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2000 Malibu fuel gauge & temp gauge inop since lightning strike


E10ff
06-14-2008, 09:16 PM
A few nights ago I was working in my barn on my 2000 Malibu. I was standing by the workbench when lightning struck a tree outside the barn 20 feet away. It blew the timer for the landscape lights off the wall of the barn next to where the Malibu was sitting. Other damage in the house, but that's not important here. After changing my shorts, I went back to work on the Malibu and the temp gauge needle never moves and the fuel gauge always reads empty. The low fuel light is on. The chime dings to tell me the fuel is low every time I start it. I know these gauges worked five minutes before as I was working on the car and watching the gauges as I charged the AC. I believe I have checked all fuses. (3 boxes, two inside, 1 under hood. ) I have power at both pins on every fuse. Both of the inop gauges are on the right side of the dash. I don't know if they are linked, if I lost the sending units, if there is a fueable link etc. I did check the voltage tonight on the coolant sending unit. I have 5 volts at the pins on the connector. I thought this was low, but I checked another connector under the hood with the key on, and same thing. Is this normal? I know this is a strange one, but I'm trying to check everything else before I drop the tank and take the sending unit out. I have the car sold if I can solve this one. I've been reading the electrical diagrams in a Haynes manual and they might as well be written in Arabic. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

E10ff
06-15-2008, 06:54 PM
Did I stump you guys?? :smile:

ITA-USA
06-15-2008, 07:48 PM
REMOVE and check the 10 amp A/C fuse under the hood in the black fuse box.
physically look at it to see if there is a break. I have same problem. This fuse was the problem. It also caused headlights to go out and I had to use manual control arm to turn them on.

Ron
www.poserina.com

E10ff
06-16-2008, 08:30 PM
Did as you reccommended. Fuse looks good. I swapped it with another one, no difference.
An update for you, today i drove the car and the AC wouldn't turn on and neither would the rear defogger. I stopped and talked to a mechanic about the gauges not working and he suggested I try connecting a different gauge set to see what happens. He said the dealer can even program the "new" one to have the actual car mileage on it. After leaving the mechanic, I noticed my right blinker had stopped functioning. A few minutes later the left one quit. After I got home, I did more investigating and noticed the hazard lights would flash five or six times and then stop until the relay reset, then same thing. I gave up on it and went to work. I just went out now and tried it and the blinkers and hazards work fine. Still no AC or rear defogger. I'm wondering if the body control module or one of the other "brains" of the car took the lightening hit instead of just the gauges? I don't know anything about those things or how to test one, but I'd like to learn.

dewangxp
06-27-2008, 11:12 PM
Hopefully it's not too late, but here is the info that maybe of help

Body Control Module does:

Take the engine coolant temp data from PCM and converts it for temp gauge reading

Fuel Level data is sent to the BCM as well

The component between the HVAC Control Panel and PCM that actually turns on/off the AC is the BCM

As far as I know, the rear defroster is control by a relay.

I do not believe the BCM controls the turn signal, however it appears that there is a turn signal input at the BCM (not sure what the BCM uses that for). If the BCM was affected by lightning, might have worked back into the turn signal circuit. Not sure but a possible cause.

bearcatdon
06-29-2008, 12:21 PM
Just a thought. Can you claim this on your insurance under comprehensive?

E10ff
07-13-2008, 10:14 AM
Sorry so slow in getting back with you guys, but I like to so maybe someone else will benefit. I ended up taking the car to the dealer and told them the scoop. I said I thought it might be the BCM. Long story short, $400 later, they replaced the PCM, no more problems. Car was uninsured at the time because I was putting the front end back together. Homeowners won't cover a vehicle that should be insured, only off road stuff like a riding mower, boat, etc. Thanks again for all the help. I'll hope to return the favor.

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