Grand Voyager 98 - Trouble lights come on and off

[hodef56]

Hi,

Can anyone help me understand what is happening to my Grand Voyager 98, 3.8L van. I seem to be having an electrical problem. Yesterday the trouble lights - service engine, Alarm reset and ABS lit up. Gauges on the instrument panel went dead. After driving for a while (60km/hr..generaly locks at 15-20 km/hr), the car doors locked and the instrument panel started working again although the service engine light still remain on...will service engine. I had a similar problem with the turn light not working and then starting to work again, I have lost power to the a/c compressor....obviously an electrical/wiring problem. Is this an inherent problem with this model? and how can I fix this without spending too much money.

Any help and advise is appreciated.

Thanks

[RIP]

Your service engine light indicates the engine computer (PCM) has detected a fault in a sensor or circuit and is storing it's associated code. Suggest you head to an AutoZone or other parts store. They will connect a scanner and read the code for free. This code can lead us to the source of your problem.

I can't say you have a common problem but, we are reading of similar problems on this and other forums more and more frequently. The fixes vary from simple to complex.

> One common source of the problem is a weak battery. Make sure the connections are clean and tight. That done, have it load tested. If it's more than 4 years old I would just buy a new battery.

> The body control module, better known as the BCM, controls most of the electrical accessories on the van. You can try resetting it by removing the IOD fuse a few minutes. It's in the fuse box (PDC) next to the battery.

> The CCD multyplex data bus consists of a set of wires all the computers/modules use to communicate with each other. If this circuit has high resistance, seemingly unassociated circuits can go erratic at the same time. A common fail point is the instrument cluster circuit board. Specifically, poor solder joints on the board where the connector is soldered to it. Don't laugh...smack the top of the dash over the instruments. If they die or come alive, this scenerio may be the case. It may be the case even if nothing happens. Another less common fail point is a connector behind or on the climate control panel.

Intermittent problems are tough to troubleshoot. Sometimes all you can do is get a list of the likely souces of the problem and go at it a step at a time till the problem disappears. Many times there is no smoking gun. Sometimes it smacks you in the face. This process will take time. Be patient.

[hodef56]

Thanks for the information. I did clean the battery terminals. The service engine soon light has gone off. I will try the " hammer above the dash" suggestion...I have read that in the forum. Will observe for a while.

[hodef56]

I have done what has been suggested in one of the threads in this forum. I pulled the dash to get to the instrument pod. Re-flowed and repaired the connector solder ....one connections showed micro cracks, you need a magifying glass to see it. Hope it has resolved the problem. The A/C switch ligths up when turned on, but I am not sure if the commpressor is working. I was told the there was no power to the compressor by a mechanic. I cannot get the connector undone on the compressor to check for power .....not sure how to release it and I do not want to damage it either. Can someone please tell me how to undo it. Pictures would be great.


This is the link for repairing the instrument pod.
http://www.oplin.org/databases/proxy...%2fframerq.asp

Thanks