In the last week an Electrical Issue has shown up on our SXT.

2007 SXT, 3.8L 86K miles.

While Driving the Radio goes out and Clock turns off.
No power at all to radio.

Sometimes if I turn the radio off it will come back while driving. Usually it will come back if you turn the vehicle off and start it back up.

If the radio has no power when you shut the van off, the Blower Motor will continue to run for like 3 seconds.

If the radio is on when you shut the vehicle off the blower shuts off right away when you turn the key off and the radio will play for like 30 seconds and then shut off. (I think this is normal).

Yesterday while driving (in rain) the Radio stopped and did not come back. When we got home and shut the vehicle off, the power sliding door buttons and power door lock buttons would not operate, neither would the buttons on the key fob.

Today driving to work no radio ever, power door locks did not function unless the vehicle was being driven. Once van shut off at work, no power door locks, no power sliders, no radio, no key fob buttons.

I checked fuses once and there was none blown.

At first I just thought I needed to replace the radio, but I now I think it is something bigger.

Someone told me about BCM issues, could this be it?

What is involved in replacing one, I see that Rock Auto has a reman one from Cardone on their site.

Mark Williams

 

So when you say no power at all to the radio, you have checked this? No battery or ignition power to the radio connector? Because the accessory relay supplies the ignition power to the radio and also supplies power to the window switch, lights, power outlets, etc. And the IOD fuse supplies the battery power to the radio and that powers half the modules on the vehicle. So kinda need to know which one is missing if any. Possible your radio is crapping out and taking the bus down itself causing all the other issues.

 

Thanks, Tizzy I was just thinking of that. Checked the IOD fuse and it looks fine as well as the Radio Fuse. I will try putting a test light on the Radio Connector. I actually just said to my wife I wonder if the radio may be taking the rest of the electronics down. If I just disconnect the Radio then would you think everything else might work. Putting and after market radio in instead of a BCM would be a lot easier and lest costly I would imagine. I will mess with it tonight and see what I can find. Do you know if I got another BCM from Rock Auto or another source would it have to be programmed or anything, does the BCM store the odometer mileage?

 

Okay, checked all the fuses, all appear good, made sure all fuses and realays are seated. No change.

Disconnected the Radio completely and there is no change in how it is operating.

Noticed something that my wife confirmed has happend along with this problem. When you start the van up the Speedo, Tach, Fuel Gage and Temp Gage, go from zero to Max back to zero kind of slow and then a few seconds later all the idiot lights flash. Then everything appears normal. Then when you shut it off, the tach stays at 1,000 rpm for a few seconds then drops to zero.

Going to search for a schematic for the Radio Connector to see if it has power.

 

Also the interior lights do not operate unless the engine is running. Was suggested to get the battery checked out, will do that tomorrow. It was new in December, but I suppose it could be bad.

 

Mark
I had this same type of problem with a 2007 minivan. Remove the radio and drive the van and see if your gauges goes to zero and the cluster lights come on. If everything is working correct. Then replace the radio. Thats because the radio is taking the bus circuit down, causing a total bus failure.

 

Okay, I took it out last night, but did not drive it, just started it up.
I will do that before I leave for my drive home from work.

Thanks Master Tech, this is the advise I was looking for.

 

Master Tech,

Okay I unhooked the Radio for the Drive Home, I had to make a couple of stops. At the first stop the IP Display worked as it should when I shut the Van off. However, no Power Locks from the Door Switch or Key Fob.
When I went to leave the IP acted Normal when I started it up.

However at my next stop everything went back to the goofy behavior.

I do think the Radio is probably bad as that was the first thing we noticed.

I am going to get the Battery checked out just for grins tomorrow.

Can a bad Radio take out the BCM?

If the BCM is bad is that something I can replace myself, I think I found one at Rock Auto.

Thanks,
Mark

 

Mark
Disconnect the battery for a few mins. And then check the door locks. They should lock and unlock. If they do work, then all you need is a flash update from the dealer.

 

Well just thought I would post in here what the final problem was. Tried all the was suggested and a few other things.

Finally broke down and took it to the local Dodge Dealer.
They determined no issue with BCM itself, the wire feeding the IOD which I think powers the BCM was corroded/damaged. They traced it back a spliced in a new one. They also found the wire through the ignition going to the Radio, was not the Ignition wire but something else? So they replaced that and wired it in correctly. Now everything functions as it should.

The problem with the corroded/damaged wire I understand.
This other thing with the ignition wire to the radio, being incorrect I don't get.
It had to have come from the Factory that way, unless the previous own had work done on it that I am not aware of.

Happy but a little confused.