Electrical question of the year...(help!)

[aero104]

I am trying to help a friend work out some VERY intreresting electrical gremlins from his 1993 525i touring wagon Automatic.

Below is some of the gremlins (that have been getting worse):

1. placing car in Reverse causes either trunk or rear glass to actuate open.

2. bumps in road sometimes cause either trunk or rear glass to actuate open

3. door locks/windows/cental locking sometimes doesn't work (all)

4. sometimes windshield wipers go on high but opening drivers door stops them :-) <---getting fun now?

5. sunroof will close be not open

6. reverse lights sometimes stay on all the time

7. rear glass electrical opening switch doesn't open window

8. rear hatch electrical latch does work

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So here's what I have done so far:

1. checked all fuses (front and rear) ok

2. Checked main grounds (front left quarter panel, under rear seat, battery) ok

3. ohmed rear hatch and window switches ok

4. 12v power to rear main latch ok

5. no power to rear glass latch (but works if supply power from other latch)

6. gremlins disappear when removing one or both large "general relay modules" under rear seat??

7. ohmed wires from trunk to rear power panel ok

8. note: leaving car off for 15-20min then turning on key sometimes causes most everything to work normal, then with 10sec or so, things start faulting.

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I'm guessing relay box X332 and X255 ?

Any ideas would be really helpful...

Thanks,

Aero104

[Teh Prof]

Call a priest.

[325isBaby]

it seems as though there is a bad/loose ground somewhere in the car, from the discription of many things that have been happening....I would deffinatly inspect grounds (not just main grounds) be checking for loose grounds as well as the obvious...

[CosmosBlack]

I say you should check the fusible link by the battery terminals.
It could very possibly be cracked, worn or broken causing intermittent/occasional loss of contact.
Common E34 problem.

[Torque]

Originally Posted by CosmosBlack

I say you should check the fusible link by the battery terminals.
It could very possibly be cracked, worn or broken causing intermittent/occasional loss of contact.
Common E34 problem.

You beat me to it. My car was giving a lot of the same signs when it had a cracked fusible link.

[CosmosBlack]

Originally Posted by Torque

You beat me to it. My car was giving a lot of the same signs when it had a cracked fusible link.

Great Minds Think Alike.....