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Maintenance & Repair Electronic Gremlins: Electrical Problems That Are Driving You Crazy
1085 messages, Last post on Oct 29, 2009 at 11:41 AM
You are in the Maintenance & Repair Forum. Your Host is mr_shiftright
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I recently posted this to the MB forum. I have a Mercedes ML500, 2002, and recently the Navigation System has been giving me a little problem. It may not come on when I start up the engine. There is a blank screen. After a while, it finally does come on. So if it doesn't work every time I start up the car, I've learned that if I wait long enough it will. I had the car in the dealer's for something else. (Problem #3,490...) I asked if they would check the thing out. They did and said, the "ECU" needs to be replaced for $1,200 plus labor. (I later got them to give me the "good guy" price: $1,250 with labor. Whoopee.) The Electronic Control Unit (ECU) was for the Navigation System only. (There are many ECU's throughout the car, I'm told. This I know, because I had to replace the one for the electrics, and it was pretty expensive.) Anyway, it was "slowing burning out," they said and would soon be completely shot. I know very little about electronics, but I don't believe that an electronic control unit slowly burns out. In my experience they either work or they don't work. And when this thing works, it works. It may not come on right away, but when it does, it does. So I asked if it were some hardware connector or something, and they said no. ECU. Replace. $1,200. Here are my questions: (1) Where is this ECU? If I replace the entire CD-based Navigation System, does it also replace the ECU? Can I just buy a new navigation box and exchange the unit and all will be well? Or does it live somewhere where only ECU trained mechanics (an oxymoron I believe) know where to find it. (2) Can I buy the newer DVD-based navigation system, replace the old model and thereby fix the problem? Or do I need to replaced this ECU thing no matter what navigation system I have installed. Or.... (3) is this all a scam? |
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Replying to: emdgzmn (Jan 08, 2004 2:13 pm) thanx alot in advance Johnny
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Replying to: mrjohnny (Oct 14, 2006 1:30 pm) Anyway, if you want to try - this sounds, in general, like a wiring failure of some type. Possible a bad ground. If you can get to the bulbs and sockets for the signals you need to check all of these. And try to trace the ground side of the wires back, they usually are grounded via a bolt/screw into a frame or other heavy metal part of the car. If one ground is loose, it could shut down all the lights - blinkers do very strange things sometimes. Of course, the 'multiple switch', called that because there usually are multiple things controlled through it - this is the switch on the 'stalk' you use to turn signals on/off, could be bad. This is pretty tough to replace sometimes, requiring dis-assembly of the steering wheel, etc. I don't know why the AC should have gone out at the same time - but electrical circuits on cars are very complex and sometime strangely interrelated. When apparently non-related things shut down, sometimes it may be the ignition switch itself, since it controls much of the electrical of the car. As you can see, auto electronics are very complex. Look for an independent garage that specializes in electrical work. If not advertized as such in the yellow pages, call some and see if they appear to actually have some knowledge about electronics. And, you might have to take this car to a Lincoln dealer and pay to price to get the light and air working again.
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Hi, I'm Ted and I'm hoping someone out there can help me with a headlight problem with my girlfriend's 1995 Geo Metro. Her headlights are not working. However, her high beams do come on when you "flash" them but not when you put them on. Daytime running lights, turn signals, rear lamps and the parking light on the passenger side all work. But the front driver's side parking light does not. I checked fuses and the wiring seems to be fine. Does anyone have any ideas what could be wrong? Thank you very much for your help
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Replying to: twawro (Oct 23, 2006 2:04 pm) |
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| Drivers side low beam does not work. Both high beams work fine. I replaced the bulb and the low beam still does not work. Any ideas? | |
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Replying to: larry2906 (Oct 31, 2006 7:38 pm) |
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Replying to: larry2906 (Oct 31, 2006 7:38 pm) |
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| I have a Ford Expedition. The interior lights stay lit, and the dummy lights say there is "a door ajar". I've narrowed it down to the rear passenger side door. I cannot find any switch on the door jam, and am not sure where to look inside the door, or frame. Does anybody know where to find the sticky switch before I pull apart all of the trim molding? THings like that usually upset my wife because I never put it back the right way. | |
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