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Cadillac Repair/passenger side switches

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Expert: - 2/10/2011


Question
After having the water pump replaced the 2002 Deville's passenger side switches are all dead.  But, when you push the driver's side window switch both front windows go down. Same with the rear, switch dead on rear pass. door but front switch rolls down both rear windows.  Also clock has go off-time?  Mechanic claimed he did nothing electrical.  Any suggestions on what to look at?

Answer
Hello,

I see no relation with water pump replacement.

Very common problem is that the wires in the driver's door are broken, but it takes quite a bit of work to confirm. Yes, the windows will work from the driver's switch, but the wires for this switch are different from the feed wires for the passenger switches.

All you need is a multi-meter. Remove the switches at the passenger side, turn ignition on and see if power is at the switches. Then what you can do is while you have the meter on the switches, have someone use the driver's switch, rolling down the window and up. You will see 12 volt power.

If you did not have any power going to the passenger switches in the first test. You have broken wires in the driver's door jamb boot.

If you had power at the passenger switches. That tells you you have switch issues, but having more than one bad switches at a time is rare.

Over time the plastic on wires becomes brittle. Every time you open and close the driver's door, the feed wires move and bend, eventually breaking. If you find that you have broken wires, there is the right way and the lazy way to repair.

The right way is to remove driver's trim panel and disconnect all wires. Remove the rubber boot at the driver's door jamb. Remove harness entirely for door and slide boot off. Repair broken wires and reinstall.

The lazy way is to slit the boot with a razor blade and make sure that you don't nick a wire. Once boot is out of the way, repair wires and tape boot together. I prefer the first method.


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Rob Painter

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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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