Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham

1990 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham Electrical / Lighting Systems Malfunction Happens always 

1990 Fleetwood RWD Cadillac .... the Body fuse blows
I have been looking for the short and can't seem to find it.. However one clue is the other day a fuse did work in the circuit and did not blow until 24 hours later..... during that time everything worked great and I played with it all .... but now it is back to blowing the body fuse....which is inside lights, lighters, map lights
visor lights etc etc.......

Hello, Have you looked in every cigar lighter socket for a foreign object? It could include a coin, gum wrapper, paperclip, staple, or even rust. (Any metal)

If the cigar lighter sockets look all right, the next likely cause might be the wiring that goes through the hinge mount of one of the sunshade visors. Over time as the sunshades are used the wiring harness will fatigue and cause a short. The wires I'm talking about power the lighted vanity mirrors.

Removing the three screws that mount each sunshade to the roof will allow you to lower the assembly intil you find a connector you'll need to disconnect to take the sunshade completely out of the car.

If the problem is found here it will be on the sunshade side of the wiring connector. Repair as needed.

Upon reassembly into the car be careful to ensure the wiring stays clear of the path of the mount screws for each sunshade or a new short circuit could result.

Your thoughts?,

Roger

I will go check all the lighters and I will remove the Sun visor and will email back in a while..I do have electronics background so I can follow you... good idea so far... I did check those items and I did remove them but let me go recheck....back in a while

Ok I rechecked all lighters and sun visor... I have hooked up a OHM meter to the circuit and am getting a reading that does change when I use after market remove to unlock doors from around .5 ohms to 23 ohms I hear 3 clicks from under dash when I use the remote... Clue factory doorlock switches on doors do not work due to they are on the circuit with that fuse..... however due to the slight ohm reading I did get a chance to test reading lamps, sun visors, all door switch, an lighters, doom lights all because I could see the difference in readings by turning something on or off. the after market remote is a AVITAL two button seems to work find...

The shop rule for diagnosing electrical problems on a Cadillac is to disconnect all the aftermarket equipment and recheck and see if the fault is still present.

If you physically removed both sun shades from the roof of the car and found no defect in the wiring, and have verified all cigar lighter sockets are clear of debris, you have covered the most common faults I found while working for a Cadillac Dealer for 16 years.

You may be facing taking the door trim panels off one at a tome to inspect the route the wiring loom takes. There were problems in the rear doors with the wiring chafing on a metal bracket until it caused a short in the door locks.

Do you have a wiring schematic for the components protected by the Body fuse?

Please advise,

Roger

I have found the problem.. I took the passenger door handle off and the armrest where all the buttons are….I notice that my OHMmeter started reading different so I tried a new fuse and it all worked…. So I know I had the area but didn’t know where it was in the door…I kept the door open so the doom light would stay on and if it went out then I knew I had the source of the problem…..So I looked at each switch and played with everything moved wires around a little …..NOTHING ..hmmmmm So I started putting it all back together knowing that I might be taking it apart again….then I noticed that last two screws that hold the chrome cover the goes over the handle were real long …plus they bite into a metal bracket leaving ¾ “ or so exposed thread that were right next to a cable…. I looked closer and that has to be the problem period…… So all done

I'm happy if you are. What then shall we do with this question?

Roger

Do you happen to know what cadillac did about the squeaks and noise on the Radio ..... I know that there is a recall and they put a diode on the windsheild wipers but in real life there might have been other things.... Do you happen to remember...I can live with it but just thought you might know

Squeaks and rattles are usually the responsibility of the selling dealer as he gets paid for new car prep. Most buyers return to the seller for some help, but the customer has a nationwide warranty and can ask any Cadillac dealer for help.

There are few Bullitens issued for troubles of this nature. It is up to the dealer service techs to find a solution.

How can you stop the noise? By pressing on the radio head or the trim panel around it?

I would trim to fit the felt side of velcro and use it to insulate against chafing. It has an adhesive back and will stay where you put it unless it has too much pressure on it. If the car interior gets hot from a sun soak period the felt may shift under pressure. Cleaning the surface you are about to stick the felt to with rubbing alcohol will help the reliability of the repair effort.

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Thanks!

Roger

1987 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham Heating / Cooling System Won't Start Happens always Always

panel do not light up do not come on at all

There are a few things this could be,
First easy, and I assume you have checked fuses to make sure they are all good, but do so again, pull the fuse and put back in, see if that helps. Second look under dash in that area for burnt or broken wires, the panel could have shorted out. Third its possible your lights have burnt out in your panel, which will require removal and replacement of the lights.
If all of this looks fine, it is possible your ECM (computer) is going bad, This is a silver box under or behind your glove box.
New ones are quite expensive, but you can get a used one from a junk yard and replace for about 15 dollars at a pick your part place. At the same time the Control panel could have burnt out, and again, this item can be expensive new but used its generally about 15 dollars at a pick ur part place.
Remember , if its gone bad in your car its possible that the junk yard cars are bad too, Sometimes it requires trying two or three ECMS or panels to get one that works.

1983 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham Heating / Cooling System Malfunction Happens always Always

the l.e.d readout on the climate control does not come on even when u press the buttons nothing happens . replaced the climate contol module and still nothing. the fuse is okay and it is getting power

Hello, The programmer is usually at fault here, not the control panel. The programmer is bolted to the plenum case under the right side of the dash. You'll find it much easier to access when both the glove box and the right side dash close out panel are removed.

Your thoughts?,

Roger

does it need to be reprogrammed or replaced

Replace the programmer, it cannot be reprogrammed. However, the temperature door needs to be "calibrated" when you hook it up.

You'll find that the programmer has one electrical connector, a multi-colored vacuum hose connection( one size 7mm nut in it's center) and a threaded linkage for the temp. door (unsnaps from the motor arm) that the programmer controls.

When you bolt down the new programmer, connect the electrical and vacuum connections only. Then turn on the ignition key ( climate control off, do not start the engine) and set the climate control panel to 90 degrees F. Watch the programmer motor arm move toward the rear of the car. When it stops, very gently pull the linkage arm of the temp. door toward you until you first feel resistance (door has moved to full heat) and snap the linkage into the programmer motor arm retainer for the linkage. Be sure that the inside air temperature flex hose is still connected to the plenum so it will sample interior air temperature. You're finished. Reassemble the dash.

Roger

1981 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham Heating / Cooling System   

The blower motor runs at high speed as long as the electrical feed wire is attached, even with the ignition off.

This is almost always caused by a relay that is stuck closed. Check the relay and get back to me. Note- If there is a matching relay nearby, you can swap for test purposes.

Thanks for your response. I have a set of Helm 1981 Caddy Shop Manuals to help me. I'll have to find the appropriate relay in the circuit. Will advise. Therew are so many interactive componants in the system, I didn't know where to start.