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92 Cadillac Deville all electrical components fried - Advice?

Started by richardbergquist, May 31, 2014, 04:50:15 PM

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richardbergquist

I recently bought a 1992 Cadillac Sedan de Ville. I’ve had electrical issues with it as well as running issues.

Four fuses kept blowing. When I pulled out the aftermarket radio harness out of the radio and took the aftermarket harness out of the original radio harness, three of the four blowing fuses stopped blowing. The one that kept blowing was the one for the ABS.
And the engine has had poor idle and has been driving ok on some days and really bad on other days. It’s been as if it has been prevented from getting power. One has to be really gentle on the gas pedal, especially on the highway where it can barely get up to 75 mph.

So the digital gauge cluster has been dead. I took it out and a resistor had burnt inside it. Today I also took out the Airbag module and a resistor has also burned in that one. Then I took out the Body Control Module and a resistor has also burnt in that one. I suspect the Power Control Module has also burnt.

Also the battery has recently been switched, they’ve done some rewiring I gather since the poles on the Euro batteries look different than the old US ones do.

I have ordered for a new BCM, a new gauge cluster and a new PCM.

Anyone good with electrical stuff? What could have caused tis and that that caused it, is it still present in the vehicle? Is that possible?  What should I suspect and what should I do?

Scot Minesinger

Richard,

Here is a wild one for you.  It appears that our regional CLC is about to receive an unmolested 1992 Cadillac Sedan DeVille as a donation to be sold to someone who will care for it and treasure it as the lady who owned it from new has done over the last 22 years.  If This car has no rust and is in near perfect condition.  You could buy this and all electrical works, and sell the one you have.  The price difference is likely to be less than the cost of repair.  Food for thought.

If interested let me know:  rscotm@cox.net, or 703-283-2021

In answer to your question, the best place to start at least for me on this type of thing is where it has been modified almost always is the problem.   That is why modifications are not always embraced.  Go the radio and return everything to factory stock.  In so doing look for wires with compromised insulation due to modifications and the like.  Look for problems in this area.  Then of course consult the shop manual.  It is almost never the computer.

Thanks,

Scot   
Fairfax Station, VA  22039 (Washington DC Sub)
1970 Cadillac DeVille Convertible
1970 Cadillac Sedan DeVille
1970 four door Convertible w/Cadillac Warranty

The Tassie Devil(le)

As for the frying of the electrics, could someone have tried to connect the battery terminals on backwards, as in swapping leads?

Or, tried using Jumper Leads and not ding it correctly?

Thoughts.

Bruce. >:D
'72 Eldorado Convertible (LHD)
'70 Ranchero Squire (RHD)
'74 Chris Craft Gull Wing (SH)
'02 VX Series II Holden Commodore SS Sedan
(Past President Modified Chapter)

Past Cars of significance - to me
1935 Ford 3 Window Coupe
1936 Ford 5 Window Coupe
1937 Chevrolet Sports Coupe
1955 Chevrolet Convertible
1959 Ford Fairlane Ranch Wagon
1960 Cadillac CDV
1972 Cadillac Eldorado Coupe

TJ Hopland

92 in the USA would have had the 70's and 80's style side post battery terminals.    Thinking most likely that era would have also had the double stacked positive cables.   One cable went to the starter and the other went to a distribution block where I think the alternator also attached.    If things have been converted to a different style that would be a good area to look and make sure things were done correctly.  I'm not 100% sure on that car if the alternator used a 'sense' wire but if it did and that wire is not connected to the correct spot perhaps the system is over charging.    It may also be like Bruce suggested that maybe especially because of the battery conversion the cables are not clearly identified so maybe someone connected the battery backwards. 

As for the rough running is the 'tune up' stuff in good shape?   This would be things like the distributor cap and rotor, spark plug wires, filters, that sort of thing?    Fuel pressure regulators are a common thing to fail.  Usually won't cause rough running, just poor starting and economy.   Easy to check, pull the vacuum line off it and if there are any signs of fuel its bad.    Its a small round can bolted to the end of the fuel rail sort of near the distributor.  Its got a short piece of vacuum line on it with a 90 degree bend that goes into the intake manifold. 
StPaul/Mpls, MN USA

73 Eldo convert w/FiTech EFI
80 Eldo Diesel
90 CDV
And other assorted stuff I keep buying for some reason

richardbergquist

One thing that I keep thinking about is that every time I exit the car I get a little jolt from static electricity when I touch one of the doors. I wonder, without having any knowledge of electrics, if that could have anything to do with the problem that I am having. I did check the all the wires coming from the battery. Two of earth wires are from the negative, one is attached to the body and the other one seems to go into the ignition coil but of that Im not certain, it was difficult to tell. I'm on vacation so I don't have all my tools with me.

I bought this car for the equivalent of $1300. It has 120 000 miles on it but in very nice condition otherwise. Paint job looks great and interior has no rips or tears. The car is originally from Palm Springs, California. It runs really nice on days when it runs well.

I keep wondering if this whole thing may have happened because of some mistake that was made during the conversion from US battery cables to Euro battery cables or if this whole thing came about with the installation of the aftermarket radio. The funny thing was that fuses kept blowing until I pulled the aftermarket radio wire harness from the original radio harness. I wonder if there was somehow a short in that harness and that that problem now is eliminated. I certainly hope so.

Seems that resistors all through the car has burnt. I opened up the PCM the other day and there was slightly burned resistor in that one too.

PS I checked the alternator yesterday and it produces 14.6 volts steadily regardless of engine speed.

richardbergquist


SixDucks

Quote from: The Tassie Devil(le) on May 31, 2014, 07:36:16 PM
As for the frying of the electrics, could someone have tried to connect the battery terminals on backwards, as in swapping leads?

Or, tried using Jumper Leads and not ding it correctly?
Bruce. >:D


This seems to be the most likely scenario with that many components exhibiting identical damage.
I hope you can get this sorted out.
Terry
Current:
1941 coupe
1962 Fleetwood
1988 Brougham
Previous:
1956 Series 62 Sedan
1963 Fleetwood
1975 Fleetwood Brougham D'Elegance
1989 Brougham

richardbergquist

Quote from: SixDucks on June 02, 2014, 08:53:49 AM

This seems to be the most likely scenario with that many components exhibiting identical damage.
I hope you can get this sorted out.
Terry

It does seem likely. The plus and minus cables look identical too and the minus cable is closer to the plus pole of the battery than the plus cable is so I can certainly see how someone would put them on in the wrong order. There is nothing really that would hint that one cable is plus and the other is minus. God I hope that is what they did, so that this problem isn't still in the vehicle.

Could fried resistors create actual short circuits?

txturbo

It could also have taken a direct hit of lightning at some point or been a flood vehicle. I have seen flood vehicles have a lot of electrical problems resulting from the battery being reconnected before everything was dried out. It should be fairly obvious under the dash. Look for dirt and rusty spots on electrical components. Circuit boards will rust around certain components when they have been wet. Unfortunately a lot of vehicles get exported these days that are flood vehicles since the laws have gotten more strict about reselling them here.
D. Roden
1956 Coupe De Ville PINK
1963 Cadillac Sedan De Ville

richardbergquist

Quote from: txturbo on June 03, 2014, 08:22:28 AM
It could also have taken a direct hit of lightning at some point or been a flood vehicle. I have seen flood vehicles have a lot of electrical problems resulting from the battery being reconnected before everything was dried out. It should be fairly obvious under the dash. Look for dirt and rusty spots on electrical components. Circuit boards will rust around certain components when they have been wet. Unfortunately a lot of vehicles get exported these days that are flood vehicles since the laws have gotten more strict about reselling them here.

Yeah that could also be. I've seen no signs of rust on the components so far but I'll be sure to check. I've ordered for ECU, Digital Gauge Cluster and Body Control Module. I still would need AIRBAG and ABS module (where is the ABS module on these cars btw?). What more electronic boxes are there in the car?