Jim Grant's Tech Tips
'98 Plymouth Voyager, Body Control Module
Q:
I
have been told that my 98 Plymouth Voyager needs a body control
module. I have no working gauges, tach. or speedometer. The LED readouts
for the odometer and gear selector only show half a display. They also
remain lit when the key is turned off. This problem is not constant, sometimes
things work normally. You answered another persons by saying to be sure
that the vehicle really needed a BCM and not a new dash display. How can
I be sure of what I need? Ray
A:
There
is good reason to be concerned, because Body Control Module (BCM) is not
cheap and it cannot be returned after it has been installed. There is
a diagnostic procedure that allows a technician to determine if the BCM
is the problem or not. The problem with diagnosing a BCM is that you have
to have a computer scan tool to communicate with and perform function
test to the BCM. You did provide a good piece of information. The fact
that part of the dash display stays active even after the vehicle is turned
off is a good indicator that the BCM has lost touch with the rest of the
vehicle and is wandering around in its own little world. But before paying
the bucks Id pay to be sure youre replacing the right part.
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