My Mechanic Is Stumped – Please Provide Any Suggestions

[WausauFL]

Hi, My name is Cliff and I am a 1998 Corolla owner (aka: Chevy Prizm) from Northwest Florida.

 

My mechanic is making no headway and is getting ready to throw in the towel on my Corolla. The car stalls when headlights or AC is turned on – the car runs fine otherwise. For a few weeks prior to this, the headlights would never turn off if they were ever turned on initially via the headlight switch– I would have to pull a relay under the hood momentarily and plug it back in to extinguish the lights. During this period, the Daytime Running Lights became totally inoperative (meaning that they never came on, but had always worked previously). Immediately prior to this, the car had been in the shop because it would not start and run unless one of the turn signals was on – this was the initial problem that seems to be linked to the other two problems. Prior to all this, the car had zero problems ever since I bought it new.

 

Any suggestions on this problem that I can pass along to my mechanic?

 

Thanks.

[styler]

yeah take it to an auto electrician instead of a mechanic, its an auto electric speciality, not really a standard mechanic sort of job unless a simple short or fuse swap etc...

Edited November 13, 2006 by styler

[7shades]

Try replacing the Body Control Module. I'm unsure where its located in an 88 model but its usually behind one of the kick panels... should tell you in the service manual.

[love ke70]

earthing issue.

let the auto elec sort it :lol:

[Hiro Protagonist]

Try replacing the Body Control Module. I'm unsure where its located in an 88 model but its usually behind one of the kick panels... should tell you in the service manual.

 

Considering the OP said it was a 98, not an 88, I assume he means a E10x series Corolla. In that case, the BCM (in RHD cars at least) is usually behind the glovebox. Can be a bit of a pain to get to, but nowhere near as annoying as the ECU

[BreakDave - GT]

Although it is possible that it could be a computer problem ECU/BCM, i would look at everything else first as its not exactly going to be a cheap exercise to replace it and would not guarantee to fix it.

 

Have u had any warning lights appear on the dash? ie. ECM or check engine light. As a computer problem would more than likely bring up a fault code in the computer and bring on the warning light!

 

It could well be an earthing problem of some sort as the headlights are earth switched.

 

No offence to your mechanic but i'd doubt they would have the experience of these probs to sort it out, definately one for an auto elec.

[WausauFL]

Thanks for all the responses.

 

The car is a 1998. And in response to one of the inquiries, no 'Check Engine' or any other warning lights have illuminated. As of today, the mechanic has sent the car to a different shop, perhaps an 'auto electric' shop as someone had suggested above, I am not sure. A common theme in many of the responses is that it is likely to be a grounding problem and it will be difficult to find. I will pass along the suggestion about the BCM.

 

Thank you all, and any other responses continue to be welcomed.

[7shades]

Tell your "mechanic" to invest in a multimeter. If he buys another banjo and a bottle of bourbon instead I'd suggest getting a new mechanic