Bruce Nunnally Posted June 13, 2011 Report Share Posted June 13, 2011 I had an oddity with a pre-owned car that had a periodicity to it. Turned out previous owner or mechanic had replaced a fuse with a small automatically resetting circuit breaker (it strikes me there is a name for this component but escapes me what that is -- technically similar to polymeric positive temperature coefficient device). There was an intermittent short in the wiring under the seat. Short would cause fuse to blow, then seat would not adjust. By replacing fuse with a breaker, it would reset after the ckt was non-short for a short period, then seat would adjust and be fine until intermittent short occurred again. Net effect was similar to your experience -- so first I would look for non-standard electronics. Perhaps an overcurrent condition exists, and it takes 19 min for it to cause an open? Bruce 2023 Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing Follow me on: Twitter Instagram Youtube Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bpage Posted June 13, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 13, 2011 Explain this statement to me again in more detail: I was checking to see if the problem came back after 19 minutes, after 3 clicks I noticed that the radio lit up on 98.1 and went off on click the door finally opened. You were trying to open the door with the key fob and the radio cam on? Three clicks of what, the key fob? That is not standard for the radio to come on when the door is unlocked, am I getting that right, you unlocked the door and the radio came on?, and was reset? Do you have a remote start? Is this the original radio? Did anyone rewire the radio? Once I find out what is going on, Ill search the manual and schematics, this is an odd one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bpage Posted June 13, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 13, 2011 Everything is original on the radio with no modifications or rewiring. No remote start. No rewiring on anything. Nothing has ever been modified as far as I can tell. Three clicks on the unlock button on the KEYFOB and I could see the station 98.1 (this is what it resets to after 19 minutes) display on the radio momentarily I don't know if the radio actually came on. It unlocked on the 4 th click of the KEYFOB unlock button. I am not sure if this has ever happened before if so I never noticed it. I will look for this symptom again tonight after dark. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bpage Posted June 13, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 13, 2011 I had an oddity with a pre-owned car that had a periodicity to it. Turned out previous owner or mechanic had replaced a fuse with a small automatically resetting circuit breaker (it strikes me there is a name for this component but escapes me what that is -- technically similar to polymeric positive temperature coefficient device). There was an intermittent short in the wiring under the seat. Short would cause fuse to blow, then seat would not adjust. By replacing fuse with a breaker, it would reset after the ckt was non-short for a short period, then seat would adjust and be fine until intermittent short occurred again. Net effect was similar to your experience -- so first I would look for non-standard electronics. Perhaps an overcurrent condition exists, and it takes 19 min for it to cause an open? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bpage Posted June 13, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 13, 2011 Very interesting! I have been an Electronics Technician for 45 years and I have never heard of such a thing! I do understand how it works though. I guess I will have to check for polymeric positive temperature coefficient devices. Life is getting far too complicated. My hair has been gray for years but I may have it all pulled out if I don't figure this problem out pretty soon. Thanks Bruce. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BodybyFisher Posted June 13, 2011 Report Share Posted June 13, 2011 This is odd, so clicking the keyfob three times turns on the radio. The radio is keyed to the Accessory, ON and retained power circuits. I want you to consider that you might have a remote starter (humor me). With my friends remote starter, it takes three clicks and the engine starts. For the heck of it look around for a remote starter under the hood. We have seen these devices create all kinds of problems. Can you ask the prior owner? Pre-1995 - DTC codes OBD1 >> 1996 and newer - DTC codes OBD2 >> https://www.obd-codes.com/trouble_codes/gm/obd_codes.htm How to check for codes Caddyinfo How To Technical Archive >> http://www.caddyinfo.com/wordpress/cadillac-how-to-faq/ Cadillac History & Specifications Year by Year http://www.motorera.com/cadillac/index.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texas Jim Posted June 13, 2011 Report Share Posted June 13, 2011 This is odd, so clicking the keyfob three times turns on the radio. The radio is keyed to the Accessory, ON and retained power circuits. I want you to consider that you might have a remote starter (humor me). With my friends remote starter, it takes three clicks and the engine starts. For the heck of it look around for a remote starter under the hood. We have seen these devices create all kinds of problems. Can you ask the prior owner? I am thinking the exact same thing.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bpage Posted June 14, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 14, 2011 Good thought. If the previous owner had a remote start installed he got ripped off because all it does is illuminate the radio display for about two seconds (can't tell if the radio actually comes on). All remote starts that I have seen use a seperate remote transmitter to start the car with two clicks required. I had one that also added keyless entry to my car it required that two buttons be pushed simultaneously to start the car. I am almost positive it does not have a remote start. I will check with the previous owner. Thanks guys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texas Jim Posted June 14, 2011 Report Share Posted June 14, 2011 Not likely...but it could also have an aftermarket alarm... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bpage Posted June 14, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 14, 2011 Not likely...but it could also have an aftermarket alarm... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bpage Posted June 14, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 14, 2011 I will add this to my list of previous owner questions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bpage Posted June 14, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 14, 2011 I decided to try to identify more symtoms of the problem last night. It accured to me that I had never used the KEYFOB to unlock the doors before the mysterious 19 minuite interval had expired. I waited til after dark so that I would know exactly which button press (click) worked. I locked the car with the KEYFOB and waited 15 Minutes then clicked the unlock button, lights came on and doors unlocked with one click (just the way it is supposed to work). I tried this again after the mysterious 19 minutes had expired and the 3 click 4 click routine returned (radio on 3 clicks doors on 4 clicks). I tried this again at 15 minutes intervals and everything worked on one click. Operating the KEYFOB unlock button before the mysterious 19 minute interval expires has the same effect as turning the ignition on, that is, it starts the 19 minute reset interval all over again. Abnormal operation of the KEYFOB is also associated with the mysterious 19 minute interval. Why the computer thinks it needs to do this after 19 minutes is a mystery? Any thoughts about this guys? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockfangd Posted June 16, 2011 Report Share Posted June 16, 2011 this may sound stupid but do you have a cd changer? factory GM FAN FOREVER Nice, clean, luxury= fine automobile Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bpage Posted June 17, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 17, 2011 this may sound stupid but do you have a cd changer? factory Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BodybyFisher Posted June 17, 2011 Report Share Posted June 17, 2011 I decided to try to identify more symtoms of the problem last night. It accured to me that I had never used the KEYFOB to unlock the doors before the mysterious 19 minuite interval had expired. I waited til after dark so that I would know exactly which button press (click) worked. I locked the car with the KEYFOB and waited 15 Minutes then clicked the unlock button, lights came on and doors unlocked with one click (just the way it is supposed to work). I tried this again after the mysterious 19 minutes had expired and the 3 click 4 click routine returned (radio on 3 clicks doors on 4 clicks). I tried this again at 15 minutes intervals and everything worked on one click. Operating the KEYFOB unlock button before the mysterious 19 minute interval expires has the same effect as turning the ignition on, that is, it starts the 19 minute reset interval all over again. Abnormal operation of the KEYFOB is also associated with the mysterious 19 minute interval. Why the computer thinks it needs to do this after 19 minutes is a mystery? Any thoughts about this guys? I want to give you a little constructive criticism. When you describe complex issues, try to break up complete thoughts into their own paragraph. It is much easier to absorp the information. I have avoided reading the above paragraph because it is overwhelming. Not complaining or being hard to get along with, just trying to help you. Anyway, your problem is frustrating. You never came back and said whether or not there were ANY aftermarket alarms or remote starters. You said, he didnt get his money's worth because all it does is turn the Radio on, but, maybe, its malfunctioning or incorrectly wired into the retained power circuits. Something is amiss here, I am going to pull out the service manual and try to understand what is going wrong. Hang in there Pre-1995 - DTC codes OBD1 >> 1996 and newer - DTC codes OBD2 >> https://www.obd-codes.com/trouble_codes/gm/obd_codes.htm How to check for codes Caddyinfo How To Technical Archive >> http://www.caddyinfo.com/wordpress/cadillac-how-to-faq/ Cadillac History & Specifications Year by Year http://www.motorera.com/cadillac/index.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texas Jim Posted June 17, 2011 Report Share Posted June 17, 2011 I decided to try to identify more symtoms of the problem last night. It accured to me that I had never used the KEYFOB to unlock the doors before the mysterious 19 minuite interval had expired. I waited til after dark so that I would know exactly which button press (click) worked. I locked the car with the KEYFOB and waited 15 Minutes then clicked the unlock button, lights came on and doors unlocked with one click (just the way it is supposed to work). I tried this again after the mysterious 19 minutes had expired and the 3 click 4 click routine returned (radio on 3 clicks doors on 4 clicks). I tried this again at 15 minutes intervals and everything worked on one click. Operating the KEYFOB unlock button before the mysterious 19 minute interval expires has the same effect as turning the ignition on, that is, it starts the 19 minute reset interval all over again. Abnormal operation of the KEYFOB is also associated with the mysterious 19 minute interval. Why the computer thinks it needs to do this after 19 minutes is a mystery? Any thoughts about this guys? Maybe BodybyFisher meant something like I did to your comments above. Sorry if I am out of line...I apologize in advance... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BodybyFisher Posted June 17, 2011 Report Share Posted June 17, 2011 Exactly Jim, that is much easier to read, you can digest pieces of it. Perfect, thanks Pre-1995 - DTC codes OBD1 >> 1996 and newer - DTC codes OBD2 >> https://www.obd-codes.com/trouble_codes/gm/obd_codes.htm How to check for codes Caddyinfo How To Technical Archive >> http://www.caddyinfo.com/wordpress/cadillac-how-to-faq/ Cadillac History & Specifications Year by Year http://www.motorera.com/cadillac/index.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bpage Posted June 20, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 20, 2011 Sorry about that guys! I guess I need to brush up on FORUM communication. Haven't had much time to troublshoot any further but I suspect that the battery might not be at full charge. I get between 12.4v and 12.6v on the battery terminals and on the information display. I charged the battery for about 6 hours and then hooked up my BATTERY MINDER last Thursday. I will let it float charge and desulphate for a few more days and see if the sypmtoms change. There are no aftermarket devices of any kind installed on the car. As for the question about the radio coming on after 3 clicks on the keyfob unlock button, the answer is yes, it actually does come on (FM 98.1) for about two seconds. Thanks for your patience guys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texas Jim Posted June 20, 2011 Report Share Posted June 20, 2011 Sorry about that guys! I guess I need to brush up on FORUM communication. Haven't had much time to troublshoot any further but I suspect that the battery might not be at full charge. I get between 12.4v and 12.6v on the battery terminals and on the information display. I charged the battery for about 6 hours and then hooked up my BATTERY MINDER last Thursday. I will let it float charge and desulphate for a few more days and see if the sypmtoms change. There are no aftermarket devices of any kind installed on the car. As for the question about the radio coming on after 3 clicks on the keyfob unlock button, the answer is yes, it actually does come on (FM 98.1) for about two seconds. Thanks for your patience guys. If the 12.4 is with the engine "OFF"... that is normal and a good voltage. If that is with the engine "RUNNING".. it is way too low... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bpage Posted June 20, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 20, 2011 With the engine running voltage is normally 13.2v to 13.4v. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wyhog Posted October 14, 2011 Report Share Posted October 14, 2011 Sorry about that guys! I guess I need to brush up on FORUM communication. Haven't had much time to troublshoot any further but I suspect that the battery might not be at full charge. I get between 12.4v and 12.6v on the battery terminals and on the information display. I charged the battery for about 6 hours and then hooked up my BATTERY MINDER last Thursday. I will let it float charge and desulphate for a few more days and see if the sypmtoms change. There are no aftermarket devices of any kind installed on the car. As for the question about the radio coming on after 3 clicks on the keyfob unlock button, the answer is yes, it actually does come on (FM 98.1) for about two seconds. Thanks for your patience guys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wyhog Posted October 14, 2011 Report Share Posted October 14, 2011 Very curious about how you fixed your problem....I have a 1998 Cadillac Deville that is doing the same thing with 47,000 miles on it. Worked fine then started doing this...not sure about the exact time it resets itself after being turned off but hoping you found your problem and resolved it. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bpage Posted October 14, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 14, 2011 Sorry about that guys! I guess I need to brush up on FORUM communication. Haven't had much time to troublshoot any further but I suspect that the battery might not be at full charge. I get between 12.4v and 12.6v on the battery terminals and on the information display. I charged the battery for about 6 hours and then hooked up my BATTERY MINDER last Thursday. I will let it float charge and desulphate for a few more days and see if the sypmtoms change. There are no aftermarket devices of any kind installed on the car. As for the question about the radio coming on after 3 clicks on the keyfob unlock button, the answer is yes, it actually does come on (FM 98.1) for about two seconds. Thanks for your patience guys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bpage Posted October 14, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 14, 2011 Very curious about how you fixed your problem....I have a 1998 Cadillac Deville that is doing the same thing with 47,000 miles on it. Worked fine then started doing this...not sure about the exact time it resets itself after being turned off but hoping you found your problem and resolved it. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bpage Posted October 14, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 14, 2011 Gale, I never did resolve the problem. I replaced the battery and cleaned the battery terminals (they were not dirty). Sometimes the car sits all day and the RKE works normally. I always get the trip odometer reset and radio reset to 98.1 after 20 minutes. When it is acting up; the antenna goes up, the radio comes on, the radio turns off and the antenna goes back down. Once this cycle is complete the next click on the RKE opens the doors. I have also noticed that additional clicks on the RKE do nothing until the radio completes its cycle on and off routine. If you get any help with your problem please let me know. Barry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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