New ECM/PMC dealer install 2 years ago Took 2 years to slowly die electronically.

[Jeff Van Portfleet]

I drive a 07 Silverado with the 5.3 4wd. Truck was great until low tire pressure sensor fails. Fixed and was fine Truck accidently went int anti theft mode and I know how to reset but truck wouldnt respond to anything I tried. Towed to dealer where they had it 11 days saying they ordered wrong part I finally get it back and upon starting it every warning light on dash were activated, message center non stop prompts. Why would after a new ECM/PCM and BCM not eliminate these problems as i left dealer ship basically with more problems. Finally 2 years pass truck finally dies camshaft position connector melted and upon trying to replace with a 07 sensor to no avail. I tear down the manifold to see the motors from a 2010 silverado. Numbers never matched and finally realized why I had warning lights constantly coming on and off.  I know the computer the techs use are failsafe. I worked at GM 32 years.  If the 2010 motor is not flashed to match the rest of the vehicles electronics would this be the cause of 2 years of strange actions from truck 1 being startng by itself and starting remote in the truck Key fobs never worked after dealership said it was fixed. . Nobody seems to understand all component modules need to communicate and when  the anti theft activated I believe it erased the flash program . Thinking this why I couldnt reset myself. Everytime i remove cables from battery id have to go through the 30 minute process of resistor key relearn. Help I need any and all info I can so I can have my truck act, run, and perform properly as it had before antitheft mode lockdown Dealerships invoice receipt doesn't make any sense cause noted at my request I wanted all codes cleared as they should have been. All the dealership did was get the truck out of pass 3 anti theft and plugged in my acid washed ECM to make it look new. and charge me $1000.

[dna9656]

Reads to me like you need to talk to the dealer, district rep or a lawyer.

[Jeff Van Portfleet]

10 hours ago, dna9656 said:

Hi Doug yes I did contact dealer 2 time to no avail. Truck was fine for 2 years then anti theft mode activated and Nothing myself could do.to reset myself an easy procedure. Why they didn't tell me after having the truck for 11 days the motor is a 2010 and chassis a 07 new body style.. I was told they ordered the wrong part which i believe was a lie seeing this is their job. I'm very familiar with these state of the art GM computers as I dealt with them on a daily basis when I was working. I am positive the diagnostic program  stopped ,raising a prompt(red flag) motor vin doesn't match chassis components hence communication issues.Very frustrated with how the service department heads Dont seem to do their jobs to the best of their ability's I have filed my complaint with Corporate which they accepted and sure some investigation hopefully started.I'll be getting the full data diagnostic report back any-day now. complete data diagnosis from the day dealer installed  the ECM/PCMI. Truck acted and performed poorly and the day I brought it home it started itself and the remote starter was inside the vehicle. I'll be contacting a lawyer. Couldn't even take battery cables off to clean corrosion as I would have to relearn the resistor key again into the computer. I payed $1000 for a 2 year headache and I feel the dealership dropped the ball and should be held responsible for all my repair issues id the truck was reassembled correctly.

 

 

10 hours ago, dna9656 said:

 

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[dna9656]

There used to be a widget you plugged a 9 volt battery to and plugged it into what you and I would call the cigarette lighter. This was supposed to maintain the memory(s). I have one! I never used it because I got CRS! Maybe you can build one... q 9 volt pig tail soldered to a plug....can't be too tough...

How did you get an off year engine in your truck? Did yo buy it at a chevy dealer? In the dealer's defense; Is it routine to check serial numbers against the VIN on vehicles coming in for service? I would think so, esp. trade-ins. For example Music stores take in trades but before you can take something traded in home it goes through the cops who are looking for stolen property...certainly this is routine for high value items like a truck!

I knew a shade tree mech when i was working. "Shade tree' meaning not a professional and one who certainly didn't do professional level jobs, just a guy that persevered on a problem untill he 3/4s solved it; yeah, the truck ran.... sorta but not right... he took an engine out of a Dodge and put in a different engine without changing the things that should have been changed. Yeah it ran.... sorta... and he'd turn this truck and others like it for side money. He never got the title in his name, he held on to the signed but undated title until he sold it to the unsuspecting. Cash transactions. Nice guy huh?

[Jeff Van Portfleet]

21 hours ago, dna9656 said:

There used to be a widget you plugged a 9 volt battery to and plugged it into what you and I would call the cigarette lighter. This was supposed to maintain the memory(s). I have one! I never used it because I got CRS! Maybe you can build one... q 9 volt pig tail soldered to a plug....can't be too tough...

How did you get an off year engine in your truck? Did yo buy it at a chevy dealer? In the dealer's defense; Is it routine to check serial numbers against the VIN on vehicles coming in for service? I would think so, esp. trade-ins. For example Music stores take in trades but before you can take something traded in home it goes through the cops who are looking for stolen property...certainly this is routine for high value items like a truck!

I knew a shade tree mech when i was working. "Shade tree' meaning not a professional and one who certainly didn't do professional level jobs, just a guy that persevered on a problem untill he 3/4s solved it; yeah, the truck ran.... sorta but not right... he took an engine out of a Dodge and put in a different engine without changing the things that should have been changed. Yeah it ran.... sorta... and he'd turn this truck and others like it for side money. He never got the title in his name, he held on to the signed but undated title until he sold it to the unsuspecting. Cash transactions. Nice guy huh?

 

[Jeff Van Portfleet]

I bought my truck from a used lot a friend owned. I assumed everything on the truck was fine, clear title and no faults from message center everything performed 100%. Only fault that was correct was a low tire pressure sensor replaced and back to everything working. When the truck went into l anti-theft mode (i opened the door on passenger side when my dog had accidentally put his foot on the lock/unlock switch. I couldn't get my keys or remote fast enough it reached its 10th chirp.(this is a warning that anti theft activation starting and after 10 chirps it is locked up. This has happened in a previous Silverado I had and followed the reset procedure and started right up.. As far as the dealership goes their Super GM Computer runs its diagnostic program which will let the tech know  whats not functioning properly and the first prompt would've let them know the last 8 numbers from the truck vin and the engine #s don't match and after replacing another bcm programmed to trucks vin number nothing changed as the engine wasn't communicating with the main computer ECM. The business i purchased the new bcm told me ALL electronic modules must match. if they dont they can patch like they do when engines get swapped out for whatever reason. When I looked at the engines thats lazer etched right below the oil fill and read the vin I was in a sense relieved I solved a 2 year headache but at the same time started doing a slow burn with the dealerships response which was unacceptable. The 2010 engine is more electronically advanced than the 07 and I was told the  New ECM and BCM was programmed for a 07. I hadn't even driven off the lot and my dash lit up like a Xmas tree. They reset all faults and it was fine on my 2 mile drive home. Half hour after im home i heard someone pull up outside so I looked nobody's there and I see my exhaust steam coming from the tailpipe. The start of the modules basically getting a electron virus causing many strange happenings. I payed slot of money only to have more problems and all I want is the dealership to acknowledge they screwed up and my truck to be as it once was. 

[dna9656]

Well, I'd start out with a firm talking to with your dog, after all this all started with the dog....I have a little dog who sometimes gets on my desk looking for food; he steps all over the keyboard (wouldn't matter if i turned off the computer but I don't) and his stepping screws up the settings on the browser or worse.

I would be very surprised if you get much traction with the dealer. It seems the last few generations of mechanics don't think or believe they should check their work; they apply the fix (and they must be pushing the vehicle to the ready line) and part the vehicle. Customer comes out, hits the starter (or drives the 2 miles home) and the vehicle (figuratively) blows up, won't start, has the same symptoms. The thing is they got your money and you usually don't get a guarantee that the work solved the problem.

Didn't you say you're a former GM dealer master tech/service writer? Seems to me if you haven't you ought to apprise them of that fact if true. I make a point of telling people that work on my vehicles that I spent 38 years in the vehicle maintenance field, be it airplanes, vehicles of all kinds (every vehicle you would find on an air port and some special purpose ones too) and marine maintenance. I have been around and seen a lot. My experience includes time in the Arctic (4 years) time in more mild climes and in Southern Florida and West Texas where heat can do some weird things but not like my friends experienced in the Gulf War. I certainly don't know what I used to know but it's my way of telling the mech. or the service writer that I know BS when I see it; I know what good (or "best") practices are and a Road Test/looking over your work is always good practice. For me there was nothing like the embarrassment I feel when the customer's vehicle I fixed or QA'd out to the ready line is any displaying faults; especially the one(s) that were supposedly fixed and it's worse when there are additional faults.

Incoming QA is important; you have to find all the obvious (visual) problems and list them, the hidden ones or ones that weren't on the work order are much easier to justify their being missed while still an opportunity to gain trust and make a little more money honestly AND gain a loyal customer.

I think this should be the general attitude at all maintenance shops, Mechanics should show some self pride and self respect, and respect of the customer and their bosses by doing it as right as possible the first time. Anyway that's my philosophy.

[Jeff Van Portfleet]

Your the man whose learned much throughout the years. I look at things in a way of trust. Dealership of Chevrolet they're the ones that'll fix it correctly. 1st mistake. The worst service department for GM Ive had much displeasure of associating with.They didn't do as we once said at GM, "Say what you do, Do what you say and be able to prove it" Prove to your customer your trustworthy. More greedy and lazy what i saw.My years working for GM meant nothing to them it's an older model. If your truck broke down in a new area your living know nothing of local trustworthy shops No brainer th local GM dealership will have this fixed quickly. Nope truck was held 11 days with the excuse of wrong part ordered. I believe a lie. Had a friend run a scanner thought he'd get it fixed leaving my home very frustrated he couldnt figure out why??? Yes i should've taken the truck back on several times a new component warning light started showing . I was thankful at that point The truck even started worried about am I having to relearn key every single time battery is disconnected? I took the truck in a normal work order went out I went home relieved Its gonna cost alot but F it im tired of the truck not being 100% functional. 2 years later after thinking they couldnt of Botched the new flashing of NEW ECU and body control module. In closing all I can say is a normal person would take a vehicle in to get it fixed and not expect to leave the dealership with more problems than what they brought it in with the anti-theft kicked in past key three I could not get it out like the manual told me After that day I knew something was very wrong but it couldn't figure it out It's 2 years trial on air And I finally figured it out myself and I'm so upset with dealership that they dropped the ball didn't see that the truck had a 2010 engine at the numbers didn't match on the computers and that's why all these strange happenings were going on and they won't Step up and say hey we ****ed up What can you do to make it right So yes I need to get on their Facebook page and tell anybody that'll listen Be very careful make them check their work and I'm in the process now of trying to make sure that the new computer and the new body control module In fact you and not acid wash the DCU in reflash the programming that can all we know what we're doing he doesn't know nothing about this he'll never catch it I'm very educated in this field though and I see that they really screwed up But I'm more individual to the money that they take care of 11 days my trucks sat there 9 days with my driver's window down because the battery was dead when it went into the shop when I asked him to put the window up when it sat in their yard It rain the whole time Chuck was in the shop parking lot all the lights are on said I paid you guys a lot of money to fix my truck so I didn't have to deal with the snow more clear the codes so they notated that there was something wrong with the truck still but they cleared the codes if there was something wrong with the truck why we wasn't it fixed to begin with when I brought it in so I didn't have to keep dealing with a new headache every other week it Almost possess me because I couldn't figure it out I just want them to be held accountable for two years of misery and grief When I needed information from them they blew me off A few days out of your one you want to Oh sorry sir You're a few days out of your two year warranty Oh what the **** is it I wonder  warranty because I trusted you to take care of me a General Motors employee and they treat me like I was just to walk off the road piece of ****** that you just wanted to get over with Go home You get what you pay for I paid a lot of money Enter jackets anything And I paid for I quit a dumbest job myself now for less than $300 complete Put no problems I went to the point of putting six gauge ground wires on everything thinking my ground was bad Jesus Christ I'm tired of this I'm thinking of replacing this vehicle with a Dodge truck that's how tired I am and after 32 years of working for General Motors, being loyal to my employer and his is how I get paid back ? I've talked to a lawyer We're going to find out what and how why they didn;t do their JOB.I know this is a long story but if you could have seen what I've seen dealt with what I dealt with you would be so sick you'd be spitting bullets too I only want straight forward answers  somebody just to listen to me because Im not a liar.Why they left my vehicle dirty inside seat still wet I never wanted to deal with these backwards idiots again. Think a fact based shorter version needs to be posted on the dealers FB Page.

[Jeff Van Portfleet]

Is their 1 honest person that can help me as this wasn't the 1st times a motor swapps been done, worked as designed and something electronically happens ,(Pass 3 locks up) and nobody believes you or stands behind their work and they wanted me to pay for a new diagnostic.... No I invested in a great updatable scanner so shops wont screw me over again . Are there honest shops out there cause today seems nobody care about anything but the $$$

[KARNUT]

Not ever have a problem like this personally I can only offer a suggestion. Find a programmer who may be able to reprogram or identify any modules you may have to replace. Identify if you have ground problems or possibly rodent problems. Possibly search and find a shop who can work on if for you. Or sell it while disclosing your electrical gremlins. Most shops identify problems by plugging in their electronic tool that basically tells them what part or sensor to replace. Taking the time to physically track down electrical gremlin's would be very costly. I would recommend to most people don’t buy any vehicle less than a certified pre owned unless you have the ability to perform your own work.