Starter Bad after Car Wash

Chase89 · January 25, 2022

On 2/28/2020 at 2:01 PM, Tanya said:

Has anyone had any issues with their starter on a 2019 Chevy Trail Boss going bad after going through a car wash. I am on my third starter today in less than two months. My vehicle has 13,000 miles on. The last three times I washed it, I used two different car washes and all three times, when I shut the truck off, it will not start again. Have to have it towed to the dealership, they replace the starter and cannot find anything else. They cannot see where anything would be getting wet. I am not washing the engine just the outside using the carwash places I have for the past year. It was fine up until the first part of January when it quit the first time. Then the next two times I washed it, boom wrecked the starter.

I had mine go out at the car wash a few days ago. Wouldn’t turn over. This is a 2021 Trailboss so I’m so blown away.

Roofed up · February 21, 2023

I have a 2021 GMC AT4 took it to the car wash washed the mats put the mats back in the truck dried off all my windows and door jams as I live in Manitoba and our winter get below -40 at times. Once I was done I tried to start the truck to leave and it would not start. After having a neighbour mechanic look it over we were dumbfounded. Thought the fuel pump was not working, had it towed to GMC to find out my FLOOR MAT WAS OVER THE GAS PEDAL, "REALLY"!!! I Mean when has a floor mat ever been a problem like this?

First I have ever heard of it. Apparently the truck thinks it's being flooded and won't start.

Anyways just wanted to share so if anyone else has the issue it at least saves the tow.

Best to all of you.

Regards,

Johnat4 · March 6, 2023

Wow so glad I found this post. Did the same thing with my 2020 AT4. Replaced the washed floor mat over the gas pedal as it was too dark to see under there. Walked a mile to a Starbucks and then read this post. I was just going to arrange a tow truck, but I instead went back and noticed the floor mat issue and it started right up. How dumb do I feel. You saved my day. John (Alberta)

Bikerjon · March 9, 2023

Great info. Thanks. Another thing to pay attention to.

Mike Duhaime · March 10, 2023

On 2/21/2023 at 12:11 PM, Roofed up said:

I have a 2021 GMC AT4 took it to the car wash washed the mats put the mats back in the truck dried off all my windows and door jams as I live in Manitoba and our winter get below -40 at times. Once I was done I tried to start the truck to leave and it would not start. After having a neighbour mechanic look it over we were dumbfounded. Thought the fuel pump was not working, had it towed to GMC to find out my FLOOR MAT WAS OVER THE GAS PEDAL, "REALLY"!!! I Mean when has a floor mat ever been a problem like this?

First I have ever heard of it. Apparently the truck thinks it's being flooded and won't start.

Anyways just wanted to share so if anyone else has the issue it at least saves the tow.

Best to all of you.

Regards,

Any vehicle has that strategy. Foot to floor, computer cuts fuel....but it cranks. This lady has no crank, different issue

Mike Duhaime · March 10, 2023

On 3/2/2020 at 6:45 PM, Tanya said:

Thanks for the responses. The dealer had my truck ready for me today. They said they could not find anything electrical. Supposedly checked it all and worked with a chevy adviser and still couldn't find anything. They have ran it through their car wash twice leaving it sit and starting it as well as leave it run for awhile, turning it off and then starting it. It started every time. I told the service adviser to take it over to the car wash I went to and use my account and wash it again. They did and guess what.... They got it back to the dealership and it wouldn't start! So now they are baffled and maybe it will actually get fixed. Nothing like putting a brand new starter in and 4hours later shorting it out. They are on Starter #4 in two months. Frustrating.

Sorry to hear about this!

You have no crank right...no noise...just nothing? That starter gets power from a relay, before that computer..all fuses.

It could be something as simple as the negative cable to frame. I've seen it all as an auto, truck and construction equipment tech. When the truck is towed, they twist the frame and may cause bad connection to work again. We just don't know if 12 volts made it to solenoid of starter. Sad thing is, it must fail to test. In some really hard cases, we added a jumper wire to the starter solenoid. If you got stuck and had no crank, you simply touched the positive of battery and starter worked....if it was relay or wiring, computer. As long as starter was good, it cranked with jumper.

The tech at garage needs to do this and park truck. spray water all over and test...

Please let us know how you make out with this..