I have story for you.

My passenger side would not unlock. But when I pressed the button I would hear a clicking sound. So I pulled appart the door and checked the power going to the Door look actuator. It was getting 12 volts. The only thing I didn't know was how much current was available. I mean, even if it gets 12 volts, enough to run a volt meter I knew that it still may not be getting enough current.

Well, I took a gamble and replaced the door lock actuator and it still didn't work. So I ended up replacing the Right Door Control Module, RDCM computer and it worked.

Moral, so even if you hear clicking from the relays, it still doesn't mean they are working properly.

 

Yes, mine got progressively worse until one day they didn't work at all.
As far as the codes, yes I saw codes on mine when it failed.

I think it is because the RDCM reports to the computer that it has unlocked the doors, but the state of the lock remains locked, hence it senses that it didn't unlock. Hence the error code.

But that is just a guess. In either case, I just replaced the RDCM and it worked fine after that, no codes.

I wish I had read this thread before, i would have just replaced the relay instead of the entire RDCM.

 

And, the power door module "used" costs FAR LESS at The Karshop. So, if all else fails, do give Gene a call.

 

Bindy's post said he's had the relays go bad on his '01 and '02. His receipt says he replaced them with JSM1-12V-4, and I gotta figure his comment, "Here's a direct 12 volt - 5 pin replacement relay with the exact same external dimensions" means the ones he got work, and are a replacement for the model you see. As a matter of fact, ALANH posted pics of his 97 (which aren't showing on this thread anymore), and I could've sworn the number was what yours shows. I thought it was because his was an older car, but now that you've got the part number in front of you, I am even more confident that Bindy found a replacement, even though the part number is different, which is why he made the comment about the direct replacement.

While I could've waited and called DigiKey, I figured at this point I have nothing to lose. So, I'm going with what Bindy used. And, if it doesn't work, and I call DigiKey later, I'm only out $15. Without this thread I would've been replacing a DCM, and having the opportunity to try Bindy's replacement first at least gived me the chance to beat the cost of a DCM.

 

Although my DCM board has relays marked JSM1E-12V-5-H15, I can't find any info on these relays on the 'net, nor can I find a supplier.

From what I have seen, the JSM1-12V-4 has a capacity of 10 amps, while the JSM1-12V-5 has a capacity of 15 amps, otherwise, they have identical specs.

I think I'll pick up some JSM1-12V-5 relays and give them a try. There is a supplier not too far from me who keeps them.

RonJ ...

 

Just thought I'd post a little feedback, here.

I got my relays in the mail from Digi-Key, but the job is much tougher than I thought. Getting the door panel off was easy enough, as was removing the DCM.

The hard part is getting the old relay removed. Even after getting a new soldering iron designed for circuit boards, and even solder-removing braid, as well as one of those solder sucker things, I was never able to get the old solder off the old relays, so I could actually remove the relays to replace them. I was only able to get very little solder off the connections, and even at that, I'm wondering if I only managed to smear the solder around the little pins, which could've ruined the board altogether. Luckily, I gave up before I did ruin it.

I ended up grinding a hole in the casing of the relay, a la ALANH, and sanding the contacts, which worked, but I don't think will last, which is why I opted to buy the new relays to begin with. The sandpaper had to be cut into a tiny 1/4" strip, and worked between the contacts, which in itself is quite a chore. And, even if you have some sandpaper thin enough to fit in the VERY limited space you have to work with, you can't really sand much. The space to work with is SO mall, even a tiny ignition file can't be used. You also better have darned good close-up vision.

Tomorrow I will try to find some kind of electric repair shop that would be willing to replace the relay for me. Even that scares me, because one little mistake and the board will probably be useless.

Seeing that I spent 5 hours trying to do this, and not even getting it done, I think buying a module itself probalbly would've been worth it, even at GM's pricing. considering all the time I spent doing nothing.

But now that I have the door panel off and already have the relays, I'm going to follow this through as far as I can. And, if I end up ruining the circuit board, oh well, because I would've had to replace the module anyway. I'm just sorry that I wasted so much time, which is more valuable than the $300 I've tried to save, so far. And, I've only been working on the passenger side! I still have the driver's door to do!

So, while I try to find someone willing to do the soldering, in the meantime, if any of you have any tips on how to remove the solder that holds the old relay in place, I'd appreciate hearing from you.

 

Hi LeadFoot, I got my relays too, you're right, it's a bit of a bitch to unsolder a relay, but I got it done. I used both the wick and a sucker, the one is as bad as the other ...

All back together, so far, it's working like new, maybe even better than new!!

I'll be posting how I went about it on my website, it might help someone else save a bunch of dollars!!!

RonJ ...

 

Can't wait to get details on how to remove that damned solder. Maybe I'm doing something wrong.

What did you use to heat the solder? I have both a Weller gun and a 15 watt radio shack iron, which I tried to use. Nothing seemed to heat the older solder up enough for the solder to stay wet so the sucker would work. When using the sucker, no solder seemed to get sucked up. I even tried dipping the tip in flux, thinking that the solder might get sucked up onto the iron, but all the flux did was burn before the solder even heated up.

On the two well-spaced pins, I even tried heating the pins from the side.

The copper braid didn't do sh|t. Not one drop of solder gut sucked up because it seemed as though the solder never got hot enough when I put the braid between the tip and the contact.

Help me!!!!!

 

[QUOTE=
The copper braid didn't do sh|t. Not one drop of solder gut sucked up because it seemed as though the solder never got hot enough when I put the braid between the tip and the contact.

Help me!!!!! [/QUOTE]
You have the answer. The solder isn't hot enough. Take the board to a local electronics repair shop and ask them to do it before you ruin the board. They'll solder in the replacements too for a couple of bucks.

 

Turned out the iron I used could not heat the solder enough. With the help of a neighbor last night, who happens to work for Intel designing circuit boards, I switched to a very high wattage gun, and the solder then easily was melted enough for the cuker to easily suck the solder off the board. Although, I had problems only with the unlocking relay on the passenger's side, and no problems with the locking relay, I figured I might as well go for the locking relay, too. All went smoothly and the board was back in the car within 30 minutes.

Interestingly, my driver's door, which had a problem locking, all of a sudden starting working. I tested it maybe 50 times so far, and it's still working! I'm not touching the driver's door for now.

 

I started with a 33 watt pencil iron, ended up using my 75/150 watt Weller with a small tip. The other thing I did was to remove that silicone type sealer that covers the board off the solder. I think that helped considerably too. It was the locking relay on the drivers door that was giving me a bad time so I didn't change the unlock relay. If the other relay acts up down the road, as you said, it's not a big job to get at!!

RonJ ...

 

When I saw how close together the contacts were to other connections on the board, I went out of my way to go down to Radio Shack to get an iron designed for circuit boards - a 15 watt model. That thing didn't do sh|it! When I told my neighbor about it, he said that maybe the solder was lead-based, so he volunteered to help. We ended up using a big heavy gun that was one of those 45 - 260 watt monsters, even though that supposedly goes against the grain when working on fine circuitry. We fitted a fine tip and took about 10 minutes to remove both relays. We did not remove the coating first, however, I used an exacto knife to cut the coating at the base of the relays.

Now that I know how to do it, it's a piece of cake. But, for those that don't have good soldering experience, I would say to not try this at home, and to have someone with some experience at least help you remove the existing solder. Otherwise you'll waste your time, and it's probably worth the $278 for a new module altogether in time saved. Of course, you can't beat the $1.30 for a relay, so if you're a patient person, and don't mind looking at your interior with the panel off for a bit, you might be able to find a professional to help. Soldering the new relay on is no big deal, but removing the solder requires some knowledge of the process.

I did learn, however, that the boards are quite durable, which I didn't know previously. I was scared I was going to ruin the thing. Turns out you really can't unless you get solder all over the place and end up connecting multiple components' connections. Yikes!

 

does anyone know if replacing the relays is an appropriate fix for the windows not functioning?

also, which box houses the window relay? i'm assuming its the big box in the middle of the circuit board...

-Brett-

 

I've only repaired my passenger door's module. There are three identical relays on one side of the board. Position the board so that one of the three relays is at the bottom edge of the board. The relay on the bottom is the locker; the middle one is the unlocker. I don't know what the top one is, and I would think assume the larger one to the right of the three is for the window. It may be larger because it might contain two relays - one for up window, and another for down window

It sure would be nice to know what those relays are, that's for sure.

Hope at least some of what I DO know is helpful.

 

Here's a picture of the old "lock" relay out of my DCM. I had to break the relay open to get at the contacts and then broke the contacts out. Notice how badly burnt the contact on the upper right in the picture is. The original relay is rated at 10 amps, the replacement is rated at 15 amps. Hopefully, it will have a longer life!



If you go to my website at http://www.ronjpics.com , you can see more pictures on changing the relay.

RonJ ...

 

So it could possibly be the top AND right module. From the pictures, the right box doesn't look any bigger than the other three.

I guess I'll open it up tomorrow and have a look-see...

Do I use an exacto knife to open the black boxes?

-Brett-

 

Great thread!

TTT

 

WHAT could possibly the top and right modules?

If I recall correctly, it is.

Are you talking about cutting open the relays themselves? If so, you'll need a damn strong one. I used a grinding wheel, then pliers to snap the plastic off the relay housings. Just remember, once you open 'em, there's no turning back, unless you can figure a good way to cover 'em up again, because once they're unsealed, I would think they'd be more prone to corrode, especially being in a door where there's all kinds of condensation and temp changes.

If you mean the door control module boxes, then, no, they are just plastic housings, with clips, so no tools needed.

 

Bump to the top.

Now that my car is out of storage, this is 1st on my list.
Thanks for the info guys.
I'll prob be buying 4 new replays, and soldering them in.

 

thanks