QuestionA couple issues with this vehicle recently purchased used. (It was a US model, which shouldn't make a difference).
1. When the wipers are on the hazards blink, (front hazards). Could this be a grounding issue or a short?
2. Recently after the car sat for a few days it was hard starting. FYI. It was raining all night. It cranked over ok, but sputtered and took a few seconds to start. Then while driving it would not accelerate. It would go 20-40mph ok and if you "played" with the accelerator it would slowly accelerate.
Any ideas? I"m thinking both problems are related to an electrical issue?
Thanks,
FYI. It's a V-6, not sure on engine size. It's my girlfriends car. I will try and gather some more info/symptoms.
AnswerHi, Rob.
1. The only thing I see in common between the wiper and hazard circuits is that the ground lug (G07) for the wiper switch is also the ground point for the flasher relay and the turn signal indicators in the dash.
This ground lug is located behind the left front kick panel. If you'd like to see a picture, you should be able to do so by registering for an account at www.hmaservice.com. Pull up the schematic for the wipers or turn/hazard lamps in the ETM (Electrical Troubleshooting Manual) section and then click on the blue link for "G07." This will open a new window with a picture of the ground location.
2. It's not terrible abnormal for a vehicle to experience a little difficulty starting (and even poor running for a very short period of time after starting) if the vehicle has been sitting for a few days without running. But as your condition sounds as if it is occurring for quite a drive, I think there's an actual issue. Unfortunately, the things that could cause this sort of problem are great in number. I'd recommend starting with interrogating the engine and transmission control modules for diagnostic trouble codes and repoorting back any trouble codes that are present. Most things that will cause the vehicle to run poorly for any length of time will cause a trouble code to store.
