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Cadillac Repair/Automatic door locks and windows

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Expert: - 12/3/2009


Question
I have read your prior posting on automatic door lock and window problem solulatons.

One of my friend has 2001 Cadillac Saville. All the windows were left open and after heavy rain, none of the windows and power locks are working. How should I proceed to diagnosed and solve this problem

Sahai

Answer
Hello,

There is no way I could possibly diagnose the problem without seeing the vehicle. Could be all the switches are junk or shorted out from corrosion. I can tell you the windows are on one circuit with a circuit breaker and the locks work with a fuse.

Go to http://www.alldata.com and get a $30 subscription for that vehicle. Everything you need to know will be there.

One other thought is that since the windows were down during this storm, chances are that the carpet underlayment (Jute) is junk. Once wet, never dries even with a shop vac. Moisture and smell will build up corroding many more electronic components. The carpeting has to come out. The jute has to be replaced. Otherwise, its just a matter of time before the car will be an electrical nightmare, just like a flood vehicle.

Rob

Cadillac Repair

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Rob Painter

Expertise

Alarm system questions cannot be answered on this forum. These systems are not what I can answer. Without being physically at the vehicle and not knowing what kind of electrical service has been done on the vehicle, there is no possible way to give an accurate answer over the internet. My expertise is in Ignition/key based anti-theft systems. These issues include GM VATS (resistor chip in key blade) PASSLOCK (MRD)-ignition lock rotation based, no special ignition key and the PKIII Transponder (computer chip in key) systems. These systems are not alarm based and are integral with the starting of the engine. This is why I cannot diagnose alarm problems without physically looking at the vehicle: Alarm systems are a completely different annimal than ignition key/lock based anti-theft system. Many alarm questions come from vehicles 10 years old, and since older, many hands that had been involved over the years.I am an expert in all GM factory (ignition/key based)systems. Alarm system questions pose to many situations beyond my knowledge as to what has been done to the vehicle over the years. Some guy may have actually wired the stereo into the alarm system. Who knows? Over my past 30 years in vehicle wiring repair, I have seen unbelievable wiring disaters done by guys that consider themselves "mechanics." I have seen stereos and alarms intalled using surgical tape. I have seen modules burn up, un-fused circuits, wiring jambed between the doors and even lamp cord used for a starter kill. To answer alarm questions over the internet without examining the vehicle is like asking; What does it take to remove a dent?

Experience

Education/Credentials-ASE certified. 11 years with a GM dealer and 17 years with a repair facility dealing with only the repair of theft recovered vehicles.

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