PS, Speedo, Radio all went out. ABS light on. What just happened?
12-21-11, 11:04 AM
#31
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The reason I say that it the alternator isn't spinning enough due to a slipping pully it'll cause electronics to start shutting down.
My thunderbird sc did this, trac, abs, etc would all kick off due to a bad alternator that tested good.
My thunderbird sc did this, trac, abs, etc would all kick off due to a bad alternator that tested good.
12-21-11, 03:26 PM
#33
Thanks TechGeek and ihiryu.
How do you test a harmonic balancer? I was going to pull the serpentine today, then check for play in all my pulleys, but realized that most of my tools were in my wife's trunk after she left to work (long story, having to do with problems with my van over the weekend).
How do you test the damping effect of a HB? Will it feel sloppy if you wiggle it around if it's shot?
Which wheel well harness am I supposed to check?
Thanks
How do you test a harmonic balancer? I was going to pull the serpentine today, then check for play in all my pulleys, but realized that most of my tools were in my wife's trunk after she left to work (long story, having to do with problems with my van over the weekend).
How do you test the damping effect of a HB? Will it feel sloppy if you wiggle it around if it's shot?
Which wheel well harness am I supposed to check?
Thanks
12-21-11, 04:18 PM
#34
Take the serp. belt off and reach down and grab the outer most ring of the H.B. and try to turn back and forth, it should not slip from the center. There is a rubber circle between the inner and outer peices, look at it with a flash light and see if it looks torn/ twisted
12-21-11, 04:24 PM
#35
Techgeek, I only have a few minutes a day to get into my kickpanel with a flashlight. I looked again to ID. the integration relay on my 93 SC400, havent found yet. Do you know what its job is?
12-21-11, 08:03 PM
#36
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Take the serp. belt off and reach down and grab the outer most ring of the H.B. and try to turn back and forth, it should not slip from the center. There is a rubber circle between the inner and outer peices, look at it with a flash light and see if it looks torn/ twisted
Take a paint pen and mark the outer pulley and inner pulley with one long stripe. Then run the motor and check that stripe. If it has moved, the HB adhesion is bad. If it stays still look else where
12-22-11, 07:31 AM
#38
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In my case, the alternator was frying the battery on the Thunderbird SC but you're right, it wouldn't run the car very long if it were completely slipping - BUT in my case on my Lexus SC, it was slipping SOME of the time, which would mean that some days it would never slip and car would run great, then others it felt like the water pump wasn't pushing very hard and the clutch fan would suck up what little HP I had.
I took a paint pen, marked the inner pulley and the rubber and it didn't move, however, the next day on a nice throttle run I checked it again and the two marks had misaligned...so I just bought a brand new HB pulley instead.
I took a paint pen, marked the inner pulley and the rubber and it didn't move, however, the next day on a nice throttle run I checked it again and the two marks had misaligned...so I just bought a brand new HB pulley instead.
12-22-11, 08:09 PM
#39
Well, from what i gathered from another section of the forum is that my problem is due to a faulty Body Control Module. I didn't even know what that was, or that it was in our cars until mitsuguy pointed it out to me. Still waiting to get more info about it.
And, apparently, our PS is electronically controlled, so that seems to explain why my power steering isn't fully assisted. And my radio isn't out per say, it's the ACC signal to the power antenna that went out (that's what i used to turn my carpc and amp on). I'm not sure if it would make the factory radio/amps not turn on or not.
And, apparently, our PS is electronically controlled, so that seems to explain why my power steering isn't fully assisted. And my radio isn't out per say, it's the ACC signal to the power antenna that went out (that's what i used to turn my carpc and amp on). I'm not sure if it would make the factory radio/amps not turn on or not.
12-23-11, 12:03 AM
#41
Originally Posted by mitsuguy
I was looking at wiring diagrams the other day actually and it seems the one thing that your problems share is actually the anti-theft system. The speedometer is connected to the A/C and Electronic Power Steering, it is also connected to the Trip reset button / anti theft indicator light. The power windows are also connected to the anti theft system. The speedometer is also connected to the Anti-lock system...
12-25-11, 11:58 AM
#43
I still havent found my integration relay in my drivers kick panel fuse area yet. The diagrams show where it should be, but Im going to remove the plastic panel below the steering column to get a better look.
12-25-11, 12:23 PM
#44
A post I tried to make a couple days ago isn't showing ---- hmmmm.
I went out to look at the HB, to see about marking it. I noticed the round plug to connect the alternator was only 1/2 there! The harness side was there, but the alternator was wired into it by stripping some wire and jamming it into the plug. Someone must have fit an alternative alternator to the car, and just cut the plug off to wire it in. The plug would have had two parallel blades, and a third one in the opposite direction. The wire of the third blade was coming out of the female plug in the harness, which would explain my intermittent issues. I cleaned up the wire ends by cutting and restripping them, then added male blade connectors. I hoped this would fix everything, but it didn't. I think the weak connection probably fried the alternator, because the care now behaved exactly like a shot alternator.
I ordered a rebuilt one online, so am now hoping that replacing that will fix my troubles. I noticed too that while jumping the SC with my van, which is running a 110 amp alternator, the illumination on the spedo and tach needles was trying to come on. Perhaps somebody threw an 80 amp alternator in, and cut the plug off to make it work. My fingers are crossed that a new 100 amp alt. will do it, but you've given me great tips to keep going if it doesn't. While I'm installing it I'll inspect the HB and mark it with paint.
Thanks again for your help!
I went out to look at the HB, to see about marking it. I noticed the round plug to connect the alternator was only 1/2 there! The harness side was there, but the alternator was wired into it by stripping some wire and jamming it into the plug. Someone must have fit an alternative alternator to the car, and just cut the plug off to wire it in. The plug would have had two parallel blades, and a third one in the opposite direction. The wire of the third blade was coming out of the female plug in the harness, which would explain my intermittent issues. I cleaned up the wire ends by cutting and restripping them, then added male blade connectors. I hoped this would fix everything, but it didn't. I think the weak connection probably fried the alternator, because the care now behaved exactly like a shot alternator.
I ordered a rebuilt one online, so am now hoping that replacing that will fix my troubles. I noticed too that while jumping the SC with my van, which is running a 110 amp alternator, the illumination on the spedo and tach needles was trying to come on. Perhaps somebody threw an 80 amp alternator in, and cut the plug off to make it work. My fingers are crossed that a new 100 amp alt. will do it, but you've given me great tips to keep going if it doesn't. While I'm installing it I'll inspect the HB and mark it with paint.
Thanks again for your help!