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2000 Chevy Regency Van - Lights come on when turning steering wheel!
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vpray
New User
Dec 1, 2006, 6:51 AM
Post #1 of 6
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2000 Chevy Regency Van - Lights come on when turning steering wheel!
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Wow, this is an odd problem... 2000 Chevy 1500 Regency Conversion Van - Interior lights will flash when turning the steering wheel, or stay on if parked w/ wheel turned just so. Or, I can push on the bottom of the steering wheel and make them come on at will. Holding the brake pedal will turn them off, even if I'm still pushing the steering wheel. This van has an "interior lights on/off" switch by the headlight switch, which keeps the lights from coming on no matter what, so it's controllable for now. I am concerned about other, more dangerous problems arising if this is a short though!
It only seems to do this when the weather is cold. I've wiggled, poked, and moved everything I can reach under/around the steering wheel but ONLY pushing down on it or turning will cause the problem. And it's pushing the steeromg WHEEL, not the column, coverings, etc. Tilt position does not effect the problem. Any ideas?
Thanks!
Vincent
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steve01832
Veteran
Dec 2, 2006, 2:32 AM
Post #2 of 6
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Re: 2000 Chevy Regency Van - Lights come on when turning steering wheel!
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There are 2 relays under the left side of dash. My wiring diagram shows an inadvertent power relay. This is for the interior lights. It gets its ground from the Body Control Module. It is located on the DLC bracket. Try wiggling and tapping on it. If the lights respond to this, replace the relay. I can't see how the steering wheel ties into the problem outside of maybe a loose or crossed ground wire. All I can see is that maybe by turning the wheel we are making and breaking a ground path back to the relay. Try this and post back to let us know how you make out.
Steve
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vpray
New User
Dec 2, 2006, 7:17 PM
Post #3 of 6
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Re: 2000 Chevy Regency Van - Lights come on when turning steering wheel!
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Steve, thanks for the speedy advice! I spent several hours today ruling out a lot of things. I'm not positive I located the exact relay you wrote about, but I did find the one that clicks when the lights come on using the steering wheel. No amount of wiggling, tapping, etc. effects the lights - only the steering wheel. I had most of the dash out and the steering column uncovered so I was able to wiggle most every wire/component under the driver's side... Still nothing unless you jiggle the wheel.
Some other info:
The brake pedal does not make the lights go off like I thought.
The dome light switch trips a relay in the fuse box behind the driver's seat, but the steering wheel trips a relay high up under the dash (just above the driver's side of the engine cover) - this is the same relay that the doors trip when you open them. Sometimes the driver's door doesn't turn on the lights as it should - this has been a random thing since we bought it late last year... don't know if that could be a clue.
Would a "Chiltons" style manual give the steps to safely remove the steering wheel (airbag)? I've worked on my own vehicles for years, including steering wheel R&R's, but I've never worked on an airbag equipped steering wheel.
Thanks in advance,
Vincent
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Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Dec 2, 2006, 10:56 PM
Post #4 of 6
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Re: 2000 Chevy Regency Van - Lights come on when turning steering wheel!
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comment on manuals for this or any other:
Chiltons, Haynes and by price others are hopeless. AllData.com has a sample for free and will cost $25 bucks or so for a download to your computer. You print it and work from that. A great shop that I'm friends with had great luck with Mitchels for years and had a wall of their best stuff -- about $20,000 worth of paper info. !!!!
Even ALLDATA is only good for a year and you renew or lose it. It's just for one car not for the millions of different ones out there. Exact info is generally not free. It's a pill but it kind of explains why shops need some bucks to do biz -- that and other outrageous expenses to be able to work on vehicles, here to help as I can, T
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steve01832
Veteran
Dec 3, 2006, 3:30 AM
Post #5 of 6
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Re: 2000 Chevy Regency Van - Lights come on when turning steering wheel!
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O.K. The body control module is inside the dash above the radio. The horn and turn signals go to the BCM which in turn sends control out to relays. The common denominator here is that when you push the steering wheel things happen. Check inside the column real carefully for a loose or pinched wire. Check the ground wires to ensure they are tight. Something in the wheel or column is sending the signal to the BCM and it's pulling in the relay. Since you have an airbag, I don't recommend pulling the steering wheel. I can't post diagrams to this site for some reason. What needs to be done is to take a test light and probe the wires at the BCM while jiggling the wheel to see which wire is sending the signal. That would isolate the circuit and then you could backtrack the wire causing the false signal. You can't do this however until you have a diagram and a BCM pinout chart. Hopefully someone here can upload a diagram. I will also keep trying to find out why I can't.
Steve
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vpray
New User
Dec 3, 2006, 4:18 PM
Post #6 of 6
(2085 views)
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Re: 2000 Chevy Regency Van - Lights come on when turning steering wheel!
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Steve & Tom, thanks for your help on this. I will look into AllData.com and see if I can find the info Steve is referring to for for BCM... I've already checked all accessible wiring on/around the steering wheel after removing the steering column covers. Hopefully the BCM check will reveal a particular culprit!
Thanks again,
Vincent
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