Jump to content
CaddyInfo Cadillac Forum

Recommended Posts

I went to turn the headlights on and they did not come on, this is the first time I tried the headlights since swapping in the new engine.

I referred to the FSM and saw that there were relays for Headlights; Headlights, DRL, and HI/LOW. The relays are located in the underhood relay center. I pulled the cover off and noted that the fuses and relay are needs a clean up and I plan to pull every relay and fuse and clean all contacts, it looks weathered under the cover, sort of as if, salt water got in there.

The "headlight relay" is located in a block of 6 relays, this isn't a great shot but its the upper right relay. These 6 relays are wrapped with electrical tape to keep them in place.

20160204_172255_zpsqcml4tkh.jpg

I was relieved to find green and white corrosion when I pulled the relay out, but noticed that two of the pins are corroded badly

20160204_163835_zpszdbagzt8.jpg

I cleaned up the pins, plugged in the relay and, nothing, no lights...hmmm. I tested the relay by jumping the power pins, #1 and #3 if I recall and the click sounded weak at best. So I decided to open up the relay, not easy without damaging the cover but I got the cover off and the INSIDE was corroded badly where the relay contacts are, it looks like salt caused the corrosion. Relay is bad.

20160204_192411T_zpsdk8ffvmm.jpg

I pulled the same relay off my 02 Monte Carlo, and bam, headlights worked perfect! Bad headlight relay! I used Electrical Contact cleaner to clean the female contacts on the relay center.

Next problem, my lights were flickering until the engine warmed up, voltmeter showed no ranging voltage and stable at 13.7 volts, will keep eye on it, with this type of salty corrosion, I will need to pull every fuse and relay from the under hood relay center and clean all contacts and coat with dielectric grease. I found three relays in that group of six with corrosion. The flashing lights could be related to corrosion given that the alternator shows a steady output.

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


Consider spraying the front and back of the fusebox - along with as many wires as you can access with wd-40. It will soak into the metal and plastic, and help prevent this from happening. You will need a heavy dose, let the car sit for a day, then reapply another heavy dose a few days later.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't live in a salt environment, but those look extremely corroded to me.

Yes, very corroded, I was very surprised. You can see two of the relay prongs lost their plating and copper shown through. You could see the salty residue as soon as you took the relay center cover off. Within the block of 6 relays that contained the Headlight relay, 3 were corroded with green. The car is 19 model years old, so the relay center is due for refurbishment, Ill pull every relay and fuse and clean the contacts and devices. My 96 Deville was dirty and I cleaned it but there was no salty residue. The residue is what concerns me. I was very happy to find the dead headlight problem however, thx

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

That looks like NY to me. I spray mine all the time. Just to keep them clean. Even though that black cover is covering everything it still gets in there

GM FAN FOREVER

Nice, clean, luxury= fine automobile

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Consider spraying the front and back of the fusebox - along with as many wires as you can access with wd-40. It will soak into the metal and plastic, and help prevent this from happening. You will need a heavy dose, let the car sit for a day, then reapply another heavy dose a few days later.

Thanks Winterset,

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

That looks like NY to me. I spray mine all the time. Just to keep them clean. Even though that black cover is covering everything it still gets in there

Actually the car spent most of its life in NJ which is similar in terms of salt. What do you spray yours with? Typically I clean relay/fuse/plug contacts with a contact cleaner and then coat with a dielectric grease to keep out moisture.

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

silicone spray works pretty nicely to get in and clean it out, then I use dielectric grease pushed deep into the connectors til it comes out the back side.

knock on wood have not really had any problems...

GM FAN FOREVER

Nice, clean, luxury= fine automobile

Link to comment
Share on other sites

silicone spray works pretty nicely to get in and clean it out, then I use dielectric grease pushed deep into the connectors til it comes out the back side.

knock on wood have not really had any problems...

You just made me laugh! You sound so much like me..with your description of pushing the grease into the connectors :D ! I have done the same thing myself for years to keep moisture out of connectors, fuses, light bulb sockets, relays, etc, and from what I can see it works, because it stops the oxidation that occurs. Just today, I was doing some searching and found this, are these guys serious about there grease or are they serious about their grease? :fighting0030:

http://continuouswave.com/ubb/Forum6/HTML/001202.html

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

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

If this is my old car, it was in L.A. until late 2000, and was garaged until I sold it in May of 2013. We don't have much salt here; we're about ten miles from the Delaware which is a salt estuary (i.e., ocean warmed) in this area. And, of course, I drove it every day and kept it clean. Every few years we would have a snowfall bad enough for salt to be on the streets for a few days. Then, it's car wash time. As of 2013 there were no salt or corrosion problems that I knew of.

I think that sitting outside or in un-heated areas for a couple of years, with occasional dew and such with no engine compartment heat, may have contributed so corrosion, particularly under cover of electrical tape where condensation might sit for some time.

I still have two SPST relays AC/Delco part number D1786C, GM part number 19116057, new in the sealed plastic AC/Delco package; extras I ordered when I changed the fuel pump relay. Let me know if you want them.

CTS-V_LateralGs_6-2018_tiny.jpg
-- Click Here for CaddyInfo page on "How To" Read Your OBD Codes
-- Click Here for my personal page to download my OBD code list as an Excel file, plus other Cadillac data
-- See my CaddyInfo car blogs: 2011 CTS-V, 1997 ETC
Yes, I was Jims_97_ETC before I changed cars.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

LPS also makes some great spray lubes. They have expanded their line of products to cover different customer needs. My brother-in-law recently gave me a can of LPS 3, which he uses at a chemical plant here in Florida. It leaves behind a coat of light wax as a rust inhibitor. As you all know anywhere near the ocean presents its own special problems with salt spray and corrosion. I used the LPS 3 on my aluminum screen door latches on the pool enclosure, and it works terrific. Whereas regular silicone spray or WD-40 would dry out and dissapear in a month or two, this stuff stays around "for up to two years".

I can see this stuff being used under that fuse box, or on battery terminals, etc. to prevent future corrosion problems.

Was going to post a link, but the EDGE browser had other ideas.

Never underestimate the amount of a persons greed.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The relays look different on the top than the OEM relays in your photos. They have the GM logo with the underline, the number 2752 across one end in a stylized computer font, and the number 13502752. They have four terminals at the corners of the rectangular base. As I said, I ordered several of the same type from RockAuto when I replaced a fuel pump relay a long time ago but never needed the rest. The reason I ordered several is that the same SPST relay is apparently used multiple places; the A/C clutch relay right beside the fuel pump relay on top of the fuse/relay center is an example, and shipping was the same for several because they are so tiny that you are paying for shipping the box.

Now that I've dug them up, please let me know whether you want them; if you don't need them, others are welcome to them.

CTS-V_LateralGs_6-2018_tiny.jpg
-- Click Here for CaddyInfo page on "How To" Read Your OBD Codes
-- Click Here for my personal page to download my OBD code list as an Excel file, plus other Cadillac data
-- See my CaddyInfo car blogs: 2011 CTS-V, 1997 ETC
Yes, I was Jims_97_ETC before I changed cars.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I appreciate but no thank you, I am visiting the scrap yard soon to pick up a bunch of odds and ends, they have 4 Eldorados sitting there just waiting for me to pick them over.

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

OK. I don't think I have anything else at this late date. I'll volunteer the relays when I see someone who wants a fuel pump relay or other SPST relay.

CTS-V_LateralGs_6-2018_tiny.jpg
-- Click Here for CaddyInfo page on "How To" Read Your OBD Codes
-- Click Here for my personal page to download my OBD code list as an Excel file, plus other Cadillac data
-- See my CaddyInfo car blogs: 2011 CTS-V, 1997 ETC
Yes, I was Jims_97_ETC before I changed cars.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I suppose that the 1996 schematic in your FSM is good, but just in case, here are some interesting items. I've been looking in the 1997 FSM, pages 8A-100-2 and 8A-100-3.

The headlight relay is a SPST like the fuel pump relay, but unlike the fuel pump relay it is fed by a 20 Amp fuse and is probably a heavier relay than the fuel pump relay. This relay is turned on by either the PZM or the headlamp switch. Power for the coil of that relay comes from the PZM, and this same circuit feeds power to the coil of the parking lamps relay in the trunk compartment.

The high/low beam relay is a SPDT in the engine compartment relay center. If the headlamp relay is corroded, I would look at this relay too.

There are five fuses, all in the engine compartment fuse center: a 20 Amp HDLPS fuse, and four 10 Amp fuses, one for each of low and high beam for each side.

All the headlamp bulbs are Sylvania Silverlight. They are several years old but they should be OK.

CTS-V_LateralGs_6-2018_tiny.jpg
-- Click Here for CaddyInfo page on "How To" Read Your OBD Codes
-- Click Here for my personal page to download my OBD code list as an Excel file, plus other Cadillac data
-- See my CaddyInfo car blogs: 2011 CTS-V, 1997 ETC
Yes, I was Jims_97_ETC before I changed cars.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...