Code C0050

gary ut · August 17, 2009

On my 2009 Sierra with less than 4000 miles I have repeatedly had Service Stabilitrak, Service Traction Control, and Service Trailer Brake control messages displayed on DIC with ABS and Traction control lights on. When I have OnStar run a diagnostics check they tell me it is a C0050 error code. (Right rear wheel speed sensor circuit). The lights go out after the next restart. None of the 3 dealers that have worked on the truck for this problem can duplicate the problem. Most of the time they tell me that there is no error code stored in the computer.

The truck has been in a dealers shop 7 times for this problem. Even when I give the service manager the OnStar case number so that they can retrieve the diagnostics reports from OnStar nobody is willing to change any parts unless they can duplicate the problem. I had one of the dealers look up the part numbers for the rear wheel speed sensors, they are the same part number for the left and right sensor. I suggested swapping the rear sensors to see if the problem followed the sensor but they did not want to do that either.

I have a case file with GM's customer service that has been escalated to a district specialist, most of the time she never returns calls, and she is never in her office. She was supposed to call this morning and as usual has not, and all I get is her voice mail when I try to call.

How can I get the dealer to replace parts to try and actually fix the problem?

bill190 · August 18, 2009

The automotive world needs to do a bit of learning on how to find and repair intermittent problems.

Basically you can attach monitoring equipment which monitors a signal and this will catch intermittent electrical problems.

What they need to do is connect a "data logger" and let you drive with this in the vehicle. Then this will record what is going on with the circuit.

Data Logger...

http://www.omega.com/prodinfo/DataLoggers.html

But automotive types do not know how to do this yet!

And even in non-automotive electronics businesses with highly experienced electronic technicians, only the most experience technician would know about this type of testing. (The older guy they call out when no one else can fix the problem.)

And also it is the leeway given to the technicians by their employer. They may only give the technician a certain amount of time to fix a problem (like an hour). If the technician goes over that time, he is in big trouble!

But to solve a problem like this (and many similar problems which don't have a code pointing to a specific device), it could take a technician 10 hours and several days of connecting the test equipment, returning the vehicle to the customer, giving the customer instructions on how to use the device, when to return with it, then later looking at the data and finding the problem.

And a technician assigned to fix a problem like this should be given wide latitude to do what needs to be done. I've been assigned problems like this in the non-automotive world before. My boss would tell me; "Fix it! I don't care what it costs." Then I would take the time and purchase/connect whatever testing equipment was needed. Find the problem and fix it.

So I think the automotive world needs something like this. Perhaps a regional repair center with a couple of guru guys there and wiz-bang test equipment to find these problems.

So might launch a letter writing campaign. I'm sure the dealers would like to resolve these problems as well as the factory reps. There just needs to be some sort of system put in place to handle/escalate these problems.

Might suggest they look at other electronic service industries as a model. Like the phone company. They will send out a guy with a handset a few times, then they escalate it and an older more experienced guy shows up with all sorts of fancy test equipment.

Other electronic service businesses will have dealer repair of products. But for the few products which have "impossible to find problems", the dealer can send the product to a factory repair center where they have higher skilled technicians to fix these problems.

Basically with other businesses, this does not happen. The 2nd or 3rd time the product is returned or the customer calls in for service (for the same problem), it is automatically escalated, then fixed.

gary ut · August 19, 2009

The dealer has had my truck for a week now, they have not been able to duplicate the problem. Last night the service manager calledand said that GM does not want to pay for the rental car they provided me because the dealer is not doing any repairs. I can't understand why it is so important for the dealer to be able to duplicate the problem. The only thing that will give them is an error code, and they already have the code from OnStar. OnStar has sent the results of the remote diagnostics to the dealers several times, I have even gived the dealers the OnStar case number.

If they send it back without fixing it this will be the sixth unsucessful attempt to repair the same problem. Utah's lemon law only requires four unsucessful attempts to repair the same problem before they have to buy it back.

I have pointed out to the dealer and to GM "customer service" that even if they replace the EBCM, the wheel speed sensor, and the wire to the sensor it will be cheaper than buying the truck back. Yet GM won't let the dealer replace any parts unless they can duplicate the problem.

This is the fifth GM vehicle my wife and I have purchased, it will be the last.

Draenor · August 19, 2009

The dealer has had my truck for a week now, they have not been able to duplicate the problem. Last night the service manager calledand said that GM does not want to pay for the rental car they provided me because the dealer is not doing any repairs. I can't understand why it is so important for the dealer to be able to duplicate the problem. The only thing that will give them is an error code, and they already have the code from OnStar. OnStar has sent the results of the remote diagnostics to the dealers several times, I have even gived the dealers the OnStar case number.

If they send it back without fixing it this will be the sixth unsucessful attempt to repair the same problem. Utah's lemon law only requires four unsucessful attempts to repair the same problem before they have to buy it back.

I have pointed out to the dealer and to GM "customer service" that even if they replace the EBCM, the wheel speed sensor, and the wire to the sensor it will be cheaper than buying the truck back. Yet GM won't let the dealer replace any parts unless they can duplicate the problem.

This is the fifth GM vehicle my wife and I have purchased, it will be the last.

Then file a lemon law suit.