Electrical Issues (cluster illum, seats, radio, etc.)

[booe]

Hello!  

 

I am running into some electrical issues that all happened at once.  Here are the items that I found not functioning:  Cluster Illumination, power seats, radio (PCM does not power on), engine lid switch (frunk works), HVAC (the screen is functioning, but not blowing any air).

 

The car starts fine and runs.  I initially thought maybe the ignition switch was faulty, so I went ahead and replaced but nothing changed.  I have checked many fuses and they all look fine.  There are no trouble codes. 

 

If it matters, this is the scenario when I noticed all the problems: I just finished driving about 70 miles with no problems. Park the car outside and it started to rain.  I needed to move the car so I got back in and noticed when I turned the light switch to the first notch, cluster did not illuminate but the headlights worked when I turned it to the next notch.  Then I started testing to find the other symptoms.  Everything was working on the drive I took a few hours before.  Though after the drive, I was messing with the light switch to see if the fog lights worked.  I never use them and for whatever reason I wanted to test if it worked, so I was turning the light switch way more than usual I guess.   I drive the car a few times a week as it is my main car.

 

Thanks!

 

[Loren]

 

Have your battery load tested.

Check your chassis ground straps for corrosion and poor connections.

 

If those are both good then you could have a badly worn ignition switch. Sometimes just wiggling the key will make things happen with a bad ignition switch.

[wross996TT]

Since you replaced the ignition switch already, it could be installed incorrectly or a bad switch.  My guess is battery related.  When the batteries in these cars are less than full all kinds of electrical gremlins occur. 

[booe]

Thanks for the replies!   Could you point me to where the ground straps are?  Can I get to engine one without opening the engine lid?  

 

wross:  How likely would two bad ignition switches give similar electrical issues?  I don't mind getting another since they are so cheap, but it seems unlikely both would be giving the same exact problems. 

 

Thanks again!

[wross996TT]

8 hours ago, booe said:

 

 

wross:  How likely would two bad ignition switches give similar electrical issues?  I don't mind getting another since they are so cheap, but it seems unlikely both would be giving the same exact problems. 

 

Thanks again!

Funny you're asking a statistician about the probability of two switches failing...no idea.  What make is it?  The other possibility is faulty installation.