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Cadillac DTS Electrical Issues

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

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

Messages Page 7 of 11

#54 of 96 Car Won't start by merkowner

Aug 13, 2009 (4:25 pm)

I have a 2002 dts with 60000 miles that I purchased a month ago with a clean car fax. I drove it for a month problem free.One day the car would not , start so I jump started it and got it to the mechanic . He said I need a new battery He installed it and on the way home I stopped at a store when I tried to start it it would not start so I jumped it and got it back to mechanic Any Ideas as to why it wont start even with a new battery ?

#55 of 96 Re: Car Won't start [merkowner] by Mr_Shiftright HOST

Aug 14, 2009 (9:03 pm)

Replying to: merkowner (Aug 13, 2009 4:25 pm)
So you say he put in a new battery, you drove a short distance, it would not start, BUT you were able to jump start it?
 
Then the new battery isn't any good or the cables are corroded or loose.
 
If you had a bad alternator, even a jump start wouldn't have gotten you going very far.
 
Maybe he didn't charge the battery properly prior to selling it to you.

#56 of 96 Re: Car Won't start [merkowner] by conked

Aug 15, 2009 (7:25 am)

Replying to: merkowner (Aug 13, 2009 4:25 pm)
I had a similar problem with a 2006 DTS and found the trouble to be a poor ground from the negative side of the battery at the floor under the back seat. The floor and the threaded hole where the cable is attached had the same paint finish as the exterior of the vehicle so the ground would come and go. This also caused strange charging voltage fluctuations on the instrument panel battery voltage indicator. Once I cleaned the paint off the floor and put a star washer under the cable end, the problem disappeared.

#57 of 96 Re: Car Won't start [conked] by merkowner

Aug 16, 2009 (12:09 pm)

Replying to: conked (Aug 15, 2009 7:25 am)
Bingo a frayed ground wire led to some grounding issues. ty fixed and back on the road

#58 of 96 Re: Car Won't start [merkowner] by conked

Aug 16, 2009 (12:22 pm)

Replying to: merkowner (Aug 16, 2009 12:09 pm)
Anyone with a similar problem--if the ground cable looks good you might also check the connection at the engine module, under the hood. A mechanic friend of mine works for a local Buick/GMC dealership and indicated that they occasionally see corrosion at the engine module (positive) cable from the battery. Cut back the heat shrink at both ends of the cable (under the seat and under the hood) and be sure there is no corrosion under the heat shrink or under the terminal connections. On my 2006 DTS one end of the positive cable was crimped, the other end crimped and soldered. The ground was crimped and soldered at the battery end but not at the chassis end. I ended up soldering all of the cables at both ends: ground cable, engine module cable, and the smaller body module (under the back seat) cable. Never had a problem after doing all that.

#59 of 96 Re: Car Won't start [conked] by cadyman

Sep 03, 2009 (1:10 pm)

Replying to: conked (Aug 16, 2009 12:22 pm)
CADDYMAN HERE I HAVE BEEN DEALING WITH THE SAME PROBLEM SINCE JAN 2007. DEAD BATTERY THREE TIMES. I WENT TO A LOCAL DEALER THE 3 TIMES IT HAPPENED. I DECIDED TO TAKE THE CAR BACK WHERE I BOUGHT IT.AND LET THEM CHECK IT OUT.THEY REPAIRED SEAT MODULES. REPROGRAMMED DOOR MODULE AND RAN UPDATE. THEY SAID THEY WERE NOT SET WRIGHT.ITS ONLY BEEN A MONTH. WILL SEE WHAT HAPPENS.

#60 of 96 2006 DTS will not start by usabravo

Sep 10, 2009 (7:04 am)

2006 DTS Performance with 11,600 miles. Went into the store and came out turned key to start position and light on dash went on and nothing happened--car would not start, no clicking, no nothing. Half of the electrical seemed to work. Door locks and windows would not work nor keyless remote. Dash was displaying messages such as service parking assist, service air bag, left rear door open. Tow truck was called and battery was in fine condition, DTS towed to Cochran Cadillac Pittsburgh. While removing car from flatbed tow driver turned key and vehicle started. Dealer checked it out and said there was a loose ground.
 
I took vehicle home all fine for about 30 miles running around town. Park in drive way on 10 degree slop and came back in the morning turned key and nothing happened same as before. Tried several starts within an hour after--nothing. Tow truck arrived again and this time driver tried starting the car--and it started!! Not consistent. Took vehicle to dealer and all the bad codes are back again (cleared on the first repair) and they are stumped because the vehicle starts and they cannot duplicate the problem. Any suggestions...............

#61 of 96 Re: 2006 DTS will not start [usabravo] by conked

Sep 10, 2009 (8:07 am)

Replying to: usabravo (Sep 10, 2009 7:04 am)
I had the exact same issue several times on my 06 DTS. Here is what I did that seemed to have solved the problem. Disconnect cable from battery to ground. Clean paint off floor around ground connection. Cut heat shrink away from negative and both positive cables at battery, other end of positive cable at module under rear seat, and positive cable at engine module (passenger side under hood). Soldered the crimped connection at each of these cable ends and taped the heat shrink back on (this requires a pretty stout soldering iron because the cables are rather large). Clean all connections with contact cleaner. Reinstall all the positive cables and reinstall ground cable at floor with a star washer under the cable. After doing all these things I never had the problem again.

#62 of 96 Re: 2006 DTS will not start [conked] by usabravo

Sep 11, 2009 (12:18 pm)

Replying to: conked (Sep 10, 2009 8:07 am)
Dealer claims this is not the problem and that General Motors tech. is now saying it is somehow tied into the Onstar module. They are going to disconnect the module and want me to drive the vehicle, and if it corrects the problem they will replace the Onstar module. If not it is back to the drawing board. The problem is, as you know, if the vehicle does not start it must be towed each and every time--a jump does absolutely nothing as the battery is in great shape!

#63 of 96 Re: 2006 DTS will not start [usabravo] by conked

Sep 11, 2009 (12:45 pm)

Replying to: usabravo (Sep 11, 2009 12:18 pm)
I suppose the dealer sometimes knows what might cause a problem because they are exposed to more vehicles than just the one that you (or I) drive. My dealer re-programmed the remote key entry system and did something with the OnStar module attempting to find my problem, but these "fixes" didn't solve the problem. I would think that if a module was malfunctioning it would drain the battery, but that was never the case--like you, the battery would magically come back to life at full charge. At one time I thought perhaps the battery had a cracked intercell connector. I'm still not sure this wasn't part of the problem. The other symptom I had that you might check: my battery charging voltage, as indicated on the Driver Info Center under the speedo, would constantly vary. Sometimes it would charge at as much as 15.9 volts, other times only 12.3 and it was never constant...always moving around up and down. After the ground cable fix, it was steady as a rock at 13.8, just like every other car I've ever owned. A friend of mine who works at a local Buick dealership said they've had some similar problems with Lucernes.

Messages Page 7 of 11

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