Gauges -- Electrical Problems

[midnight89]

Hello All,

My girlfriend has a 2002 Grand Am SE. She just started the car up this afternoon and none of the gauges in the instrument cluster are functioning properly (speedometer, tachometer, fuel gauge, temp. gauge). Additionally, the air conditioning will no longer send out cold air and for some weird reason the radio remains on (and plays) after I remove the key from the ignition and open the driver's side door.

This sounds a bit odd to me. I've checked a few of the fuses and everything looks OK. I know the radio typically turns off once the keys are out of the car and the door opens, however for some reason it is continuing to get constant power. Does anyone have an idea of what could be causing all of these symptoms.

Thanks guys!

[Bryan]

Was the stereo wiring recently messed with?

[midnight89]

"Was the stereo wiring recently messed with?"

No. The car still has the stock radio in it and it has never had any troubles. The car itself hasn't had any troubles of any kind at all and all of these problems started this afternoon. Seems like with everything that's going haywire that there is one common element that would explain it, however I just can't figure out what that one common element is! :-)

[midnight89]

Bump....you guys have any thoughts as to what could be causing this?

[gectek]

yah sounds like a maxi fuse or some splicepak or common harness. in detail you said the gauges do work, but the radio wont go off and the a/c wont blow out cold air. now when u turn on the a/c does the compressor come on, also will the blower motor work in all speeds and will the mode change from register to defrost to floor vents?

[gectek]

ok the radio not turning off will be body code B2965, either 1 of 2 results...shorted wrie to BCM or bad bcm....

[midnight89]

Originally Posted by gectek

yah sounds like a maxi fuse or some splicepak or common harness. in detail you said the gauges do work, but the radio wont go off and the a/c wont blow out cold air. now when u turn on the a/c does the compressor come on, also will the blower motor work in all speeds and will the mode change from register to defrost to floor vents?

Thanks for the reply. NONE of the gauges are working...speedometer, tachometer, fuel gauge and temp gauge....they are not giving a reading at all.

As for the more particular information on the A/C, I'll go take a look at that further.

RE: your post below about the radio, given everything that's not working properly I wouldn't be surprised if it's the BCM.

[gectek]

so when you turn on the car do the gauges self test? like do a full sweep

[gectek]

i would look for a IPC/BFC ACC Fuse 1 10A...it is in the left side of the dash in the fuse panel there, both the BCM and the IP cluster are fused there

that may be the root of ur problem, because that connector there goes to the theft deterrent as well, and may be making the radio stay on for some reason

EDIT...also fuse #37...there are alot of fuses that show a remedy to what u are talking about, but i wonder why they all might have blown

[midnight89]

Cool deal....thanks for the reply. I need to go jump the car to test everything out because the radio (or at least the clock) stayed on all last night and killed the battery.

As for the gauges self test, they do not do the typical full sweep (i.e. when the tach goes from top, to bottom, and finally to the actual engine RPM). They don't move at all.

[gectek]

the self test happens automatically, when u turn the car on they sweep to show you they are working. if not then look at all of the fuses in the left dash panel and the maxi fuses under the hood as well to make sure they are not blown

actually check all the fuses, under the hood and on both sides of the dash, i mean all of them to make sure they are good. there are so many that are interconnected.

[gectek]

this diagram shows how interconnected all the power fuses are for the BCM...i would check those first

[midnight89]

Originally Posted by gectek

this diagram shows how interconnected all the power fuses are for the BCM...i would check those first

Do you have the link to the diagram?

[gectek]

i thought i posted it....here it is
Electrical Problems

post #6

[orangeone]

I have a similar problem with my gauges on my '99 GA exept mine will sometimes work and sometimes not. I could be driving down the road, look down to check my speed and look down a second later to see some or all of the gauges die. If I let my foot off the gas for about 10 seconds or hit a good bump, they will come back . Sometimes just the tach will work, sometimes just the temp, or sometimes nothing. It is really annoying not knowing your speed. And it will do it continually on a short or long drive. I moved the ground wire, as someone told me that might help. Any ideas? I was going to change the whole unit, but don't know if that will fix the problem. If I do, will any unit from '99 and up fit? This is the only posting I've found with a similar problem to mine.

[ProtonXX]

Came across this problem in my now 20 year old Grand Am GT.

Basically started with a burned up ODB-ii port
Burned out Cigar Lighter Fuse
Interment Cluster Gauge & Radio Failure
Then finally the Trunk Randomly Opening When Driving


Tried the PCM + BCM swap.. Didnt work
Bought a New Ignition Switch (used same key lock). Fixed Everything

The inside of the one of the contacts of the ignition switch was burned also.

[AaronGTR]

Originally Posted by ProtonXX

Came across this problem in my now 20 year old Grand Am GT.

Basically started with a burned up ODB-ii port
Burned out Cigar Lighter Fuse
Interment Cluster Gauge & Radio Failure
Then finally the Trunk Randomly Opening When Driving


Tried the PCM + BCM swap.. Didnt work
Bought a New Ignition Switch (used same key lock). Fixed Everything

The inside of the one of the contacts of the ignition switch was burned also.

Yeah, carbon build up on ignition contacts can cause all kinds of problems. I had a '97 grand prix gt that started having odd electrical issues with the HVAC, stereo, door locks, etc. Turned out there was carbon build up on the contacts in the ignition switch from years of previous owners turning the car on/off with the radio, wipers, HVAC etc still on. Causes a spark to jump across the contacts when they break and causes carbon build up.

After I took the switch apart and cleaned it with some contact cleaner, everything worked fine again. I got in the habit of turning everything off before I turned the car off.

[zzyzzx]

In the same situation. I have a new ignition switch electrical part on order.

Here is a video of a bad switch being dissected:

[zzyzzx]

Originally Posted by AaronGTR

After I took the switch apart and cleaned it with some contact cleaner, everything worked fine again.

That won't always work. Sometimes you have to sand or file down the contacts, and even then there is only so much you can remove and have it still work. I have heard of people doing just that, and then adding solder to build it back up. I may try cleaning up my old one to keep as a backup.

[zzyzzx]

Ended up replacing the electrical part of my ignition switch. Used a Standard Motors US271 aftermarket, which was made in Taiwan and fit great.

Now I am wondering if this fixes the unintended key rotation issue (the recall that I never had done).