Rain,+electronics+ Reatta = Problems

[Guest]

I continue to see alot of electrical problems and would like to relate some that I have had with my '90 convertible. We have some pretty nasty downpours in Florida as Padgett can attest to. I normally avoid using the Reatta in the rain, but it's my daily driver for a few months now. I noticed after driving it in a nasty storm and through puddles on the road the following:<BR>1. Couldn't turn off the temp controls. Could switch back and forth, just couldn't turn anything off<BR>2. The Emergency power (after you turn the key off)also did not work. My radio went off when I turned off the key. <BR>I also noticed the carpet under the passenger seat was damp, and there's a bunch of circuit's down there. My top drips a bit at the windows, but don't think that's the source of the wet. A couple days later, every thing works fine. If you're having electrical problem like these, the cheapest fix may be to avoid wet!

[Jhellman]

I live in West Texas. We have very little rain. It rained about 2 weeks ago and my 90 coupe was driven in it. I have no water leaks. <BR>The trunk lock/release/solonoid started lock/releasing spontaneously about every 4 seconds. (Check recent posts on "trunk release problem".)<P>The only way to stop it was to remove the trunk release relay.<P>I replaced relays and fuses. Barney said my car was possessed!!<P>I gave the car 48 hours of scientific neglect and put the old relay in and no more problems! Don't know why it did that, but other posts have had similar problems.<P>Maybe Barney was right-these cars are possessed when they get wet! Not much help on your problem.

[padgett]

Think all cars develop minor "leakage" of electrical circuits when they get wet, particularly if electrolytes (like road salt) are present.<P>Difference is that most car circuits operate on whole amps so a few ma do not make much difference.<P>However Reatta is almost completely controlled by computers (turn signals, radio, HVAC, etc.) and these controls require very little current to operate. <P>As a consequence, small currents will make a difference and what would not be noticed (other than the battery going flat in a few weeks) in a normal car will cause odd antics in a Reatta.<P>It also requires a whole different method of troubleshooting since you are looking for very small voltages/currents and relatively large resistances. Also, once found, the difficulty is likely to be deep in a wire harness (though the bulkhead connector would be a likely suspect).<P>Since current cars are much more computerized than those of the '80s, probably you are just being the first to experince what may become common.

[Guest jadesdrift90]

My 90 officially showed her other "personality" last Saturday. It was raining. The security alarm (which hasn't worked in months) started going off, the door locks kept going of and on, etc...it caught me by such surprise that I can't recall all that went on. It was as if some "wee folk" got together and had a PARTY in my car!

[Guest]

Most often I do not drive my 90 coupe in the rain but recently drove home from Washington D.C. (three hundred miles)in heavy rain. Some places got 3 inches but my car did not become possessed! Just lucky I quess.

[Guest Albert]

I though that only happened to british cars! my pontaic tempest has had similer problems with the engine computer with the bad connectors at the computer, filally cut the connectors off and soldering them driectly no problems. Have also heard of relays mounted upside down on some of the GM's when it rains they fill up with water..

[Guest]

Again, I agree with Padgett. I'm currently a mechanic in Wi. and we see seasonal electrical bugs. AARRGGHHh!!!! The newer cars are very succestible(sp?) to water induced electrical leaks. The horror, the horror! Everything is pretty well sealed, but you can't stop mother nature. In the above case, the affected components would be the blower motor control module and the RAP(retained accesory power) relay. By the way, how do you spell check on this????