Captiva Brake Lights

 I suspect I have bought a lemon.

 

28-OCT-2021 Purchased second hand.
15-FEB-2022 Tuesday Brake lights discovered not working.
16-FEB-2022 Wednesday Observed passenger headlight not working.                     
16-FEB-2022 (I think) Drivers Door Handle Broke
16-FEB-2022 (I think) Called Big Box cars arranged eval for Wed 23-02-2022  Darren?
19-FEB-2022 Traced the brake light issue (faulty relay)
22-FEB-2022 Wont Start Issue
23-FEB-2022 Called Big Box Cars spoke to Damian who said call Darren back at 8:30.
done
                       2pm Darren advises he will check with the workshop at 2:30

 

 

 

 

 

 

The problem list is:
Broken Drivers door handle
No Brake Lights - Subject of this blog.
Left headlight blown.
Rear interior light comes on when you open the tailgate and then goes off almost immediately.
And then just the anoyances:
   Interior lights come on when you stop and no way to turn off.
   3 horn toots if the electronic key is in the car and you open and close a door.
   All sorts of warning beeps
   The parking proximity sensor system is almost - false negatives.
   The reverse camera takes forever to boot.
   Changing bands and stations on the radio.
   Now previous station button on the steering column.

NO BRAKE LIGHTS
1. This was pointed out by someone recently.

2. First checked the fuse - it was intact.

3. Found partial schematic
Which I now know this is wrong!

4. Observe in series:
B+ which we assume is battery.
Switch
Some kind of jumper.
Lights
Ground.

5. Removed the fuse and used a multi-meter to measure resistance.
One side is open.
Other side 10R to GND.  Lets assume that is the connection to the lights.

6. The hypothosis is that there is a wiring glitch, maybe in the fuse holder, that prevents B+ reaching the fuse.

7 Made up a thing to let us inject 12V via the fuse into the brake light circuit without feeding back to B+.

8 Connected up via multi meter and observe 3A and the brake lights are all ON.

 

This does not seem right.

This would require the Brake switch to be closed.  Now that I think about it, we should have measured open circuit on the side of the fuse going to the lights.

9 NEW THEORIES
9a Schematic wrong
9b Two faults - No power from B+ AND shorted switch - That seems very unlikly.

Lets go looking for a new schematic.

10 THINKING
The car needs the brake pedal depressed in order to start.  I can start it.  This means the brake switch is probably OK.  

I read in various places 

Page 393 of the diesel manual

Stop Lamps
The 15 A BRAKE fuse located in the fuse block - under bonnet, supplies battery positive voltage to the normally open brake lamp switch. When the driver presses the brake pedal, the switch contacts close and battery positive voltage is supplied to both left and right brake lamp assemblies, the centre high mounted brake lamp (CHMSL), the engine control module (ECM), and the throttle actuator control (TAC) module.
The control function of the brake lamp switch is a normally closed circuit. When the brake pedal is applied, the BCM detects an open circuit and applies current to the brake lamps. If the brake lamp switch were to become disconnected, the BCM detects the open circuit and applies current to the brake lamps. Brake lamps on is the default state for circuit failure.

This confirms the earlier schematic is wrong and implies there is a relay in the circuit.

Indeed there is and it is faulty. 

CAPTIVA FORUMS & Contacts

https://www.chevroletownersclub.co.uk

23-02-2022 Sent request for wiring diagram to https://www.holden.com.au/owning/customer-care

BIG BOX CARS
127 Riawena Rd SALISBURY 4107 
Sales 07 3884 9555
Service 07 3884 9544