What did you do with your truck/shop today

[Chris]

I drove my truck for the first time in 2 weeks since the Cobalt is at the transmission shop


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[Jsdirt]

Mine has been getting driven alot too. I went through 2 tanks of fuel this month! 

 

The past week it's become a mobile workbench. Got tired of trekking back and forth 1,000 times between this POS PT Cruiser I'm doing a timing belt on (outside, since I still don't have a floor in my new shop), and my toolbox. I loaded all my tools onto the tailgate, and backed the truck up right to the nose of the PT. When it started to get dark, I either push all the tools into the bed, close the gate and  park in the garage, or back it in the garage, and unload the tools right at the toolbox. Much better than carrying all that stuff. Hate firing the truck up like that for such a brief period, so many times a day, but not like it matters - engine is still going to fail anyway!

 

I know someone's gonna say it, so I'll preempt them. A tool cart won't cut it - dirt floor in the barn, with a steep exit to the driveway. Besides, having the truck outside makes it easier to retrieve my pullers, and other specialty tools from the back of the barn - normally I have to squeeze past the truck, and scratch the paint.

 

I actually took it to the car wash tonight too. 1st time in a LONG time. Got sick of seeing salt crystals shining in the sun today.

 

I'll actually be driving it tomorrow too - got to pick up a couch from my parents. Mom is in very rough shape due to cancer, so we're getting a lift chair delivered tomorrow. They don't have the space for that and the couch, so it was generously donated to me. I've been sitting on bare foam & springs for 10 years here, LOL. The cats get more use out of it than I do.

 

I bet nobody would bat an eyelash if I put it on Craigslist: "slightly used couch" ... 

 

[Coby7]

12 hours ago, Chris said:

I drove my truck for the first time in 2 weeks since the Cobalt is at the transmission shop


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Are you on Cobalt forum?  What was your transmission doing? Shifting hard?

[Chris]

Are you on Cobalt forum?  What was your transmission doing? Shifting hard?

I am not. It was shifting hard and converter wasn’t unlocking.


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[Coby7]

Any other symptoms like loss of tach or T/C light coming on?

[Coby7]

Any codes like ?
U2106 Lost Communications with Transmission Control System- BCM, EBCM, ECM
U2116 Lost Communications with Instrument Panel Cluster (IPC) BCM

[Chris]

Any codes like ?
U2106 Lost Communications with Transmission Control System- BCM, EBCM, ECM
U2116 Lost Communications with Instrument Panel Cluster (IPC) BCM

No others. Only happens on long drives. The mileage in to the drive it happens varies. So it is in the shop that rebuilt the trans in my truck


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[Coby7]

I had 3 Cobalts,  well I bought one for each of my daughters so they could go back and forth to University. A 2007 the first one, an 08 the second then a 10.  They all experienced this at some point an the 07 twice.  I cured this each time by removing the 2 blue/gray connectors on the BCM,  cleaning with contact spray adding dielectric grease and re-seating a few times to eliminate any corrosion build up.  The second time it did it on the 07 I found the ECM/TCM fuse to be pitted, went until I sold it 4 years later without a problem.

[Chris]

I had 3 Cobalts,  well I bought one for each of my daughters so they could go back and forth to University. A 2007 the first one, an 08 the second then a 10.  They all experienced this at some point an the 07 twice.  I cured this each time by removing the 2 blue/gray connectors on the BCM,  cleaning with contact spray adding dielectric grease and re-seating a few times to eliminate any corrosion build up.  The second time it did it on the 07 I found the ECM/TCM fuse to be pitted, went until I sold it 4 years later without a problem.

Had a hard shift and TC light but that was due to a lean condition. I may trade it in


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[Coby7]

These transmission are practically bullet proof.  Maybe lose a shift solenoid here and there but they perform well.  The worse problem with these cars is losing communication between CPUs due to corrosion on contact surfaces. I can't see how a lean code would cause hard shift unless engine falls into limp mode.  The GMLan is reconditioned by the BCM before being sent back out to ECM, TCM, radio,  instrument panel and EBCM if your vehicle is equipped with ABS.  Give these connectors a good cleaning before you decide to trade. Also check for any oil gathering at the bottom of the ECM connector, sometimes this happens if the oil pressure sending unit's diaphragm starts to leak.  Cost nothing to clean and you could save yourself a car payment. 

Edited March 1, 2018 by Coby7

[Jsdirt]

Did the front brakes for the 8th time in 92k miles. The first 5 were done by GM under warranty in the first 36k ... 

 

Anyway, found both my sway bar end links had yanked right out of the lower control arms. Against my better judgement, I went to Advance Auto for a set of Moog urethane end links. Actually got a product that was still factory sealed ... in BOTH boxes! Miracles never cease.

 

Wife dropped the rotors off at a machine shop, and a few hours later, I had my neighbor bring me down there to pick them, and the end links up at Advance. We broke down on the way back in his '03 Sable. Right front brake nearly caught fire!  I smelled the burning brake when we got to Advance - figured we'd see how far we could get. Maybe 3 miles tops. We boiled alot of snow cooling the thing down.

 

His brother came and picked us up, I threw the Silverado back together, then used it to retrieve the car after everything had cooled down. Used my Viair compressor to yank the wheel and force the pistons back in a bit with a big screwdriver, and hit the road. We made it 7 miles home - it was just starting to lock up as we pulled into the neighborhood. We had just installed those calipers this past July. Surprised to see they were NAPA calipers! Usually don't have a problem with their parts, but nobody is immune today. They warrantied the caliper, so we grabbed a new brake hose for good measure, and installed that when we got back. Finally sat down to eat lunch at 5:30pm. One of those days! Now, we prepare for ANOTHER blizzard ... 

 

 

I think I got my money's worth out of this set!  34,670 miles. Lots of towing & aggressive driving too. A new record for me (with an automatic).

 

 

 

 

 

HEY GM - I FIXED IT FOR YA! Maybe you could use these little silver devices on your future models?

I won't be holding my breath ...

 

Edited March 13, 2018 by Jsdirt

[michigan2500hd]

Did the front brakes for the 8th time in 92k miles. The first 5 were done by GM under warranty in the first 36k ... 
 
Anyway, found both my sway bar end links had yanked right out of the lower control arms. Against my better judgement, I went to Advance Auto for a set of Moog urethane end links. Actually got a product that was still factory sealed ... in BOTH boxes! Miracles never cease.
 
Wife dropped the rotors off at a machine shop, and a few hours later, I had my neighbor bring me down there to pick them, and the end links up at Advance. We broke down on the way back in his '03 Sable. Right front brake nearly caught fire! [emoji38] I smelled the burning brake when we got to Advance - figured we'd see how far we could get. Maybe 3 miles tops. We boiled alot of snow cooling the thing down.
 
His brother came and picked us up, I threw the Silverado back together, then used it to retrieve the car after everything had cooled down. Used my Viair compressor to yank the wheel and force the pistons back in a bit with a big screwdriver, and hit the road. We made it 7 miles home - it was just starting to lock up as we pulled into the neighborhood. We had just installed those calipers this past July. Surprised to see they were NAPA calipers! Usually don't have a problem with their parts, but nobody is immune today. They warrantied the caliper, so we grabbed a new brake hose for good measure, and installed that when we got back. Finally sat down to eat lunch at 5:30pm. One of those days! Now, we prepare for ANOTHER blizzard ... 
 

 
I think I got my money's worth out of this set!  34,670 miles. Lots of towing & aggressive driving too. A new record for me (with an automatic).

 

 

 

 
 
HEY GM - I FIXED IT FOR YA! Maybe you could use these little silver devices on your future models?
I won't be holding my breath ...

 

Holy cow man..8 brake jobs on your GMT 900 ???
I was happy with the service I got from to similar trucks. Didn't need to do the brakes before 105,000 miles but did them anyway. Could have probably got another 25,000 on both trucks.
They pulled a trailer that weighed 5000 loaded that didn't have brakes.
That's just crazy.. Something's gotta be wrong there... Nice work on the zerks!

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[Jsdirt]

Just GM being cheap - used crap, low-quality metal for the rotors. Things would shake your fillings out right off the showroom floor with 42 total miles on the clock. It was ridiculous. All through every repair, the pulsation would come back ... until I threw a set of EBC rotors (not slotted or drilled) on there with the Yellow pads. Been great ever since.

 

The ball joints were another debacle. Lowers failed at 38k, uppers, along with the hub bearings & one strut failed at 50k miles. Replaced everything with Moog (and Bilstein struts), and that has been trouble free since.

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Ravenkeeper]

On 3/12/2018 at 7:51 PM, Jsdirt said:

Did the front brakes for the 8th time in 92k miles. The first 5 were done by GM under warranty in the first 36k ... 

 

Anyway, found both my sway bar end links had yanked right out of the lower control arms. Against my better judgement, I went to Advance Auto for a set of Moog urethane end links. Actually got a product that was still factory sealed ... in BOTH boxes! Miracles never cease.

 

Wife dropped the rotors off at a machine shop, and a few hours later, I had my neighbor bring me down there to pick them, and the end links up at Advance. We broke down on the way back in his '03 Sable. Right front brake nearly caught fire!  I smelled the burning brake when we got to Advance - figured we'd see how far we could get. Maybe 3 miles tops. We boiled alot of snow cooling the thing down.

 

His brother came and picked us up, I threw the Silverado back together, then used it to retrieve the car after everything had cooled down. Used my Viair compressor to yank the wheel and force the pistons back in a bit with a big screwdriver, and hit the road. We made it 7 miles home - it was just starting to lock up as we pulled into the neighborhood. We had just installed those calipers this past July. Surprised to see they were NAPA calipers! Usually don't have a problem with their parts, but nobody is immune today. They warrantied the caliper, so we grabbed a new brake hose for good measure, and installed that when we got back. Finally sat down to eat lunch at 5:30pm. One of those days! Now, we prepare for ANOTHER blizzard ... 

 

 

I think I got my money's worth out of this set!  34,670 miles. Lots of towing & aggressive driving too. A new record for me (with an automatic).

 

 

 

 

 

HEY GM - I FIXED IT FOR YA! Maybe you could use these little silver devices on your future models?

I won't be holding my breath ...

 

That brake pad looks like the ones I got from NAPA in June of '13, and replaced them again in September of '13, on our '10 Mustang.  Will NEVER buy from NAPA again.

[Jsdirt]

That was an EBC Yellow that I installed summer of 2013. Got 34,670 out of that set.  Not to shabby for a 3-ton automatic that tows alot.

 

NAPA is one of the only parts stores I trust these days. Advance, O'Reilley's, and Auto Zone are so bad with parts quality that I stopped going there. It was costing ME money trying to save my customers money. I'll only go to Advance if it's for a Moog, SKF, or other name brand part - everything else is utter garbage. NAPA isn't immune either, but their track record is 10x better than those other chains, so long as you stay with the premium parts, and don't get the cheap stuff.