Expert: Roland Finston - 9/7/2011

Question
QUESTION: Hi again Roland,
I'm not sure how or where to respond properly to your answer on my post yesterday so I'm trying this.  You said to touch the - battery cable to the + cable.  Should the + also be unhooked from the battery?  Otherwise they'll spark and blow something won't they?  Also, I followed your other instructions and held the defrost button for 2 minutes and did not get a code.

Thanks,

James

ANSWER: Hi James,
No, touching the two clamps together is what needs to be done, and it doesn't matter whether a SI
NGLE post of the battery is also touching the two clamps as there is no impact of the battery if only one post is involved (e.g. no 'circuit'). I suggested you not remove the + clamp from its post so as to avoid unnecessary work.
Did the cluster show 'AC00', did the BCM chime once, and did the LED of AC begin blinking before you pressed the defrost button? If not then do it again from the beginning. I assume this is the conventional type of control panel, not the automatic temp control type, correct?
Roland
PS To respond to this answer, you have to have picked it up from a message that the website sends you, not by reading it off the home page. That message will offer you a follow-up to write back.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Roland,

I unhooked the neg. cable from the car ground and touched it to the positive cable which is still hooked up to the battery for only 5 seconds because it sparks when I touch them together.  Did you mean to actually leave the cable touching for 60 seconds?  After I did this, the air did come out of the front vent for 5 sec. and then went back to defrost regardless of what mode its on.  Also, I did try to find a code by starting the car, idling, temperature on full cold, fan on high, mode to defrost, (AC button doesn't work), held defrost button (which also doesn't work) for 2 minutes and did not see any display.  I assume a code is supposed to replace the odometer reading.  I've never heard a chime either.  Could a fuse or relay be bad causing the AC and defrost buttons not to light up?

BTW, I never did get an email confirmation from the 1st thread to respond with a follow-up.  Probably because I didn't respond to the 2nd page which sent me advertisements.

Thanks,

James

Answer
Hi James,
Check fuse 17 in the fuse box behind the left end-cap of the dash. If that is not blown then I don't know what else to suggest.
Try removing both clamps from the battery, touching them together for a minute. Unless you have another battery hidden in the vehicle that should simply discharge all the stored energy in any of the capacitors of the vehicle and may reset a computer. Other than those two approaches, I don't know what else to try except a fault code readout in general from an Autozone or similar nationwide parts store which will often do that for free.
Roland