securely as I could without getting out the toolbox.
My TCS/ABS light still came on so that loose cable was not the culprit, not that I really tightened it well enough. I'll clean up the posts and re-secure them later.
Later: I did clean up the battery connections and re-secured them. No help there. This weekend I'll see if I can get it up on a friends lift and check the starter and other connections.
I did pull up the passenger foot well and their was one box out of place. I haven't looked it up, but it's the larger black box on the very bottom that was not clipped in place. Pressed on the two blue connectors and joggled some wires just to see. Again, it made no difference.
Something I've noticed when the lights for TCS and ABS have come on. A couple times now I've lightly touched the brake pedal and the ABS engaged. I've only hit the brakes hard enough to feel the ABS when I did it on purpose shortly after my test drive. So for the ABS to activate with a lightly pressed brake pedal when the ABS light is on doesn't make any sense.
Good thing it's so much fun to drive
So I twisted and pressed it back on as securely as I could without getting out the toolbox.
My TCS/ABS light still came on so that loose cable was not the culprit, not that I really tightened it well enough. I'll clean up the posts and re-secure them later.
Later: I did clean up the battery connections and re-secured them. No help there. This weekend I'll see if I can get it up on a friends lift and check the starter and other connections.
I did pull up the passenger foot well and their was one box out of place. I haven't looked it up, but it's the larger black box on the very bottom that was not clipped in place. Pressed on the two blue connectors and joggled some wires just to see. Again, it made no difference.
Something I've noticed when the lights for TCS and ABS have come on. A couple times now I've lightly touched the brake pedal and the ABS engaged. I've only hit the brakes hard enough to feel the ABS when I did it on purpose shortly after my test drive. So for the ABS to activate with a lightly pressed brake pedal when the ABS light is on doesn't make any sense.
Good thing it's so much fun to drive
Last edited by SmileyOr; 09-04-2015 at 10:36 AM.
09-23-2015, 07:43 PM
#29
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At lunch today I decided to take a look at by battery and the connections. The battery itself looked clean, the battery posts were also clean. I decided to see if the positive and negative terminals were secured properly and as I twisted on the positive cable it turned and came right off without much effort. The ground lead was tight.
So I twisted and pressed it back on as securely as I could without getting out the toolbox.
My TCS/ABS light still came on so that loose cable was not the culprit, not that I really tightened it well enough. I'll clean up the posts and re-secure them later.
Later: I did clean up the battery connections and re-secured them. No help there. This weekend I'll see if I can get it up on a friends lift and check the starter and other connections.
I did pull up the passenger foot well and their was one box out of place. I haven't looked it up, but it's the larger black box on the very bottom that was not clipped in place. Pressed on the two blue connectors and joggled some wires just to see. Again, it made no difference.
Something I've noticed when the lights for TCS and ABS have come on. A couple times now I've lightly touched the brake pedal and the ABS engaged. I've only hit the brakes hard enough to feel the ABS when I did it on purpose shortly after my test drive. So for the ABS to activate with a lightly pressed brake pedal when the ABS light is on doesn't make any sense.
Good thing it's so much fun to drive
So I twisted and pressed it back on as securely as I could without getting out the toolbox.
My TCS/ABS light still came on so that loose cable was not the culprit, not that I really tightened it well enough. I'll clean up the posts and re-secure them later.
Later: I did clean up the battery connections and re-secured them. No help there. This weekend I'll see if I can get it up on a friends lift and check the starter and other connections.
I did pull up the passenger foot well and their was one box out of place. I haven't looked it up, but it's the larger black box on the very bottom that was not clipped in place. Pressed on the two blue connectors and joggled some wires just to see. Again, it made no difference.
Something I've noticed when the lights for TCS and ABS have come on. A couple times now I've lightly touched the brake pedal and the ABS engaged. I've only hit the brakes hard enough to feel the ABS when I did it on purpose shortly after my test drive. So for the ABS to activate with a lightly pressed brake pedal when the ABS light is on doesn't make any sense.
Good thing it's so much fun to drive
SmileyOr
It is a major pain but pull the connector on the ABS module and clean it up, it has worked for me so far. The problem is, it is so intermittent my confidence level is still pretty low. Time will tell.
09-23-2015, 07:53 PM
#30
So I was out for a spirited drive and all was well until I approached a hard left hander. I applied brakes and the TCS, ABS lights came on. I went offroading into some large rocks that damaged my skid bars/radiator lower mount and a few other items.
The car is now up on a rack waiting for the new skid plate. I'll have it installed with the help of a friend this weekend.
