and was driving about 10 MPH about 200 yards and touched brakes and dash went black and squealer went off and no go. Hand brake on and off and key on and off 3-4 times and all is normal. Another 100 yards and parked and after no squeal or dash no go. until repeat brake and switch. Next stop the same but after that several stops normal? Any ideas? 2nd owner but no modifications have been done. Had a few times before that had to do the switch 1 time again to get going. I did run the batteries rely low a week before this started.
I’ve read your report like 5 times and it still only barely makes sense. English please?
Yeah, I was having a tough time with it too.
But I feel like taking a swing at it anyway.
(will it be a “whiff”?)
How low were the batteries when all this was happening?
If dash went black when driving and the squealer sounded that means something happened to the key circuit or the interlock (which are related).
Check the connectors coming out of the DQ Charger. Make sure the connectors are clean and plugged in firmly.
The other symptoms of key and brake flipping and brake pressing just don’t make sense.
What is the status of the car now?
Charged?
Driving?
Dark and lifeless?
I’d say take the top and bottom of the dash off and check all big cable connections. You will see the PSDM in the center of the dash frame and all the connectors plugged in around the sides and top. Take a look at the two big orange wire connections on the pass side. Do you see any signs of heat? (melted case?)
If the car works, turn on a few things like Key, headlights. Bang around the dash frame with your fist and see if you can get it to go off.
If your car is dark, then this is good. Hopefully you have a meter then you trace out where your power is disappearing.
For lack of a meter you could start wiggling things around and watch for a flicker of life.
If you cant find anything at this point then you can start by unplugging the connectors and hitting them with some contact cleaner and plugging them back in a couple of times. Pay special attention to J4. This is power coming back from the DC-Converter.
Battery 8 of 10 bars - running - sometimes need to turn the key on twice to get dash to light up. Have a fare bit of experience with meter on cars but not Gem. don’t want to let the smoke out. never had much luck getting the smoke back in after it comes out. Thanks for the advice. Another question. called the dealer but no help on this. I leave the Gem in Florida all summer while I am in NC. Will it stay charged if I leave it plugged in? I been using a 7 day timer set on 8 hrs. 1 day a week and a 24 hr. timer plugged into it set on 8 hrs. so it charges 8 hrs. every 3 weeks.
| AssyRequired
March 31 |
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Yeah, I was having a tough time with it too.
But I feel like taking a swing at it anyway.
(will it be a “whiff”?)
How low were the batteries when all this was happening?
If dash went black when driving and the squealer sounded that means something happened to the key circuit or the interlock (which are related).
Check the connectors coming out of the DQ Charger. Make sure the connectors are clean and plugged in firmly.
The other symptoms of key and brake flipping and brake pressing just don’t make sense.
What is the status of the car now?
Charged?
Driving?
Dark and lifeless?
I’d say take the top and bottom of the dash off and check all big cable connections. You will see the PSDM in the center of the dash frame and all the connectors plugged in around the sides and top. Take a look at the two big orange wire connections on the pass side. Do you see any signs of heat? (melted case?)
If the car works, turn on a few things like Key, headlights. Bang around the dash frame with your fist and see if you can get it to go off.
If your car is dark, then this is good. Hopefully you have a meter then you trace out where your power is disappearing.
For lack of a meter you could start wiggling things around and watch for a flicker of life.
If you cant find anything at this point then you can start by unplugging the connectors and hitting them with some contact cleaner and plugging them back in a couple of times. Pay special attention to J4. This is power coming back from the DC-Converter.
Did you at least test the key switch?
Leaving a car plugged in for long unattended periods is risky. Your multiple timer setup sounds like it has too many things that could go wrong. At best it leaves the batteries connected for way longer than it should be without a charge cycle(3 weeks?) with the main switch turned on.
It might be bet better to just charge up the batteries fully and switch the car off or even disconnect one of the cables.
Any update on this? Or have you moved on?
Battery 8 of 10 bars - running - sometimes need to turn the key on twice to get dash to light up. Have a fare bit of experience with meter on cars but not Gem. don’t want to let the smoke out. never had much luck getting the smoke back in after it comes out. Thanks for the advice. Another question. called the dealer but no help on this. I leave the Gem in Florida all summer while I am in NC. Will it stay charged if I leave it plugged in? I been using a 7 day timer set on 8 hrs. 1 day a week and a 24 hr. timer plugged into it set on 8 hrs. so it charges 8 hrs. every 3 weeks.
when I turn the key on and no dash lights and when I let the P brake off it squeals. Just like I never turned the key on. Turn the switch off and on again and viola. Also I don’t hear the relay clunk when I turn the key on and no dash. Leads me to think key switch going bad. Not had time to check it yet - packing to head north this week. Thanks for the advice youall.
The alarm is the default behavior, it is working correctly. It is normal for an alarm to sound if the handbrake is released when the control is not energized.
The contactors in the key switches failing is nothing unique or unusual. Happens probably more than we might think or know, I’ve had 3 switches wear out or have trouble making contact, 2 of the switches were in the same vehicle. Original one failed, then the wire connectors on the back of the replacement started getting loose… I used to just slap the pod / steering column in the '02 when the new switch would get dodgy because I didn’t want to the pod apart again. It’s not hard, just tedious.