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Buick 98 Possible Electrical Problem...

Sent to Car Experts September 04 09:21 PM

I have a 1998 Buick Regal LS that all of the sudden all this problems started to anifest simultenously.The A/C won't cool down also the rear right door doesn't work also the rear view mirror doesn't have any power coming to it and also the rear window defroster button in the radio console seems to be "ON" all the time. I think there is an electrical problem that maybe connect all of this components but I'm not sure. any help is very welcome.

Jose

Customer (name blocked for privacy)
Status:  Closed   Value: $5
Info Request
September 5 8:30 AM (11 hours and 9 minutes and 56 seconds later)
         
Before we get carried away here have you checked all of the fuses under the hood and in the panel on the right side of the dash?What is wrong with the door you say it doesn't work?When checking the fuses check for continuity with a digital volt/ohm meter not just your eyeballs.
Davo -- Master technician -- 99% Positive Feedback on 1943 Car Accepts
ASE Master Technician/Advanced Automotive Diagnostic Technician
Reply
September 5 10:40 AM (2 hours and 9 minutes and 38 seconds later)
         
Let me be a little more specific. The problems I have are:

1- Right Rear Door Window doesn't go down.
2- A/C won't cool down, only blows hot air.
3- Power auto-dimm mirror don't have any power to it, the lights and the green light won't come "ON".
4- Rear window defrost botton on radio console, the amber light is ON all the time. When you press botton goes "OFF" and then "ON" when let go.

The car was parked at the airport parking lot for 12 days when all this started happening, Everything was working properly before.

I checked the fuse in the right side of the dash and found one that was bad. This one was identify as a fuse for "HVAC" system, I went ahead an replaced it but the problem didn't got fixed.

Jose

Edited by Customer (name blocked for privacy) on September 5 2005 at 10:41 AM
Customer (name blocked for privacy)
Answer
September 6 9:06 AM (22 hours and 26 minutes and 10 seconds later)
         
ACCEPTEDCheck Mark
The fuse you found bad may be blown again.It is the common denominator for the a/c being inop,the mirror being inop and the a/c defrost light being on all the time.If you find it blown again and I'm sure you will.You will have to start looking for a short in that system some where.I would still check the fuses under the hood also.The right rear window must be a coincedence and is probably a bad motor.Look for chaffed wires by the a/c accumulator under the hood.That could be the source of the a/c and mirror problem.
Davo -- Master technician -- 99% Positive Feedback on 1943 Car Accepts
ASE Master Technician/Advanced Automotive Diagnostic Technician
Reply
September 6 7:52 PM (10 hours and 45 minutes and 52 seconds later)
         
Hi, I just want to share what I found after your reply. Indeed the fuse for the "HVAC" was blown again like you said. Something that I didn't mention before was that at one point before my A/C stop working, I remember a noise coming from one of the passenger side vents, the one closest to the radio console.
The sound was like something was loose inside the vent and the flow of air was causing it to hit the side walls of that canal. I'm just worry to find out that my problem could be located in the dash area.

Jose
Customer (name blocked for privacy)
Info Request
September 6 7:59 PM (7 minutes and 19 seconds later)
         
Did you look by the accumulator yet?You will have to remove the entire air filter housing to check it.
Davo -- Master technician -- 99% Positive Feedback on 1943 Car Accepts
ASE Master Technician/Advanced Automotive Diagnostic Technician
Reply
September 6 8:53 PM (53 minutes and 56 seconds later)
         
Took out the entire air filter housing and got to what I think is the accumulator ( Big aluminum cylinder). Checked all the wire harnesses in that area but I couldn't find to the naked eye, nothing wrong with them.

Jose
Customer (name blocked for privacy)
Info Request
September 7 6:41 PM (21 hours and 47 minutes and 17 seconds later)
         
At this point the only thing that be done is to check for the area where the short is.Installing a testlight across the fuse terminals for that circuit and turning the key on will make it light if the short is present.Unplug the affected items one at a time and see if the light goes out if it does you have found your short.You can also move around wiring harnesses until the light goes out or flickers that will also narrow down the area.There is no easy way to find a short it takes time in most cases.
Davo -- Master technician -- 99% Positive Feedback on 1943 Car Accepts
ASE Master Technician/Advanced Automotive Diagnostic Technician
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