My 99 STS loses voltage while parked. Initially I thought I had a dashboard problem since the weak battery was making the display freak out (all kinds of erroneous error codes, even went completely black on occasion). Well now I know it's a simple case of battery weakening to a point below the min required voltage while the vehicle is turned off and parked. (I know this since when I religiously disconnect the battery while parked - all is well)

Any tips on how I can find the leak efficiently? I am thinking about a divide and conquer method by removing fuses and looking for the guilty circuit.

I am attaching a snippet from my dealer's attempt ($672.35 for battery and diagnostic efforts) to diagnose this thing and wonder if there is anything here to help me narrow down my search.

Thanks to all help offered!

Could be your alternator...

Have you checked to see if the alternator recall was performed on your car? 98-99 had bad alternators that could catch fire for no apparent reason, even if the car is off. Call a dealer and give them the last 8 digits of your VIN and have them check and see if it was done. Would like to believe that your dealer did this as step 1 but I had to argue with one dealer to convince them there was a recall in the first place. Could be your culprit.

Agree...a bad diode in the alternator would run down the battery......so would a faulty switch in the trunk light (but the 99-04 series has timers to shut down unused lighting after 10 minutes or so...) You might have to pull each fuse, one at a time, in the front and rear boxes, and jump across the socket with a sensitive DMM.

I have a DMM (it's a cheapie) that has a 200 microA setting.

Thanks for the tip on the alternator.

If the alternator is suspect, I am wondering if I can (as an experiment) disconnect it instead of the battery, leave the car parked and see if I get a sunken Voltage or not. Yeah?

As for removing a fuse and putting a DMM in place - I would imagine some circuits SHOULD show a draw while parked yeah? In that case, I would need to know expected current levels.

Some fuses should have small draws, some not. I will consult FSM to see if there is a spec. Yes, you can disconnect the alternator as a draw test and I would pull both the connector and charge lug. If the recall isn't done its a really good idea.

http://members.cox.net/chubbyranger/parasitic%20table.JPG

Hey thanks Chub. So yes - recall was performed in May 99. Check.

So what I've done so far is pull the back bench and unhood the rear fuse block. Oh what a pleasure to try and troubleshoot such a "smart car". I'm literally crawling in and out of my window so as to not trip the timers, relays and whatnot. Yeah yeah I'm sure there is a smarter way.

Couple observations - the Large relay in the corner mapped as "Cigar" is quite toasty warm, not burning, but notably warm after disconnecting / reconnecting the bat. Not sure if that is relavent to my leak. I have no accessories plugged in the cigar plugs and I don't think they are tweaked.

The other thing that I am wondering about is that 3 position slider switch up near the internal rear view mirror - has positions "off - auto - on". My understanding is that off means kill the interior lamps, on means force em on, and auto means hey car do what you think is right. I noticed I had it in auto and I wish I had checked to see if the toggle was "docked" solidly in that position. It's a slider and I am wondering if it was just a bit off the center position. I have now moved it to OFF. (Ooops - might now have thrown a variable into my trouble shooting context.)

I mean what is the state of the circuit when you are between the 3 spots? I guess what I'm getting at is could it be possible that I unknowingly am leaving the internal light circuit sortof ON (realizing I should see on ON light, but maybe the current is running elsewhere). Dunno. I could be way off track here but I just have this feeling that this leak is due to some REALLY simple stupid thing.

I haven't had success getting my DMM to show me a current reading. It's a cheapie. I put it between ground and the bat ground and it seems to only want to complete the circuit if I am in the 10A setting but I get know steady state current reading and I KNOW there is flow.

Just sharing and releasing here. Frustrated but determined!!!

Off to work so this will be brief:

Put the ammeter across the fuse/relay terminals to see what each circuit is drawing.

Leave door open and test lighting and radio circuits for draw before and after the 10 minute timers are supposed to trip off.

Write down what you're doing as you go

Dome/interior light switch should not be a problem unless the lights were on all the time, but even then battery rundown should have kicked in.

Even with the recall done the alternator could still be a problem so keep that on the list of things to test.

:confused: By some chance has an aftermarket gadget been tapped into the mentioned "cigar" circuit? That MAY be one circuit that is hot all the time, and something like an alarm or amp or who-knows-what may have been hooked up. Just a thought.

....
So what I've done so far is pull the back bench and unhood the rear fuse block. Oh what a pleasure to try and troubleshoot such a "smart car". I'm literally crawling in and out of my window so as to not trip the timers, relays and whatnot. Yeah yeah I'm sure there is a smarter way.

There certainly is an easier way. Use a screwdriver to trip the latch on the door. I do them all when I know I will be in and out of the car for hours.

Sounds like you could use a decent meter with at least a 10A ammeter selection. The Greenlee line of meters at Lowes are priced reasonably; I use a model DM-60.

For safety and convenience, I always insert the ammeter in the battery chassis ground cable. Remove the cable end under the bolt and alligator clip one meter test lead to that cable end and the other meter test lead to chassis ground. After 10 minutes, the current draw will fall to approximately 50 ma when all the systems go to sleep.

And are you confident the battery is not the problem?

just throwing this out there.
DOES YOU POWER ANTEANNA WORK ?

chub - I will do as assigned and report back. (Some of those smaller relays are a bitch to pull.) And I will keep the alternator on the suspect list.

I hear you on the interior/dome switch. I'll stay objective but when I found that switch - I just got this "feeling" that it has something to do with this fiasco. I did slide it to off and I left my VM on the bat all night and it has held steady at 12.48 exactly (which I assume is tad low due to all my testing, but held solid level all night nonetheless) This is with alternator and front fuse block in circuit as well as the rear fuseblock.


submariner - no known "parasites" are plugged in. The only jacks I know of are: 1 - to the left of the passengers feet and 2 in the rear "ashtray" (center one near climate control) I haven't looked to see if there is one in the trunk and I definitely haven't plugged anything in even if there is. Will look.


JimD - Thanks for the doorlatch tip. I went the window route since I didn't know if the switch was coupled to the hinge or the latch. I'll trip the latch.

I was trying my meter between the battery and the groundstrap. I'll do as you recommended and try between the chassis and strap. As for the car battery - It is new and yes that is not a guarantee that it's "good", but at this point I do not suspect that battery. I probably should change the ammeter battery even though I thinks it's up to par. (I speak of both bats since I am not sure which one you are asking about.)

I am attaching a pic of the meter I'm using.



eyekandy - Thanks but I don't have a power antenna. (At least that I know of).

A fully charged 12V wet cell battery will show 12.5 to 12.6 volts, unloaded for more than 2 hours. If it stayed at 12.48 all night, you seem to have found the problem. Automotive alternator/regulators are not too "smart", and are set to slightly overcharge a battery in order to compensate for short trips. That's why you see 14.2 to 15 volts on the DIC. A "smart" regulator, sensing a fully charged battery, will cut output voltage to about 13.5 and reduce amperage to just enough to "float" the battery on the existing load, preventing overcharging and unnecessary loss of electrolyte. (Gel and AGM batteries are sealed and recombine the hydrogen and oxygen produced by charging, so no vents are required.)

sub - thanks. I would like if it's licked, but I'm not doing any victory dances just yet. Not saying you are wrong ... just not gonna assume just yet.

Damn I wish I had done some measurements before I moved that dome switch. Then I'd have some proof. I suppose I could put the switch back where I think it was but I'm not gonna do that just yet. I'm going to focus on getting some reasonable current measurements.

The only other "state change" that I made to the system was disconnect / reconnect the front fuse block and alternator.


I also should mention that the passenger visor mirror light was not working until I "scrubbed" the slider switch back and forth and then it came to life. Wonder if that in conjunction with the dome switch could have been providing any current path.

I just gotta get the current measured so I can step beyond the theorizing and into some real diagnostic meat.

well a battery will show any voltage but once it is used the amp hours will go down and the loaded voltage will drop alot.

Dome/interior light switch should not be a problem unless the lights were on all the time, but even then battery rundown should have kicked in.


So I could have been wrong...
Went out and tested the interior light switch in my car tonight. Interestingly enough, with the car off and a door open, when the switch is moved from "Auto" to "On" I can hear relays clicking under the back seat. Read through the FSM and sure enough the power draw is actually changing circuits between the two switch positions. And the main module controlling them both (drumroll here) is the Rear Integration Module (RIM), which your dealer pegged in their diagnostics. According to FSM the battery rundown is controlled by the RIM which sets a timer from activation, but the timer can be reset, such as opening another door. I'm wondering if you bridged the two circuits when the switch was in-between and somehow confused the RIM into believing it was being constantly reset. :hmm:

Well I returned that POS DMM and bought a slightly better one.
I have the red lead in the 10A input and the meter is between the battery ground strap and the chassis.

I hook up with all doors closed and dome switch in off position.

Dash clicks and clacks, DMM is set to A and shows 4.75 - 5 and bounces for about 30 sec.
Then drops to 1.16 for about 30 sec
Then drops to .35 for about a minute
Then drops to .22 for about 30 sec
Then drops to .18 for about 6 minutes
Then drops and holds at .01

10 mA steady state? seem right? Not sure if I trust the meter but that's what I'm getting - I think.

If I turn on the rear reading light at that point it swings up to .95

JimD: Not sure if I buy the "trip the doorlatch with a screwdriver" since my dash computer reports the door as open even though I have the latch closed. Hence I am still doing my tests with doors shut.

Chub: Thanks for taking the time to test your dome slider. Your "RIM confusion theory is interesting", the other thing I am wondering is a sometimes sticky relay? Don't know what reasons the RIM has for resetting but an unjustly sensitive security trigger? or any trigger for that matter? That would somewhat explain the sleeping state to look reasonable then when I leave it alone it could be sneaking in a reset that goes unobserved. BTW - what is "ALD connector" mentioned in dealer diagnosis?

I am hoping to see offense at the Macro level of measure to determine that YES indeed there is current getting sucked while the car sits, but that 10mA seems reasonable (please set me straight if it isn't). I was hoping for there to be a blatantly too high number. I kept waiting and waiting and waiting but it just sits at .01 I hesitate to start measuring subcircuits until I prove there is absolute draw at the battery.


Not giving up.

The FSM is atrociously unclear about an overall acceptable current draw level - it refers to calculations between sections that don't use the same units; in one place battery reserve capacity is quoted in amps and in another its in minutes. 10mA doesn't sound horrible when I look over the FSM table and add up the totals, but one of the techs here may have a better feel for it. I think ALD in your dealer diagnosis is old school for DLC (Data Link Connector) - the place where you plug a Tech II in. On my 1990 the diagnostic plug under the dash was called the ALDL - Assembly Line Diagnostic Link they may be using a shortened version of a previous generation term because I can't find a reference to ALD in the 99 FSM.

The part of the FSM I read is also unclear about what causes the RIM to reset its timer. I'm guessing if you leave a door open for >10 minutes and it shuts the lights down, you come back and open another door it should turn the lights back on and reset. Also I would guess if you open another door during the 10 minutes the RIM would reset. The bad/sticky relay theory might not be bad either, except if I recall right your RAP and light shutdown timers were working correctly, so it may be intermittently bad. Will try to read up on the RIM section after work and figure out what causes it to reset RAP and battery rundown.

....
10 mA steady state? seem right? Not sure if I trust the meter but that's what I'm getting - I think.
Ten ma is an acceptable reading (my '98 settles down to 30 ma). A fresh battery fully charged should sit for 6 weeks or more and be able to start the engine.

JimD: Not sure if I buy the "trip the doorlatch with a screwdriver" since my dash computer reports the door as open even though I have the latch closed. Hence I am still doing my tests with doors shut.
The door latch clicks twice for the closed and latched position. And it sounds like you are done testing for parasitic drain anyway.

At the risk of sounding dumb(er) --> RAP?

Ten ma is an acceptable reading (my '98 settles down to 30 ma). A fresh battery fully charged should sit for 6 weeks or more and be able to start the engine. The door latch clicks twice for the closed and latched position. And it sounds like you are done testing for parasitic drain anyway.

I should mention that I never have a problem starting the car. This whole thing started when the DIC would freak and act like a pinball machine since the power was not quite up to par. (A bit counterintuitive considering I would expect the DIC to require much less of the battery than the starter.) Thanks for setting me straight on the latch.

Voice number two calling the job done. I really hope you're right!!!
Although I hunger for the satisfaction of absolute proof of the culprit rather than it just being ok and not really know what the deal was.


The FSM is atrociously unclear about an overall acceptable current draw level - it refers to calculations between sections that don't use the same units; in one place battery reserve capacity is quoted in amps and in another its in minutes.
... Will try to read up on the RIM section after work and figure out what causes it to reset RAP and battery rundown.

Yeah tech manuals riddled with ambiguity and sometimes incompleteness. Very very used to that. But I sure wish I had one here. Much appreciate your reading on my behalf. I am eager to hear the RIM findings in terms of what it does, when, and why. Although when I read between the lines of the dealer diag, it appears that he did some work to isolate the RIM as guilty but his findings were not compelling - agree? That amongst a few other reasons makes me leary that this thing is intermittent in nature (as you also mention) or (heaven forbid) the kind of problem that leaves the dancefloor when there is diagnostic intervention - I think there is some theory in quantum physics where the mere act of observation can actually affect that which is being observed. Not to get too deep but this thing sends me there. I mean I've been living with this bug for 3 or 4 years now.

So now my wife just came home and I'm watching the voltage as it's parked and logging the rate of decay ...

Park, set rear passenger door to "fooled latch", hook up VM, and wait for sleep state ...

0h 00m -> 12.66V
0h 30m -> 12.63V
1h 00m -> 12.60V
1h 30m -> 12.57V

I should mention that this is the first in this thread of troubleshooting that I've measured behavior immediately after run the car and park.
Till now the circuits were disconnected and reconnected (front and rear fuse blocks and battery). Now I am trying to disturb the system near zero as possible. Wish there were a way to watch the current without breaking and reconnecting the circuit. I guess I could look into one of those clamp meters. Will report the voltage decay as time plays out. I will probably be letting the car sit for another 4 hours before I need to use it again.

Hope you guys all have great weekends!!! :thumbsup:

So I got all excited that the trend was indicating the problem and as I enterred the "fooled" door - I (by habit) pulled up the lever and ... reset the system :banghead:

Now it is holding 12.61 for a full hour.

I will be taking the wife to dinner (birthday today) and once I park, I'll do the monitor again. That trend was looking pretty convincing.

So anybody think that the sudden voltage increase and stabilization may indicate the first sleep process has the problem and once the 10 minutes have transpired, the subsequent reset is putting things right?

1) Tell your wife the guys on Cadillacforums wish her a Happy Birthday :band:
2) Pull codes again
3) RAP = Retained Accessory Power - runs the radio, windows and sunroof for 10 minutes or until a door is opened.

The manual doesn't ay much about the RIM and how it works. The DIM (Dashboard Integration Module) controls RAP by monitoring the ignition switch states. When the ignition is witched from 'run' t'o 'off' the DIM starts timing for the RAP and sends a "class 2 serial data message" to the RIM and other modules when the 10 minutes is up or a door is opened. So now it could be the DIM or the RIM that's your bad boy - but my money is still on the RIM.

I will reset codes and pull them. I don't trust any codes in the system at present since the computer is untrustworthy due to the power problem. On second thought maybe I'll pull them for kicks knowing full well not to trust them entirely. ;)

Car at present has been sitting for 12 hours (with fooled rear door switch and VM connected to battery). And Voltage has gone from 12.67 to 12.36. I just checked the rear fuseblock and the 48 relay (DAMPER) is warm. ???? Any thoughts? I inadvertantly reset the system again. You just don't realize how strong a habit pulling the door handle is until you do something like this. Now I'm locking the door (although not sure if a handle pull will still trip anything).

What the heck is DAMPER?

(And oh ... big thanks from the wife. It's the little things ya know?)

Had the same problem, and here is what I did.
Disconnected the positive lead from the battery (at night or in the dark) and touched the positive back to the battery. Sure enough, there was a good size spark. Pulled all the fuses and checked again. No spark when touching the positive lead to the battery. As the fuses were placed back one by one, when the fuse that controlled the wiper motor was reinstalled,the spark came back. Replaced the wiper motor and haven't had a problem since. Must have been a short in the motor.

Not saying this is your problem, but this is a good way to track it down.

Cheers and good luck!

SORSRR - thanks for suggestion

Well I wonder if the warm relay (RELAY 48) is the one in this diagram?
(I HAVE CONFIRMED THAT LEG 85 IS INDEED 12.3 VOLTS)
(found in this document -> http://www.cadillacforums.com/cadillac-suspension.pdf)

I notice if I remove/insert the relay it does indeed engage (click).

I for the first time am feeling like there is some promise to the troubleshooting path here.
Comments?

Or is RELAY 48 this one (I am wondering since the schematic shows that both poles should be at 12V) ???

And if it is ... what does the fact that the relay is staying on indicate?
Does the CVRSS module pull leg 86 to ground???
--- Could an damaged or faulty actuator be the culprit?

SORSRR - thanks for suggestion

Well I wonder if the warm relay (RELAY 48) is the one in this diagram?
(I HAVE CONFIRMED THAT LEG 85 IS INDEED 12.3 VOLTS)
(found in this document -> http://www.cadillacforums.com/cadillac-suspension.pdf)

I notice if I remove/insert the relay it does indeed engage (click).

I for the first time am feeling like there is some promise to the troubleshooting path here.
Comments?
That diagram does not apply to your year model if you are still talking about a '99 Seville.

Or is RELAY 48 this one (I am wondering since the schematic shows that both poles should be at 12V) ???

And if it is ... what does the fact that the relay is staying on indicate?
Does the CVRSS module pull leg 86 to ground???
--- Could an damaged or faulty actuator be the culprit?
I suspect this diagram is also for another year model. Your '99 Seville does not have a "trunk compartment fuse block" or a "trunk compartment micro relay center".

A damaged or faulty actuator would set one or more "C" codes.

Your measured drain is 10 ma, correct? A fully charged battery in good condition can survive that level of drain for a long time. Battery voltage is a nice-to-know value, but the true test is - can the battery crank and fire the engine?

If your battery passes the test, you might be looking for a problem that does not exist.

According to FSM the CVRSS should remain active for <5 minutes after key off in order to perform any final levelling (I'm guessing it will bleed the level ride if you stop and then take 200 lbs out of the trunk). After that it should shut down. The Damper relay supplies the high side (12V) voltage for the four shock valving actuators and the wiring diagrams show it to be fed by the 10A CVRTD fuse. The relay is both triggered by and supplies output voltage directly to the CVRSS module. If you have a relay problem you may see DTCs C1786, C1787 or C1788 - all are related to Damper relay faults.

As to your question: Could a damaged or faulty actuator be the culprit?
I don't think so - since the CVRSS controls the relay state I do not think a bad actuator could hold it open to cause the battery drain. You should also be seeing SERVICE RIDE CONTROL or stability system warnings if there is a bad actuator.

I was not quick to ignore the schematics since the mechanism is likely very similar in nature.
I have no "trunk compartment fuse block" or a "trunk compartment micro relay center" ...
BUT I DO have a fuse block with a micro relay (DAMPER) that is on for more than 12 hours after a park.

As for the 10mA reading ... this bug has always felt a bit intermittent so I am not assuming the battery to drain at 10mA all the time.

Looking for a problem that does not exist ... oh believe me there is a problem. The dash computer freaks if I leave the battery connected and then try to run. And if I leave the battery connected long enough ... it won't start. If I religiously disconnect the battery - all is just fine.

I am confident that if I follow leg RELAY 48, 86 wire, it will lead me to the CVRSS.

As Chub points out ... the CVRSS controls the relay state. If you guys have a suggestion as to how I can most cleanly eliminate the CVRSS from the circuit (and could I run the car that way for a while) - I think that would be a good experiment.

BTW - I did get an ABS C1255 (and I wonder if my brakes were done properly by my independent mechanic, I have noise at LF wheel.)
You can see the original dump of codes (from 3 years ago - which was beginning of this journey) at this link ...
http://www.cadillacforums.com/forums/electrical-technical-information/14592-99-sts-dashboard-problems-please-help.html



I haven't yet reset and repulled a fresh pool of codes.

At this point I am focused on 1 thing ... WHAT IS HOLDING RELAY 48 on for so long? I think it's the CVRSS.
Once I prove that, I will want to know WHY? 1. cuz it thinks it should or 2. cuz it is faulty

....BTW - I did get an ABS C1255 (and I wonder if my brakes were done properly by my independent mechanic, I have noise at LF wheel.)....

I haven't yet reset and repulled a fresh pool of codes.


The codes are your best friend. And C1255 is not good news.

Thanks JimD, I will reset and repull codes. I have been prioritizing finding the battery draw since I was getting so many codes I didn't trust the report entirely. I'd like to nail this leak and then start dealing with codes. I will repull since it can only help to have the information.

Need a howto on removing rear seat back portion. I removed the 2 bolts at the bottom and the bottom is free. Top is still hanging on. Thanks in advance.

Rear seat back removal from trusty FSM:

1) Remove upper trunk trim
2) Remove fasteners and cable clips from trunk pass through release cable
3) Remove rear seat cushion (bottom)
4) Remove center seat belt and outer shoulder belt anchor bolts
5) Lift center shoulder belt off seat and store on rear shelf panel
6) Using a straight flat bladed tool (editorial: umm.. like a screwdriver???), insert the tool between the top of the seat back and rear shelf panel to release the 4 retainer clips
7) Carefully push down on the flat bladed tool to release the rear seatback retainer clips
8) Release the 4 retainers (how many times can you do this?) and pull the seat back away from the rear crossbar beam.
9) Disconnect heated seat electrical connectors
10) Position rear shoulder belts to clear the seat back
11) Pull the seat back away from the shelf panel far enough to pull the pass through release cable through the opening
12) Remove the seat back
13) Begin :alchi:

Chub - big help thank you - the added commentary appreciated as well.
I hope I stab and push down at the right locations, appears that the "retainer clips" are hidden.

Maybe I'll see where they are when I come in thru the trunk to do the uppertrunk trim? :thumbsup:

The retainer clips are shaped like an arrowhead > pointing straight toward the front of the car with the bottom leg attached to the rear seat cross beam. You're trying to press down on the top leg. There should be one just to each side of the trunk pass through and the outboard clips look to be toward the corners. I don't think you'll be able to see them until the seatback is out because they will be on the front side of the cross beam and you'll be on the back if you come through the trunk. But to tell you the truth, I don't even know what the "upper trunk trim" refers to - I'm guessing its what I'd call the rear package shelf where the subwoofer lives.

But to tell you the truth, I don't even know what the "upper trunk trim" refers to - I'm guessing its what I'd call the rear package shelf where the subwoofer lives.

I haven't torn into this yet, but since I'll have to remove it to get at the "trunk pass thru release cable", my thought is that the "upper trunk trim" is the feltish covered board on the ceiling of the trunk just behind the rear seat? :noidea:

I haven't torn into this yet, but since I'll have to remove it to get at the "trunk pass thru release cable", my thought is that the "upper trunk trim" is the feltish covered board on the ceiling of the trunk just behind the rear seat? :noidea:

I think you are correct and I am full of :anibs: According to FSM to remove what I was calling the package shelf (FSM = rear trim panel, shelf) you have to remove the rear seatback first - so I can't be right. :thepan: Must be the carpet liner inside the trunk, makes more sense that way anyway. I must have been PWI = Posting While :alchi:

And just so I can get ahead in my reading: what are you planning to do once you get the seat back off? I'm guessing you're going to torment the CVRSS module. If I can find the right page again I can post the pinout of the DAMPER relay connection. Tonight is pool (as in billiards) night, so I won't be back 'till tomorrow morning.

And just so I can get ahead in my reading: what are you planning to do once you get the seat back off? I'm guessing you're going to torment the CVRSS module. If I can find the right page again I can post the pinout of the DAMPER relay connection. Tonight is pool (as in billiards) night, so I won't be back 'till tomorrow morning.

8 ball or 9?

... your speculating my plan is on track ... HOWEVER ... I am trying to reproduce the warm DAMPER relay scenario (to no avail yet!). I am now to the point of religiously writing down the system state and being super careful to not awaken the car when checking for sneaky current flow. I am wondering if I woke the car when I discovered the warm relay and therefore fearful of it being a red herring. Although according to my notes, it was sleeping and I did have the door tricked.

Bottom line is I would like to have access to the modules behind the rear seat so I can at least survey the territory. Since my only known behavior is removal of battery at park keeps the dash computer stable - I am thinking about removing other "limbs" of the circuit instead and leave the battery intact to see what module is guilty. For example can I cut out the RIM, the CVRSS or both? (at the module preferably) Hope it is clear what my rationale is. (Or at least what I think is rational). :rolleyes:

I'd like to change my regimen to park - disco RIM and CVRSS. When car is needed - reco the modules. and watch to see if similar pattern as with battery. Make sense?

update - just now parked car waited 1.5 hours, cigar relay and damper relay are both warm, when I remove/reinsert them they are clearly going "on". At this point am convinced that whatever directs that bay of relays is sick. And as mentioned earlier is some orchestration between the DIM and RIM. Schematics if they exist would be key.

more update - JimD and Chub: voices of reason - codes are informative, I just videotaped the code dump (too many to write), I cleared them, started the car, then got a big batch of only U codes which I think are a result of my now weak battery. Gonna charge battery, clear codes, repull and see what we get. One thing of interest was there was a C1787 (damper control relay short to ground) reported.

When I get a good pool of new codes with a strong battery and a short drive, I am sure there will be some goodies to pick thru.

Also eager to sink teeth into the schematics (if we can dig them up) to see how all these brains connect.

Trying to make this fun.

FSM diagnostic for C1787. Personally, I'd start with step 2:

1) IGN off.
Disconnect CVRSS module connector C1 - should be at least 10 wires
Check for short to ground on YEL, RED, WHT/BLK, and other RED wire (these are the high side shock valving actuator control lines)

2) Remove Damper relay.
Measure resistance between pins 1 and 2. Should be 50-125 ohms. If not, replace relay.

3) Check CKT 1112. LT BLU/WHT wire runs from CVRSS module to Damper relay. Check for short to ground, intermittent open, clean connections, debris, corrosion, spare change, small rodents, and your wife's lost earring :blah:

84 ohms, checked another random relay and same resistance. Back seat rear not removed yet. Battery presently on low trickle charge in prep for codes dump. I get so many codes with the weak bat that I want to see if anything shows up with a strong bat which I hope will give a less "noisy" report.

Update - I charged the battery and have tricked the doors. I have pulled codes and get ... NO CODES!!! , I am now introducing small "uses" of the car and checking codes to see when the codes start getting crazy again. Also watching Voltage level at park. (All relays feel cool so I think the system has achieved a proper shutdown for now).

My suspicion at present is that something happens when I use the car that puts the car in a state where it leaves something on when parked. Once the battery weakens enough, the dash then goes berzerk.

Will update once I get the system to throw some codes / or when I see Voltage slide while parked.

I currenty own a 2003 Cadillac Seville SLS. I went to start it about 2 weeks ago and the battery was dead!!!!! Would not do anything when I turned the ignition. I went out and purchased a new battery and a local mechanic reset the computer system, and 4 days later I went to start it and it was dead again. Wouldn't turn over at all. I jumped the car to get it to start and it worked for a few more days and it stalled out as I was pulling out into an intersection and then I put it in park and it started. I've had a mechanic to look at it and he says he thinks the alternator is fine and he can't find anything wrong with it. Now today I'm getting a message that says Service Stability System. Does this have anything to do with the problems I'm having with the battery? When the mechanic had it in the shop the front brake pads were changed and the rotars were turned down. Any suggestions with this would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks