Hi all. I have a new to me 1995 Firehawk and this box is constantly clicking under the dash. I would appreciate any information on what it does, if I can remove it, or even what is called.



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Sounds silly but check all major grounds chassis ground engine ground etc remove clean and look for loose of disconnected grounds

 

I'm sorry... it sounds silly because it is silly. I have never figured out why any electrical issue is automatically assumed to be a ground problem. Certainly an under-dash device would not be affected by an engine ground.

The box in question is clearly a GM accessory alarm system which some previous owner had installed. As such, simply removing it would probably prevent your car from starting (note the 2-pin connector labeled "Starter"). It can be removed but you will have to restore the original wiring where it has been spliced in. You might be able to simply connect the two wires in the Starter connector together to bypass the alarm but I would test that thoroughly before relying on it.

I doubt you would be able to find a replacement module these days although anything is possible with sites like ebay. GM switched to selling rebranded DEI Hornet 700T modules as their add-on alarm system in the late '90s and even that isn't available anymore.

 

Stranger things have happened, grounds are the most over looked item in electrical trouble shooting. Just like a 12v supply is needed to complete the circuit a good clean ground is also needed. Granted the time I ran into a similiar issue was on a different vehicle however it was related to engine ground being loose causing relays under the dash to constantly click. It’s only my suggestion without seeing anything in person. I only join these discussions to try to help.

 

Yea, looking under the dash this harness has been tinkered with quite a bit. So far, I cannot find anything that does not work, but I just am trying to avoid un-splicing this thing. I am wondering if the clicking is the relay to flash the lights/honk the horn and if I pry that box open and remove that, maybe that could work. I thought about bridging that starter module as well, but worry about downstream effects of that and if I can damage anything by jumping them and giving it a try.

 

Believe me, I understand and really appreciate your desire to be of assistance to other members. But I've also been working with electrical and electronics for over 40 years and have learned that having a preconceived idea of what might be causing a problem can often lead to overlooking other possibilities. That has taught me to step back and do some analysis before jumping in. So, allow me to explain my reasoning...

In this case, the module in question is an alarm system mounted under the dash with only a single ground wire which is, presumably, connected to either an existing ground wire such as the radio or an existing chassis ground such as the stud behind the kick panel. It is always a good idea to check the device's ground since, as you say, it's half of the electrical circuit. But there's no way the ground connection between the engine block and the battery would affect this module (you could disconnect that ground and all the non-engine related circuits would still work). There is a very remote possibility that a bad chassis ground connection could cause the problem but then you'd be experiencing numerous other failures related to that ground and none were mentioned.

Devices like this usually click because of internal relays... there really aren't many other components that are mechanical and could cause such a noise. It's safe to assume that the module is getting power - you wouldn't be hearing clicking (or any noise) from it if there was no power to cause internal relays to trip. The same logic would seem to indicate that the ground is okay as well - without ground, the current wouldn't flow and you wouldn't get clicking relays. That's why I surmised that the module itself is faulty. Of course, checking these assumptions with a multimeter or test light is always a good idea.

 

Doing something about the noisy relay is worth a try. If you can get it open without damaging it, perhaps you can narrow down which component is causing the noise (there are probably separate relays for the lights and horn). You might find that merely adding something as a sound deadener (a bit of foam or even just electrical tape) could fix the noise problem since otherwise it seems to be working.

 

Well, being devil's advocate, a personal friend who owns a Corvette, and who is also a senior electrical engineer, had to "redo grounds and clean them" because that's a thing, at least on Corvettes, and it fixed his C5's random dash lights. Not saying in this case doing that is a valid solution, just saying that poor contacts could cause problems in a (computerized) system sensitive to the actual voltage.

I also had removed a fuse from my 2001 TA, the rear view mirror courtesy light fuse, and for years had a "click-clock sound" whenever I'd open or close the doors. I didn't connect the fuse with the sound for 18 months, as it was over the winter when I took it out at first and didn't hear it often.

 

I'll join you in being devil's advocate. I'd bet a substantial sum that your friend could have found a single ground to repair the dash light problem but decided that it was easier to just clean them all up rather than taking the time to diagnose and isolate the one that was causing the problem. I've done the same sort of thing myself because it ensures fixing the ground that is the problem (if you suspect it's a ground problem) and can also prevent future problems at the same time. But, in this case, it would be overkill.

Your fuse situation is easily explained - the COURTESY fuse does more than just the mirror lights... it is one of the primary power sources for the Body Control Module (BCM) which has several relays related to the keyless entry system, power door locks, hatch release, and retained accessory power (RAP) system. That's probably the noise you heard and why that particular fuse would be involved.

 

If it's just a noise issue and everything works correctly an the car runs, I'd ignore the clicking. You might bite off more than you bargain for by trying to delete it.

 

Is it a clicking sound when you turn on your a/c? If so..might be the open and closing of your flaps in dash area that regulate your pressure system..?