VS V6 electrical gremlins.

[seq4x4]

Hey guys. Iv finally had enough of my cars shit and thought i might ask where to start looking as it could be a cause of a million and one things.
Lately there has been a few problems that all happened around the same time:

• Central locking: Sometimes the unlock and lock button wont work so i have to manually lock the doors, then the drivers with the key. When unlocking using the key it will only unlock the drivers door, or sometimes all the doors. Some days it works fine, some days it does not.
• Distance to empty trip computer: Some days its dead spot on and reads correctly. Some days with will just say 0 or very slowly work its way up to where it should be. Other days itll read (at half a tank) 300(about)kms to empty then suddenly drop to 85kms then work its way back up.
• Im not 100% sure but im starting to suspect that my STFT(DTS76) is the cause of this electrical nightmare as well.
• I also went to use my electric antenna last night (hadnt used it in months) and it would not go up or down, no sound of it struggling to do either.

Its got me absolutely stuffed on what the hell is going on. Any ideas as to what the go is as i dot really have another complete car loom or the time to change it as its also my work vehicle.

Thanks guys.

[Drawnnite]

have you taken off the door trims, and checked the continuity of all the elec connections?
apparently a common problem is that because the wires run through such an area, the copper inside can break (because of constant opening and closing of door)

also have you checked to see if everything is working properly with the trims off?

i recently for the past 6 odd months couldnt get my drivers door to unlock via remote.
(could hear it trying but couldnt get enough of a kick to push it up/down)
pulled it all apart. tested every single connection for continuity.
put it back together and it all worked properly. tested it a few times and put door trim back on)
have no idea why it suddenly works again.

im not 100% sure but could it be the BCM has some gremlins in there?
in other words could it have glitches?

hope you get it all fixed up though

[seq4x4]

Thanks for your detailed reply. I have tested all the wiring behide the door cards when i painted the handles. Everything worked fine, everything lube up. I was thinking BCm on its way out as well (as i think the elec antenna runs through that) but once the dash started doing its thing i realized it could not be that as i believe that all the gauges are ran through the ECU.

I forgot to mention that the faults dont happen all at once (except the antenna) they alternate which one wants to #### with me for awhile.

[BowTie]

The door lock i'm sure is a cable in the loom for sure.

Static continuity tests will often pass.

While testing the cables they need to be manouvered through their full range of movement.

Even then if it still passes, usually tinkering in the arvo at the warmest time of day, expansion coefficient tends to make the broken cable form a dry joint under expansion pressure. I would then do the same tests at 5am in the coolest part of the day when expansion is at its lowest and more likely to expose a break in the circuit.

As for the other problems, dry joint oxidisation issues should be ruled out first. Contact clean and wire brush all related terminals connections and fuses. Oxidisation causes wierd shit to happen to the signals.

[seq4x4]

Thanks mate, all the door locks work fine now. It wasnt just one door so i ruled out it being the door looms. They have not played up since, whats left is the trip computer doing its thing and the short term fuel time, which cant be any of the causes it says in my comprehensive DTC list.

[Brett_jjj]

Ive had a bit of a weird problem for a while now with the door locks on my VS. My drivers side rear door wont lock via the remote when its raining, or for the next day after its rained. The other 3 doors lock no worries though. After it dries out, it starts to work perfectly again until it rains or I wash the car, then it stuffs up again. Its got me stuffed why this happens. Ive spent hours trying to find the cause. Theres no bad connections in any of the wiring etc. If I lock that door manually by pressing down the lock button, it will open up again no problems with the remote. It just wont lock with the remote. When this happens and you try to lock the car via the remote, you can see the lock button on that door trying to move down, but cant, Its like it sticks, but Ive lubed all the locking mechanism etc inside the door, and checked the lock button alignment to make sure its not binding on the door trim. The lock button is very easy to push in or pull back up, so its definitely not binding at all. Its only when it gets wet it stuffs up..

[seq4x4]

Thats very weird indeed, but the reminds me what i was doing a day or a few before that problem started. I was powering through lots of flooding to get home and such. Maybe that could be the cause for it and now that its had time to dry out she works again? Its just weird as.

[SWE11L]

Ive had a bit of a weird problem for a while now with the door locks on my VS. My drivers side rear door wont lock via the remote when its raining, or for the next day after its rained. The other 3 doors lock no worries though. After it dries out, it starts to work perfectly again until it rains or I wash the car, then it stuffs up again. Its got me stuffed why this happens. Ive spent hours trying to find the cause. Theres no bad connections in any of the wiring etc. If I lock that door manually by pressing down the lock button, it will open up again no problems with the remote. It just wont lock with the remote. When this happens and you try to lock the car via the remote, you can see the lock button on that door trying to move down, but cant, Its like it sticks, but Ive lubed all the locking mechanism etc inside the door, and checked the lock button alignment to make sure its not binding on the door trim. The lock button is very easy to push in or pull back up, so its definitely not binding at all. Its only when it gets wet it stuffs up..

That is exactly the same issue I've always had with mine. It used to happen on the passenger rear but not anymore. It has always and still does happen on the drivers side, as recently as last week. It absolutly shits me to death. I tried wrapping all the actuators in plastic thinking water was getting in them but that didn't work so yeah, it has me beat too!

[Jonah 101]

yeh, my rear drivers side door dont unlock with the remote. never has

[Drawnnite]

the little orange snib isnt dislodging is it?

sometimes the one on my drivers side does this.
the clips holding it in are half broken, so sometimes it sticks out a bit and wont move down.
just pressing it back in makes it work again.

so what im saying is could a little bit of this or that be causing the problem?
afterall rattles/vibrations can move different things around.

[Jonah 101]

thanks, Oh yeh does everyones driver door go GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR when you unlock it lol

[Drawnnite]

thanks, Oh yeh does everyones driver door go GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR when you unlock it lol

yeah.
but only when it wouldnt unlock via remote.
cannot hear it as much now it works properly again.

[Trikky]

you could have dry solder joints in the module that drives the central locking? I think it is the BCM from memory

[Jonah 101]

yeah.
but only when it wouldnt unlock via remote.
cannot hear it as much now it works properly again.

its does it when I use the remote lol it doesnt worry me. I was just curious if anyone elses car does it.

[seq4x4]

Mine doesnt make much noisy, it just violently locks and unlocks. I have a VS equip, should the indicators flash when locking? Mine only flash when unlocking.

[Brett_jjj]

My VS exec flashes twice when unlocking and flashes once when locking.

[Jonah 101]

mine only flashes when locking (once)

[seq4x4]

I think it may have something to do with the BCMs. As a mate was telling me a long time ago use can use the tech 2 to change flashes and horn beeps when locking and unlocking and such. Might research this i think.

[Brett_jjj]

Ive read before that the VT and later models have an option for changing whether the indicators flash and/or horn beeps/chirps when locking/unlocking. The only central locking options Ive come across in the tech1 VS BCM is for changing how the central locking operates. This menu changes whether the car unlocks all 4 doors with one press of the remote, or if it unlocks just the drivers door on the first press, and then opens the other doors by either pressing the button again, or by just holding the button in.
(one or two stage unlocking its called).

[seq4x4]

Oh ok, when you were looking at the menu you, where you plug into a car? Or is that the same options for LOW, MID, HI, LUX?

[Brett_jjj]

I cant quite remember what all the options are in the higher spec BCM's, and I havent got a higher spec car handy to check it out on.. Theres a few more tests/checks that can be done in the higher VS BCM's.. In the low VS BCM, you can test the interior light on/off, turn on/off the red LED security light in the middle of the dash, make the central locking lock/unlock, make the windscreen wipers operate, turn on/off all the blinker lights, open/close power windows if you have them fitted.(I dont). Some higher BCM's also have boot/trunk release, and test cruise control option. I think wagons have a rear window wiper on/off option.
You can also monitor the status of the following items-
Ignition switch - On/off.
Security override status - on/off.
Drivers door switch - unlock/lock.
Lock switch -off/on.
Lamp delay drive - off/on.
Drivers door- open/closed.
Passenger door - closed/open.
Front windscreen washer pump - off/on.
Front windscreen wiper int switch - off/on.
Windscreen wiper park switch - on/off.
Int wiper relay - off/on.
Aux output - off/on.
Low cooling fan drive - off/on.
Security LED - off/on.
Indicators - off/on.
Starter relay - enabled/disabled.
Passive mode - off/on.
Remote key signal - lock/unlock/trunk.
Remote key ID - (shows the number of ignition keys that have been programmed to that car).
BCM level/type - type 1 or low.

Theres also the security menus where new ignition keys can be programmed or spare keys added etc. It also shows the radio (PIN) security number, the ignition key number, glove box key number and boot key numbers .

[seq4x4]

Thats a pretty handy device, shame it cost a considerable amount.

[Jonah 101]

Fix my passengers door, Plug can out of its socket!

I think the last owner put up with it for 10years...............