RSS system codes

[njma]

i have owned a 1997 sts for a few months now, just finally got the car running were it would charge the battery, i had a ips 1911 code. and i read on this forum here a member had the same code.

another member CDICTAS copy and pasted a section from the FSM explaining in plain english what the IPC 1911 code means and how to fix it

i helped me fix it, or the post fixed it for me i just had to follow the directions

i have some rss system codes and i would like to know if member CDICTAS would copy and paste the section explaining these following codes, and the rss sytem circuits.

C1721 - Left Rear Damper Actuator Short Circuit to Ground

C1726 - Right Rear Damper Actuator Short Circuit to Ground

C1727 - Right Rear Damper Actuator Open Circuit

if you can can you please let me know exactly what the FSM says about these codes.??

mucho appreciated.

[Cadillac Jim]

B1721 Mirror Left and Right Control Switch Circuit

C1721 Left Rear Damper Actuator Short Circuit to Ground

C1726 Right Rear Damper Actuator Short Circuit to Ground

C1727 Right Rear Damper Actuator Open Circuit

I'm going to assume that you ran the OBD codes using the A/C buttons and the DIC, and that these are all the codes that you have, and that none of them are CURRENT. From your statement "If it was running I would change the battery" tells me otherwise. My first inclination if I had a dead car would be to *start* with a new battery, and a trickle charger to keep it topped off while I was clearing out the cobwebs.

My first step with the car sitting there with a good battery would be to turn on the key, clear the codes, try to start it, then run the codes before shutting off the key and write them all down, taking note of which are CURRENT and which are HISTORY. Then I would fix the first code that came up CURRENT, then repeat until there are no more CURRENT codes. Then, I would drive the car before running the codes, but otherwise I would again run the codes before shutting off the engine, and continue until either all the codes did not come back or at least I had no more driveabilty problems and the MIL was off.

All of the codes that you report look like wiring harness problems. The 1997 FSM, pages 3G-30 and 3G-31, gives the discussion and troubleshooting for C1721.

The CVRSS gets its power from the trunk compartment 10 Amp fuse labeled RSS and the trunk compartment relay center "RTD BODY" relay. The relay coil is connected to teh CVRSS module through a LT BLU/WHT wire to connector terminal C13 and the relay power is delivered through a DK BLU wire to terminal D1. The power to the LR damper (shock absorber) is through a twisted pair; the wires are DK BLU (high side) and DK GRN (low side). They go through the connector for the damper, which is C413 in the car schematic.

The FSM says that the damper actuator is tested every 16 seconds and that P1721 is thrown when a short circuit is detected. There is a note just before the troubleshooting chart that says that an intermittent connection in the relay or its circuitry can throw this code.

The troubleshooting chart says to start with checking the resistance of the damper actuator coil. It should be between 9.5 Ohms an 15.5 Ohms. If it isn't, and the wires to the damper are OK, you need new rear shocks. The rest of it is checking for shorts and continuity in the DK BLU and DK GRN wires, except for a CVRSS module check with the Tech II dealer scan tool, which isn't likely to turn up a problem unless someone has tried to jump-start the car with the jumpers hooked backwards or some such catastrophic event.

Note that moisture in the wiring harness can cause codes like this. This can happen if the car sits for a long time in a damp environment, or if you go through a car that sprays hard under the car, or you power-wash under the car or under the hood. When that happens, the simplest thing to do is to dry out the car, clear the codes, and see if any come back.

[njma]

good looking out witht eh info, the car is not dead it is running.

what it was prior, was i always had these codes, the rss codes.

i always got a battery no charge light come on, but had no codes for the charging system.

one time i decided to run the codes with the car actually running not just key forward, and thats when i got the ipc code of ipc1911. i fixed it with the info from another post. so ipc is all clear. car is running and charging the battery while running. (wasnt charging prior to replacing the l terminal wire from the alternator to the ipc c1a9 harness terminal.)

the car rides like a brick, i could have just redone the c101 cuzz thats more than likely what is the issue due to heavy heavy corrosion, all the contact cleaner in the world didn not help it. wire brushes and such the thing is in bad shape (c101)

[njma]

for what it is worth, this is all due to the rear suspension, which feels okay to me, the front suspension seems as if its dead.

and elc and cvrss are seperate systems. correct? so the codes given have nothing to do with the front struts?

[Cadillac Jim]

Sorry, I didn't get an alert that you had replied, or I missed it in the rush of email.

The ELC and RSS are indeed separate systems. They both use the ride height sensors, though. None of the OBD codes that you report have anything to do with the front struts.