Our 2002 Chevy Malibu has had a myriad of electrical problems since a traffic light fell on the frame of the car. Not sure if it’s related - but we’ve noticed it since then.
Electrical problems include: rear windows powering down but having trouble rolling up, FM/AM signal VERY weak, cruise control works intermittently, vent switches between coming from outside to inside air without button being pressed, blinkers never working consistently, fan only working over level 1, rear defroster turning off soon after button is pressed.
This past weekend the car decided it didn’t want to turn over, tried to start but wouldn’t. Tried a jump, didn’t help. It has gas, juice, not the alternator, not the starter, not the battery.
Approximately 78K on the car, was previous rental car, have had this car for 5 years, no other mechanical problems.
Any ideas? If it is the computer, is it worth fixing and how much should we expect as an estimate?
If you had to take the car to a repair shop after the light fell on it, I’d suspect something was done at the repair shop to cause your problem, more than just a light falling on it. Obviously the shop will deny any wrong doing, so this is where it seems you are, between a rock and a hard place. Good luck.
“traffic light fell on frame of the car”
Don’t know how that can happen from the ground up. So, lets say, the light fell on the upper part of the car. and went to the frame area. Now what would the object be smashing on the way DOWN? Wires that feed power to your failing components. perhaps along the fender well or wells? A main lead from the alternater or other main power provider making a short circuit or one of the major ground provider for the failed problems.
I suggest, if you cannot get satisfaction from your last “shop”, you try a reputable automotive electrical independent repair shop.
a traffic light, the green and yellow lights, separated from the red light and literally fell out of the sky onto the frame of the windshield exploding the windshield and bending the frame to the point it needed to be replaced around the windshield. we didn’t have these little problems before the accident, and until recently weren’t a big deal.
something else to note, upon removing the fuse case cover along the driver’s console, there was a “jump wire” connecting two of the fuses. my father had never seen this before, and as it winds up, this wire is connected to the main fuse of the computer. this wire was being pinched and wouldn’t get juice to the computer - hence car wouldn’t start.
still hasn’t remedied the other problems, but at least it starts.