Isolated electrical issues. Moisture?

boydmartin · Post by **boydmartin** » 18 Dec 2016, 01:36

This is such a sublime website. I love reading from others so knowledgeable despite my lack there of. In essence, hurricane Matthew continues to pummel me months after striking our coast. I thought I was going to get FEMA money to fix but to no avail. So slightly after the storm I began having intermittent electrical issues. It started with the windshield wipers not working and has gotten to a point where the turn signals do not work, door locks will not work, and driver side tail light is out. The storm also devastated my life and I am currently living in this vehicle that I refuse to let die like my marriage. My father-in-law insists on selling it for scrap which only fuels my determination to raise this phoenix from the ashes. Ironically this was my wife's car and I watched her literally drive it into the ground for five years. I will never understand why somebody would accellerate towards a stop sign but as you may read in a separate thread, do not be surprised to learn that the front brake pads and shoes are dust. I feel like I've isolated electrical issues and hope there is a quick fix. Funny enough when I turn the hazard blinkers on the lights work. Also just toyed with the connections on the CEM and I managed to get the cigarette lighters - which never ever worked - ignited and the odometers working again. With that said, the gas meter is not working but I have enjoyed the couple nice strolls after running out of gas lately. Which makes me think also gas mileage is suffering. Obviously somebody living out of a car does not have the luxury of sending to an authorized dealer so I am keeping my fingers crossed. This car is endearing to me and the sound system is groovy is hell. Steely Dan has never sounded so good. I apologize as I was expecting to find aa lot of threads on the issue, but I feel like I've done my due diligence so feel free to point me to the right thread.

mf70 · Post by **mf70** » 20 Dec 2016, 08:07

What a sad thread! A car is a tool to make your life easier. If your head is in a place where you can appreciate it, it can also provide fulfillment in being able to overcome apparently impossible obstacles.

To directly respond to your post, my first thought is, as you say, moisture. I'd advocate a 3-prong attack:

First, I would make sure no further water was getting in: If this car has a moon roof, I would pull the "A" pillar covers and verify that the forward moon roof gutters drain properly. It is also possible that water has come in around the windshield bonding. There is a Volvo tech bulletin on the subject of tracking water leaks.
Second, I would deal with existing trapped water: I would also check that the 1 1/2" of foam under the carpets is DRY. If it isn't, pull the seats and remove the carpets to dry. Febreze is wonderful for remaining odors.
Third, I would revisit the CEM connectors and circutry. I would do everything possible to scrub and clean all the zillions of contacts, both the male and female surfaces. Perhaps something like: https://www.amazon.com/Scratch-Brush-Fi ... B0019V18D2

boydmartin · Post by **boydmartin** » 20 Dec 2016, 21:17

Thanks for the info. Can I rule out the moonroof if I have sat in it during a thunderstorm, and the fact that it functions properly? And are you suggesting pulling the seats completely out of the car? Far above my grade level but I do have a good week to get this taken care of, so maybe in true redneck fashion I can turn my yard into a auto triage. It is South Georgia.

So as I visualize it, is there a chance there is some wiring in the drivers side door? If you think about it, things not working are so close and related. For instance, windshield wipers and blinkers are controlled on same unit and door windows and door locks are kissing cousins, residing on the arm rest so to speak. Now the gas gauge is an outlier I suppose it. I guess I should also mention that the power seats and warmers work, as do most all other electronics in that area. And what are the modules under the drivers side? Lastly, it is started to make a clicking sound which I was hoping is the cars attempt to work out the issues, but thinking that is wishful thinking. I was also thinking would it hurt to put a hair dryer to the mods? And would it be a good idea to store it in a dry place for a couple of days. It has not rained in weeks, but it is so wet outside the car looks drenched.

I also cleaned up my original post so it is a better read. Sorry for that but iphones are not great for longform. Thanks mf70 for perservering through it. Not Kings English but better I hope.

Oh, I also read a thread on this site I think that makes me now think maybe it is a relay. But I wouldn't know what one of those look like if it slapped me. But, from reading in between the lines, it sounds like a good problem to have compared to more expensive endeavors.

mf70 · Post by **mf70** » 22 Dec 2016, 14:14

The general point is that there is central control of almost every electrical item on the car, from the Central Electrical Module (CEM). If a variety of stuff gets weird at the same time, the one common cause is the first suspect. There are wires all over the car, but the weak spot is under the dash.

Can I rule out the moonroof if I have sat in it during a thunderstorm, and the fact that it functions properly?

No. The problem isn't the roof insert itself; there is a gutter that runs around the opening and catches any leakage. It's the four gutter drains (almost always the front two that drain down the "A" pillars. Hence my suggestion #1. If they are leaking, they will rain water down on the CEM (bad) connections; hence my third suggestion.

You also said

And are you suggesting pulling the seats completely out of the car?

Well, yes, if you have water trapped under the carpets. To check, I would first remove the back seat (four bolts, ZERO difficulty as long as you know "righty-tighty, lefty-loosey") and lift the rear carpeting. If the back foam is damp, the front foam will be as well, and you will then need to take the front seats out (four bolts again, but under trim covers that are a little hard to figure out. In addition, there is a major electrical connector to each forward seat. They are well designed connectors that come apart easily. The seats themselves are bulky; another poster suggests just moving them to the rear seat area to get working on the front carpet area.)

Any time you are plugging and unplugging connectors, it is safest if you first disconnect the battery.