Convenience Center only works when out of the box

[popeye1978]

'86 Cutlass Supreme

Went for drinks with friends and took the Cutlass, drained the battery as I forgot to turn-off the headlights before heading-in ("headlights on" reminder doesn't work). Pulled the Convenience Center out of the car to troubleshoot why the "headlights on" buzzer hasn't worked in the time I've owned the car.

Set-up some test circuits and no chimes. Removed the circuit board from the plastic box to check for damage to the board and as I didn't see anything obviously wrong with it set-up some test circuits again -- but this time with the circuit board out of its plastic enclosure / dust cover / box -- and there are chimes (!)

I have gone back-and-forth and without a doubt, the chimes will only occur/work when the circuit board is not in the box.

Question 1
Anyone else experience this problem? Any idea why it would occur?

Question 2
Unless I am able to fix whatever with the box is causing this problem, any ideas of how to fashion a dust cover for the circuit board?

 

[84cutspreme]

I remember having issue with ignition tone on my first cutlass. I attached schematic for cutlass convenience center as well as fusebox breakdown. Hope this helps ya

 

[69hurstolds]

There's USUALLY a foam ring around the chime speaker which usually degrades, disintegrates and renders it silent. Replacing the foam ring usually restores it to its former glory. As to why you're getting the chime out of the box, I don't have a good reason for that.

The newer style in the 87-88 is built a little differently and cannot recall how it's put together. I've only had one apart one time in my life and my memory isn't so good anymore.

 

[GP403]

pictures would help 1000% with this. Sounds like a) doesn't work in the car b) doesn't work on the bench until c) you remove it from the enclosure on the bench then it does.

IIRC its a plastic box so it shouldn't be shorting anything out. No idea what the insides even look like. Maybe the connector/wiring is flaky going into the box (like I said, pics) .. something not quite reaching or being intermittent.... A screw touching something...

don't get to use it much but

 

[fleming442]

Did you check power, trigger, and ground on the car side? If you're duplicating the car properly on the bench and it works, that would tell me something is amiss IN THE CAR.

 

[popeye1978]

OK .. pictures of what it looks like and two videos -- in both videos the circuit is lined-up for "headlights ON and ignition OFF," in first video the buzzer is working but in 2nd it is not

 

[GP403]

🤔

Best I can come up with is maybe a cracked/cold solder joint on one of those tabs, or something similar going open when the board is snapped(?) in there. like It's getting flexed in just the right way or something.

Not to hijack the thread, but does anyone repop these things? There can't be much to them, anyone has one working or not just lying in a drawer maybe send me a PM I'll take it off your hands and play with it. Kind of curious now.

 

[L92 OLDS]

The foam ring is also shot and has absorbed moisture over the years. You can hear it in the tone.

 

[69hurstolds]

It may have clearance outside the box but any pressure pushes the disc onto the electromagnet and when it touches, no chime.

That's all I got. You take that black disc apart and you will see what we're talking about with the foam. At least it still wants to work.

 

[maxi426]

I have taken the one in my 87 442 apart and also found the foam disintegrated. When I couldn't easily find foam thin enough, I cut a ring out of thin gasket material. Just needs to hold the disc away from the magnet, but not too far away. Now it sounds like the 80s again with the keys in and the door open