PKE and headlights
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 274
Likes: 12
From: Louisburg NC
PKE and headlights
'94 coupe
Here's a wierd one.
Several months ago my PKE started acting wierd. The fob stopped working and sometimes the PKE light would come on while I was driving. Every now and then the rear hatch would open all by itself while the car was sitting in the driveway. Once I walked out to find the hatch open and the latch clicking about once per second. I got in and started the car and the clicking stopped. That hasn't happened for several months now. Since then, sometimes, when I turn on the headlights I get a PKE light for a few seconds.
This brings us to 2 nights ago. I'm driving down the road and suddenly the hatch pops open and the latch is clicking. I pulled over and for some reason I turned off the high beams. The clicking stopped and the PKE light came on. I closed the hatch and whent on my way. The PKE light stayed on for the next two hours until stopped and shut the car off. The PKE light went off. It hasn't come on since.
Any idea what the headlights have to do with the PKE?
Here's a wierd one.
Several months ago my PKE started acting wierd. The fob stopped working and sometimes the PKE light would come on while I was driving. Every now and then the rear hatch would open all by itself while the car was sitting in the driveway. Once I walked out to find the hatch open and the latch clicking about once per second. I got in and started the car and the clicking stopped. That hasn't happened for several months now. Since then, sometimes, when I turn on the headlights I get a PKE light for a few seconds.
This brings us to 2 nights ago. I'm driving down the road and suddenly the hatch pops open and the latch is clicking. I pulled over and for some reason I turned off the high beams. The clicking stopped and the PKE light came on. I closed the hatch and whent on my way. The PKE light stayed on for the next two hours until stopped and shut the car off. The PKE light went off. It hasn't come on since.
Any idea what the headlights have to do with the PKE?
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 871
Likes: 1
From: Union KY
My 96 CE developed PKE jitters in about 2002. The trunk lid only auto-opened once, but the door locks would chatter without any reason or rhyme. It never did so with the ignition key off. I chased the problem for several years with no sucess. IN exaperation, I finally pulled the PKA fuse and stopped using the key fob. I posted my situation at least five times here and never got a reply that lead anywhere. The best guess I got was that the body control module is the culpret - and it's located waaay deep in the dash. (removal of the entire dash is required to gain access). Best of luck tracking the gremlin!
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 5,621
Likes: 206
From: Orlando FL
The BCM is actually the CCM. The CCM interfaces with the PKE module. The interaction is to arm and dis-arm the security and to lock and un-lock the doors. There is no real commands from the CCM to light the PKE lamp or pop the hatch. The circuits and relays for the electronic door lock to activate come from the PKE as so does the hatch control.
With strange problems like these (weird and makes no sense) after troubleshooting for extensive time and nothing comes up solid, sometimes you have to try the most logical part and replace it in order to move forward and do some elimination. In these cases I would replace the PKE module and see if any positive effect is gained. There is a high chance it could be defective and you will be fixed.
If you don’t want the try to replace it, then you might be living with these problems for the rest of your days instead of enjoying the benefits of things working correctly. And don’t tell me how much it cost and the hours of work involved. I know first hand all too well.
With strange problems like these (weird and makes no sense) after troubleshooting for extensive time and nothing comes up solid, sometimes you have to try the most logical part and replace it in order to move forward and do some elimination. In these cases I would replace the PKE module and see if any positive effect is gained. There is a high chance it could be defective and you will be fixed.
If you don’t want the try to replace it, then you might be living with these problems for the rest of your days instead of enjoying the benefits of things working correctly. And don’t tell me how much it cost and the hours of work involved. I know first hand all too well.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 5,621
Likes: 206
From: Orlando FL
The headlights have no relationship and I can't even comment how they might. The CCM does drive the hi-beam indicator but that is a stretch.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 274
Likes: 12
From: Louisburg NC
Maybe I should start seriously working on this before the car blows up.
Today I was driving down the road, 65 mph, head lights on and cruise control on. The PKE light and the interior lights came on for no reason. I turned the headlights off and on but the PKE light and interior lights stayed on. They didn't go off until I stopped, shut the car off and re-started it. Very strange.
Today I was driving down the road, 65 mph, head lights on and cruise control on. The PKE light and the interior lights came on for no reason. I turned the headlights off and on but the PKE light and interior lights stayed on. They didn't go off until I stopped, shut the car off and re-started it. Very strange.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 855
Likes: 36
From: Crystal Springs MS
Maybe I should start seriously working on this before the car blows up.
Today I was driving down the road, 65 mph, head lights on and cruise control on. The PKE light and the interior lights came on for no reason. I turned the headlights off and on but the PKE light and interior lights stayed on. They didn't go off until I stopped, shut the car off and re-started it. Very strange.
Today I was driving down the road, 65 mph, head lights on and cruise control on. The PKE light and the interior lights came on for no reason. I turned the headlights off and on but the PKE light and interior lights stayed on. They didn't go off until I stopped, shut the car off and re-started it. Very strange.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Drifting
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 1,363
Likes: 7
From: 1994 LT1 Coupe 6-speed with FX3 & 2000 LS1 Vert 6-Speed with F45 Hunterdon County, NJ
check door switches too
on checking the grounds. 2 major ones are driver side foot well, outer frame, behind and above speaker and driver side bell housing bolt to engine.Also, check door switches --- use the FSM and CCM inputs testing proceedure -- or, check via interior lights coming on/radio going off when door is open.
The door switches send an electrical signal to the CCM, which it interpretes and sends signals to various other components. If it is failing electrically (shorting out inside due to water intrusion), it can incorrectly tell the CCM the door is open, even when it is closed. Also, its adjustable 'nose' can be pushed in all the way causing it to not depress suffficiently to compensate for body flex while driving, again, incorrectly telling the CCM the door is open.
btw, if the switch(es) are bad, they can be replaced right through their hole, without haing to take the door apart.
