We are finally getting up to 50* this weekend with sun, whoooohoo!

I was going to start killing the gremlins (hopefully) that popped up with the colder weather. Very basicly I have a host of warnings, flashes, and scary things pop up, TCS/ABS, reduce engine power, loss of radio sometimes, gauges go flatline (gas, oilpress, temp) but the constant in all these is I loose my driver side door panel control, lights too.

In looking over the stickys and reading threads and other posts, plus the fact that, if I play with the conduit (wiring) from the body to driver's door, I get door/window panel back. I can clear codes and things run fine until the next time.

80% of the codes (when things go wrong) are communications codes with just about every module in the car. It is my understanding that the bare wire (with a clear tube insulator) is the serial data bus wire that runs throughout the car to all computer modules. If ture, this is a really dumb idea, but it is what it is. I could go on about this, but.......designed service revenue...... OK i'll stop.

So i got me my liquid insulator juice, DMM, contact electrical cleanner, and am going gremlin hunting. I'ma looking for possible shorts in this part of the harness first.

Some questions for those that my have done this before:

Best way to get at the connection for the door panel harness? Just pull the conduit out both sides and pull the harness out from the body side?

Best way to get the ground points of G201, G202, G301, G302.

What grounds would most likely be culprets?

What other sugestions would anyone have for hunt'in these pesky gremlins?

Is best to disconnect battery, or use the available voltage from it to find problems?

Would removing door panel help in this adventure/hunt?

As always, any input would be much appreciated here. If I can get the help, I'll try to take pics and post my findings later. Thanks for any input!

 

The LEFT DCM serial data buss wire is in connector C1, Pin 3 (brown wire). It is NOT the clear covered wire. Somehow the C1 Pin 3 wire is being compromised. Seperate the connector and carefully inspect the wires/pins and male to female pin grip. Use a spere male pin to test the grip of the female pin.

The RDCM serial wire is C1 Pin 3 (TAN Wire)

 

Thanks Bill. I've spent the last hour or so reading over your posts/sticky on the electrical problems. Didn't mean to get to testy about the wiring, thanks for the info on the serial bus wire. I was really beating the dog on that one. Thanks again and if you have any other tips on what to go after, jump right in.

 

You don't give much info about the problem...

When you say the "problems cropped up with the cold weather", it screams battery to me.

 

I had replaced the battery a few months before early October. I was an original battery on my 02. These gremlins had not started until Dec, and it seems to happen more at certin cold temps. In every case that it happens I loose dr side control. There are different levels of problems, sometmes just the loss of dr side control and other times full out wack of every warning. I've been reading through the electrical sticky and am hoping grounds or shorts are the problem in the door harness.

I'm by no means the expert on this, it just seems as if my problems are the same as many on that sticky. Most of my codes will be communicaions lost type codes. Boy, it would be grrat to find that a battery conection would prove as the fix. Of course I'll be looking at this too when I start my hunt.

Thanks for jumping in and any advice or additional direction you feel like offering will help.

 

If a sensor gos out it will make it go crazy too.

 

I had the oil changed yesterday and while doing so I ask my mechanic to check the battery connections. While we were looking for a torque wrench, one of the other guys put a wrench on the terminals and goes, hey they seemed a little loose. So two days no gremlins yet. When I changed the battery back in the fall they where good and tight. I guess they could have backed off a bit with change in weather.

It still bothers me that by playing with the door wiring seemed to solve problems. I'll still go on the hunt this weekend but so far so good. SO I hope your call is the right one. Thanks

 

If the cables were loose, then the battery likely was not getting charged fully. These "Christmas Tree" events can happen when a battery is weak, but still start the car every time. A good trickle charge and a proper load test will verify the battery and eliminate it as a cause so that you aren't chasing ghosts.

I would be concerned about battery cables coming loose on their own...

Start by cleaning up the grounds per Bill's instructions. The one on the frame near the battery is the most important IMHO. It has a nasty tendency to snap off when you attempt to remove the nut from the stud.
I had the right door thing, and never once touched the wires leading to it, just the grounds. So my advice is to clean up the grounds first.

Good Luck!

 

thanks for th input. Today I didn't go on the gremlin hunt, I washed the car and helped a buddy do mads to his Mustang. Sunday, I'll try the door and check gnd's, but I tree came down from the neighbor's, and will tackle that first.

It would seem as if these gremlins can comr from anywhere. Grounds seeem to be the most likely cause. thanks agin