Electrical Problems - No accessory power: gauges, windows, radio, heat/ac

[tsiedsma]

I am in the process of selling my 1998 Buick Park Avenue. I was going to remove my old stereo wires and stuff and have it ready to go for Monday. I pulled in my driveway and parked the car. I lowered the steering wheel all the way so I can remove the dash and get the deck out when all of a sudden the radio turned off and my gauges quit working along with my digital climate control and digital odometer/ gear selector indicator and windshield wipers. I checked all of the fuses under the hood and under the back seat, all of them are good. I also checked for loose wires and connections under the dash by the steering column, all of them are good. I also tried to disconnect the battery to see if that would fix it, no change.

I honestly didn't touch a damn thing. All I did was tilt the wheel and everything turned off. The car will run, the headlights, tail lights, brake lights, turn signals, hazards, mirrors, power locks, seats, map lights, dome light, door chime electric trunk release and fuel door release all work.

The strange thing is that if I try and roll up/down my windows within one second of turning the key in the ignition, it works and then stops. If I try and roll down the windows after 1 second or anytime after turning the key on, it doesn't work. I can turn the key on and off quick and roll the window back up or down for like half a second and it stops working again. None of this makes any sense to me.

My brother works at a stereo install shop and installed a Hornet/DEI Alarm/Remote Start/Keyless Entry for me a while ago. The keyless and the alarm work but the remote start won't work now. I can hear the relay click for the remote start but for some reason it won't start the car.

I called my brother and told him what I just wrote above and he said it sounds like a loose plug or wire somewhere and most likely doesn't have anything to do with the Remote Start system.

I found a 30A circuit breaker in the fuse box under the back seat called Electric. I used my volt meter and it has 0 resistance, so I am guessing that it works. The thing is, when I pulled that out, nothing changed while the car was running. All the same shit worked or didn't work. Is it possible that could be the problem? Is there a way to test it without buyimg a new one or jumpering it? Could I use a 30A fuse in its place to see if it will at least work? If that doesn't work, what could it be. I need this car ready to roll for the new owner on Monday or Tuesday.

I will paypal $10.00 to the person that solves my problem.

[tsiedsma]

ok, I checked for continuity on the circuit breaker labeled "Electric". I also triple checked all of the fuses. I have torn the whole dash out and the steering column cover. I cannot find any loose wires or plugs. I called the local GM Service shop and they said to check the Ignition Switch and see if the accessory wire is loose or not connected. Anyone know where this is for sure?

Here are some pictures for your amusement.

[ponchonutty]

OK. First you'll need to check stuff and try to do it in this order. Look off of the ignition switch. You should see a red, black, pink, white, orange, and yellow wires among some others. You should be able to find these easily because the wiring from the RS hook into these. THESE ARE NOT THE WIRES THAT GO INTO THE FRONT PART OF THE IGNITION SWITCH. THOSE ARE FOR THE PASSKEY 3 SYSTEM.

To help you, the wire colors and functions on the alarm are as follows...
Red>12v constant
Purple>starter
orange>accessory
Pink and pink/white> ignition

Test the red and black wires. These should be 12v. constant. If those are OK, check the Pink and White wires. These are the ignition wires. Obviously these should only be 12v when the switch is in crank or run position. Last, check the orange wire. This is the accessory wire. There might also be a brown wire too but I don't think so. The accessory is where I think your problem is. It's common for the switches to go bad and also that method of install can be bad too.

[Flatrater]

First of all why do you blame the car first and not the remote starter? The remote starter doesn't work I would start there, since that will be the first thing the dealer tells you to do. Remove the remote starter, and get everything back to factory. I can't count how many systems I have removed from GM cars and that alone fixed the problem. You titling your wheel makes me believe that the remote start is the problem, since when you move your steering wheel you move the wiring inside the column. This is hte same wiring that your brother tapped into to install the remote starter.

But if you want to do a couple of quick checks go under your back seat and swap some of the relays around like Ignition 3 relay with another of the same kind. GM had a problem with these relays sticking.

Your fuse that read zero ohms implies it's good.

[tsiedsma]

Well, my brother came over and looked at it, apparently a wire got pinched when the wheel tilted. We patched that up and it works now. Who would have thought thats what happened. Thanks for looking at my post and thanks for the replies.

[wrightz28]

Originally Posted by tsiedsma

Well, my brother came over and looked at it, apparently a wire got pinched when the wheel tilted. We patched that up and it works now. Who would have thought thats what happened. Thanks for looking at my post and thanks for the replies.

You answered your own question when you asked it:

"All I did was tilt the wheel and everything turned off"

A torn up dash and hours of aggravtation later, you're right back to where you started, this is why you hear K.I.S.S. from me alot.