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2 electrical questions, one potentially dangerous situation.


rich_e777

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Ok the small thing first.

 

Ever so often I check all my light(highs. lows, turn signals, E flashers etc) and today I noticed when i use the E-flashers only that the ABS light in the dash comes on and Im wondering WTF is going on here. It started raining now before i could start looking at different things and I did drive it and the brakes will still put you thru the glass just fine, no stopping issues.:lol:

 

2nd. I was treated to a huge shock once i stopped the car after a quick little joyride around the nieghborohood and got out, got a decently painful burn to go along with it so i need to know the locations of all electrical grounds to find out where the problem is. And also if there is any modding/repairing i can do so the damn thing wont catch fire, explode or electrocute, me in particular dont give a damn about others:lol: They shouldnt be touching it anyways. Im not that electrical savy but i went and aquired a digi multimeter and im determined to learn how to use it.

Edited by rich_e777
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This was not static my man. It was enough to cause a burn and numbness which is why it raised such concern. Had a frayed plug wire that I "found" when i first got it so i know the difference:lol:. Been following all the wires from the battery, starter, alternator and cleaning all the contact points I could find. Nothing that would indicate a problem from what I could tell. Since you`re here would the OBD system pick up why the ABS light is on?

 

Garret: OK i seen you post in a thread called the "Big 3 upgrade" from 2011 and thats some good info. Will look into it. Could be a bunch of gunk has found its way into the wires or over course of 20 years shit just wears out, who knows. I`ll replace them and go from there.

Edited by rich_e777
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is the ABS lamp flashing at the rate of the blinkers, or just comes on solid when in hazard mode?

 

the ABS VI units are really tempermental about system voltage... and it's grounding as well. overload a ground and voltage difference drops.

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yes I agree on the overloading of a ground. make sure the ecm and abs ground are on one trans bolt and the battery/coresupport/starter are on another tranny bolt. not that exactly, but off the top my head, there is two engine ground points on the transmission- and they are like that for a reason. they are supposed to be close but not touching. mine might even got screwed up at one point, not sure. :shrug: If I got them switched, it hasn't been an issue lately.

 

I read about that type of issue at Innovate wideband discussions a lot. then I look at their LC1 controller and it has like a 10 ft ground and power line wrapped up in a bundle. yeah, you better have that one just right :lol:

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the bellhousing grounds on a 94 cutlass 3.4 are:

 

G115/G117

G111/G113

 

111/113 is right on the other side of the starter solenoid, 115/117 is the next bolt up. i ASSUME it will be similar for other W-bodies.

 

111 = ICM

113 = PCM, coolant level sensor, shifter position switches, MAF

115 = PCM, fuel pump relay, cam sensor, 24X sensor

117 = O2, both cooling fans, A/C compressor, cruise module

 

i have the ABS module listed as being ground to G119(along with both front ABS solenoids, wiper motor, underhood lamp and brake fluid level switch)

 

battery negatives are connected to G101(body ground) and G117.

 

hazard flasher is powered by the 15 amp STOP fuse, obviously not directly grounded since it powers a bunch of lamps. interestingly enough, it does share a circuit with the ABS module.... circuit #17, which gets it's power from the STOP fuse, goes through the brake switch, then through the center stoplamps... for the use of the ABS module, it's simply a signal to indicate when the brakes are being applied.

 

odd note: the 94 cutlass uses a "ABS lamp driver module".... supposedly, the ABS module controls the light in the dash through this module. why it doesn't control it directly(they normally do), i don't know.

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is the ABS lamp flashing at the rate of the blinkers, or just comes on solid when in hazard mode?

 

the ABS VI units are really tempermental about system voltage... and it's grounding as well. overload a ground and voltage difference drops.

 

Its solid once E-flashers are on but remains on once the blinkers are deactivated.

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Will have to check those trans grounds for sure. But im wondering now is if it was overload that is causing it why is it exclusive to the relation between the e-flashers and the dash light?

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the bellhousing grounds on a 94 cutlass 3.4 are:

 

G115/G117

G111/G113

 

111/113 is right on the other side of the starter solenoid, 115/117 is the next bolt up. i ASSUME it will be similar for other W-bodies.

 

111 = ICM

113 = PCM, coolant level sensor, shifter position switches, MAF

115 = PCM, fuel pump relay, cam sensor, 24X sensor

117 = O2, both cooling fans, A/C compressor, cruise module

 

i have the ABS module listed as being ground to G119(along with both front ABS solenoids, wiper motor, underhood lamp and brake fluid level switch)

 

battery negatives are connected to G101(body ground) and G117.

 

hazard flasher is powered by the 15 amp STOP fuse, obviously not directly grounded since it powers a bunch of lamps. interestingly enough, it does share a circuit with the ABS module.... circuit #17, which gets it's power from the STOP fuse, goes through the brake switch, then through the center stoplamps... for the use of the ABS module, it's simply a signal to indicate when the brakes are being applied.

 

odd note: the 94 cutlass uses a "ABS lamp driver module".... supposedly, the ABS module controls the light in the dash through this module. why it doesn't control it directly(they normally do), i don't know.

 

Sounds like you have a service manual, im stuck with the Haynes for now doing what can to read it.. Could this be in the instrument cluster? From what i understand the issue is either in that #17 circuit or the black ground wire. Where would the #17 be located?

Edited by rich_e777
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it's POSSIBLE that it's a cluster issue... the 95MC randomly lit up the ABS light when it was cold out, i smack the top of the dash, light usually went away.

 

you have an ALDL cable or some other way of being certain the ABS module isn't purposely lighting it up?

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I wish i had an ALDL cable, but my laptop crapped out on me right before i was going to order one from here. The system works though, tested it on the road today:thumbsup: and the light didnt activate then. Only when the e-flashers are used but not the turn signal. Remembering back it started after an up close encounter with a truck on the front passenger side. That was the first time I noticed it and dont believe i`ve used the e-flashers since so i probably forgot.

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If it only happens when the hazards are turned on AND it stays lit after shutting them off it's possible that a poor ground out back near the tail lights is back feeding into the ABS module. Bit of a stretch but who knows.

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If it only happens when the hazards are turned on AND it stays lit after shutting them off it's possible that a poor ground out back near the tail lights is back feeding into the ABS module. Bit of a stretch but who knows.

 

Worth checking out to me, thanks man. Back when it was icy here down south(very rare occasion) i was out playing on the ice with her and after sliding around the light had come on then to. Tomorrow morning i`ll start with the rear sensors and clean them up and check stuff back there.:thumbsup:

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OK found a really corroded ground sort of tucked underneath the battery tray, and took a wire brush to several others and that has cleared up the issue with the excessive static. Also cleaned up all the wheel sensors but still has not fixed the issue with the ABS light. would the OBD1 paperclip diagnosis find anything or would i need a dedicated scan tool? Brakes work fine and im sure anyone else with a 20 year old car would be happy that all thats wrong with it. I just dont want this to be an issue in the future.

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that is the key wire, sounds like. it is always super corroded to the core.

 

wait, how did you get shocked again? touching an ignition wire?

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Back when i first got the car it had a frayed spot on #1 and i found it with the engine running. But the other day i just got out of the car and it got me real good. Not as bad as the ignition wire but enough to stil feel it a few hours later. The corroded ground had a BLK w/ white stipe and another solid black one. Still get a slight static discharge sometimes but nothing close to what it was a few days ago. I also changed the nuts on a few of the grounds as well. Now im just trying to find a brake shop that will be able to scan the system, or find a guy with an ALDL cable to scan it and put the data to a flash drive if that possible.

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