Page 18 – Sparky's Answers

2000 BMW 323I, Changing The Front Turns Signal Bulb

This 2000 BMW 323I came in with the right front turn signal not working. It took me a little while to figure out exactly how to remove the light assembly but I knew something happened through this slotted hole.

I could see this tab through the slot and tried to move it from side to side with no luck.

With a good flashlight I was able to see this piece of plastic and realized that it flexed when pushing down on it.

Placing the screwdriver further down in the slot allowed me to push down and release the latch. Once the latch was pushed in the light assembly would just slide straight out the front of the vehicle.

After that it was just a simple matter of rotating the black socket assembly to release it from the lens.

Now the bulb is exposed and ready to be replaced. The bulb is a double element bulb and also functions as the right front park light.

While I do my best to detail as much information as possible. There are many repairs that I have yet to document and some of you may wish to have more than I have provided. I would strongly recommend subscribing to one or both of the following data companies for further assistance. Although having an abundance of information does not guarantee an easy repair, the lack of adequate information will guarantee a failed repair!

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Do it Yourself Automobile Repair Information

2002 Ford Explorer, No Run / Poor Run Condition

This 2002 Ford Explorer came in with the complaint that the engine would run poorly or not at all. The customer stated that he was able to start the engine only after installing a new set of spark plugs. There were multiple codes stored in the PCM; P0113, P0123, P0453, P0708 and P1289.

Some of the erroneous data that I saw was EGR DPFE voltage at 5 volts without the engine running.

Intake air and coolant temperatures at -40 degrees F. TPS, IAT and CHT voltage at 5 volts.

Time to do some testing at the sensors. A 1/4 inch driver removes the retaining bolts for the top engine cover.

Checking the five volt reference signal on the brown/white wire found zero volts.

Checking voltage on the gray/red wire found a reading of .527 volts. It is what should be expected on the return circuit (sensor ground).

Having already looked at a wiring diagram, I went to the DPFE sensor to check the signals there. There is a thumb latch that has to be depressed to disconnect the harness from the sensor.

Also knowing that it is fairly common for the DPFE sensors to short out and drop the PCM’s 5 volt reference, I rechecked the voltage on the brown/white wire and the proper five volt signal was present. I reconnected the TPS and started the engine. It started but took a few minutes before it started to run okay.

Time to change the DPFE sensor. Since the harness is already disconnected the only thing left to do is to separate the two hoses from the DPFE sensor tubes. I use a large common screw driver to pry the hoses off of the tubes. Being sure not to damage the hoses.

The new sensor on the right is nearly twice as big as the original. In case you were wondering DPFE stands for Differential (Delta) Pressure Feedback EGR sensor. The PCM uses it to determine if the EGR valve has opened and flowed the proper amount of exhaust gases back into the intake.

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1993 Acura Legend, Low Air Flow From A/C Vents

This 1993 Acura Legend came in with the complaint that the air conditioner was not keeping the car cool enough. A quick check revealed that the air was cold but there was not much volume. Time to check the cabin air filter. It is located behind the glove compartment on the passenger side of the dash. There are several plastic screw pin retainers that need to be removed from the lower edge of the dash. It generally takes a very light touch while turning the screw for it to back out far enough for removal. Sometimes the outer ring has to be held in place.

A look at the retainer with the center screw backed out enough to remove the retainer from the dash.

There are two brackets that have two screws in each one that have to be removed.

After all four screws are removed the glove box can be opened and dropped down slightly. Then release the clips that hold the cloth/vinyl cover in place.

The glove box will be hanging from the white plastic clip and cable assembly in the center of the next picture. Support the glove box and try not to allow the full weight of the box to hang on the cable and clip. There is a latch that has to be depressed to remove the plastic clip from the dash.

A side view of the clip.

Now there is a harness connector that needs to be disconnected. The latch is on the back side of the connector.

There is a metal bracket between the blower housing and the evaporator case that needs to be removed. One lower screw.

One upper screw. The bracket can now be positioned out of the way to expose the cabin air filter.

There was a lot of debris on the old filter.

In the box and now on the floor.

The two paper tabs on the new filter are to be positioned on the outer side. They are there to provide a grip area for removal of the filter. The curved edge goes down.

I took a few minutes to clean the opening out with a shop vacuum and small hose extension.

The new filter installed.

I finished by installing all of the removed parts. Another one done.

2009 Pontiac G5 Turn Signal & Park Light Not Working

This 2009 Pontiac G5 came in with the complaint that the right front turn signal and park light do not work. This particular light assembly had water in it, so I was pretty sure that the socket and bulb would be damaged. The first step in removing the headlight assembly is to remove the push pin retainers for the upper portion of the bumper cover assembly.

Next the two screws with the 10 mm heads have to be removed.

Then the front cover has to be lifted and pulled slightly out to allow the inner corner of the light assembly clear the panel.

The original socket on the left has five wires while the replacement socket only has three. This is perfectly normal. The original socket was also used as a splice location.

In replacing the faulty socket assembly, the multi wire splice location moves to the outside of the socket as shown below. All three black wires connect in one terminal. All three brown wires are connected together and then the purple wire is connected to remaining wire of color. In this case dark blue. If it were the driver’s side light the purple wire would be attached to the light blue wire.

The black and brown wires on the new socket are stripped back a little further than normal.

Then the exposed wire is doubled over so that it will fill the splicing terminal.

The connection is finished off with dual wall heat shrink tubing. Always remember to make sure that the half with two wires in it is positioned lower that the half with only one wire in it. Water may try to make it’s way past the seal on the two wires as it is generally not a perfect seal. With them pointing down gravity is in our favor.

I checked and the seal from the original socket seemed to be slightly thicker, so I used it instead of the one that came with the socket.

The lights now work. Notice the water mark at the lower edge of the light assembly. Before installing the light I drilled two very small holes at the lowest point of the installed assembly so that the water would drain out. It under the light and in a position behind the bumper cover. Again gravity working in our favor.

The old socket on the left and of course the new one on the right.

If you need one of these sockets please click here.

Another one finished.

2006 Chevrolet Equinox, Blower Erratic / Inoperative

This 2006 Chevrolet Equinox came in with the complaint that the blower motor worked sometimes. Most of the time it did not work. The customer had already replaced the blower motor and the blower relay to no avail. I checked the blower fuse in the underhood fuse box to make sure it was both good and powered. It was.

Under the passenger side of the dash, I removed the hush panel to gain access to the blower motor wiring. The panel is held in place by two 7 mm headed screws.

No power was present on the red wire with the white stripe.

I went back to the driver’s side of the vehicle and lifted the rear edge of the sill trim plate. Then worked my way towards the front of the vehicle.

Releasing the clips as I went.

The problem is in the multiwire harness connector shown below. If you look closely at the upper red/white wire to the right of center, you should notice some discoloration in the color of the wire. The terminals inside the connector are overheated and it is best to not disconnect the connector assembly. It may not go back together without a lot of effort.

I removed the 40 amp blower fuse from the underhood fuse box. No sense in cutting and splicing a live wire in tight quarters.

I clipped the wire above and below the in line harness connector body.

Then used splicing terminals and heat shrink tubing to make the repair.

The circuit is now repaired and on the outside of the connector.

I made sure that the wire was held in place when the connector body was reattached to the body panel.

I installed the previously removed 40 amp blower fuse in the underhood fuse box and now there is power on the red/white wire. The blower motor also now works on all speeds.

Another one finished.

2000 Cadillac DeVille, Runs Poorly Code P0102

This 2000 Cadillac Deville Came in with the complaint of running poorly and a code P0102 was present. The customer had already replaced the MAF (mass air flow) sensor and tried to replace the harness connector. Why anyone would consider this a repair is beyond me.

Looking at MAF data, the grams per second and the hertz data were at or near zero. This was even with the engine running. The picture below shows that the engine was not running but trust me the numbers were only slightly different when it was running.

Since the wires were exposed, I took advantage of that and did some quick tests. The key on voltage on the pink wire was 1.429 volts. According to the schematic the voltage should have been battery voltage with the ignition on.

The schematic also showed that the power is supplied through the IGN 1 fuse in the underhood fuse box. I am pointing to the IGN 1 fuse in the fuse box legend in the next picture. It is also marked as fuse number 11.

I am pointing to the IGN 1 fuse on the fuse box layout in the next picture.

With the key on there was power on one side of the fuse.

No power on the other side.

So, replacing the blown fuse should restore power to the pink wire at the MAF sensor.

The new fuse has power on both sides.

There is now nominal battery voltage at the pink wire connecting to the MAF sensor terminal “D”.

I installed a new harness connector by splicing in a staggered pattern and finished with a new piece of split loom to dress out the repair. The split loom along with the electrical tape that was used at the end, to fasten the loom to the wires helps stabilize and strengthen the over all repair.

Now the MAF data is active and the engine is running well enough to finish doing some other testing related to a misfire. That is an article for another day though.

In case you need to know more terminal data, I am including the following list.

Terminal “A” Black IAT sensor ground at PCM terminal 4 connector C2

Terminal “B” Tan IAT sensor signal at PCM terminal 10 connector C2

Terminal “C” Black MAF ground at G100

Terminal “D” Pink Ignition power supplied from fuse IGN 1

Terminal “E” Yellow MAF sensor signal at PCM terminal 42 connector C1

2005 Chevrolet Impala Right Rear Turn Signal & Stoplight Not Working

This 2005 Chevrolet Impala came in with the complaint the the right rear turn signal and stoplight did not work sometimes. The bulb had already been changed. To access the bulb the light assembly has to be removed from the vehicle. The trunk liner is held in place by several plastic wing nuts.

After the liner hold down nuts are removed and the liner has been folded down and out of the way, there will be two more wing nuts that have to be removed.

Since the bulb had already been replaced most of the visible damage was no longer present so I do not have a picture to show you of that. I tested to confirm there was power and ground present at the socket with the brake pedal depressed. That meant that the socket has to have a faulty internal connection issue. I contacted the local Chevrolet dealership to find out about getting a replacement sub harness assembly for this light. I was told the sub harness would cost a little over $70 and would have to be ordered. Being resourceful as I am, I started looking through various sockets that I keep in stock. I found one that had the correct alignment tabs and focal length but is had a slightly different design. If you need to purchase one of these sockets please click here.

In the process of replacing the faulty socket, I noted that the socket is also used as a splicing point for the tailight and ground circuits that connect to the rear side marker light socket. It is not a big deal because the splice will simply be moved to the splicing point for the new socket wiring connections.

All of the wires have been connected and heat applied to the heat shrink tubing.

The wires have been taped together to form a harness.

Notice how there is a tab on the light assembly that fits perfectly with the locking arm on the socket. My assumption is that the light assembly was originally designed with this socket in mind but a less expensive supplier got the bid to supply the harness assembly to GM.

Notice the curve in the harness.

I curved the harness in that position and monitored it carefully when I installed the light assembly back into the vehicle so that I could insure that the wiring would not be pinched.

A better comparison between the original and replacement sockets.

1999 Chevrolet Suburban, Replacing Instrument Cluster & HVAC Illumination Bulbs

This 1999 Chevrolet Suburban came in with the complaint that most of the instrument cluster.

Also the HVAC control head panel illumination bulbs do not work. Since a couple of them did work, I did not have to worry about fuses and switches being the problem. Just blown bulbs.

Disassembly starts with grasping the edges of the instrument cluster trim panel and pulling it loose from the dash carrier.

With the panel loose there are switches that need to be disconnected. The headlight switch connector has a locking tab that needs to be depressed before the connector can be removed from the switch.

A closer look at the locking tab. If this Suburban was a pickup truck there could be more switches at the right side of the instrument cluster. Also if it were 4wd there would be a switch in that location as well.

With all of the switches disconnected the trim panel is ready for removal. The key has to be switched on. The shifter handle has to be placed in the D1 position. The steering column has to be tilted fully down. The wide plate just above the instrument panel opening will need to be flexed down to clear the dash carrier.

There are four 7 mm headed screws that have to be removed in order to remove the cluster form the dash carrier.

The harness connectors that are at the right side of the next picture would be for 4wd, cargo lights and rear hatch release switches. If this vehicle had those options. With all four mounting screws removed the instrument cluster assembly will pull away from the dash carrier and then slide out towards the driver’s door.

The illumination bulbs for the instrument cluster are the bulbs with the larger bases. The bulbs are different from one side to the other. The driver’s side of the cluster assembly has gray bases with 194 bulbs.

The passenger side of the cluster assembly has black bases and use 161 bulbs.

All of the illumination bulbs have the letters ILL next to them.

In this vehicle the bulbs are removable from the bases. In some models they may not because the leads are welded in place. They will be listed as PC161 and PC194 in the application guides.

Rather than removing the HVAC controls and risk the locking tabs breaking off (happens quite often with old brittle plastic), I prefer to remove the radio instead. there are push down levers that will release the radio assembly.

I then reach in and change the bulbs that are located along the top edge. There are four bulbs and they are spaced evenly along the top inside edge.

These bulbs also pull out of their bases.

They can be quite difficult to remove and I sometimes use pliers to grip the bulb. It is a fine line between enough pressure to pull the bulb out of the base and crushing the glass.

I also try to gently lift the contact tabs on either side of the bulb bases. This ensures a better connection between the bulb base and the printed circuit board.

Now we have dash lights.

And lights for the HVAC controls.

Be sure to check the bulb operation before completely reassembly the dash. You may need to use a towel or blanket to cover the dash and block any external light sources.

2006 Ford Expedition Transmission Shifts Too Soon

This 2006 Ford Expedition came in with the complaint that the transmission would shift through the gears and the torque converter solenoid would lock up below 25 mph. There was a shudder present at low speed due to the condition. The problem would also go away sometimes. A transmission shop and the local Ford dealership could not help the customer and my shop was recommended. I am definitely not a transmission expert by any means but a little bit of research led me to this answer. Sadly, there was a Ford Motor Company TSB on the subject. The TSB applies to the following vehicles.

FORD:

2005-2010 Crown Victoria
2005-2006 Expedition
2005-2010 E-150, E-250, E-350, F-150

LINCOLN:

2005-2010 Town Car
2006-2008 Mark LT

MERCURY:

2005-2010 Grand Marquis

I was not going to take a chance on getting transmission fluid in my camera so pictures are limited.

The number 7 ball check valve is listed as the cause of the problem in the TSB and it is located in the upper right hand quadrant in the picture below.

I am pointing to the #7 check ball in the next picture. The perspective has rotated 90 degrees CCW in relation to the picture above.

The check ball is missing about 50 percent of it’s surface area.

The old check ball is the lower one.

The following part numbers are needed for the repair. The check ball comes in a package of seven. The gaskets were available individually.

Part Number Part Description

EOAZ-7E195-B Ball Check
1L3Z-7C155-AA Gasket – Valve Body Upper
1W7Z-7D100-AB Gasket – Valve Body Lower

The main pan gasket is reusable. You do need to wipe it dry and use an inch pound torque wrench to install the pan. The gasket without the tree large holes is laid down on the valve body.

Then the large plate that covers the entire valve body is installed. The two round covers are installed o top of the plate. The torque wrench is also needed to install the bolts holding the plates.

The second gasket is installed over the plates.

The valve body is now ready to install back into the transmission. There are specific tightening patterns that need to be followed along with the proper torque specifications. Two things that are helpful to know are that you have to pay attention to the shifter linkage position in relation to the plunger/rod on the driver’s side of the valve body.

Also there is a screen above the valve body in the left forward corner of the transmission that has to be held in place with a tool as the valve body is put back into the transmission. I had this piece of scrap metal around and it is what I used. All of the metal above my finger is not needed. Just the metal below and to the right.

Make sure there are no rough edges that will grab on the gasket material.

I strongly recommend using a traditional repair manual to do this transmission service. I simply wanted to add a few real world pictures and a bit of advise. Of course an new filter and fluid will be needed as well.

Below is a link to the actual Ford TSB that I found on another site.

TSB # 09-20-14 Link

2004 Subaru Legacy, Replacing Blown Instrument Cluster Bulbs

This 2004 Subaru Legacy came in with the complaint that some of the back lighting bulbs for the instrument cluster were blown out. The way that the covers are assembled dictates that I had to start with removing the shifter trim panel. It just lifts up and is only held in place by spring clips.

Two screws hold the storage tray in place.

After removing the ashtray, I had to remove the retaining screws for the bracket. One in the back.

Two along the upper edge.

I also removed the screws that hold the radio and HVAC controls to the dash. The two along the lower edge of the radio are longer.

The two along the lower edge of the radio are longer and need to be kept separate from the rest of the screws.

The reason I removed the screws from the radio and HVAC controls is because I could not get a good enough grip on the harness connector for the hazard light switch. If you can, you can skip removing those screws.

There are two screws on the upper edge of the trim panel in front of the instrument cluster opening.

There are two screws, one on either side of the steering column and behind the lower trim panels.

I adjusted the steering column to the full down position and pulled the instrument cluster trim panel from the dash. I did have to flex it slightly to clear the opening.

The left lower dash trim panel unsnaps from the dash, to expose the one screw on the driver’s side of the steering column, that I mentioned earlier.

There are five screws that hold the instrument cluster to the dash assembly; two on each side.

And one screw in the top center of the instrument cluster.

There are three harness connectors that need to be disconnected from the cluster.

There are locking tabs on each one that have to be depressed.

I used a screwdriver to push in on the locking tab and then grabbed the connector body and wiggled it loose from the cluster. It was a tight fit and took a little effort to remove them. Try your best to not pull on the wires themselves.

All of the illumination or back lighting bulbs had larger bases. Were brown in color and had red paint marks on them. They twist and remove.

I had a hard time locating the correct bulbs. The dealership had to special order them and they were over $4 each. I should have called them first and ordered them before I removed the cluster. The after market does not list them for some reason. I researched past bulb applications for Subaru and found that a 158 bulb was commonly used in the recent past. I tried 161 and 194 bulbs but in the end I stuck with the 158 bulbs as a match. I did have to buy blue bulb covers since the old ones were stuck to the bulbs.

In theory, the bulbs could be changed without disconnecting the wiring to the cluster.

The cluster can be maneuvered around with the harnesses connected to access the bulbs.

Another one fixed.