Electrical Gremlins!

team_ream · Post by **team_ream** » Tue Jan 17, 2017 4:17 pm

Driving home on an unlit country road last night, I flip on the high beams and EVERYTHING goes out - headlights, high beams, fog lights, tail lights, brake lights dash lights, radio, horn, dome lights, AC/heat blower, and hazards. Turn signals and cigarette lighter/outlet still worked.

Replaced blown fuse in slot 16 (heater, according to translated diagram) and everything is back on, though my van is exhibiting some weird behaviors:
1. Radio intermittently goes off and on. This happens on its own, but frequently coincides with switching on headlights, like it will go off immediately while switching them on and then come back on after about a second.

2. Previously, the Van had daytime running lights. I thought this was a stock feature, but now thinking that might not be the case. Now headlights only work when switched on.

3. Driver side headlight used to start up with a flicker and sometimes required multiple tries (literally starting car multiple times) to get both lights on. Now they both seem to work fine.

I'm wondering if anyone has any insight into these anomalies and, more importantly, any theories as to why the fuse blew in the first place, as I'd really like to avoid that happening again. It was quite scary and luckily i had a head lamp handy to help get myself off the road. Also, why would the heater fuse cause all of those other things to go out?

sealica · Post by **sealica** » Tue Jan 17, 2017 4:37 pm

team_ream wrote:...
2. Previously, the Van had daytime running lights. I thought this was a stock feature, but now thinking that might not be the case. Now headlights only work when switched on.
...

I also have this one single issue, although only from relayed information from the previous owner (4 months ago). *With the addendum that I must swap on high beams for light (which are angled downward to correct).

The previous owner provided a used combi-switch. I disassembled the steering wheel and the electrical connections for the combi switch were seemingly impossible to remove without disassembling the steering column to the floor, so I left it for time being. Thoughts about maybe DRL (daytime running light module), but research was inconclusive.

~~

#3 Maybe wiring connections inside the headlamp assembly (removed by 3 bolts around the light) that are reacting to humidity? maybe badly rusted?

team_ream · Post by **team_ream** » Tue Jan 17, 2017 5:26 pm

If your high beams are your headlights, then what are your high beams?

sealica · Post by **sealica** » Tue Jan 17, 2017 5:47 pm

well headlights dont show an icon (but some of the corner lamps turn on), highbeam icon on all front lights are on with the exception of one front light which has a severed wire due to rust

Post by **Growlerbearnz** » Tue Jan 17, 2017 6:59 pm

Check the fuses and fusible links by the battery (the short lengths of wire in the black box by your battery terminal), as well as your battery clamps. It sounds more like there's a loose connection there.

The things you list are all on different fuses: fuse 16 blowing is probably a symptom rather than the cause. I don't see how the headlamp switch could take out all those things unless there's a bad connection by the battery- though I might be missing something

The combi switch isn't *that* hard to replace. Falco's writeup in the TRL shows most of the process quite clearly: http://www.delica.ca/forum/viewtopic.php?f=98&t=11284.
TL;DR: Remove steering wheel and column shroud, two screws hold the combi switch to the column, unplug wiring from the main loom just below the dashboard lower edge. No need to remove the column itself.

team_ream · Post by **team_ream** » Tue Jan 17, 2017 9:29 pm

Thanks Growlerbearnz, you are always so helpful and patient with us noobs. I will check by the battery. I'm curious though, as to why a loose connection would cause certain accessories to lose power only when switching on the headlights and/or high beams. Does that make any sense?

Overlanderjay · Post by **Overlanderjay** » Tue Jan 17, 2017 10:47 pm

Check the two plugs with two wires each at the back of the battery compartment they are attached to the fuseable links which go to the positive post ive the contacts good bad on 4 vans so far .you probaly will have to pull the battery out to get at them .There the main feeds to the fuse panel Cheers Jay

Overlanderjay · Post by **Overlanderjay** » Tue Jan 17, 2017 10:53 pm

O and by the way JDM Delis don't come with daytime running light circuit there added on to meet Cansdian DOT standards ,ive seen many of the after market units die and do weird things to your headlights like not turning off without pulling a fuse . Cheers Jay

sealica · Post by **sealica** » Wed Jan 18, 2017 7:38 pm

Overlanderjay wrote:O and by the way JDM Delis don't come with daytime running light circuit there added on to meet Cansdian DOT standards ,ive seen many of the after market units die and do weird things to your headlights like not turning off without pulling a fuse . Cheers Jay

Should "don't" be "do"?

Growlerbearnz wrote:...
The combi switch isn't *that* hard to replace. Falco's writeup in the TRL shows most of the process quite clearly: http://www.delica.ca/forum/viewtopic.php?f=98&t=11284.
TL;DR: Remove steering wheel and column shroud, two screws hold the combi switch to the column, unplug wiring from the main loom just below the dashboard lower edge. No need to remove the column itself.

I did read the thread; however it stops at the point I got to because the disconnected wiring connector that attached to the loom below the dashboard would not pass through this space

: steering_column-1.jpg (508.65 KiB) Viewed 9656 times

Falco goes into great detail about refurbishing the existing switch (without fully removing it I take it), but I couldn't gather how to just switch for a second combi switch.

Post by **Growlerbearnz** » Thu Jan 19, 2017 12:17 am

Fair enough. Mine's routed around that bracket rather than trapped by it: it's probably something I changed so long ago that I've forgotten about doing it.

sealica · Post by **sealica** » Sat Jan 21, 2017 6:45 pm

The gremlins launched a full scan invasion of the Van today!

Driving home yesterday and the doors randomly locked (making the electrical sound which happens when you turn the key in the outer driver's side door-keyhole and it locks all the doors . . .) Decided to think nothing of it and now today after splicing one of the passenger side headlamp wires back together ... driving home from auto parts store and *eep* *eep* buzzing sound and the doors randomly locking/unlocking intermittently while driving, stopped for eggs and the driver's side door was stuck locked. I had to lower the windows and use the key in the door which allowed me to unlock door.

The really worrying part is this *eep* *eeep* and doors randomly locking/unlocking (sometimes just one, sometimes all of them) will also occur with ignition/accessory off. But seemingly less frequent.

Gremlins!

Morgonzo · Post by **Morgonzo** » Sat Jan 21, 2017 9:23 pm

Wow, they sound pissed off.....did you feed them after midnight or something?

izack98 · Post by **izack98** » Sat Jan 21, 2017 9:29 pm

sealica wrote:
Overlanderjay wrote:O and by the way JDM Delis don't come with daytime running light circuit there added on to meet Cansdian DOT standards ,ive seen many of the after market units die and do weird things to your headlights like not turning off without pulling a fuse . Cheers Jay

Should "don't" be "do"?

- "don't" is correct.
JDM Delis "DO NOT" come from the factory with a daytime running light (DRL) circuit. They're added on to meet Canadian DOT standards.....

Try checking and cleaning all the grounding wires. Battery, frame, body etc etc. Unbolt them and clean with sand paper and reinstall. I've seen bad grounds create all kinds of weird electrical issues.

I agree with Overlanderjay to check the DRL relay that was installed when it arrived here. You'll have to go searching for it. They aren't installed in any specific spot and it could be anywhere. If it has been exposed to weather it could be shorting out and causing issues.
If you need a new one they aren't that expensive and are very common aftermarket items.

Post by **Growlerbearnz** » Sun Jan 22, 2017 1:04 pm

team_ream wrote:I'm curious though, as to why a loose connection would cause certain accessories to lose power only when switching on the headlights and/or high beams.

The accessories that failed are all fed by the same fusible link. If it was loose then the power surge from turning on the headlamps might have caused the connection to temporarily fail.

Though I like the bad earth and/or DRL theories, they're more consistent with the new strangeness you're experiencing. It's still a good idea to clean up the battery connections and wiring in that area though.

team_ream · Post by **team_ream** » Mon Jan 23, 2017 12:28 pm

Thanks ya'll. Haven't had time to do ANYTHING,but hopefully will tonight. However, there has been a new development and I'm assuming this is not how the van was designed - power windows and AC/Heat only work with headlights ON. That's not normal, right?