i recently changed the blower motor for the A/C but now the dashboard

Don't go near the body control module yet.

Check ALL fuses first...both inside the car AND under the hood.

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Hi Sparkybuoy, Thank you for your answer my mechanic said they checked the fuses but there seems to be a short somewhere that causes it to keep coming and going out? I appreciate your suggestion what do you think? My mechanic does not think it is a Body Control Module problem either he thinks it is a short but they cant seem to find it i dont know if i should take it to a car audio electronic shop or the dealership?

Did you find out where the smoke came from?

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hi sparkybouy,

The smoke came from steering wheel colunm. My mechanics changed the ignition switch without console replace (B) and did some wire repair.
Also, my ask tray clicks were broken and the ashtray comes out if pulled too much so i had the fix the wire so that i can plug my cell phone charger into the cigarette lighter which was not working before. They fixed that. After all that the smoke stoped but the A/C problem kept going off and on (fan too) and finally stopped altogether. When i hit the dash it would come back on sometimes but after a while no response at all.

Hi SparkPlug!
I really appreciate your imput! You know my mechanic did not confirm if they checked all the fuses inside and under the hood but he seems to be sure it is a short. I failed to tell you that sorry for that. I want to pay you for your services but i hope you understand i want to make sure we are on the right track here. My dash lights are not working the dome light does not work when i open the door and the radio does not shut off. I cant be sure your right what you said about checking all the fuses? Do you really think that is the problem? I want to pay and i will be sure of it if you are on target. I appreciate you sparkplug and your expertise i will let you know what i find out okay if your on track be sure you will be paid!

I started out YEARS ago in an A/C - Electrical only shop...and even to this day, after other "mechanics"and "technicians" look at wiring diagrams/schematics, they still fail to understand that circuits are piggybacked off each other and even though the "radio" may be in-op...it's the DOME fuse that's blown because the external amplifier is shorted to ground...just one example...so doesn't it just make sense with ANY electrical problem to check ALL fuses and fusible links first before chasing your tail for many many hours for a blown one?

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hi sparky buoy, Today i went out and bought new fuses changed some under the hood that looked dirty but for the most part i got the green light indicating that they were all good. Also, i checked the fuses under the driver side and they all are good as well. One thing i did not check was two metal fuses? or plugs that go into the drivers fuse box. And also a metal fuse that goes into the fuse box under the hood. Still no lights even in the dashboard now? I am not sure what you mean by checking the fusible links? The dome lights work when i manually turn them on and the back ones work when i open the back doors. The clock comes on but goes off. The radio is working and headlights. That is the progress so far sparkybuoy. I guess i can change all the fuses just in case? I will keep you updated. Thank you
so much.

Basically you're down to the dome light not working with the opening and closing of the door or is the blower motor not working at all still?

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HI Sparkybuoy, Thanks for your reply. The dome light works if i manually turn them on. No dashlights are working. The radio works and the headlights work. My mechanic configured the blower motor to work on the lowest fan setting so it is working but on a limited basis. No chimes when i open door and no dome light. Radio will not turn off when i leave the car unless if manually turn it off and there is no warning bell when i leave the headlights on. My mechanics had the car for over a week and got two blower motor from a salvage yard to help me save money but they both did not work so now i am back with the original.
This is the strangest thing i have ever seen!
I had a new engine and transmission put it 2 years ago i had to junk the car because of this? My mechanic is suggesting i take it to the dealer. A year and a half ago the dealer changed a box with a bunch of wires coming out of it because the car would start sometimes and sometimes not start? after they changed the box with wires it worked just fine. As i mentioned before the cruise control has not worked for years and my back speakers have not worked for years as well?
i was thinking of taking it to a radio electronic shop that does radio installations. I am kind of worried if i take it to the dealer they will charge alot of money which i dont have presently.
The engine is working just fine.
Car runs really good. Just this electronic stuff?

It sounds like the smoke wasn't actually from the ignition switch but wires melting together.

Once someone that knows what they're doing starts tracking the problems one by one, I'll bet they'll find the melted/burnt wiring.

You're saying you had the SAME EXACT problems/symptoms before and a module was changed and it all went away?

You need to go buy or borrow a 12 volt test light and check ALL the fuses properly with the key and headlights ON. If you find fuses that have power to one side then replace them...if you find some that don't even have power to one side then it'll have to be diagnosed why not.

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Relist:
HI sparkbouy, I think your right about there being a short somewhere. I checked all the fuses. Now i just dont know if i should take it to the Oldsmobile dealership or a audio electronic technician?

You're saying you had the SAME EXACT problems/symptoms before and a module was changed and it all went away?

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Hi sparkybuoy, A year and half ago when i would start the car it would sometimes start and sometimes not start. Oldsmobile changed something it was a small metal box with alot of different colored wires coming out of it. After that the car was working fine. That did not solve the radio speaker problem nor the cruise control problem> (Back speakers do not work and cruise control goes off and on.

About 3 months ago i notice my seatbelt on drivers side got stuck and would not release. I thought it was tangled but not i think it may have been a electrical problem? Then the ash try problem because the clips holding the ash tray broke the ash tray would fall out and it broke one of the wire connections so my cigarette lighter would not work. I found that out a month ago when i bought a phone charger and plugged it up did not work. So i ask my mechanic to fix the wire in the ashtray which they did so now i can use my cellphone charger. Shortly, after that i moved my steering wheel all the way up toward the window screen to move a box out of the car and that is when the smoke came out of the steering wheel column and also the airconditoner started going on and off. I mean the next day i drove it. So, i am not sure by connecting the ashtray wires back or if because i moved the steering wheel it knocked some wires loose. I read that GM cars have that problem sometimes when you move the steering wheel colunm it loosens or breaks wires?
My mechanics changed the ignition switch after that and mended some wires and the smoke stopped, but the a/c soon died including the fan. They ordered two blower motor fans both which did not work so they put the original back and configured it to work somehow on the lowest fan setting. Now, the dome lights wont go when i open my drivers door and if i leave the headlights on no warning chimes. No dashboard lights at all except when i turn on the highbeam (headlights). The radio works but the clock is out.
If i open the back doors then the dome lights work fine. The front door locks arent working either.
The back door locks work fine. So, far all the windows are working.
sorry i am trying to go thru everything so you know exactly what has been done and what is happening. Thanks again sparkybouy i really appreciate your advise.
Now i need to make the decision of either taking to the Dealership or to a electronic technician who installs car stero's?
Not sure at this point who i should trust to do the work.

HI sparky Bouy,
Thanks again for you help tomorrow i will take it to a technician. Tonight when i started the car the domelights went on while i was driving and would not go off? Still no dashboard lights. Do you think this is a short problem or relay or module? If you could answer that it will help as i can tell the technician tomorrow your opinion. Thanks again for all your help this is my last question. Thanks sparkybouy!

On the speakers...is the factory radio installed...if it is...have you made sure that both rear speakers are connected?

Did you try adjusting the fader control?

On the Instrument cluster lights...there needs to be power to to the inst panel fuse with the lights on and if it's not lighting up, even with moving the dimmer rheostat, then there's not even power to the dimmer rheostat.

The dome lamp won't come on with opening the passenger front door either or is it only the driver door?

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Hi Sparkybuoy,

Thanks again for your response. Yes the speakers are the original factory speakers and they are indeed connected. Just not working. I never adjusted the fader control to be honest i dont know what that is?
The instrument cluster lights are not working at all including the dimmer. The only thing that works is the seatbelt light and the high beam light when i swith the hi beam on. The clock radio comes on but shuts off without warning on a irregular basis. The dome light will not come on if i open the front doors passenger and or drivers side. But they do come on when i open the back doors. Thanks again!

Do you have a digital camera or a phone that takes pictures? If you do...send me a picture of your radio and I can tell you how to adjust the fader control.

Is it am/fm/cassette or am/fm/cd or a combo unit like this one:

Images available only to Customers.



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Hi Sparkybouy,

yes that is the exact radio i have in my car but i dont have the CD player at the top. Instead the cassette player is at the top where the CD play is in this picture otherwise all the buttons are in the same place.
Thanks again for your help

See the two little knobs top left corner? Your fader control is part of one of those knobs...push the knob to pop it out and pull it out to adjust the fader front to rear.

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sparkybouy, Yes, i am sorry now i know what your are speaking of. I though you meant a actual component inside the radio. Yes, i have tried that but it does not work. I can pull the treble and bass knob out as well and it works but usually changes the setting like Jazz or classical etc so i have to readjust.
The fader is not working and has not been for years.
Either that or the wires are not or the speakers. But hard to imagine that both speaker would go out at the same time?
Thanks again for the suggestion!
Something tells me it is a short or the Control Body
Module as so many different components are affected?

The radio is not tied into anything but the speakers so drop one of the rear speakers if it's the style that's held up by a rubber band, but unplug it first, and test it on your home stereo and make sure they're able to work before condemning the radio itself and if the speaker works, get one off eBay for cheap that's in great shape and get the combo unit with CD or get one that just has CD and no cassette (what's cassette? ;-)...the other stuff is tied into the Body Control Module...don't know if the one you got before was a used one, or a reman. I can look out here at Pick N Pull and see if there's one...there's usually a few of those Mid 90's Olds 88ers out there. Give me your VIN # and I'll see if Delco offers a reman with a year warranty.

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HI SparkyBouy,


Thanks again. I got the car brand new.
So this is the original body control module.
Here is the vin number
1G3HN52K0S4818632   MODEL NO. 3HN69
Acutually, i was wanting to get a new ashtray too since the clips in the old one are broken and if someone pulls it too hard it comes crashing out to the floor. That causes the wires to come undone!
The color is grey till i guess?

Thank you again.
Not sure about the speakers yet i will check on them.

You said earlier that the body control module was replaced once and stuff started working again and now you're saying it's the original one...which one is it?

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Hi sparybuoy,

Actaully to be honest with you i am not sure if i ever replace the control module? The only thing i remember was the car was starting and sometimes not starting. My regualre mechanic changed the starter and selnoid but that did not fix the problem. Finally they suggested i take it to the Dealship. The dealship fixed the problem and remember they removed a small metal box with several different colored wires coming out of it? I dont think that was the control body module? I think that was another part sparkybouy. I will have to look back at my receipts and see which part it was. I dont think the control body module is a small metal box with several wires sticking out it? Or is it? Sorry, if i confused you. Acutally what i said at the begining was that i heard these problems could be caused by a bad Control Body Module. They replaced the a/c blowermotor fan two weeks ago and the problem remained.
Sorry for the confusion!
Thank you Sparkybouy

Hi Sparkybuoy, Thank God we narrowed the problem down! It is a relay switch behind the headlight switch and the dimmer switch. I believe the technician referred to it as the main power switch of the left side of the dashboard where you turn the dome light and headlights on. He mentioned a rotary switch he said the whole box had to be replaced and that is what is causing the probelm with the lights, AC and everything else.
The only problem is so far i cant find someone who has that relay switch (whole box) that needs to be replaced. Even the deal did not have it in stock.
I called some junk yards and they are checking perhaps the place you mentioned out where you are may have it in stock?

Thanks alot Sparkybuoy!
Francis

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