The new norm?

[marpel]

Have a 2012 Sierra, 6.2L.

 

Over the last three months, intermittent "Service Stabiltrack" and Service Traction Control" messages have been showing on dash, along with messages telling me both systems were off. Set up an appointment and took it into the dealership to get it diagnosed but was turned away because the warnings were not showing at the time I arrived.

 

In the meantime, I had a low beam light burn out so bought two and decided to replace them myself (really, how hard can that be and I did not want to pay the $160 fee for the dealer to do it). This "simple" operation took me over three hours and two skinned knuckles and had to dismantle/remove air cleaner housing, spare battery tray and window washer fluid container. The biggest issue though was trying to get my hand in through the extremely small space to reach the bulbs.

 

Anyway, as the warning lights were now on full time, I took the vehicle in to the dealership at 10:45 this morning. It took them over two hours to diagnose and another three hours to fix. The problem turned out to be a steering wheel turn sensor. Apparently this sensor affects the other two sensors, so they shut down and killed the Traction and Stabiltrack.

 

Cost to me:

 

$7.50 for bridge toll the first visit.

$7.50 for bridge toll the second visit.

$77.11 for the faulty sensor. and wait for it.......

$550.00 for labour to put in the sensor (apparently you have to dismantle the steering column and associated assembly).

 

And just to make me feel better, one of the salesman tried to sell me an $82,000 3500 HD while I was waiting.

 

When I was paying, I asked the service rep if the designers ever gave any thought to making these new vehicles easier to work on, especially for small things like changing bulbs. He just looked at the other employees and they all smiled.

 

Go figure.

 

Marv

[anumber1]

It is no worse than the 1970's when emission systems were cobbled together and vehicles were designed to be serviced every 6 to 12 thousand miles.

 

Yearly tuneup? Carborator rebuild every couple of years? Valve/head work @ 100,000 miles? Exhaust falls off every 2 years? Coolant flush every other year?

 

Some things got better, some things have gotten worse, overall however, very few vehicles from last century went 100 thousand miles on original spark plugs, much less suspension parts or anything else really.

 

Service work is still possible diy. It just takes more than basic hand tools now.

 

A service manual probably would have helped ya!

[Coby7]

Okay, the procedure to change bulbs is a lot simpler than the way you did it.

 

1. Remove 8 push retainers from the black cover that's between radiator support and grille. Remove cover.

2. Remove 2 10mm screws that hold the grille, then squeeze and push clips out holding grille, remove grille.

3. Remove 2 10mm screws at top holding headlamp assembly and loosen 10mm screw on the side ( Do not remove). You can now pull headlamp housing away from body and change whichever bulb you need to change. 30 minutes top!

 

[kstruckcountry]

On my 2006, you pull a pin. No tools required. Hopefully they'll get back to that eventually.

 

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

[NEFisher11]

On my 2011 I only had to remove the air box which was very easy and no big deal.

[sefiroxx]

On my 01 and 04, pull a pin. 30 seconds.

 

Sent from my XT1053 using Tapatalk

[dsr611]

Okay, the procedure to change bulbs is a lot simpler than the way you did it.

 

1. Remove 8 push retainers from the black cover that's between radiator support and grille. Remove cover.

2. Remove 2 10mm screws that hold the grille, then squeeze and push clips out holding grille, remove grille.

3. Remove 2 10mm screws at top holding headlamp assembly and loosen 10mm screw on the side ( Do not remove). You can now pull headlamp housing away from body and change whichever bulb you need to change. 30 minutes top!

 

Makes perfect sense to have to disassemble the whole front end of the truck to change a light bulb (especially if you've had to change headlight bulbs 4 times in the past 2 years)

[diyer2]

I don't think there is a lot of things engineered for service.

Pay or do it yourself.

Simple.

[Bob D]

Yea, the headlight thing isn't stupid; it's beyond stupid.

I have an '03, and as others here have commented, a single pin (no tools required), and in moments, you can change your lamp.

I can picture being out of town and needing to change a bad headlamp(s) in an Autozone parking lot (at night, in the middle of winter) & dismantling the front end under a street light...

[Coby7]

Honestly guys it looks worse than it is, just two screws and a bunch of clips, everything weighs nothing because it's all plastic. It takes me 2 minutes to remove the cover and the grille.

[Bob D]

.... I had a low beam light burn out so bought two and decided to replace them myself (really, how hard can that be and I did not want to pay the $160 fee for the dealer to do it)....

" It takes me 2 minutes to remove the cover and the grille."

$160 for a two minute job = $4,800/hr....

[Coby7]

See you're exaggerating, it takes an other 2 minutes to put it back together. So $2,400/hr is more like it. I changed all 4 markers, both high beams and both low beams in less than 30 minutes.

[Bob D]

... it takes an other 2 minutes to put it back together. So $2,400/hr is more like it....

Ha Ha, that's a little more reasonable...

I'm just venting here.

Hell, I could replace a (mechanical) fuel pump in 30 minutes.

 

Cheers

[The almighty schmuck]

I had similar problem brought it in to stealership under warranty they couldnt figure it out so they replaced the battery and alternator and said it was fixed so the next day when it happened again i started digging around and found an loose ground strap above the steering colum under the hood and tightened it and problem went away

[ChevroletTough]

Just be glad you don't have a brand new ford. Apparently it's INSANE to change a bulb.

 

My 04 has the pins, god it's simple.