Used the 12V Acc., now multiple issues...

[Go4DaMo]

Hey, all. I plugged a brand new air compressor into my cig lighter, then later went to drive my Z34 &:

 

my high beam & traffic signal indicators are stuck on unless in use, my instrument cluster backlights are failing, my HVAC control backlights do not dim, my phone stops charging when my headlights are turned on, my dome lights don't work, & my underhood light looks 1/5 as bright as usual.

 

I'm sure this is a simple issue with insane side effects...but anybody have this problem? Thanks.

[Go4DaMo]

I done stumped erryone :/

[Schurkey]

Grab your service manual and inspect the wiring diagram. See how many "problems" are fed from the same fuse, or the same branch of the harness.

 

It'd also be worth your time to verify the instrument cluster ground(s)

Edited May 29, 2014 by Schurkey

[Go4DaMo]

thanks! I've since swapped the battery in from my 97 & no help. it sometimes keeps the signal, high beam, & HVAC lights lit constantly when the car is parked . the car needs jumped every time.

[White93z34]

start pulling fuses and see when the problems go away?

[rockfangd]

I would check your grounds. The compressor may have made a ground break due to the load. The symptoms you speak of point toward a grounding issue

[Go4DaMo]

okay, thanks! the wipers have been not wanting to turn on occasionally since '11 & now this spring, they dont work at all. could be unrelated.

but, I noticed today the cruise is disabled. & when I turn the wipers to delay mode, those signal/hi beam indicators that are stuck on...get dimmer.

[AL]

almost sounds like the tss is shorting out

[Go4DaMo]

what is the tss? pulled all the fuses in the glovebox & the only one that even affected the dash lights at all was the "tail" fuse...tried pulling it, also replacing it, & the problems are still there. also noticed that if I can turn key on, then off repeatedly, the glove box light will go off when key is on, then on when key is off. but, every other time, the glove box light is really dim.

 

& every once in a while, when the key is turned to ON, a sound emits from under the hood like that of Lloyd Christmas's "most annoying sound in the world". the annoying low pitched nails-on-a-chalkboard sound stops when you open the drivers door & the dome light comes on. when I toggle the dome light switch on, the sound will stop instantly, as well. but, again, the dome light will not come on unless the door is ajar.

 

also, when turning the key to START with the battery low (only takes a few moments of the dome light to draw the battery down), the headlights will get brighter when the starter makes an effort, then dim when it slows down...and so on & so forth...that may be totally normal, tho.

Edited June 13, 2014 by Go4DaMo

[Go4DaMo]

Crazy K made a previous repair to the ground at the base of the engine near the radiator a bit more solid, lacking the proper tools to repair it sufficiently. Since then, these odd issues have dwindled down to once-per-week. Today, used the 12V accessory to attempt to inflate a leaky Uniroyal once again and now the hi-beam/signal indicators are all back on with the dome light malfunctioning...pulled the "PANEL" fuse this time to turn the indicator lights off, so as not to drain the battery over the weekend while I'm camping ...but if I replace the fuse & turn on the parking lights, the problems come right back. Weird. Does the 12V accessory have anything to do with this problem or is it merely my ground needing repaired properly? Thanks, y'all.

[Go4DaMo]

Noticed when I slide the Ashtray around, the symptoms go away...

[Leadfoot]

Pull it apart and see what the wiring to the cig lighter looks like. It may not be the root cause, but it could be the immediate problem you are dealing with at the moment.

[Go4DaMo]

Grab your service manual and inspect the wiring diagram. See how many "problems" are fed from the same fuse, or the same branch of the harness.

 

It'd also be worth your time to verify the instrument cluster ground(s)

 

Check.

 

start pulling fuses and see when the problems go away?

 

Check.

 

I would check your grounds. The compressor may have made a ground break due to the load. The symptoms you speak of point toward a grounding issue

 

AC compressor?

 

Pull it apart and see what the wiring to the cig lighter looks like. It may not be the root cause, but it could be the immediate problem you are dealing with at the moment.

 

They look good.

[Go4DaMo]

almost sounds like the tss is shorting out

 

That's disconnected entirely.

[Imp558]

You have a bad ground, reach under the dash and wiggle stuff around to narrow it down .

[Go4DaMo]

Bad ground, for sure. We've got it taken care of. Now, my cruise even works flawlessly...1st time since '08

[Imp558]

 

my high beam & traffic signal indicators are stuck on unless in use,

 

 

So instead of the ground node going to ground, it's grounding through the lighting up through what's supposed to be the TS indicator ground

 

 

my phone stops charging when my headlights are turned on,

 

 

Same lighting circuit ground, the lighter plug loses it's potential to ground when there is potential in the lights

 

 

my underhood light looks 1/5 as bright as usual.

 

 

This one confuses me a bit, unless the underhood lamp isn't grounded right where the light mounts (as per common sense, thanks GM!)

[White93z34]

In the end I could not, for the life of me track down the exact bad circuit. I traced it out to G119 in the service manual, which as per the poor illustration terminates at the engine block. Grounds looked and felt great there. I ended up adding a few new grounds to parts of the circuit and that got it all back to perfectly normal operation.

 

One of the strangest issues that dogged me for a good portion of the day, for sure.

[Imp558]

Bastards at GM, Grounds for the lighter and lighting system on the engine instead of closer to the item. And it's plobably one of those crimp-splices wrapped in black duct tape that went bad.