DW's 2004 XLT has had little things going on for at least two years, maybe longer, and unless I can get it smoothed out I'm going to be stuck for a Navigator, which would have been fine when I lived in the real world, but on retirement income with more important demands, like new RVs and ATVs, well, you get the picture. FWIW, this is our 3rd Exppy. One turn signal won't work for a few minutes, or her high headlamps won't go on for an evening, although they will if you pull the lever back for a manual flash. Then her heated seat quit for a while. Lately, her air bag light came on for a couple of days until it went off and then the Advance Trac (if that's the right name) light came on. She could probably name a few more, but that' what I recall. She's a great DW and didn't leave me when I move us from a big city up to what had been a summer place on a mountain in the middle of nowhere, so I'd like to keep her happy. Any ideas? Would a code reader clue me in? They seem to be for check engine lights, which is about the only one we don't get. I'm no mechanic, but I'd sure like a starting place because I'm afraid that letting an electrical guy loose on a fishing expedition (no pun intended) would cost a fortune and maybe fix nothing.
Electrical Gremlin
- Thread starter cekkk
- Start date
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FirstOnRaceDay
Member
I'm no electrician, but you can purchase a multimeter unless you already have one and begin by checking your battery and alternator. If nothing is wrong there, then check for obvious signs of damage, i.e. corrosion, corroded connectors, frayed/chaffed wiring, fuses, etc... Grind any corrosion found on your grounding points down to bare metal. Let me know if any of this helps.
Also,
Freeautomechanic.com says,
Troubleshooting and Testing Electrical Systems with a Multi meter
When diagnosing a specific problem, organized troubleshooting is a must. The complexity of a modern automotive vehicle demands that you approach any problem in a logical, organized manner. There are certain troubleshooting techniques, however, which are standard:
•Establish when the problem occurs. Does the problem appear only under certain conditions? Were there any noises, odors or other unusual symptoms? Isolate the problem area. To do this, make some simple tests and observations, then eliminate the systems that are working properly. Check for obvious problems, such as broken wires and loose or dirty connections. Always check the obvious before assuming something complicated is the cause.
•Test for problems systematically to determine the cause once the problem area is isolated. Are all the components functioning properly? Is there power going to electrical switches and motors. Performing careful, systematic checks will often turn up most causes on the first inspection, without wasting time checking components that have little or no relationship to the problem.
•Test all repairs after the work is done to make sure that the problem is fixed. Some causes can be traced to more than one component, so a careful verification of repair work is important in order to pick up additional malfunctions that may cause a problem to reappear or a different problem to arise. A blown fuse, for example, is a simple problem that may require more than another fuse to repair. If you don't look for a problem that caused a fuse to blow, a shorted wire (for example) may go undetected.
Experience has shown that most problems tend to be the result of a fairly simple and obvious cause, such as loose or corroded connectors, bad grounds or damaged wire insulation which causes a short. This makes careful visual inspection of components during testing essential to quick and accurate troubleshooting.
Also,
Freeautomechanic.com says,
Troubleshooting and Testing Electrical Systems with a Multi meter
When diagnosing a specific problem, organized troubleshooting is a must. The complexity of a modern automotive vehicle demands that you approach any problem in a logical, organized manner. There are certain troubleshooting techniques, however, which are standard:
•Establish when the problem occurs. Does the problem appear only under certain conditions? Were there any noises, odors or other unusual symptoms? Isolate the problem area. To do this, make some simple tests and observations, then eliminate the systems that are working properly. Check for obvious problems, such as broken wires and loose or dirty connections. Always check the obvious before assuming something complicated is the cause.
•Test for problems systematically to determine the cause once the problem area is isolated. Are all the components functioning properly? Is there power going to electrical switches and motors. Performing careful, systematic checks will often turn up most causes on the first inspection, without wasting time checking components that have little or no relationship to the problem.
•Test all repairs after the work is done to make sure that the problem is fixed. Some causes can be traced to more than one component, so a careful verification of repair work is important in order to pick up additional malfunctions that may cause a problem to reappear or a different problem to arise. A blown fuse, for example, is a simple problem that may require more than another fuse to repair. If you don't look for a problem that caused a fuse to blow, a shorted wire (for example) may go undetected.
Experience has shown that most problems tend to be the result of a fairly simple and obvious cause, such as loose or corroded connectors, bad grounds or damaged wire insulation which causes a short. This makes careful visual inspection of components during testing essential to quick and accurate troubleshooting.
tonydiv
technical advisor
I agree that you need to start collecting more data.
Did it rain the day *** started to act up? What codes are there in the computer and when did they appear? Etc.
Also start poking around to look for obvious issues. (is the floor wet, are there any rusty connectors, etc)
And finally, if you got it used, did you do a carfax? Flood vehicles often have ongoing electrical issues.
Did it rain the day *** started to act up? What codes are there in the computer and when did they appear? Etc.
Also start poking around to look for obvious issues. (is the floor wet, are there any rusty connectors, etc)
And finally, if you got it used, did you do a carfax? Flood vehicles often have ongoing electrical issues.
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Just to help future helpers, we bought it in '05, a year old, put 90k, trouble free on it over the years. The problems are very intermittent, for examply, the turn signal problem happened maybe a half a dozen times over months, then disappeared. Problems have only been going on for about two years and I would totally ignore them, but it's DW's and she likes things perfect, (which clearly is why she married me). So you don't misunderstand her, she doesn't shop, hates to, spends $25 at the beauty shop every Friday, and that's about it. Weighs the same as when we married 30 years ago, can spot an elk a miles away, and loves football and ATVing. She didn't complain when she had to give up her nice house in the suburbs and swap Cadillacs for SUVs and move up on a mountain accessed over five miles of 4WD road. What more could I ask?
FirstOnRaceDay
Member
As silly as it sounds, Youtube.com has gazillions of tutorials on just about anything auto related. Make sure and get the proper protective equipment if you don't already have them, I don't want to hear about anybody on here getting seriously injured. Best of luck.
I too have an electrical gremlin that popped up recently with my '97 Saturn. Once turned on, my windshield wipers won't stop wiping for any length of time while the car is running. On the plus side, I have a really clean windshield, LOL. I haven't torn into my steering column yet because it's not really a daily driver with around 20 miles per week and it's a Saturn. I'll buy a manual for it and check out the schematics for the wipers and hopefully I'll be able to save some money on repairs.
I too have an electrical gremlin that popped up recently with my '97 Saturn. Once turned on, my windshield wipers won't stop wiping for any length of time while the car is running. On the plus side, I have a really clean windshield, LOL. I haven't torn into my steering column yet because it's not really a daily driver with around 20 miles per week and it's a Saturn. I'll buy a manual for it and check out the schematics for the wipers and hopefully I'll be able to save some money on repairs.
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