I thought you asking about your dodge caravan not a Q and A on BMW,MERCEDES,AUDI, and OPAL. I could anwser those questions,But this a forum for dodge and Soon to be FIAT. As far as you know,Does the german cars use Can bus only? Because as NTech had said,that the 2008 minivans went to Can bus, He was half right. Its IHS can bus. So here is my question to you.The minivan was the last chrysler to get Can bus,but first to have IHS can bus.What was the first chrysler products to get the Can Bus system?

 

Well, i can´t tell you anything about US-Cars which includes also Chrysler. That´s why i´m here in that sweet forum and ask stupid questions. :-)

I´m an Electronic Technican and i worked 13 years for Opel in the factory(and got trained there too). So i can tell you that Opel used the CAN Bus System, as i know, 1995 the first time in the motor computer or motor management (i actually don´t know how it´s called in english. That computer which controls the motor) and the first opel which used that bus to connect other stuff like radio, power locking etc was an 1998. That year was round about the same year where other manufature´s started using it too. Also the french one´s like Peugeot, Renault or Citroén.

And, that was the reason why i asked, what happens when i reconnect the battery on my GC. You are not able, with that Bus Technology, to run your vehicle without a radio. The car won´t start.

 

wow, you are a master electronics expert and ask about cleaning battery terminals on antiquated vehicles.

I'm BMW and Mercedes tech certified and I've changed batteries on these vehicles w/o any problems, even went through BMW Hydrogen fuel program. IDK where you have your training but it's sure flawed.

 

@sapporo
BMW certified? I guess, you are John Deere certifed and a farmer who left school after the 6th grade. Are you high? You´re not able to read what others write or post.

READ, why i asked that.

Gonna clean them on the weekend and will see what happens. It seems, after these answers, that i don´t need to call the tow truck.

 

I had to change the battery and clean the negative terminal on a 2007 mazda cx7 for a relative,

On that car you have to reset the traction control system AND the power windows when you disconnect the battery.......

To avoid this minor hassle i used a battery charger on the 2 amp setting,

connected the jumper clamps to the battery cables, and removed the old battery, and cleaned the terminal while still plugged into the charger.

This gave the car's electrical system and computer enough juice until i could connect the new battery.

I avoided shorting anything out AND i did not have to reprogram or reset anything.

( JUST BE CAREFUL NOT TO TOUCH THE GROUND CABLE TO METAL OR YOU WILL BLOW A FUSE OR CREATE A HAZARD !!! )

This should also work for any car.

Hope this helps