Frickin' Computer Cars, Plymouth Voyager

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George Jets

George Jets

1967 Dart 2 Door
FABO Gold Member
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Gets tiring working with Computer Cars, diagnosing electrical computer issues. Body Contol Modules, BCM.

Who ever thought it was a good idea to make a computer the main controller of turning on your headlights and turn signals. When they don't come on at all it's a royal PITA trying to figure it out.

Got it chased down now to be able to turn on the lights and wipers by jumping a couple of the relays. Have checked everything under the sun, everything is pointing to the BCM needing to be replaced but you can't get them new or used anymore, has to be the exact number code to match to your car build. If you could, you got to get your VIN and Milage and have the dealer reprogram it for you besides.
PITA . .#2

A couple of toggle switches and 6 feet of 14 gauge wire is looking pretty good right about now.

1998 Voyager van, that is kept around as a backup spare car.

I don't know what other people do that can't dig into this stuff. I am thinking to myself, what am I going to have to junk out this good rust free vehicle, just because I can't get the headlights and wipers to turn on.

Really Poor engineering of the new cars, give me some sliding cables for the heater controls, toggles switches for the lights, one hot wire to the ignition coil, and I am good to go.

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Good all around vehicle yet . . .
 
That's why I run the new **** until it gets too expensive to fix, and when it does I call the wrecking yard. I dont get attached to it either.
 
We had a van like that 2 minivans ago, thing kicked ***! They are pretty common in yards. You cant get a same year BCM and swap out? WE traded in ours when the rear A/C started acting up and it developed a trans leak. Both were $$$ to fix.
 
Had a 99. Was a good running van but the headlights would go on/off randomly when they were off. Switch them on and they would be fine.
Of the many vans i owned the heat was the best in that one.
Daughter wrote it off last summer. Was pretty much done due to rust anyway. Best money i would have got for it.
 
Not sure if '98 is the same, but I had a '01 Caravan that the low beam would work on one side, high beam on the other. Changed out bulbs, etc, no difference. Cleaned the pins on the front control module that's bolted to the fuse box, no change. Pulled it apart again, and gave all the big flat pins a *slight* twist.. not enough to break them, and not enough so it wouldn't go back together.
All worked great after that.
 
aren't the switches on those just a signal for the actual connections to close inside the BCM?
 
I actually stuck a body control in from a 97. It worked, but they were the same level, crank windows no rear heat and such.
The check engine light was on but it ran fine.
 
YY1 said:
aren't the switches on those just a signal for the actual connections to close inside the BCM?
Click to expand...
Yes, but they only control relays.
And some use resistors and grounds to perform multiple functions. Multiplex is complicated.
 
Wait until you get into the Mercedes years. You have to replace the TIPM just to get the headlights to work if it trips. $500
 
And yes, the new stuff is even more complicated.
 
Tooljunkie said:
And yes, the new stuff is even more complicated.
Click to expand...

I like all the wiring, ignition, and simple cable controls on this one, 76 Dodge D100. Simple plastic slide crotch cooler vents, can even put your favorite canned beverage down in the bottom of the vent on the passenger side to keep them cool and out of sight.

Radio Delete too, who ever thought that would give you bragging rights ?
Lol . .

This '76 is my way of thumbing my nose at the establishment. Something I can easily fix and fun to drive.

Even that cross ventilation from the crotch coolers up out through the wing window vents in the doors works just fine to move out the heat on a 90° day.

Simple . . .

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Talking about dumb new computer stuff. My 2016 f150 stalls in me middle of an intersection. 25K miles on it. Display is basically flashing overheating. Threw it in neutral got it fired limped into gas station. Truck is no where close to overheating. Truck is in limp mode limped it home, it stalled out once more. Turns out it’s a $30 cylinder head temp sensor that was messed. How do you engineer a vehicle that will basically turn itself off if a sensor decides to die. Why not just have a buzzer and red flashing code on the dash if sensor says overheating rather than shutting the whole engine off. Dangerous in my mind.
 
Tooljunkie said:
Had a 99. Was a good running van but the headlights would go on/off randomly when they were off. Switch them on and they would be fine.
Of the many vans i owned the heat was the best in that one.
Daughter wrote it off last summer. Was pretty much done due to rust anyway. Best money i would have got for it.
Click to expand...

Yes this is how this one started a year ago, headlights and tail lights would stay on all the time, took it for a drive after putting the battery back in after sitting through the long hot humid summer in the sun, it went back to normal again. Then this year, no headlights and no wipers. No way no how.

This vehicle stays in FL as a spare so there is something here to drive in case I fly in.

I know sitting out in all that heat is really hard on all the electronics. Wanted to put up one of those tin garages here to protect vehicles, but that has not happened yet.

At least after all of this diagnostics, I will be able to drive it without worring about a total vehicle shutdown, now that I know where the problem lies, and everthing else has been checked out. Turn signals, gauges, brake lights and AC all works good yet, starts and runs fine.


Crazy stuff to try and figure out.
 
cawcislo said:
Talking about dumb new computer stuff. My 2016 f150 stalls in me middle of an intersection. 25K miles on it. Display is basically flashing overheating. Threw it in neutral got it fired limped into gas station. Truck is no where close to overheating. Truck is in limp mode limped it home, it stalled out once more. Turns out it’s a $30 cylinder head temp sensor that was messed. How do you engineer a vehicle that will basically turn itself off if a sensor decides to die. Why not just have a buzzer and red flashing code on the dash if sensor says overheating rather than shutting the whole engine off. Dangerous in my mind.
Click to expand...
That was one of the complaints with the fords, stalling.
 
Body control in the newer caravans is in driver’s door. Wires like to break, and them scratching/arcing from broken wires triggers all kinds of nonsense.
 
Gm has a power window switch/keyless entry module in drivers door. Its the switch assembly. If it craps out, it has to go to dealer to program module to vehicle. It simply wont work.
 
Tooljunkie said:
I actually stuck a body control in from a 97. It worked, but they were the same level, crank windows no rear heat and such.
The check engine light was on but it ran fine.
Click to expand...

This could work ^^^^^ Ebay has some '97 BCMs close to the same build that could work out as a simple fix.
Thanks
 
Did you google the part number off your original? Cardone used to reman bcm’s.
 
Tooljunkie said:
Did you google the part number off your original? Cardone used to reman bcm’s.
Click to expand...

Yes, no joy . .

That Cardone does a great reman on car computers when they are available. Have used them before with success.

I see O'Reilly's may have a reman your BCM,
Cardone Body Control Module - Remanufatured.

O'Reilly's in town here, may be option for repairing what I have.
 
Takes a team of good people and a decent internet connection to keep the computer cars woking.

Thanks Everyone for the help !

A lot of the online repair forums just run you around in circles not giving you the simple info you need to fix. It's like they just want to keep you on their pages reading through pages and pages of nonsense, just leading you right back to where you started.

Have had this same experience with other diagnostic issues, like they don't want to give you the answers.

That's why it's good to know real people that care about what you are doing.

Thanks again.

Like tooljunkie says, try a different year BCM with the same build components.

Good clean simple information !
 
What is the last 4 #'s on the BCM? the BCM pictured looks to be from an 03'. I have several from a 98' cause I chased after this exact same issue. A list of the vehicles features would be helpful, as in does it have power locks or theft, that there is the stickler. A BCM with anti theft installed in a vehicle without anti theft (98 Caravan) will trigger the theft alarm (in my case the van didn't even have) as soon as you hit the door lock button .Once this happens, the "virus" is now in the ECM, BCM, radio and the speedo head. All 4 components now need to be replaced as a unit from another donor. There absolutely is no un-doing the "triggered" theft feature in a 98 caravan BCM!
 
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George Jets said:
I like all the wiring, ignition, and simple cable controls on this one, 76 Dodge D100. Simple plastic slide crotch cooler vents, can even put your favorite canned beverage down in the bottom of the vent on the passenger side to keep them cool and out of sight.

Radio Delete too, who ever thought that would give you bragging rights ?
Lol . .

This '76 is my way of thumbing my nose at the establishment. Something I can easily fix and fun to drive.

Even that cross ventilation from the crotch coolers up out through the wing window vents in the doors works just fine to move out the heat on a 90° day.

Simple . . .

View attachment 1715482968
Click to expand...

Hot damn that's a clean truck. Perfectly done!
 
Max1196 said:
What is the last 4 #'s on the BCM? the BCM pictured looks to be from an 03'. I have several from a 98' cause I chased after this exact same issue. A list of the vehicles features would be helpful, as in does it have power locks or theft, that there is the stickler. A BCM with anti theft installed in a vehicle without anti theft (98 Caravan) will trigger the theft alarm (in my case the van didn't even have) as soon as you hit the door lock button .Once this happens, the "virus" is now in the ECM, BCM, radio and the speedo head. All 4 components now need to be replaced as a unit from another donor. There absolutely is no un-doing the "triggered" theft feature in a 98 caravan BCM!
Click to expand...

Here are the code numbers off the BCM, don't know if it was ever changed before I got the van. But it worked fine before the lights and wipers acted up.

OK, it's a 2.4, 4 cyl, non computer 3 speed automatic trans without overdrive. Manual windows, manual mirrors, AC, but no rear AC / heat, short wheelbase, no security system, no cruise control.

Pretty much the simple baseline van. One slider door only on passenger side.

Thanks

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