Hi folks - looking for some ideas where to start:
2007 Jeep Compass. Everything worked fine all day in the dark clouds and rain. After sitting for about 3 hours, I immediately noticed that the turn signals didn’t work, and then found other symptoms:
- Turn signals don’t work - the blinker relay doesn’t click, no indicator lights come on in the dash, the corner lamps don’t change.
- The headlight switch has no effect on lights. Now, the headlights and taillights come on immediately on startup and cannot be turned off. The front signal lamps stay on as parking lights. Dashboard back-lighting is on, and the odometer, clock, etc. are dimmed as if I’m driving at night.
- High beams don’t work in either position.
- Neither front nor rear wipers work.
- I haven’t checked if the hazard light switch does anything yet.
- Interior dome lights work either by the door switch or pressing the button overhead.
So I’m hoping I just kicked a wire connector loose under the dash. I hope it’s not some expensive module. I’m also wondering if my alternator (or its overrunning pulley) has anything to do with this. Any help is appreciated.
To me it sounds as if the Body Controller Module, a computer that controls a lot of the car’s functions, has gotten its brains scrambled somehow. Try disconnecting the negative battery cable, letting the car sit for about 15 minutes, then reconnect. With any luck this will reset the BCM and hopefully fix the problem.
Also check for any blown fuses in all the vehicle’s fuse boxes. There are at least two, maybe more. One in the passenger compartment and one under the hood. Consult your owner’s manual for the fuse box locations. If you drove through some deep puddles, water may have gotten into some wiring, causing a temporary short and blowing a fuse.
If there are no blown fuses and resetting the BCM doesn’t fix the problem, you will likely have to have a diagnostic run. I seriously doubt the alternator is the problem, and unless you were practicing Kung Fu moves in your drivers’ seat, it’s very unlikely you kicked a connector loose.
Thanks @oblivion. The good news is that I fixed it. The bad news is, I don’t know how I did it. I pulled all the fuses one by one for inspection. They all looked good to my eye (not that that means much), and then it all worked again. Wish I knew which fuse it was. The owner’s manual is remarkably cryptic.
Good for you, I’m glad it’s fixed. I suspect that pulling the fuses accomplished the same thing as disconnecting the battery cable, albeit more slowly.