The Stupid Electronics Questions Thread

[HotWheelsBurban]

Yoooo... so it sounds like you're going through a new battery roughly each year, or am I reading that wrong? If so, time to do a full check of the charging system. Fully charge then load test the battery, check alternator output, etc. I recall you had a parasitic draw situation with one of the trucks with the notorious vanity mirror lamps staying on, and they're disconnected now, but have you had any other scenarios with something running down the battery? Each deep discharge shortens the life a bunch, I feel silly telling you this as I'm sure you already know.

Richard

Actually I had the visor mirror problem with both trucks, just different times. This afternoon or tomorrow morning, I want to go out to my usual O'Reilly's and get them to check the battery and alternator. The alternator seems to work normally, charging a lot after starting, then tapered demand....
The crazy thing is, we haven't had any situations with this battery, where it got run down. If I'm going to be under the hood for more than a couple of minutes, I unplug the light, and we usually use the dome override so those lights aren't on.

 

[HotWheelsBurban]

And don't feel "silly" about going over something most mechanics "should" know. We all need reminders sometimes....

 

[Jjbiskup]

I just swapped an interior lighting harness when I did my dash swap on my 94. The dash and harness came out of an 88-93 and has 2 plugs that go into the convenience center. One green and one gray. Should I just cut the connectors off and splice them into the door switch? And if so what colors do I splice them into

 

[Jjbiskup]

I just swapped an interior lighting harness when I did my dash swap on my 94. The dash and harness came out of an 88-93 and has 2 plugs that go into the convenience center. One green and one gray. Should I just cut the connectors off and splice them into the door switch? And if so what colors do I splice them into

The brown wire has no power, black is ground. No idea what the problem is.

 

[Carlaisle]

Okay guys, I have a question about the electrical system on Rawhide the crew cab('97 C3500 Silverado, 5.7 etc.)
The power locks quit working again yesterday evening. Every time this has happened since we've had this truck, it's been a precursor of battery problems. The current battery has been in it since May 9 of this year, replaced a new one bought and installed on December 6 of last year. That one replaced a battery I installed in August or September last year, when the group 75 one that was in the truck quit. That first replacement was a used group 78 that I was given, so I have no issues with it. But these allegedly new ones from Sam's Club, first one was $150, and they're supposed to have 3 year replacement, no BS, I think should last longer..... especially since we have to have the Plus membership at $110 annually to have ANY warranty.
The cables are tight and clean, and the connections under the hood look good. The voltmeter starts out at 13.5-14, and then tapers off some once we've driven a couple of miles. The AC has a brand new blower motor that works great, and all the other accessories and lights work normally and properly. Trailer wiring isn't hacked up, and the added connector harness is installed and grounded properly.
I think the alternator is good, the belt and tensioner seem tight, so what do I need to look at here? A new battery is a whole paycheck for me, so I really don't want to go there every 5-6 months....
Thanks in advance!

I would be disappointed in the every 6 months replacement schedule just for the annoyance. The expense just adds insult to injury. I only run Odyssey batteries. They are the complete opposite of cheap, but I got 11 years out of the last one I put in the truck so the per year cost is ends up being pretty attractive. That said, I would be wary of dropping that kind of coin until I was sure I didn't have an underlying parasitic draw issue. How long can you leave the truck sit without the battery running down? Have you considered looking at this from the opposite direction? Perhaps the power door locks are causing the battery problems. You might try pulling the door lock fuse for a while to see what happens.

 

[Carlaisle]

Quick question, I’ve got a 95 suburban and I purchased two keyless entry remotes but when I try to program the second one the first one doesn’t work, are these only setup to have one remote?

The later models could definitely have more than one remote. I can't speak to the 95. My experience programming aftermarket remotes has been poor. Some require their own programming procedure or a hybrid of the OEM procedure and the remote manufacturer procedure. I've never run across a dud, but I have wasted a lot of time messing with them. The last set I had to deal with I took to a locksmith. $20 and I was out the door in 20 minutes with zero frustration.

 

[HotWheelsBurban]

I would be disappointed in the every 6 months replacement schedule just for the annoyance. The expense just adds insult to injury. I only run Odyssey batteries. They are the complete opposite of cheap, but I got 11 years out of the last one I put in the truck so the per year cost is ends up being pretty attractive. That said, I would be wary of dropping that kind of coin until I was sure I didn't have an underlying parasitic draw issue. How long can you leave the truck sit without the battery running down? Have you considered looking at this from the opposite direction? Perhaps the power door locks are causing the battery problems. You might try pulling the door lock fuse for a while to see what happens.

The door locks are run through a circuit breaker; I'm going to replace it today or tomorrow. Had to wait on the paycheck.... I think they are also on the courtesy fuse, I'll check it out too. Currently raining in Houston, and some other things have come up too....

 

[SUBURBAN5]

I know not a lot of people are familiar with this but figured someone may know something. If I was going to remove this alarm, is it as simple as unplugging? Or could there be something programmed in the ecm?

 

[AK49BWL]

Pin out according to the sticker says no, there's no connection to the PCM. However if I had to guess, you might have to jumper the connector marked "starter" as it might have a starter disable relay.

 

[SUBURBAN5]

Pin out according to the sticker says no, there's no connection to the PCM. However if I had to guess, you might have to jumper the connector marked "starter" as it might have a starter disable relay.

So if I just unplugged the module completely. I just need to hook up the starter wires together? There's also 2 fuses under the dash . One of them killed everything and I didn't have working door locks nor remote. I can remember the color. I'm not sure about the second fuse