Not sure if this is the correct thread, but I'll see, lol.

I've been having an odd problem lately. For the past month, my stereo (aftermarket) has been losing power occasionally (the previous owner installed the stereo and it was working fine right after I bought it). It will come back on a few minutes later.

Lately, I've also been intermittently losing power to my windows, door locks, and convertible top at the same time. This usually happens when I start her up in the morning, then by the time I back out into the street, the power is back to all those components. I'd LIKE to say the stereo issue is connected, but it happens alone sometimes too. I rarely have the window/lock/top issue after driving for a bit.

What should I check? What other info would be needed to diagnose the issue(s)? I'm by no means an electrician, but I'm fairly handy.

None of this poses a safety concern now, but it's REALLY annoying lol. Thoughts? Comments? Thanks for the help in advance

 

Start with your battery connections, and move along the passenger fender checking all the main power wires.

 

Are your gauges doing anything funky while it's doing this?

 

Nope, gauges are normal. I'll check the fender wires from the battery and post after. Thanks, guys!

 

The radio and the power windows are supplied by the RAP (retained accessory power) feature contained in the BCM (body control module). The BCM's are known to have some poor solder joints on the PC board. But they can be fixed by careful soldering. Might be a possible cause of your problem.

Not sure if the convertible top is also on this circuit. But RAP allows the radio, windows and locks to be operated for 10 minutes after the key is turned to off, or until you open a door.

 

That makes a lot of sense! Where can I get access to the RAP board to check the soldering?

 

You need to pull the body control module, and check the PC board in that module. There isn't a separate RAP module after 1995. When the BCM was added in 1996, RAP function was incorporated in the BCM. I don't know exactly where the BCM is, since I have a 94 and don't have one. It's under the dash, maybe near the glove box????

 

Sorry for the delayed response, I've had a lot of other stuff goin on lately.

I was able to locate what Shoebox identifies as an actual RAP module under the driver's side dash. I was able to pull it out of its pocket and ensure the wiring harness is securely fastened to the plastic module box. I've found it is indeed the convertible top, stereo, and windows that are affected, leading me to believe the RAP is somehow the culprit for sure.

My question now is: What should I check next? It seems like it's happening more and more frequently lately, but there still is no rhyme or reason regarding when it happens.... it's very random lol. Sometimes when I hit a big bump in the road it will come back on and sometimes not. It tends to be off mostly when I start it for the first time in the morning or evening after it's been off all night.

Here's the link to Shoebox's photo showing the RAP module. Mine almost looks too new.. like the previous owner replaced it at one point... mysterious. I do not have the Express Down module shown in the pic.

http://shbox.com/1/express_down1.jpg

 

Your 97 does NOT have a RAP module, as explained in my earlier post.

Maybe the convertibles are still on the "old" system, but I doubt it. In 1996, they added a body control module, and that now handles the RAP feature. Shoebox's pictures are of his 95, which DOES have a RAP module, and DOES NOT have a BCM.

This is the diagram for the 96 (and also used in 97) BCM. Look at the PCM outline toward the right side of the diagram, and in the middle you will find reference to the RAP system:

http://shbox.com/1/bcm_1996.jpg

 

Thanks for the diagram, I'll try to make sense of it lol. I wonder what module that is then, that shoebox shows, the same exact thing I have under my own dash. I'll take a pic when I get a moment to pull out the bottom cover and see if you can identify what I'm talking about, and why he's referring to it as the RAP when I have the same part but shouldn't have an RAP module there.

Sorry if I'm frustrating you

I'll also check the BCM connections today if I get a chance... seems like it's under the kick panel either on the driver or passenger side.

 

Okay so I didn't take a pic today, but I promise it look exactly like Shoebox's pic lol, minus the express down plugin. Maybe it's something else using that slot and it just looks the same but isn't.

I checked the driver's side and passenger side kick panels. There was nothing on the driver's side. The passenger side had a plastic holder, like a place you could slide a module into about 4" wide and 5 or 6" deep. But it was empty. Where else would the BCM be? That's where most sources claim I should find it.

Thanks to your diagram, once I find it I can check the soldering and make sure it's not broken off the board or cracked at the solder joint... I just have to find it!

 

Then the convertible may still use the RAP module. I've never heard of a difference in the setups between the convertible and the coupe, but if you feel you've got a RAP module, it must be there.

Learn something new every day.......

 

I'm just sayin it's the exact same thing as in the pic... I'm by no means the expert here, I'm just the confused newb!

Where can I locate the BCM besides the kick panels?

 

Haha here's something new too... when the RAP power goes out, I can kick the kick panel and it comes back on. BUT there's no BCM module or anything electrical behind the plastic.

Sigh...

 

BCM should be to the right of and behind the radio.