Ask the Car People.SM


Cadillac DTS Electrical Issues

96 messages,  Last post on Apr 15, 2013 at 6:45 AM

You are in the Cadillac DTS Forum.

What is this discussion about? Cadillac DTS, Electrical, Sedan

Messages Page 5 of 11

#35 of 96 rear heated seat problem '04 DTS by caddyfreak

Jul 10, 2008 (11:31 am)

My one side of the rear heated seat won't turn on. The rear power control module(behind seatback), both top and bottom seat cushion elements, the LR door module and heater switch on/off button test ok. Power in feed wires (orange) and fuses are ok. Power is on to the rear control power module at the blue plug-in connector( orange wires behind seat back). Still no current flow to either of the elements. I'm pretty electrical but I'm stumped here. Right side of rear seat heater circuit works fine. Tried checking grd distribution but it does seem to be grounded ok.

#36 of 96 Re: 2006 DTS Battery Drain [chefcct] by conked

Jul 10, 2008 (12:48 pm)

Replying to: chefcct (Dec 03, 2007 10:01 am)
Back in December I gave the dealer the TSB number you suggested. He scratched his head and said something like, "this might apply...we'll check it out." When I got the car back the repair statement says "TSB 1906368-program remote entry key system to body control module and reprogram tire sensors to body module."
I don't know if that had anything to do with the dead battery but we've been to Dallas twice and Denver once since then and have had absolutely no more dead battery issues.

#37 of 96 Re: rear heated seat problem '04 DTS [caddyfreak] by conked

Jul 10, 2008 (12:53 pm)

Replying to: caddyfreak (Jul 10, 2008 11:31 am)
I had front seat heater problems with an earlier DTS, a 2000 model. In one case the seat element went open but I assume you checked for that. In the other cases, twice, the module was bad. If you have power to the module when the seat heater is ON and the element has continuity but no current flow, then given everything else you've checked, the problem almost has to be in the module, doesn't it? Fortunately, our 2006 DTS has not had this problem. Good luck with sleuthing this problem.

#38 of 96 Re: rear heated seat problem '04 DTS [conked] by caddyfreak

Jul 10, 2008 (1:45 pm)

Replying to: conked (Jul 10, 2008 12:53 pm)
definitely not rear seat power module as left and right can be interchanged (so can L and R rear door modules) and still no power flow to left seat heaters. I did a complete interchange of the modules and both work fine on opposite side of car. I would like to know color code of wire(s) that needs to be "hot" to turn elements on at the power module end. Orange is needed but there must be some others. I am thinking of a wiring break in the harness is possible.

#39 of 96 Re: rear heated seat problem '04 DTS [caddyfreak] by conked

Jul 10, 2008 (3:39 pm)

Replying to: caddyfreak (Jul 10, 2008 1:45 pm)
Are the color codes on the left and right rear sides the same? If so, and the R side is working, you could check the voltages on the R and see how they differ from the L under HIGH, MED, LOW, and OFF conditions.
A break in the wiring harness is a possibility but usually don't see that until the car gets much older and the insulation gets stiff...usually breaks frist occur where the harness exits the door and enters the body---you probably already know all this.
I've also seen corrosion inside a connector cause failures but usually exercising the plug fixes that, at least temporarily. You did say you checked the continuity of the in-seat element, right?

#40 of 96 Re: rear heated seat problem '04 DTS [conked] by caddyfreak

Jul 16, 2008 (11:32 am)

Replying to: conked (Jul 10, 2008 3:39 pm)
Problem solved, break in wire (green) from rear backrest control power module to LR door window module. rigged jumper wire from door to rear seat connector C306 and everything powers up fine now

#41 of 96 Re: 2006 DTS Battery Drain [conked] by conked

Aug 01, 2008 (8:16 am)

Replying to: conked (Jul 10, 2008 12:48 pm)
I spoke too soon. Wednesday July 30 we drove the car for an hour or so and parked it at 1 p.m. in our garage. At 6 p.m. we were planning to leave and the battery was dead again. Cadillac Roadside Assistance said that no dealers have technician service any more in the St. Louis metro area and all they could do is call someone to jump start the car or tow it to the dealer. I jumped it myself on Thursday morning, drove to the dealer and they're telling me once again that they can find nothing wrong with any systems or with the battery. This is very disturbing.

#42 of 96 Re: 2006 DTS Battery Drain [conked] Problem Found by conked

Sep 30, 2008 (11:07 am)

Replying to: conked (Aug 01, 2008 8:16 am)
It isn't as if I've never worked on cars. In fact, I've worked on them since the 1960s, even changing out engines, and rebuilding transmissions. I just thought that a Cadillac service facility should be able to find and repair whatever was causing this problem. But after the last incident I decided to roll up my sleeves and go to work. I thought that I might find corrosion under a crimp hidden by heat-shrink so I decided to solder all the cables coming off the battery and going to the under seat and under hood fuse modules. In the process, what I found, was a bad ground at the floor under the back seat. The ground cable, which is common to all the electrical systems in the car, is attached to the floor with a plated screw, but in this case the screw mates with a threaded hole that had the same paint job as the outside of the car, and the ground terminal sits on the painted floor with no "star washer" under it to bite into the chassis. Checking from the battery end of the cable to ground points around the car gave ohmmeter readings all over the map. So I ground the paint off the chassis under the ground terminal and put it back together with a big star washer under the terminal. I'm hoping this will solve the problem.

#43 of 96 Re: 2006 DTS Battery Drain [jteiber] by sharon26

Oct 04, 2008 (5:29 pm)

Replying to: jteiber (Dec 03, 2007 8:31 am)
My mother's 2007 DTS has not experieced any problems with it starting, but she has experieced it cutting off in traffic (!) at least 5 times. After the first 3 tim;es, the dealer kept it for 10 days only after my mother said she did not want it back - they did not find anything wrong, except that some codes were missing related to the brakes???? (GM even came to "investigate", but refused to talk to my mother!) They fixed the codes, then she took the care in about 3 months later for the regular oil/maintenace and to have them look at some vibrating that she was feeling in the front end, and they discovered that the brake pads were worn. They fixed them, but then she experieced the car cutting off while driving 2 more times. The dealer and GM have not resolved the problem and basically tried to make it sound like it is something my Mother is doing while driving??? My parents have been Cadillac owners for 50+ years, but this is the last one! To make matters worse, the salesman talked her into leasing the car and she has no options until the lease is up! So much for customer service!

#44 of 96 Re: 2006 DTS Battery Drain [sharon26] by caddylvr

Nov 01, 2008 (2:27 am)

Replying to: sharon26 (Oct 04, 2008 5:29 pm)
Hello, I know the exact part that you will need to resolve your problem. It's called a Crankshaft sensor. I have a 2003 DTS and this was happening to me sporadically usually at stop lights or when I would come to a complete stop. Lindsey's Cadillac, which is the dealer in my area, could not find the problem. Fortunately a friend of mines had the same symptoms with his DTS and he visited a Caddy forum in which someone told him to get a Crankshaft sensor. I believe the part was roughly $60 bucks. I paid $70 or so in labor. Never had the issue since. I didn't even take it to the dealer to replace the part, I used a local Midas in the area that knew GM cars and they replaced it for nearly a fraction of what the dealer was charging. Good luck, and I am 100% sure this will resolve your Mom's DTS issue.

Messages Page 5 of 11

To POST a message, please Sign In.

Advertisement

Browse by Category

Browse by Vehicle
   View All Vehicles

Browse by Board
Browse by Topic
View All Topics

Edmunds Community

Advertisement