82 Eldorado Biarritz Electrical Problems

[jtitzer56]

Hi, this is my first post, I have been searching for about a week and haven't found any topics that really matched my problems.

My car is a 82 Eldorado Biarritz with a 4.1L. My problem is that it has a digital dash, climate control, and fuel computer and none of the displays work, the climate control will turn the blower on and switch from hot to cold, but it wont show you what you are doing on the display. It also has power seats the drivers side has memory and none of the switches on either side do any thing, I've checked and all the plugs are connected. The wipers don't work either, the wiper motor or the washer fluid motor. The last problem is the power locks don't work when you push the switch, you can hear the relays clicking behind the glove box but the actuators don't try to move the locks.

I dont beleive all of the problems are connected but any help you may have with any of the problems would be greatly appreciated. I bought the car about a week ago due to these problems and the car running warm and not charging which after i got it home it turned out to be a loose belt, which if i ever figure out how to get that bottom bolt on the air pump loose will be fixed.

[carnut]

Locks are usually caused by a shorted ( open) 20 amp yellow "body" fuse. Check the fuses under dash after the lower dash panel is removed. Wipers could be a different fuse. Power seats work off a 30 amp circuit breaker located in the fuse panel as well. The body fuse blows most times because of tin foil, dimes, etc in one of the 4 lighter sockets. That will also affect interior courtesy lights as well. The dash display is probably the climate control display unit itself. Thats the main computer for illuminating the miles to empty as well as the climate control itself. Remove the 2 upper screws by the center A/C vents and radio knobs and remove the center wood panel. You will see the 2 screws holding the module in place. Pull it from the dash and wiggle the electrical plug behind it. See if that helps?

[jtitzer56]

Thanks for the information I'm going to try and do some more work on it tomorrow, I messed with it a little bit today after work, and i noticed that there was only one circuit breaker in the fuse panel for the power windows, and there was one missing that was labeled horn, the only light that doesn't work on the inside is one of the rear map lights, on the outside the driver side front parking lights and the opera lights are the only ones not working which i am guessing is just bad bulbs or wiring. I noticed that the only cigarette lighter that worked was the one in the front center, all the ones at the passenger seats were dead. Also if it is the climate control would one from an 85 Eldorodo Biarritz with a dash that looks the same as mine work, i followed the wiring on it and it doesn't lead to a BCM behind the glove box as everything i have read said it should on an 85, rather it leads to a large silver computer with a small removable cover in the lower right hand corner which i believe is the PCM, it is about 10"-12"x8"-10" and was located under the glovebox.

Thank You Again for your information.

[carnut]

An 85 does NOT have a BCM only an ECM. The 85 climate control head should work, but ck the wiring plug in's first on the old one before replacing. Regarding the seats, this car is famous for the switches on the arm rests failing as well as the multi wire connectors that plug into them. I have seen the wiring that comes from the body thru the forward edge of the door break over years of opening/closing the driver door. Remove the switch panel for the seat in the arm rest and verify with a test light that votage is getting to the switches.

[launalewis]

Just signed up on the site, and saw this post. I too am having a problem with my climate controller. It doesn't change from low, I can't get med, high or defrost to work. The odd time it will start to work again, then quits. Also figured out how to set the clock, and now the numbers read funny, could there be a connection?? I live in Canada, and defrost is a must. My mechanic thinks it's the controller unit itself, but I don't want to spend a bunch of money, so thought I'd ask some questions here.

[jtitzer56]

I checked the plug on the climate control and wiggled it and it still didnt work so i went and got the climate control form the junkyard hooked it up and now the climate control and the fuel computer work but not the speedometer when I hook it up it switches the climate control and fuel computer to metric and the speedometer doesn't light up so i think thats bad also, so i am going to go down tomorrow and get that from the same car. I checked all the fueses and they were all good, when i put the circuit breaker in the one for the horn which is also for the seats and locks it kills almost everything in car and the breaker gets really hot, then you unplug it and everything goes back to normal, according to the wiring diagram the wire for that goes from the fuse block to a junction block then to the accessories so i am going to try and find the juction block tomorrow and disconnect them all then hook them back up and try and find the one thats shorted and go from there. And im hoping that its not the seat switches because i havent found one with memory anywhere.

[carnut]

Being that it quits randomly, that means a poor connection. So partially remove the climate controller and wiggle the wires. Unplug it and clean the contacts with something like a pencil eraser. Probably needs replaced though. The digits in the radio is within the radio itself, a poor solder joint, not related. Its rare, but check the wire connections at the power module under the hood by the passenger hood hinge. Make sure its large black ground wire is clean and secure under the fender crossbraces where it attaches at the firewall. The power module completes the circuit to the fan motor to change the fan speed.

[CADILLACSAM]

I'm glad some1 addressed this problem, Iam having a similar problem w/my heating a/c. Changed the module nothing....Was told it was a sort still can't find it. Keep us posted on the final result.