no pwer lock,radio,int lights,no locks without ket in run

[daveyates]

Hi/. I have a '98 Grand caravan where I have an intermittant issue. While driving the radio will turn on and off by itsself (no clock power while it turns off) and when I stop and take out key, the power locks dont work, or the interior lights, no headlights, no horn, etc etc... if I turn key to run.. all is ok..but still no radio (aftermarket radio, but checks out OK) Also if I have the key in the ignition and open the door, no interior light AND no "key in ignition chime" if I leave it overnight... in the morning the power is back and all is well until after driving a little bit ,, then intermittant isssue again and sometimes it stays off for good until I leave it for a few hours turned off... Please HELP.. I am about to shoot this thing..lol.
Thanks
Dave

[capoeta]

any chance it could just be your ingnition switch that is failing?

[25trigger]

Originally Posted by daveyates

Hi/. I have a '98 Grand caravan where I have an intermittant issue. While driving the radio will turn on and off by itsself (no clock power while it turns off) and when I stop and take out key, the power locks dont work, or the interior lights, no headlights, no horn, etc etc... if I turn key to run.. all is ok..but still no radio (aftermarket radio, but checks out OK) Also if I have the key in the ignition and open the door, no interior light AND no "key in ignition chime" if I leave it overnight... in the morning the power is back and all is well until after driving a little bit ,, then intermittant isssue again and sometimes it stays off for good until I leave it for a few hours turned off... Please HELP.. I am about to shoot this thing..lol.
Thanks
Dave

Alright i had similar problems with my '96 caravan, and this is what i figured out. The relays in the panel below the dash are bad. They just stop functioning properly, hence, the "mysterious" activity. So.... this is what i did. Rather spend hours trying to figure out which one was bad, i went to a local junk yard and found a panel, and took ALL the relays out. I made a little "map" for myself, got home, pulled all my relays and inserted new ones. Problem solved. This is the third time I've had to replace relays like this and it has fixed the problem every time. AND it only cost me $15 for all the relays. (u gotta barter with the auto dudes)
Hope this helps.

[daveyates]

Originally Posted by 25trigger

Alright i had similar problems with my '96 caravan, and this is what i figured out. The relays in the panel below the dash are bad. They just stop functioning properly, hence, the "mysterious" activity. So.... this is what i did. Rather spend hours trying to figure out which one was bad, i went to a local junk yard and found a panel, and took ALL the relays out. I made a little "map" for myself, got home, pulled all my relays and inserted new ones. Problem solved. This is the third time I've had to replace relays like this and it has fixed the problem every time. AND it only cost me $15 for all the relays. (u gotta barter with the auto dudes)
Hope this helps.

Hmmmmmm sounds like a plan... I was actually playing with the damn thing tonight... and yeah it looked like a bad BCM... the relays are interesting..as It seems that when I turn on the headlights... and then turn on the ignition to RUN..and turn the ignition off and take out the key (still leaving the headlights on.. everything workes fine.. power locks int lights chimes..radio etc etc.. as soon as the lights are turned to OFF the relay clicks off and the circuit dies for the locks radio .. blah blah..So I was thinking in that direction about why the relays are not getting power.. perhaps they are interlocked with something else..I am in canada ahd have the daylight running lights.. are u in the states?...
Thanks ..Perhaps I will just do that and raid the local chrysler junk pile. were your problem,s the same?.. It seems when I start off in the morning the van is fine..no issues.. but after a while.. or after stopping ..the problem manifests itself again..
Ohhhh The old Caravan...love em or hate em... (i suppose some of us do both..lol)
Thanks for the tip!..
D

[daveyates]

FOUND IT FOUND IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!...It seems the majority of the relays use a signal that is in SERIES with a bunch of different relays!... if one has no continuity the bunch of wires get no Juice.. Funny i was on my way home and I didnt realize I had not pushed the big relay on the junction block under the dash in all the way!..Cuz now my Signals werent working!.. when I pushed it in..My radio came on!!!!! then went off again.. attempts to make it happen failed until I took the relay out and had a closer look!..(those of us in canada have daylight running lights, a part of this relay!.) After taking the plastic cover off..and a close inspection with an Eye Loup Low and behold I found one of the contacts fro the spades to the board had a bad solder joint!!... after reflowing it and adding some more solder to make it permanant..NO MORE PROBLEMS.... If you mysteriously lose your radio.. p locks or stuff like this .. check this relay!!...
Im a happy camper....
Cheers all!...

[glastron]

I have the smae problem in my 2000 GC. My radio is the only accessori that will not work. At first it was only sometime that the radio and gauge cluster would not work. Then the radio did not work at all and the gauge cluster did. The radio will thump the speakers apon initail turn on of the power button, but that is it. Do you think that it is the relay problem.

[daveyates]

Originally Posted by glastron

I have the smae problem in my 2000 GC. My radio is the only accessori that will not work. At first it was only sometime that the radio and gauge cluster would not work. Then the radio did not work at all and the gauge cluster did. The radio will thump the speakers apon initail turn on of the power button, but that is it. Do you think that it is the relay problem.

Hi there.. I posted a few other comments on this issue... I am not sure if this is related BUT you could do this just for chuckles to see if it does fix the issue..I was stumped until I did this fix just to jumper the radio into working.. and low and behold all my issues were solved... take out the radio and locate the orange (I think) wire that supplies the "memory power" (power all the time) ... Jumper this wire to a KNOWN good supply that is HOT all the time (I went to the ignition wire to the key under the column) This TOTALLY solved this issue..I think there is a break somewhere in the chain of relays and/or power to these relays,,, jumpering this lead (i think) back feeds the power to get around the break, whereever it is,,.but HEY try it you never know.. I was amazed that giving up and settling for a working radio acutaly inadvertantly solved the problem.. not bad for the cost of a Haynes manual (helped in tracing the wiring).. The dealer said it was the BCM AND/OR the engine control module!... crooks...LOL..
lemme know if it fixes the issue..
Cheers
Dave

[glastron]

Thank you Dave. I will give it a try. Is there anything speacial I need to now about remove the radio (panel removal, dash)??

[daveyates]

Hi... Mines a 98 .. 4 screws and then take off the 2 bolts holing the radio in place and wooohooo its all out.. Thats the easy part... your memory wire should be the orange one.. phrobe them all..its the only one I believe with power 24/7
Cheers,
D

[Si Integra]

I have replaced this relay with about 6 different relays from the local junk yard. All of them were the same model# and all had the same result (nothing) I suppose I am back to square one now. Where is the BCM actually located?

[1thunder]

Now that you jumped the power from a different source you should fuse it also because you heva no
protection on this circuit now and could burn down
if a short develops

[Si Integra]

It did not work as I hoped, it is back to oem now.