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#506680 - 05/01/08 06:10 PM Bad BCM?
wayne2reattas wayne2reattas Member Registered: 04/29/08 Posts: 19	I have a 88 Reatta. I have had trouble with the wire that connects to the switch module burning/melting.It is melting the harness clip and the back of the switch. I pulled both headlights and found frayed wires caused from headlight doors opening and closing. I repaired all of those wires. Then put in a new hi beam and low beam relay. The lights come on but after a couple minutes the yellow wire and the top of the switch module get extremely hot. Has anyone gone through this before? I would really appreciate any advice... Thanks
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#506707 - 05/01/08 09:16 PM Re: Bad BCM? [Re: wayne2reattas]
Greg Ross Greg Ross Member Registered: 06/19/00 Posts: 1799 Loc: Prince Edward Island, Canada	Wayne, If the headlights go on and off, and the headlight doors open and close on cue then the BCM is lilely fine. Heat is a a bi-product of high resistance, either the terminal pins/ sockets in the connector are bad or the switch module itself has poor or dirty/ carboned up contacts. I would pick up a replacement Headlight switch module and try that. Having to splice on a replacement harness plug end would not be very pleasant! ps I recall replacing a headlight switch module that was starting to exhibit the heat effect symptoms. I can almost date that experience, it was in the hotel parking lot in Buffalo, NY in July, 2001? before departing the BCA to head back to the east coast. Edited by Greg Ross (05/01/08 09:20 PM) Edit Reason: ps _________________________ "Betsy Blue" One Owner? Over 1/2 way to 1/2 a million miles The only known 5-spd S/C Reatta on the Road. BCA 37147 and Member BCA (The Bluewater Cruising Association)
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#506711 - 05/01/08 09:24 PM Re: Bad BCM? [Re: Greg Ross]
wayne2reattas wayne2reattas Member Registered: 04/29/08 Posts: 19	Greg, Thanks for the info BUT this is the third switch module I have had to splice in. After finding the frayed wiring at the headlights , then repairing that I spliced in another switch module. Then that one burned, So I replaced the relays both hi and lo. The lights do come on and off as they are supposed to but then the yellow wire gets very hot and starts to melt the harness and switch. If you have any other thoughts about what I can check I would REALLY appreciate it. Thanks again....
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#506713 - 05/01/08 09:26 PM Re: Bad BCM? [Re: wayne2reattas]
wayne2reattas wayne2reattas Member Registered: 04/29/08 Posts: 19	Sorry I meant that I had to splice in two harness plugs not switch modules!
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#506719 - 05/01/08 09:38 PM Re: Bad BCM? [Re: wayne2reattas]
Ronnie Ronnie Member Registered: 05/23/07 Posts: 710 Loc: Tennessee	I would isolate the circuit that is causing the problem. Start by disconnecting circuits going to the headlight switch, headlight, tail lights, interior lights, anything powered by the headlight switch, until the yellow wire stops overheating. Then troubleshoot the circuit that causes the wire to overheat. I suspect you have a wire somewhere partly grounded OR possibly a bad ground that is using another circuit as a ground (back feeding through the headlight switch). _________________________ Red '88 Buy or sell Reatta cars and parts online. Click Here. It's Free!
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#506721 - 05/01/08 09:49 PM Re: Bad BCM? [Re: Ronnie]
wayne2reattas wayne2reattas Member Registered: 04/29/08 Posts: 19	How do I go about isolating the circuits? Would I pull fuses or breakers for particular circuits? Thanks for the response. Makes ALOT of sense to do it this way. Thanks.
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#506723 - 05/01/08 09:54 PM Re: Bad BCM? [Re: wayne2reattas]
wayne2reattas wayne2reattas Member Registered: 04/29/08 Posts: 19	A few weeks before this problem started I replaced the regular headlamps with Sylvania Silver Star high performance halogens. Could that be causing this problem?
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#506746 - 05/01/08 11:25 PM Re: Bad BCM? [Re: wayne2reattas]
Ronnie Ronnie Member Registered: 05/23/07 Posts: 710 Loc: Tennessee	Start out by disconnecting the new headlamps, one at a time. Did the wire stop overheating when either one was disconnected? Next disconnect the headlight motors. Did the overheating go away? _________________________ Red '88 Buy or sell Reatta cars and parts online. Click Here. It's Free!
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#506772 - 05/02/08 03:07 AM Re: Bad BCM? [Re: wayne2reattas]
Reatta45 Reatta45 Member Registered: 10/19/05 Posts: 259 Loc: Kansas, Butler county, Just ea...	Get a DVM with a DC amp clamp, (around $75.00, but will last you a lifetime)… much easier to see exactly what the amp flow is, than interpolating from wire temp. KennyV.
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#506790 - 05/02/08 07:58 AM Re: Bad BCM? [Re: Reatta45]
wayne2reattas wayne2reattas Member Registered: 04/29/08 Posts: 19	The wire gets very hot as soon as I put the Hi Beams on. With just regular headlights on the wire doesn't get hot.
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#506799 - 05/02/08 08:18 AM Re: Bad BCM? [Re: wayne2reattas]
Ronnie Ronnie Member Registered: 05/23/07 Posts: 710 Loc: Tennessee	Unplug the left headlight bulb. Put the hi beams on and see if the wire gets hot. _________________________ Red '88 Buy or sell Reatta cars and parts online. Click Here. It's Free!
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#506825 - 05/02/08 09:57 AM Re: Bad BCM? [Re: Ronnie]
Barney Eaton Barney Eaton Long Time Member Registered: 11/12/99 Posts: 4560 Loc: Georgetown TX USA	After reading your post several times and looking at the service manual, I would check the following...... (1) try the high beams BUT unplug one bulb at a time. See if one headlight bulb is causing more heat buildup than the other. (2) I would also feel the green wire (high beam) at the headlight to see if there is any heat there. The above test are to eliminate things..... (3) I feel like you have a bad headlight switch and while it turns on the lights, it is a bad connection and the heat is building there and transferring to the yellow wire. _________________________ Barney Eaton BCA technical advisor for Reattas- Keeper of the Reatta database- BCA technical advisor coordinator- BCA Board member
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#506973 - 05/02/08 08:51 PM Re: Bad BCM? [Re: Barney Eaton]
Drake Drake Member Registered: 02/19/08 Posts: 32 Loc: Oswego, Illinois	I installed Sylvania Silver Stars about seven months ago, to date, no problems. _________________________ Drake 1989 Reatta White/Blue BCA #43649
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#507250 - 05/04/08 12:15 AM Re: Bad BCM? [Re: Drake]
Ronnie Ronnie Member Registered: 05/23/07 Posts: 710 Loc: Tennessee	Looks like this might be another one of those threads that ends without anyone knowing what resolved the problem. That makes it really frustrating for anyone who is searching for help on a similar problem in the future and arrives here at a dead end. It would benefit everyone if people seeking and getting help would please report back here what actually corrected their problem. _________________________ Red '88 Buy or sell Reatta cars and parts online. Click Here. It's Free!
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#507256 - 05/04/08 02:19 AM Re: Bad BCM? [Re: Ronnie]
D-a-n-i-e-l D-a-n-i-e-l Member Registered: 12/02/06 Posts: 378 Loc: Fort Lewis WA/Iraq	OK guys this is not too hard of a problem and should not end in a no answer found! It is not the head light type causing the issue. Ir un the silverstar lights and have no problem. OK what does the yellow wire go to and what is its function? I will cheack tomarrow after my weekly hair cut, if no one ansewrs me. next I did not see any mention of a blown fuse. Only two things cause a blown fuse. 1) short to ground. 2) ading too much poopoo to the circuit. And for the record adding resistance will not burn out a wire or fuse. Although adding arcing will. (remember E=IR or volts=resistance x current). So increased resitance= less watts, wich watts = volts x amps/current so E= amps X 2 x resistance = less E/volts x I/amps= less watts. confused yet? Any way I will lok at the system tomarow and see what the yellow (burning) wire is, for I am sure it is not as difficult as we would like to make it seem. _________________________
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