. . . and I Thought Hi-tech Boat Engines Were Bad . . .

[dolluper]

Don't wait to long or

 

[Scott Danforth]

Ford tail light takes out CAN resulting in $5600 bill.

Reminded me of this thread

https://hackaday.com/2023/09/09/when-tail-lights-lose-touch-with-reality/

 

[Lou C]

yep no thanks
arid southwest here I come, to pick up vehicles designed the way I want them to be. Simple DC electrical systems, that anyone can understand, and repair
Carbs, points distributors and 4bbl carbs.
The devil take technology.

 

[nola mike]

Ok, ready for this? Getting waste gate codes. Had BT scanner plugged in, apparently still powered with ignition off. Killed battery 100 miles from home (another story about getting a charger). Charged battery. Noticed on the way back (after every warning light tripped) that A/C doesn't work. Now climate control unit is bad, getting "corrupt software" errors. So now I need to either figure out how to reflash the software (difficult at best), bring to someone with the official bmw/mini program, or buy a new module on eBay and hope it works without programming it for my vin...

 

[Scott Danforth]

Not only will my next project vehicle be manual everything, I'm wiring it like my boat with circuit breakers above the switches.

The HVAC will only have the binary switch and the compressor on/off switch daisy chained to the blower switch. The blower will have a PWM control and the on/off switch

The only thing with software will be what ever the radio has

 

[guy48065]

I have a 2013 hemi Durango that's given me no major problems. It's kind of a throw-back that gets it's power from lots of displacement.
February 2022 my minivan started clattering so I replaced it with a 2010 Chevy Traverse. This thing has a 300hp 3.6L V6 with VVT, direct injection and all kinds of "refinements" to squeeze that much hp from a 220 cubic inch engine. Things were fine until October when it simply quit. Broke timing chain. In went a junkyard motor. Cam gear separated from cam. Another junkyard motor (warranty) + a complete new timing set. Lasted 4000 miles and quit 600 miles from home. Broke the new timing chain. Rented a trailer & fetched it home. It's now waiting for a rebuilt motor to go in--it's 4th.
I've now paid 2x the value of this POS. In the 19 months I've owned it it's been in the shop for a little over 7 months. It only has 128k miles on it.
That's the downside of high-tech. They don't "nickle & dime you to death", they take GREAT BIG bites out of your wallet.

 

[dolluper]

After your car battery went dead and charged did you re register the battery... If not try that first before anything else.. !!!

 

[nola mike]

After your car battery went dead and charged did you re register the battery... If not try that first before anything else.. !!!

It still recognized the battery correctly.

 

[Lou C]

I have a 2013 hemi Durango that's given me no major problems. It's kind of a throw-back that gets it's power from lots of displacement.
February 2022 my minivan started clattering so I replaced it with a 2010 Chevy Traverse. This thing has a 300hp 3.6L V6 with VVT, direct injection and all kinds of "refinements" to squeeze that much hp from a 220 cubic inch engine. Things were fine until October when it simply quit. Broke timing chain. In went a junkyard motor. Cam gear separated from cam. Another junkyard motor (warranty) + a complete new timing set. Lasted 4000 miles and quit 600 miles from home. Broke the new timing chain. Rented a trailer & fetched it home. It's now waiting for a rebuilt motor to go in--it's 4th.
I've now paid 2x the value of this POS. In the 19 months I've owned it it's been in the shop for a little over 7 months. It only has 128k miles on it.
That's the downside of high-tech. They don't "nickle & dime you to death", they take GREAT BIG bites out of your wallet.

Yeah that’s my problem with so many modern vehicles. Basic engineering is over complex and a nightmare to repair when there are problems. I have an ‘07 Jeep with the 5.7 Hemi that’s been very good although it only has 123,000 miles on it. I kept & am restoring our first Jeep the old mule I call it. 1998 Grand with the bullet proof AMC/Chrysler/Jeep 4.0 in-line six. All cast iron & 7 main bearings. Owned since new only 180,000 on it.

 

[tpenfield]

After your car battery went dead and charged did you re register the battery... If not try that first before anything else.. !!!

Yes, using the existing profile. If I get a new battery, I'll have to register it to the car computer as 'new'.

 

[tpenfield]

I like some of the tech, be it on cars or boats, but it seems like it is less than bullet-proof.

 

[nola mike]

Yes, using the existing profile. If I get a new battery, I'll have to register it to the car computer as 'new'.

Thought he was talking to me. How/why did you need to register? Mine was still recognized as having been changed in 2020 and listed the same parameters.

 

[Scott Danforth]

I like some of the tech, be it on cars or boats, but it seems like it is less than bullet-proof.

a .380 goes right thru the BCM.

 

[dolluper]

These systems are so funky that when you take off both battery cables the system defaults to last battery registered... That said it also expects you to confirm it is that default battery and not a new one.... Just the way it's set up... Failure to re register the old battery causes the system to have some very strange results... Head scratchers ... One bullet left pull the trigger it's your call.

 

[Scott Danforth]

Ted, thought of your thread as I'm chasing an HVAC issue in the daily whip that appears to be a bad BCM

If I met an automotive controls engineer I'm going to throat punch him/her

 

[southkogs]

I hadn't read this thread all the way through until tonight ... Newest car in our driveway is a 2004. And the latest addition is a 1992.

Neither is perfect, but I'm feeling much better about both of 'em.

 

[nola mike]

Ted, thought of your thread as I'm chasing an HVAC issue in the daily whip that appears to be a bad BCM

If I met an automotive controls engineer I'm going to throat punch him/her

Wow, same problem after battery died on mine. No a/c. Trying to decide if I should buy a new/used one (and take the dash apart to swap out) or try to reflash it (if that's possible)

 

[Lou C]

I came across something on this topic with my 2007 Grand Cherokee that I’ll pass along. So first oddity I notice is blinker on pass side flashing very fast but only when headlights/parking lights were on. Blinker bulbs were fine. Both pass side headlights were out. Bulbs fine fuses fine. Pulled headlight connector off of bulb and got zero volts. Hooked up the Autel scanner got 3 codes all said hi/lo/parking light control circuit high. Posted question & codes up on a Chrysler website www.allpar.com. A member there said it was probably a ground fault & when that happens the computer disables the current to the light & that’s why you get zero volts when checked. I disconnected the connector in the harness to the pass side lights. Then tested for continuity between the ground terminal in the connector & a body ground. Nothing! So that was it. Could not find the factory ground location in the harness even after about 4 hrs wading thru the 7,800 page FSM. So I just spliced in a a new ground wire in the original harness & ran it up to a body ground stud on the inner fender. Fix took 15 min and zero cost once I knew what it was. Good to know if you have a Mopar product with CANBUS.

 

[Lou C]

PS
All this suggests with modern vehicles you need an advanced scanner that can read ALL the modules and sometimes, expert help…

 

[Scott Danforth]

Turns out the GM used a high-density plug on the BCM and high-loads like the defroster and HVAC fan are too close together. the pins get hot, the terminal opens up, arcing occurs, the pins get hotter...... spent a bit of time on the Solstice Forum to find that its one of the common failures of the BCM......

if I can fix the main connector, I will. if I cant, wiring the fan old-school with a relay coming off the alternator.