Carne Seca
Well-Known Member
Very logical oversight. Nothing dumb about it.
Ok you automobile experts try and diagnosis this one.
- Thread starter Winter Woman
- Start date
Very logical oversight. Nothing dumb about it.
WW or lil puma 
the ECM or PCM is the electronic or primary control module. For a long time it was the only control module a car had and was often referred to as it's brain. Now that cars are using electronic feedback mechanisms for many things a main control module acts as the main repository, for storage, and switching unit for the peripheral control modules.
Working on cars today is not like working on cars even 10 years ago. It requires high end scanners for a lot of the work. The scanners themselves run upward of $5,000.00 with the newest wireless Snap On's running just shy of 10K. Then you must buy the annual modules to upgrade your software. These modules run around $500 to $1000 on average and you have to buy what you are working on. As you can see this prices out most shops. Further the car manufacturers never release all their information. The dealerships then run proprietary scanner software that the shops can't purchase.
A scanner is fancy break out box so you can access directly the functions in the modules whether it's peripheral or primary. This is why you can't really take these cars to shade tree mechanics. Finding a good mechanic is tough but it's much tougher for electrical work today. I'd vet the shops equipment first and then if they have the scanner I'd ask them to show me the hook up and how they use the troubleshooter for this.
First I'd go back and demand that the guys who installed the hitch show me how they tapped into your electric. The problem is around there.
the ECM or PCM is the electronic or primary control module. For a long time it was the only control module a car had and was often referred to as it's brain. Now that cars are using electronic feedback mechanisms for many things a main control module acts as the main repository, for storage, and switching unit for the peripheral control modules.Working on cars today is not like working on cars even 10 years ago. It requires high end scanners for a lot of the work. The scanners themselves run upward of $5,000.00 with the newest wireless Snap On's running just shy of 10K. Then you must buy the annual modules to upgrade your software. These modules run around $500 to $1000 on average and you have to buy what you are working on. As you can see this prices out most shops. Further the car manufacturers never release all their information. The dealerships then run proprietary scanner software that the shops can't purchase.
A scanner is fancy break out box so you can access directly the functions in the modules whether it's peripheral or primary. This is why you can't really take these cars to shade tree mechanics. Finding a good mechanic is tough but it's much tougher for electrical work today. I'd vet the shops equipment first and then if they have the scanner I'd ask them to show me the hook up and how they use the troubleshooter for this.
First I'd go back and demand that the guys who installed the hitch show me how they tapped into your electric. The problem is around there.
Winter Woman
Well-Known Member
I must have had an inkling that something would happen. I stood and watched what they did when they took the light wiring out of the car. Everything they did was right around the rear light assemblies.
I crawled under the car and there is no wiring under it at all. So what I'm thinking of doing is unwrapping the electrical tape around the wires and individually wrap each wire with tape and then just loosely velcro them together and see how it works. As I do this I'm going to use a bright flashlight and inspect as I go (thanks for the tips).
I crawled under the car and there is no wiring under it at all. So what I'm thinking of doing is unwrapping the electrical tape around the wires and individually wrap each wire with tape and then just loosely velcro them together and see how it works. As I do this I'm going to use a bright flashlight and inspect as I go (thanks for the tips).
obijohn
Well-Known Member
I had a camper on a truck I had years ago, and the taillights and running lights on the camper went out. One of the wires to the camper had the iinsulation worn off and was shorting out . In my case I disconnected the wire to the running lights on the camper and the taillights stopped going out.
That is precisely what I'd do, cussing and swearing all the way.
Winter Woman
Well-Known Member
It's raining so it looks like a job for the weekend.
missnu
Well-Known Member
This is totally not true..my husband drives a fleet car that can only go to approved places and one place replaced the engine, but left 2 of the engine mounts disconnected, and didn't change the gaskets...a different one replaced the transmission, but forgot to attach the transmission cooler or something so it just blew moments after leaving the shop...anyway they took it to one guy for body work and then got a tune up at the dealership that handles the fleet trucks, they were supposed to fix his 4 wheel drive that had stopped working, and where we live and with what he does that is important..anyway so he gets the truck back from the dealership and they changed the spark plugs and all this stuff but didn't change the oil...anyway a couple of weeks later it snowed a bunch and he went to work..the morning he had a very telling mishap...he slid down a lady's driveway and hit a tree on the side they had just been charged to replace the door and quarter panel on, anyway that same side hit the tree and the bondo they used fell off, and it turns out the dealership had just disconnected the 4WD light from the dash when my husband told them it was staying on, could they check it...so...it is BS in my area...there are NO good mechanics, except guys you see out restoring cars in their yard...I am not above asking a greased up fellow if he would mind to check my undercarriage
missnu
Well-Known Member
if they didn't wrap each one individually then that is the problem...wrap them individually and then just tape them back together...easy as pie...working on cars isn't hard..til you need a bolt muscled off, but really the rest is hunt and find, and an understanding of what part goes where and what it does...I have found out what most parts are when they break...
RyanTheRhino
Well-Known Member
WOW. you mean they did't even use heat-shrink tubing to insulate the wires!!!! unprofessional it takes like 3 seconds with a heat gun
[video=youtube;d-j98tkAbh8]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=d-j98tkAbh8[/video]
Winter Woman
Well-Known Member
It didn't appear that they individual taped each wire but they did when I stood there. It might even be where a wire rubbed the body... I'll find it.
I hate this.
I hate this.
The trailer hitch people and the stereo people are HUGE offenders in screwing modern car's electrical systems. Stay away from the generic lube places and don't pay for magic flushes.
Winter Woman
Well-Known Member
Thank goodness I'm small enough I can sit inside the trunk and do this.
Winter Woman
Well-Known Member
No. And no blown fuses.
missnu
Well-Known Member
Go to a bank and use their drive through, or a gas station, there is usually unused covered space, if you don't have a garage...I slept in a denny's parking lot and then spent all day the next day in the bank cover covered in oil and power steering fluid because my ex husband had to have this car...just had to have it....it was a piece of junk and we all knew it...we told him and told him, but he wanted it...so he got it...anyway the power steering reservoir was cracked so badly you couldn't possibly put any in there, which had of course burnt out the pump, but my ex not knowing that and not noticing the humongous crack, or the fact that it was dripping out heavily whilst he was pouring, I don't know...but anyway we were driving and all the PSF leaked out all over everywhere under the hood and then he was like racing this thing like crazy, and he beat the crap off of a nice mustang and then bam! Problem...so we pulled into dennys and open the hood to fluff...the PSF had leaked all over the belts and caused one to slip off and grab another one, and then they both got sucked into the engine and shredded...it was later saturday night, so everything had just closed...super duper sucked...
Winter Woman
Well-Known Member
Wow... wow.
I broke down on the south side of Chicago once at midnight. Scared the shit out of me, too. But that's about the worse of it. Nothing like you are talking about.
billybob420
Well-Known Member
lol, yay more stories! Is this the ex husband with the tiny willy?
Winter Woman
Well-Known Member
Here's the answer to the problem with my car.
When the hitch place tapped into the wire it somehow caused a demand for just slightly more juice. Or at least that's how I understood it.
Anyway, they looked at the light bulb and said see it's just a little bit dark. Yes, I said. It means it's gotten too hot and then it would stop working. It would cool down and the blinker work again for about 4 or 5 clicks then stop working again.
They slipped in a 3011 light bulb in place of the 3057 light bulb and all the problems went away. A friggin' light bulb. The dealership didn't charge me a thing. FREE!!!
Now let's see what happens when I hook up to a trailer.
Needless to say I'm
and later I'll 
When the hitch place tapped into the wire it somehow caused a demand for just slightly more juice. Or at least that's how I understood it.
Anyway, they looked at the light bulb and said see it's just a little bit dark. Yes, I said. It means it's gotten too hot and then it would stop working. It would cool down and the blinker work again for about 4 or 5 clicks then stop working again.
They slipped in a 3011 light bulb in place of the 3057 light bulb and all the problems went away. A friggin' light bulb. The dealership didn't charge me a thing. FREE!!!
Now let's see what happens when I hook up to a trailer.
Needless to say I'm
and later I'll
RyanTheRhino
Well-Known Member
Here's the answer to the problem with my car.
When the hitch place tapped into the wire it somehow caused a demand for just slightly more juice. Or at least that's how I understood it.
Anyway, they looked at the light bulb and said see it's just a little bit dark. Yes, I said. It means it's gotten too hot and then it would stop working. It would cool down and the blinker work again for about 4 or 5 clicks then stop working again.
They slipped in a 3011 light bulb in place of the 3057 light bulb and all the problems went away. A friggin' light bulb. The dealership didn't charge me a thing. FREE!!!
Now let's see what happens when I hook up to a trailer.
Needless to say I'm
Well that is good and bad. They masked your symptoms but did not fix the issue. You still have increased resistance in the BCM circuit. That part of the wiring harness needs replaced or down the road something worse will rear it's ugly head. I'd get a quote from them about replacement of the harness and I would sue the trailer hitch folks in small claims court if they refuse to pay for an OEM replacement.
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