Winter Woman
Well-Known Member
Trailer is new. The hitch was fitted to the car (I hope). How do I check to make sure the voltage is correct.
Ok you automobile experts try and diagnosis this one.
- Thread starter Winter Woman
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Trailer is new. The hitch was fitted to the car (I hope). How do I check to make sure the voltage is correct.
Winter Woman
Well-Known Member
This happened without the trailer.
missnu
Well-Known Member
We got a Ford Explorer done and afterwards we went to the mall and as we were halfway across the parking lot, the car starts up...with the keys in my purse...it was wired totally wrong...instead of the ground they had wired the ground for the trailer incorrectly or some such thing...but watch out, mechanics are stupid, and I feel like most of the time they mess things up on purpose so you have to come back...
For example we took our car to get the timing belt and a few other things changed...they called and said there was a small hole in the radiator they could order us a new one...blah blah blah...we said go ahead...and now when we run the A/C or heat you get this gross smell of antifreeze and sometimes it blows smoke that you can see...and now it will overheat after a while, which it didn't do before they "fixed a hole in the radiator"...fixed it my ass...one of these days Alice! Straight to da' moon!
For example we took our car to get the timing belt and a few other things changed...they called and said there was a small hole in the radiator they could order us a new one...blah blah blah...we said go ahead...and now when we run the A/C or heat you get this gross smell of antifreeze and sometimes it blows smoke that you can see...and now it will overheat after a while, which it didn't do before they "fixed a hole in the radiator"...fixed it my ass...one of these days Alice! Straight to da' moon!
Winter Woman
Well-Known Member
Taking it to the shop my brother uses. I don't know if they are any good with electrical.
missnu
Well-Known Member
I had a '92 Cadillac that a mechanic replaced the battery cable with one that was way too long, and didn't tie up the excess cable..so it would get sucked into the fan, and so you would be driving along, and the freaking radio might turn on and off, or the windshield wipers...it messed with everything anytime the now exposed wires touched anything metal...electricity is like Wu Tang Clan...nuthin' to fuck with...lol...anyway one day I was taking the caddy somewhat offroading down this washed out gravel mountain that was a friend's driveway at the top of a mountain, and I guess all the bumping finally made it go crazy because all of a sudden the car started revving itself and this was a 4.9 liter V8...so a serious engine gunning sounded serious...anyway it starts revving so hard the whole car is rocking back and forth, back and forth...and I was just like oooohhhhhh Shit and I slammed it in park and just jumped out...I mean it sounded like it was going to blow...anyway it ran itself out of gas in just a few moments being suspended totally uphill and me being broke as shit...and I look in to see the exposed battery cable bit has become wedged in the main fuse control module...and basically just scrambled everything...
It is insane what 1 exposed wire can do to a car...I have had some seriously busted rides and have learned so much about cars in the process it is unbelievable.
It is insane what 1 exposed wire can do to a car...I have had some seriously busted rides and have learned so much about cars in the process it is unbelievable.
billybob420
Well-Known Member
Missnu, lol, you always got stories. I love it.
missnu
Well-Known Member
Ya know what the difference is...I have a really good memory, and like I can do instant replays in my mind so things are always fresh..so I can tell a story well is all...but for real, I rarely embellish...it is crazy what you can notice if you look
missnu
Well-Known Member
Just recently in our present car we were at the beach and I guess some sand, or saltwater, or the fact that we---(I) hubby was peacefully sleeping, after I stayed up to keep him company for his long drive...anyway...we (I) blindly followed the GPS directions into the middle of a literal swamp...water up to the door runners on the SUV...anyway 3 days later we turn the car on and roll down the window and smoke starts tendriling out the steering column...again somehow some wire had become exposed, touched something else and just fried the wire for the windows...so we had to just find and follow the wire...which was easy...we were looking for the blackened burnt one...
RyanTheRhino
Well-Known Member
so you car blinker is out? you can check the voltage with a dmm but may not be easy
Mitchell OnDemand states that the Body Control Module handles all signaling in your year and model. So these idiots just wildly cutting into any wire without a relay to protect could have burnt your BCM. But frankly the fact you are getting anything at all seems to me to be a loose ground or cut wire grounding out somewhere. I'd be under there with a very good flashlight and magnifying glass.
If you can not identify the wire yourself you need to go to a dealership. You need a high end scanner that has the ability to turn parts of the BCM on and off. Also Chevy has had problems with late models and the BCM so if you do not go to a dealer you need a shop that has a high end Snap On scanner and have actually purchased the 2008 updates. Make them SHOW you the scanner and you watch as they retrieve the codes and can turn on/off the different parts of the BCM. If they won't show you go elsewhere. But the dealers have to have these.
If you can not identify the wire yourself you need to go to a dealership. You need a high end scanner that has the ability to turn parts of the BCM on and off. Also Chevy has had problems with late models and the BCM so if you do not go to a dealer you need a shop that has a high end Snap On scanner and have actually purchased the 2008 updates. Make them SHOW you the scanner and you watch as they retrieve the codes and can turn on/off the different parts of the BCM. If they won't show you go elsewhere. But the dealers have to have these.
Winter Woman
Well-Known Member
I will do that as soon as I can. For a couple of days the car will just have to sit there.
be sure to take it to a trusted place for any electrical work.
i used to sell electronic control modules and i'd see the most stuck up backyard mechanics come in with all the swag in the world not knowing what the hell they were doing.
i don't know shit about cars, but i'd find you the right ECM for your car, any time, any place....
i used to sell electronic control modules and i'd see the most stuck up backyard mechanics come in with all the swag in the world not knowing what the hell they were doing.
i don't know shit about cars, but i'd find you the right ECM for your car, any time, any place....
Winter Woman
Well-Known Member
What is a ECM?be sure to take it to a trusted place for any electrical work.
i used to sell electronic control modules and i'd see the most stuck up backyard mechanics come in with all the swag in the world not knowing what the hell they were doing.
i don't know shit about cars, but i'd find you the right ECM for your car, any time, any place....
Carne Seca
Well-Known Member
be sure to take it to a trusted place for any electrical work.
i used to sell electronic control modules and i'd see the most stuck up backyard mechanics come in with all the swag in the world not knowing what the hell they were doing.
i don't know shit about cars, but i'd find you the right ECM for your car, any time, any place....
There ya go, ma'am. ::tipping hat::
it's not what you are looking for, so nevermind.... i used to deal with mechanics and shops... remember:
when dealing with mechanics and car shops:
good = a mechanic that deals with fleets of cars... company cars, police cars, ambulances, etc.... means probably good experience and good repertoire with clients... these guys are probably as sharp as they come...
bad = a mechanic shop with a bunch of 'noob clients' who don't know what kinds of questions to ask....a huge mess everywhere..... if he doesn't even have a scanner to read codes off cars, get the hell out of there...
you want somebody who knows about the electrical components of newer cars and how to fix them... not somebody who changes spark plugs for a living.... there IS a difference.
when dealing with mechanics and car shops:
good = a mechanic that deals with fleets of cars... company cars, police cars, ambulances, etc.... means probably good experience and good repertoire with clients... these guys are probably as sharp as they come...
bad = a mechanic shop with a bunch of 'noob clients' who don't know what kinds of questions to ask....a huge mess everywhere..... if he doesn't even have a scanner to read codes off cars, get the hell out of there...
you want somebody who knows about the electrical components of newer cars and how to fix them... not somebody who changes spark plugs for a living.... there IS a difference.
Winter Woman
Well-Known Member
How do I find that masked man? Really. How do I find a good mechanic?
Winter Woman
Well-Known Member
Duh, I feel very dumb.
Here's advice I always give to folks a/b finding a good mechanic. Go to your local parts store (NAPA, O'Reilly's, Auto Zone, whatever seems to be the main store in your town) and ask those guys who is reputable in town. See...the parts guys have relationships w/all the shops and they know who runs a business like a business and who has a jicky jacky shop set up. Reputation travels.
Also....anytime some aftermarket place starts cutting into original wiring on today's cars (post 1996 was when everything really started getting controlled by computers), it can mean trouble. I agree it sounds like they left a wire exposed and it's now touching a metal part of your car (which is a short to ground). If this started right after they installed the hitch/lighting, I have zero doubt this is the culprit. All you have to do is go back and inspect the place they cut the wires and after they removed everything....look at the place they re-connected the wires. For all you know they just twisted the wires and taped it w/electrical tape so it's losing a good connection. The technical "proper" way to repair automotive wiring is to solder, but nobody does that b/c most people lack the skills and there's quicker ways to connect wires that aren't quite as permanent but it seems to be the industry standard these days.
As for the relay..if it is a little plastic box type relay then having a wire shorting to ground makes sense too b/c you have to understand how relays work (the kind that plugs in...not the one integrated into the BCM/computer). A relay is simply an electro-magnetic mechanical switch. If you pop the plastic box off of one, you'll see a coil of copper wire and a thin metal "blade". When electricity is fed to that coil, it creates an electromagnet. The magnetism "pulls" the blade and causes it to make contact to a point that allows electricity to flow to your turn signal bulb. Electricity flowing heats up that blade (which is made of two types of metal). One type of metal is more heat sensitive and it bends w/heat which causes the blade to lift off that contact hence stopping the flow of electricity to your blinker light. This process happens very quickly...so each time your blinker blinks, the magnet pulling the blade, heating of the blade, pulling away of the blade process happens. In fact, there's not one system in the modern day automobile that does not use electromagnetism in some way. It's all very very cool!!
Let us know what you find out. I'm curious. We should start a "Car Talk" thread!
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