Car interior and wipers malfunctioning

2011 DODGE CARAVAN
80,000 MILES • V6 • AWD • AUTOMATIC
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LIGHTNINGMCQUEENY
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While I am driving, my AC, radio, thermostat, indicators and windshield wipers start randomly turning on and off. I have no idea why this happens. There is no certain trigger for it as far as I have seen. It just suddenly starts, and then suddenly stops. It is really dangerous because suddenly, I cannot indicate when I turn among other things. Do you know what the problem is and how I could have it fixed?
Sep 11, 2017 at 3:52 PM
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HARRY P
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Today's cars have tons and tons of electrical stuff, which requires good, clean, strong, cable connections. Anything less will cause electrical systems to act weird. So try cleaning the battery terminals and cables and make sure that they are super tight (tight enough that you cannot move the connectors by hand).

Here's a guide on cleaning the terminals and cables: https://www.2carpros.com/articles/everything-goes-dead-when-engine-is-cranked
Sep 11, 2017 at 6:53 PM
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STEVE W.
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Sounds like a case of "Totally Integrated Power Module" (aka "smart fuse box") failure. very common on that vintage Chrysler. It is a fuse box that they decided to add a computer to as well as integrating 99% of the electrical functions and controls into.
When they start to fail you think your vehicle is possessed.

Unfortunately they are not a cheap item to change and most require a pro level scan tool to fully diagnose and replace them. The actual mechanical replacement is easy, they snap out of the bracket and unplug, reverse that to install the new one. But then they need to be initialized to your vehicle, That means you use the scan tool to enter the VIN number and tell the TIPM what vehicle it is in and what options it has.

If you want to read more about this there are a lot of articles online, just google Chrysler bad TIPM .
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Sep 11, 2017 at 7:35 PM
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HARRY P
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Well I learned something new today, thanks again to Steve. But I still think it is worth taking a look at the cables and terminals. Cannot hurt and there is a small chance it could help.
Sep 11, 2017 at 7:55 PM
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STEVE W.
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Sorry for jumping in there Heyman. Just trying to assist.

Cleaning never hurts when it comes to electrical problems. It is downright amazing how many "my battery is dead" calls are repaired by cleaning and tightening the terminals !
Sep 11, 2017 at 11:34 PM
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RENEE L
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Nice work team!

Renee
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Sep 12, 2017 at 4:00 PM