1997 Voyager Problem

[J. A. Dionne]

After replacing the battery, due to complete and sudden failure, the air
recirculation and air conditioner switch lights blink rapidly for the first 10
to 15 minutes of vehicle operation than resume normal operation. The lights on
the rear wiper switches and rear window defogger light switch do not function
during this period. All of these functions seem to be controllable normally,
except for the indicator lights.
The problem repeats any time the ignition swirch is cycled.
The only MIL codes set are 12 and 55.
This is a 1997 Plymouth Grand Voyager SE, 3.3L engine.
Yes, I know I should have bought a real service manual.
Any help or hints will be appreciated.

 

[Mike]

This is a common report after a battery failure/replacement. Somehow your
heating and air conditioning system got into
calibration/diagnostic or test mode, and seem to be indicating a failed
system. Normally this is accomplished by pressing a particular combination
of these buttons and holding for 5 seconds. The tests can run for many
minutes (up to 15) as it checks/calibrates all the motor/actuators and tests
the cooldown ability of the AC.

Results and failures are shows as various combinations of flashing LED's on
these same button lights.

For test abort you can turn ignition off, then on, or the test should abort
after 15 minutes if still not passed. It will however be flashing the
failure code that caused it not to pass within the 15 minutes.

Test mode and failure modes are differentiated by either the LED's flashing
alternately or simultaneously.

Try to run the test purposely to see if it will pass and reset.

Set Blower to HI
Set the Mode to Panel (all the way to the left - CCW)
Set the temperature to full Cold (both slides if dual zone equipped)
Depress and hold the Wash and Wipe buttons simultaneously and hold for 5
seconds (until all LED's light up)

First Wipe and Intermittent LED's should alternately flash during Cal Test
Then after a few minutes AC and Recirc LED's should flash alternately during
cooldown test
If both tests pass - all LED's will go out and that's the end of it.

If it does not pass, then you really either need the manual to use the
buttons and flashing LED codes to dig deeper into the failure codes for
specific components or take it into a shop for them to diagnose and repair.

Failures flashing LED's can indicate several potentiometers, temp sensors,
actuators, control panel etc.

Mike

 

[Paul Layman]

This is happening on mine as well. It is happening because
the AC compressor has been removed until I get a new one.
How do I just stop the lights from flashing until I get a
new one? This just started after the battery was disconnected
and replaced.

Paul

 

[Joe Who]

To: Mike and and group.
Thanks for setting me on the right track. It turns out that I have a true A\C
system failure.
I would assume that there has been a freon leakage over the winter that went
unnoticed.
I'll follow up after I check it out.
Joe (Who) Dionne

 

[Mike]

It seems that disconnecting/reconnecting/replacing the battery will sometime
cause the system test to initiate by itself. If the system does not pass the
test, which it may not if you accidentally interrupt it, or by doing other
items to the van/can while it is running unknowingly. Sometimes just
manually running the test again, by selecting the start test sequence as
listed will reset the system. If you do in fact have a failure, it may just
continue to act like this, until repairs are made. You could also try
initiating the test, and then purposely abort the test mid cycle (after a
minute or so) by turning the ignition/van off. Possibly then the test won't
auto re-initiate on the next start.

Part of the test is the AC systems ability to 'cool down' a target number of
degrees in a specified time limit. with no compressor, or no refrigerant,
this will fail. nothing you can do except to try and get the test not to
restart on every start up.

 

[Ted]

My 98 wouldn't "finish" the test unless the blower was on high... I read the
instructions given in this group,,, forgot that one,, did it again with the
blower on high and the flashing lights disappeared...

That said,, this has happened *every* time I have disconnected the battery
in my Voyager, so it's not a maybe thing in my vehicle.