2001 Acura RL Car wont stay off

Tiny
JAIF
  • MEMBER
  • 2001 ACURA RL
Electrical problem
2001 Acura RL 6 cyl Automatic 93000 miles

Started last night. Noticed windshield wipers on in car. No one in car. Car not on. We had been home about an hour and I was using them while out. But the car was OFF. No key. This morning car COMPLETEL DEAD. Cant even jump it dead. Went and bought new battery. Car started fine. Go back out to car 20 minutes latter. Entire dash board on like key is turn half way on in ignition, but no key in the car. Car SHOULD be off. I got the key and started the car. Turned it off. Dash wont go off. I started it again and drove around the block. Came back and turned it off. Everything appeared o be off this time. Had my husband disconnect the battery for tonight so as not to kill the new one. I see now that the old one was probably not bad just drained because something came on in there and probably stayed on all night. Never seen anything like this in my life on ANY car. Do you have ANY clue what could cause the car to turn its self on?
No I don't have an auto start. I bought one and never had it installed.
AS far as I know there is no after market alarm or anything on the car now.
Only other problem I have had is: I noticed that the factory clicker for the door lock doesn't tut the horn anymore and sometimes acts a little funny. Couple of times it wouldn't work at all then started working again, it isn't facially damaged so I figure it just needs a battery, And water getting in the car through the cowl under the top of the hood near the windshield. The guy at Glass Masters said the galvanized rubber gasket that should keep water out is warn and shrunken from heat but the tape he put around the air vent where the water was coming in at didn't work. Been leaking again lately and we just had massive rain week. But this has been there for over a year. Never caused any problem except when it rains water will come in and run down on your feet.
If you can give me a diagnostic that will save me hours of UNGODLY charges at the dealer I will GLADLY make a healthy donation I PROMISE. I am SCARED right now. HELP!
Monday, March 2nd, 2009 AT 11:12 PM

3 Replies

Tiny
2CARPRO JACK
  • MECHANIC
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For starters, you need to seal the car up so that no water can get in. Then remove necessary panels to gain access to the dash area where water is getting in at to see if it has saturated any fuse blocks/control modules/other electronic controllers that dont take kindly to water. If so you could try drying them out with a hair dryer on med to low heat to see if that helps, but sometimes it just plain shorts them out
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Tuesday, March 3rd, 2009 AT 7:37 AM
Tiny
JAIF
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Is there a car manuel you can suggest or better a website that will tell me what panels to take off and how to do it? Also what tools I need to buy to test with. Or can one usually just see if something is burned out.
Also I went to AutoZone first thing since the check engine light is slightly glowing when I cut the car off now. It gave a code P1768 Manf Control Tranmission. Though I have had NO trouble with my trasmission at all. Is that a SEPERATE problem you think?
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Tuesday, March 3rd, 2009 AT 9:15 AM
Tiny
2CARPRO JACK
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Remove th epanels under thedash on theside where th ewater is coming from. Look at them to see what tools are req'd, most likely a phillips screwdriver. You are looking for water. Any in the fuse/relay block or dripping from any controller
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Tuesday, March 3rd, 2009 AT 9:44 AM

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