It feels like there is a bad harness plug or something but our 2008 will randomly cycle through messages and dash lights while driving. It will subside from this cycle for a short duration (sometimes even a day) only to then do it again. The indicator lights for the ABS / Traction Control / Brake (emergency brake) will light up almost in a sequence (but not the CEL) then all go out. The cruise control will sometimes work (but rarely) and then just cut out. All lights are on when the key is just in the on position and the car isn't running.

Like I said it feels like a corroded or loose harness plug but so far, in the ones I've checked they look fine. A while back, I thought I saw a video (that I can't find now) showing there was a large harness plug under the passenger side carpeting but I can't find that and don't want to take that all apart - I could be remembering a video from another vehicle I worked on.

I should note, it starts and runs smoothly and despite the messages (and the cruise control failing) there is no impact on driving it.

Anyway - if anyone else has run into this and has resolved it, I appreciate your help!

Thanks,

Jamie

 

check for codes when the car is running and the lights/warnings are lit. dont turn the van off before you check the codes... sometimes turning it on/off clears the codes <which you dont want, you want to read the codes>

if you have a wheel bearing going out the sensor will throw the traction control light and you will sometimes lose cruise control... i would guess abs would probably use the same wheel speed sensor to some extent so it may throw that light too... mine didnt throw abs. you may have intermittent abs issues too.
i cant think of a good reason why the parking brake light would come on too but who knows... you may have an electrical problem, you may have a wheel bearing problem, you may have both... theres no telling.

i have had intermittent traction control lights and warnings... i would usually lose cruise when i got them. i have lost cruise without lights and warnings too. the lights come and go, sometimes they go on/off during a longer trip. usually when cruise goes it is gone until i restart the van. i just replaced a front wheel bearing that made some racket so i hope that solved my problems...

additionally the 'switch inside of a switch' that controls the interior lighting has an issue on mine where sometimes if i jostle it the dash lights (everything, plus trouble lights and message center) go out completely and i have to fiddle with the switch to get the lights to come back on. there is seemingly no rhyme or reason to it. i have only casually messed with those switches at scrapyards and they all seem to be as loose and wobbly as mine. i dont think that is your issue though.

alldata may have a wiring diagram, but i would honestly guess you have a wheel bearing issue. uplanders seem to eat wheel bearings from what i have read... how many miles are on yours? i am not sure which brand would be best but delcos have lifetime warranty. i used GMB brand because they were the cheapest brand i had actually heard of. 15k miles and a few years or so on one of my GMBs without a problem.
moog delco timken raybestos gmb skf delphi and all the part store brands with lifetime warranties are all brands that come to mind as being at least decent...
wjb and ultrapower are brands worth trying depending on price/warranty compared to the others in my opinion.
i have a durago brand rear bearing i got for 5 bucks... have not installed it.. may not ever install it, but for five bucks i figured what the heck. duragos have hit and miss reviews on amazon.
i would stay away from a total no name brand without any reviews

 

Thanks, I need to hook it up to a good ODB reader for sure. Lots to look at. The switch within a switch - do you mean the interior light switch?

I'll check the bearings, too - I swear there was a video I saw a couple years ago that talked about a harness plug on the passenger side that was prone to causing these problems - the car sits a lot in a slightly humid environment. I've also had problems with the battery going dead from sitting, I've put a cut off switch in place for when it's dormant for long periods (seems to help a lot).

I'm so fed up with this thing - probably will just end up selling it for parts.

 

my torque app would show the traction control code but only when the light was on. that traction control code is the one that is interfering with cruise control.

yeah the interior light switch is a switch inside of a switch, mine has a bad contact or something and it turns all the lights off if it gets bumped. every time i am about to tear it up it starts working fine again. i dont think that is your issue though. you basically described a bad wheel bearing or bearingS. the sensor is built into the bearing. it is easy, it is just awkward to get the 3 bearing bolts. cut the wheel for more access. you need a torque wrench, a jaw puller, and gritty sandpaper for prepping the knuckle for the new bearing

i use little 5watt solar panels when mine have small battery drains. i think you can safely use 10watts of panels without a charge controller. the amorphous panels are best for cars in my opinion

 

I have a full OBD II testing system for this car but haven't used it yet. It's pretty comprehensive and will even allow me to restore the keyfobs to working. I have Torque as well but like you said the reports aren't as extensive.

Re: the battery drain - one theory someone told me - if there is a faulty wiring (bad ground) connection it can cause a circuit to back feed just enough to drain the battery. I'm not entirely sure I buy that but I've seen it happen on another car of mine. Electricity will find a way, don'tchaknow.

I thought about a solar panel but I had a spare cut off switch - so that was an easier option. I just need to make sure to drive the car a bunch before taking it to smog so that damn computer can reset all the sensors values.