Author Topic: Mechanic advice needed  (Read 2635 times)

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Online benb61

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Mechanic advice needed
« on: April 10, 2018, 05:15:57 PM »
As can be seen in my profile pic (though no very well), I own a 2006 Corvette Convertible.  I took it to the dealer (I know bad choice) for Brakes and to have a bad wheel bearing replaced.  While there the service rep noted that I had an outstanding recall notice for "Low Beam Inoperative" that I have been ignoring as my low beams worked just fine.  Anyway they did the recall along with the other stuff.  I went to pick up the car and that is when the trouble started, 1)  I was waiting a long time for them to bring the car to me (that was completed 3 days prior to my pickup).  The yard guy said that it was behind a few cars they had to move, then they needed to jump start it.  I get in and I notice that the dash notification system said "Trunk Ajar", so I get out and sure enough the trunk was open, so I close it and the message was gone.  This is probably why the battery was dead, I later come to find out that the reason the trunk was open was because they locked the fob in the car and had to have a key cut to access the manual door release from the trunk and didn't close it completely.  I then notice 2) the radio display was saying "CD Initializing".  I figured that it was because the battery died and they had to jump start it.  I figured that it would take a few minutes for it to reset so I went on my way back home.  It never reset.  Also every time I slowed for a stop 3) there was a clunk in the trans when the car shifted from 2nd to 1st.  The clunk only happened when downshifting not on accelerating (going from 1st to 2nd) and never when shifting between any other gear (up or down).  The next day the wife and I had a hair appointment about 50 miles from home and we decided to take the Vette since it had new brakes and all.  The CD still had not initialized so we listened to music on the wife's iPhone.  After the appointment we were headed home when 4) the check engine light came on and the dash notification system said "Reduced Power" and the car bogged down.  I was on the freeway and as I was trying to get to the side of the road I tried to accelerate, all that did was cause the car to downshift to passing gear but since I had reduced power it was as if I downshifted and the car slowed even more.  I was able to nurse it off the freeway but whenever the RPM's dropped below 2000 the car would shake as if the engine was trying to run on 5 cylinders.  I have OnStar and once off the road I pushed the button to get an instant diagnostic.  The OnStar rep was awesome and she told me I had a Check Engine situation and an error code P0068 which indicates a throttle control system error.  I immediately tried to get it to a service center but it kept stalling out at red lights or stop signs.  It was hard to restart but I was able to get it to a parking lot.  I shut the engine off and thought it seemed like it was misfiring so I got out, opened the hood and checked the spark plugs and fuses.  Every fuse in the fuse box was not seated properly.  I re-seated them and got back in.  The car started easily and did not seem to be misfiring.  We go back on the road and about 4 miles later, it all started again.  Really long story shortened some, I found just pulling over and waiting 3 to 5 minutes and it started and ran fine for a few miles.  I took it back to the dealer and they had it for 2 weeks and could not figure the issues out.  I eventually got a message from them that the ECM was bad and it would cost me over $700 to get it fixed, at which point I said that it was fine before I brought it to you, what a coincidence that after you do electrical work (they had to pull the fuse box to install a new ground lead for the recall) I start having electrical issues.

Now to my question, does anybody know what would cause an ECM to fail?  I really want them to fess up and realize they caused the problem and that they should pay for the repairs.
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Offline John Florida

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Re: Mechanic advice needed
« Reply #1 on: April 10, 2018, 07:54:24 PM »
  Call the factory and run it by them. This is to close to be ignored. You should have had an engine code from all the fuses not being set. What code did they give you? Talk to the owner at the dealership with the service mgr there in the room and lay it at their feet see what shakes.
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Online patentlymn

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Re: Mechanic advice needed
« Reply #2 on: April 10, 2018, 08:00:29 PM »
Even if they fried the ECM, how do they know the ECM is bad? Maybe that is just their first guess.
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Offline Libertas

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Re: Mechanic advice needed
« Reply #3 on: April 10, 2018, 10:19:06 PM »
Electrical/computer issues are the worst.  All you can do is keep pressing your case, put it on them.  I had a similar issue with a motorcycle many years ago, same issue as yours, kept killing on me, let it rest, run some more...they could never find anything, so they said, finally made the dealership buy it back.  Good luck!
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Offline Weisshaupt

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Re: Mechanic advice needed
« Reply #4 on: April 11, 2018, 09:29:34 AM »
If the ECB has any semiconductor chips on it - i.e. its a digital control board. (and I assume it is)  then they need to disconnect the battery BEFORE playing with fuses. - Ideally they should probably pull all of the fuses first.

Any reversal of polarity of  a sudden large charge could damage a semiconductor.
In cars there is a lot of voltage spikes and electrical noise, so the Circuit boards tend to be pretty robust.. but at the fuse board, they may be on the other side of a lot of that protection.circuitry.

But sometimes, you just need to reboot. The circuit got into a funny state running on low power and just needs a restart from zero.
Pull the fuse for that board, leave it out for a good minute ( letting any capacitance fade)  and then plug it back in and see if it behaves better.


But otherwise I would complain that they must have shorted something doing the work and that they are the ones who need a new one.

Online benb61

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Re: Mechanic advice needed
« Reply #5 on: April 11, 2018, 09:59:36 AM »
The error code was P0068, which is a Throttle body and Mass air flow out of sync code.  The service rep went to the owners and made my case (maybe) but was trying to have his electrical guy research if they could caused the problem.

In the 2 weeks they have had the car they traced every harness and checked every component and in the end all they could figure was the ECM.

I ordered the car from the factory in 2006, so there is no hope of them buying it back, nor would I want to get rid of it, it is soooo much fun to drive.

Being a 2006, I'm sure there are semiconductor chips in it.  They may have not pulled all the fuses when they did the recall.  It is my contention they they caused the problem.  I did an internet search on "causes fo ECM failure" and was directed to a company that tunes and repairs ECM's for heavy equipment.  They listed a number of things that would cause a failure, among them was grounding issues, dead battery cells, and improper jump starting, all of which they did at the dealership.  I sent the service rep a link to the web site so he can take it to the owners.  I figure that an ECM is an ECM, whether for a 2006 Corvette or Heavy Equipment the failure causes would be the same.

Thanks for the advice.

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Online IronDioPriest

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Re: Mechanic advice needed
« Reply #6 on: April 11, 2018, 01:26:46 PM »
Sounds to me like they messed up, hands down. I would be prepared to bulldog them into compliance with your demand that they are responsible for making the repairs at their own expense. They aren't likely to accept responsibility without believing that you're willing to go to the f***ing wall to make sure they do right by you.
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Online benb61

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Re: Mechanic advice needed
« Reply #7 on: April 11, 2018, 01:34:18 PM »
So far the service rep is trying to get them to pay (it was his fault the trunk was open, they have already put a new battery in at their expense).  I'm not ready to put the hammer down just yet, I'm going to give him some time to make it right, but their customer service rating with Chevy is a big stick for me to use.  This Saturday it will be 4 weeks I have been without my car.
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Online benb61

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Re: Mechanic advice needed
« Reply #8 on: April 13, 2018, 10:14:21 AM »
Got a text message from the dealership, they will pay for the ECM and labor.   ::whoohoo::

Thanks everyone for the advice. Weisshaupts suggestion of pulling all fuses before messing with the fuse box is what pushed it over the top, apparently their electrical guy did not do that, he has been schooled.
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Offline Libertas

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Re: Mechanic advice needed
« Reply #9 on: April 13, 2018, 10:56:24 AM »
Good, hopefully your ordeal is over!
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Offline AlanS

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Re: Mechanic advice needed
« Reply #10 on: April 13, 2018, 06:40:24 PM »
Good, hopefully your ordeal is over!

This. Hard to tell with electronics, though.
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Re: Mechanic advice needed
« Reply #11 on: April 13, 2018, 08:50:34 PM »
Good, hopefully your ordeal is over!

This. Hard to tell with electronics, though.

Ain't that the truth.  Fingers crossed here.
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Offline Libertas

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Re: Mechanic advice needed
« Reply #12 on: April 13, 2018, 08:58:17 PM »
Good, hopefully your ordeal is over!

This. Hard to tell with electronics, though.

Ain't that the truth.  Fingers crossed here.

Most of this crap started going down the drain once computers were put in vehicles!   ::cussing:: silicon demons!
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Re: Mechanic advice needed
« Reply #13 on: April 13, 2018, 09:05:04 PM »
True dat, but ....... Gunsmith's got his head under the '84 Nissan hood at least twice a month, so "electrics" trouble and such aren't picky about subject.
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Offline Libertas

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Re: Mechanic advice needed
« Reply #14 on: April 13, 2018, 09:16:46 PM »
Electron Gremlins be gone!
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