I bought a 2002 Deville Base. I’m very happy with it. There is one small problem that I thought I could accept but it has now become a bigger problem. The radio will shut off at any time but then turn back on if I press the on/off knob. It does not need a turn or bump to cause it. I replaced the fuse even though it looked good but it did not correct the problem. Okay, I can live with it but this morning it did not turn on nor did the clock and there was a puffing noise (?) from the engine area. After a few minutes, both came on and it resumed the on/off status. Any help will be gratefully appreciated. Thanks in advance, Mac
first things first go to your local parts store(auto) and buy a can of electronic parts cleaner (CRC 05103) you need to find out if your radio has a anti theft code that needs to be entered if the radio is removed becouse i’m going to ask you to remove the radio from the dash and remove the top cover and shoot some of the cleaner in the switch and check the solder joints make sure they are good and solid if that dos’t do it is there a radio repair shop in your area. or vist a car audio store and ask them what options you have for your caddy
The radio head is probably bad Tt could be losing power and then need to be turned back on. The DIM “Dash Integration Module” feeds the radio. Is the clock part of the radio or a separate display?
The trouble could be inside the radio but it could also be due to an intermittent connection to power in the car wiring. I suggest you check the power to the radio and verify it is ok before doing anything with the radio.
Thanks for your advice. The clock is part of the audio display, but when the radio goes off, the clock stays on. I see the wiring is available at Moifiedlife but I’m a bit hesitant to download it. Do you know if this site is trustworthy? I have a health problem but I’ll see what I can do myself. My car needs to be inspected next month (PA) so I’ll copy your comments and show them to my friend (the mechanic). I don’t really want the radio removed and possibly begin down a $ road, but if it gets any worse, I don’t have much of a choice. I do appreciate your response and thanks again.
p.s. I don’t believe it – I just adjusted the power seat and the radio turned off and I somehow lost all radio presets. I think I have a problem, Houston!
Deville, this is Houston!
The display is on a separate circuit for the lights and not the power for the radio itself.
Since you lost the presets by adjusting the seat position this may indicate there is a chassis ground problem. Moving the seat would cause a high voltage drop to occur on a bad ground connection and you would lose power to the radio memory. The easiest way to see if that is the case is to run a jumper wire from the negative side of the battery to a good ground location under the dash. If that eliminates the trouble then the ground wiring needs to be checked. The main one is the battery to chassis connection. There could also be trouble with the power panel wiring under the hood and a bad connection there is causing a voltage drop. Using a voltmeter to check things with will show where the trouble is at.
Hi Cougar, Thank you. I could not find my radio/electrical problem. I do believe you are correct and it is a ground or a loose connection, but I can’t find it. Hell, I can’t even find the power panel wiring you wrote about. I probably (might) be able to find the problem by removing the radio and follow the wiring thru the car but I would feel better having someone who knows what they are doing look at it. Who knows, I might make the problem worse. You come across as a “pro” and I want to thank you for taking the time to answer my question. Check back sometime to this post, eventually I will have it fixed and I will report as to what the problem was. I owe you that much. Mick
Hi Mick,
You’re welcome for the help.
The Owner’s Manual should tell you where the fuse panel under the hood is at. It should be close the battery. Look for a plastic lid that can be removed for access to the fuses and relays. You should know where it is at least in case you have a fuse problem someday. Did you try running a temporary ground wire from the negative battery post to the chassis. You could also try cleaning the ground connections under the hood. Doing that may very well solve the problem.
It really helps to have a wiring diagram to refer to when working on things like this. The site you mentioned is most likely ok to use. If you have someone work on this be sure to tell the service tech about the issue with the seat adjustment causing the radio problem. That is a big clue. Either the power supply to the memory has a issue or there is a grounding problem causing the trouble. I doubt the radio has a problem.
I’m not really a ‘professional’ as far as making my living working on cars, but I am an electronics technician though and have a pretty good understanding of automobile electrical systems. There are others here also like myself that like to help folks out and fix their car issues. We get our kicks helping solve problems, and listening to Click and Clack.
Hi Cougar,
I apologize for not getting back sooner. I ended up taking my car to my mechanic. He replaced the B.C.M. (body control module), I never even knew of such a thing and the radio. Replacing the radio would have been a question with anyone else but, what the heck, I trust this guy and it works fine now. Since I got it back the fuel gauge doesn’t work but at least I know that it is no big problem to fix. Next time I might pay attention to Consumer Reports – they did not like the 2002 Deville. Thanks again for your help, it really was appreciated and it shows we still have good people out there. P.s. I posted this same question on Cadillac Forums on 11/10/12 and had 223views and 0 replies.
@mickey86, is your fuel gauge stuck on full or empty?
Have your mechanic try to “sweep the gauge” with his scanner. That should help in diagnosing it.
fuel gauge on full
I believe general motors fuel gauges read full when the sender is unplugged and empty when the sender lead is grounded.
Does that help?
My mechanic is planning to drop the tank (if no trunk access) and replace the unit whenever I get it over to him. but, thanks for sugg.
@mickey86, sounds like you’re on your way.
Make sure your mechanic replaces the entire fuel pump assembly, not just the fuel level sensor.
If you’re going to drop the whole fuel tank, you want to to it right and have a long-lasting repair.
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