Chrysler Repair: 1998 Chrysler T & C van, electrical relays, haynes manual

Question
HI,
Upon start-up, our van experiences flashing lights on the rear window wiper switches, rear defrost, re-circulating, and air conditioning buttons. When driving, these flashing buttons sometimes go out, however will flash again upon start up.

Also, we have experiences "clicking" sounds coming from underneath the dashboard. NOt only that, sometimes the positive terminal on the battery seems to "draw" lots of juice and get hot.

What do you think?

Thanks for the help.
Todd Peterson

Answer
Hello Todd,
That flahing phenomenon is probably related to a self-diagnostic test capability of the control console, but in most models this doesn't happen spontaneously. Unfortunately the Haynes manual that I have for '96-99 ducks the details so I can't give you any specifics about how to initiate the test, nor can I be sure why it is doing this.
Clicking sounds from under the dash are typical of electrical relays that are switches for electrical power that are controlled by sensors or driver initiated actions.
There is a "junction block" (or what some would call a fuse block) under the dash at the left end that contains fuses and relays, and that is where the sounds are coming from. If you touch a relay you can feel whether it is the source of the click if you can't tell from the sound alone which one is making the noise. It may be labeled as to its purpose, and if so let me know and we can perhaps figure out why.
On the + post cable/post interface, this may indicate a poor electrical connection and so I would remove the - clamp (for safety reasons) then remove the + cable and shine up the post and the clamp interfaces with emory paper, and then put some battery post compound (comes in a tube, available at an auto parts store) on the interfaces,
put the + clamp on, and finish with putting on the - clamp.
Then if the + clamp/post interface still warms, it means that there is an unusually high electrical draw when everything is "off". Only a low current is needed to retain memory functions.
If that were the case then you would use an ammeter to measure the flow, and try to determine which circuit is drawing the current by removing fuses one at a time to see which one causes the current to drop significantly. There is also box under the hood, near the battery, which has major circuit fuses that I would begin this search at. Let me know if you find that heating to be the case and identify which fuse is drawing the excess current by such a meter measurement. Hopefully it will be described as to its purpose, but in any case the fuse is numbered and the Haynes manual shows many of the main circuits including the fuse number associated with it. Distinguish as to whether a suspect fuse is under the hood or under the dash.
Roland