A Strange Aberation. . .

**Ripinator** · 02-23-2010, 04:55 AM

The strangest thing happened yesterday AM. I drove my 2002 B4C to the train station, and as I backed into a parking space, everything went dark in the car. Engine died. No lights in the dash. No headlights. Turning on and off the ignition had no effect. I got out of the car and attempted to activate the alarm. Nothing. No beep. No turn signal/tail light blink. Nothing.

Is this a minifestation of the dreaded Body Control Module (BCM) problem ?

When I returned to the car in the afternoon, I got in, turned on the ignition, and nada. Nothing. Turned the key on and off a few times. Nothing. Then I put my foot on the brake pedal - sorta hard - turned the key, and viola! The dash lights light up, and the starter activated. Engine ran kinda rough at first, but smoothed out. On the way home (two miles), everything went dark again and then the dash lights would light up again, as if it was a computer re-booting itself.

I know this gremlin is killing the power to everything, because the clock in the radio display got whacked too.

Anyone got any idea what is going on here

?

Rip

**Ripinator** · 02-23-2010, 05:20 AM

I'm sorry. . . make that an Aberration. . .

**pajeff02** · 02-23-2010, 06:00 AM

Sounds like a total loss of electrical power. I'd start with the battery and alternator wiring to see if you have a loose, broken or corroded connection.

**DIRTY JERZY** · 02-23-2010, 06:22 AM

+ 1

**Wesman** · 02-23-2010, 06:50 AM

Check your grounds.

There is one directly behind the battery, on the inner fender, that can easily get corroded. Take it off, clean it with a wire brush, spray some battery protector on it, and tighten it back down. Do this with any other engine bay grounds as well, there are a few.

**DIRTY JERZY** · 02-23-2010, 07:47 AM

hey wesman im with you imports suck

**Ripinator** · 02-23-2010, 07:49 AM

Thanks for the advice guys. I'll see if I can check it out tonite.

**Ripinator** · 02-24-2010, 12:32 PM

I was home from work today, so I thought I would jump into checking out all the ground connections, etc. to see if I could find the source of the problem. Unbolted all the ground connections I could find and cleaned and re-attached them, but they all looked pretty good. . . As a final flourish, I decided to disconnect the main posituve and negative cable connections at the battery and clean and re-attach them also. And WTF ?!? The bolt on the positive connection was only finger tight ! I pulled off the cable, cleaned all the surfaces with a steel brush, and then proceeded to re-attach it. And WTF ?!? I discover the threads in both the battery connection and the bolt are stripped. Checked the negative / ground connection. Same story. It was stripped too. Gee. . . Do ya think this coulda caused my loss of electrics problem ?!? Picked up a new Diehard battery. Problem solved.

**pajeff02** · 02-24-2010, 12:35 PM

Always nice when it is a simple fix -- even if it cost a few dollars. Electrical gremlins can be nasty.

**konigandy6** · 02-24-2010, 12:46 PM

Excellent... glad to hear your problem is solved!

**Ripinator** · 02-24-2010, 01:04 PM

Thanx again, you guys. Now on to the next project. When it warms up a little around here, I'm gonna remove the seats and all the carpeting that got so wet before the leaking hatch gasket was fixed. I'm afraid I'm gonna hafta totally replace the carpeting - I can't get the musty smell outa the car.

**konigandy6** · 02-24-2010, 01:15 PM

Originally Posted by Ripinator

Thanx again, you guys. Now on to the next project. When it warms up a little around here, I'm gonna remove the seats and all the carpeting that got so wet before the leaking hatch gasket was fixed. I'm afraid I'm gonna hafta totally replace the carpeting - I can't get the musty smell outa the car.

Don't forget about the jute (padding under carpet) That is where the smell comes from most of the time.

**Ripinator** · 02-25-2010, 07:29 AM

Originally Posted by konigandy6

Don't forget about the jute (padding under carpet) That is where the smell comes from most of the time.

A big 10-4 on that good buddy. I'm planning on replacing carpet, pad and all.

**Dabom75** · 02-25-2010, 10:35 AM

Be glad Konig is not a trucker.

They get highly offended when you call them "Good Buddy."

**Ripinator** · 02-26-2010, 02:38 PM

Originally Posted by Dabom75

Be glad Konig is not a trucker.

They get highly offended when you call them "Good Buddy."

Thank you ! I did not know that. . .

**Dabom75** · 02-26-2010, 07:48 PM

My Dad used to be a trucker and one day when I was about 13 I said hey "good buddy" adn he let me know quick that most truckers take that as you calling them "SWEET"

LOL needless to say I never said that to him again.

**pajeff02** · 02-27-2010, 05:14 AM

I worked at a truckstop for a few years when I was in high school and college in the '80s. The understanding back then was that if a trucker had a pair of amber lights mounted beneath the front bumper, he wanted to be your "good buddy". Fact or urban myth? I have no idea.