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I would recommend taking the vehicle in on a day that is warmer so the dealer can observe what it is your are referring to. Please keep me updated on your situation.
Christina
GM Customer Service
I really wish I knew what the culprit was for all these electrical problems. I wonder if it is one thing like a shoddy, cheap voltage regulator or if it really is a combination of poorly designed components, bad grounds, faulty programming and bad wiring.
GM= :lemon:
In concept the Colorado is not a bad little truck, but design implementation and complete lack of GM/Chevy knowledge and lack of support have been a never-ending nightmare.
I never in a million years thought I would by anything but American, until my experience with the Colorado and GM. For any of you folks that haven't junked your Colorado/Canyon yet, get whatever is wrong with it fixed and while it is still working, trade it in quickly before the next thousand dollar mishap. I still can't believe they allowed this piece of junk out of the factory, never had a recall on all the electrical problems, and then had the gall to take taxpayer money to stay in business when the company earned a trip to the bancruptcy courts.
Colorado= :lemon:
24 years ago Ford "ticked "me off and I went to Chevrolet. Now G.overnment M.otors with thier who cares attitude has lost a23yr. customer,but Chrysler/Jeep have gained one and even though my vehicle is used I've been very happy so far.
It's funny I've been driving for 32 yrs. and have had 7 vehicles. 2new Fords, 4 Chevys only one of them brand new and this was the one that I had the most trouble with, and the WORST customer service from the dealer who sold it to me along with G.M. cust. serv.
Oh well we will have to see how this goes if and when I get a new vehicle again. Seems I surprisingly have had my best luck with used vehicles. Al6pndr
Eventually they agreed that all the problems had to be tied to the fried fuse block the truck had and offered to pick up 1/3rd of the cost if I would pick up a third and Chevy would pick up a third. The Chevy rep said no. The dealer was as dumbfounded as I was. I contacted the "customer quality care group" or whatever they call it. They offered me the equivelent of a "jelly of the month club" prize, something like "4 oil changes and a tire rotation, package valued at $450 dollars!" according to them. Right. What garbage. Over the years the weird failures continued to grow or reoccur.
In the meantime my wife traded her XJ6L Jag in for a Venza. She loves it. Everybody I talk to love Toyota, they all say the same thing, "no problems/good service/good resale".
I'm eyeing her Venza while my truck has the door lock/fob/window/dead battery deal for the second time, failed blow motor for the second time. I'm thinking about all the posts here on the fun stuff I haven't experienced yet like the dead instrument cluster, malfunctioning lights, wiper motor problems, cruise control problems. When do I get hit with that stuff? The mileage on the truck is up there enough for 'regular' stuff to start to go like the alternator, starter etc. I've already sunk more than a couple thousand into weird reoccuring problems that Chevy never heard of. Like I say, the Colorado is the gift that just keeps on giving to their parts and service reps.
It was just a nobrainer to get a Toyota this time. The quality is there, the design is there, the functionality is there. We haven't had to worry about support because so far, after two years with the Venza, nothing is wrong.
All I can say is I am so glad to be rid of the Colorado. It has to be the darkest chapter in Chevy's failures since the Vega.
John
I would definitely recommend speaking with a dealer about your concerns. Please keep me updated on your situation.
Christina
GM Customer Service
By the way the I-280 is a Colorado with a different front grill.
I have a few other strange electrical problems that I'll post shortly.
Regarding the fan connector - avoid using #3 speed as it pushes the most current accross the connector with the resistor. No fires yet
Check my earlier posts regarding the windows - my problem was in the fuse box not making a food connection with the fuse! I was leary about disassembing the whole box so I just bulked up the leg of the fuse. I think the Lord of Darkness designed the electrical system on this!
Good luck!
Sorry to hear that. Unfortunately I think it is your best option. This truck model is an electrical money pit. Well there is another option, sooner or later the "GM Team" will read your post, apologize for your frustration and then invite you to spend more money at your local Chevy dealer to experiment with trying to fix your problems. When that doesn't work, they'll offer you four oil changes and a free tire rotation "worth $450 dollars".
This thread had been going on for at least 4 years without any concrete leads. There have been a lot of good leads and thoughts, bad grounds, bad connectors, weak alternator, crimped wiring, burned fuse blocks, bad BCMs. It could be any of this stuff or a combination of anything.
In short it is simply bad engineering and a bankrupt company that refused to recall a defective product. After they raped their customers, they raped the taxpayers to stay in business. The sooner these things are in the junkyard GM will breath easier.
Also make sure your Colorado has had the head replaced under warranty otherwise it is big $$$ to do it on your own. Also don't forget the recall on the tail lights that may stay on, or not come on at all. Oh yes, it's not a recall until you have a problem with them, like getting rear ended. But that's what Chevy expects to happen to their customers... Buy a Toyota and get your money's worth.
The other problem with the blower speed resistor I fixed by removing the resistor and directly soldering the wires to the resistor. The problem with that one is oxidation on the spade terminals. There is quite an amount of blower motor current that goes through these connections. They tend to heat up and make what is called "oxidation". The more oxidation there is, the more heat is made, therefore the "vicious circle" causes the connections to go bad. The reason it works only on high is the high speed connection goes through a fan relay instead of the fan motor itself. On the high speed connection, there is very little amperage through it so it doesn't make corrosion on the terminal (oxidation).
Hope this helps somewhat with explanation of some very common problems.
It can be fixed. Humans put it together and humans can fix it if they are smart at troubleshooting. The best thing I learned troubleshooting electrical issues is that you have to create a load on a circuit under test to troubleshoot bad voltage connections, or you will not see the problem. In other words, if your headlights don't come on, leave the switch on and start back-probing with a DVM or test light. Unless you leave draw on the circuit, your test light or DVM will indicate system voltage under a "no load" condition. I cannot stress this enough in troubleshooting electrical issues. You have to have an assistant operate the door locks and or window while you are troubleshooting to find the voltage drop.
Sincerely, Master certified Tech, Light and Heavy duty vehicles and trucks.
If you still own a Colorado and take it to one of their dealers for this "nonexistant problem", just remember, the Colorado is "the gift that keeps on giving year after year"... to their service department.
GM= :lemon:
Gee, Randy Wise in Milan is only about 60 miles from me.
I've been following this thread since 2007 when I started having trouble with the fob/driver's window. There have been several good theories and it could be any one or a combination of issues. Bad grounds, bad fuse blocks, bad connectors, too small an alternator. The list goes on but none of the possible solutions are easy to implement or confirm.
Your best bet is to get the truck running and sell the think as quickly as possible before the next $1000 dollar problem appears or is uncovered. I'm serious. I think the truck is a great concept, bought mine new, loved the thing up until the nightmares with the electrical system started. The Chevy dealer was less than useless, randomly replacing parts saying, "This time's the charm", while the dollars flew from my pocket into theirs. I got Chevy involved and they tried dodge the bullet by offering four oil changes and a tire rotation. Since they have become Obama Motors there's a couple of "Customer Care Representitives" lurking the forum that will try to get you to spend more dollars at a dealership, but other than that, Chevy probably just hopes the Colorados and Canyons end up in the junkyards as quickly as possible. Customer satisfaction, loyalty and quality obviously don't mean much when the worst that happens is you get an infusion of Obamadollars to keep on trucki'n.
I finally gave up on my Colorado this summer. I traded it for a Toyota. I never, in a million years thought I would buy anything but American but Chevy deserves bankruptcy.
Seriously, cut your losses and get out of the Colorado. Unless you have a really good mechanic that can troubleshoot these weird problems, or the time to tinker with inspecting every electrical connector and ground on the truck, the desire to replace the alternator with one that can handle the load, get a new battery about every 3 years, don't mind burning BCMs out, window modules etc... get out from under it while you can.
GM= :lemon:
1. Look under the dash on the passenger side by the blower motor you will see a connector with I believe 5 fairly heavy wires. If you unplug that, you will find some terminals that are dark and starting to burn. This is the blower issue problem. I removed the resistor assembly (2 screws), trimmed the plastic material from around the terminals and soldered wires to the terminals. I cut the plug on the vehicle side and spliced the wires together with good electrical butt connector splices. Problem was fixed permanently.
2. The drivers window/door lock problem is a little more intense. Remove the drivers window/lock module and remove the plug in connections and use silicone grease (dielectric grease), available at a parts store on the connections. Reinstall and see if that fixes the problem. If problem does not re-occur it is fixed. If it does, using a wiring diagram, trace the circuit back to the door lock and window fuses. Check for voltage at the orange wire where it enters the drivers module for 12 volts while someone is operating the window or door locks. If no voltage, there is a problem between that and the connection that supplies power to the fuses. As a last resort, if no other problems are found, replace the drivers window/lock module (about $135-150). Give me a message with your email address, I can PDF the wiring diagrams to you.
BTW, the engine stalling issue you mentioned was probably not with the BCM (or Body Control Module), it was with the ECM (or engine control module). They may have told you the wrong unit. The BCM does nothing but control body functions, (lighting, windows, radio, etc). The ECM has total control over the engine. Based upon my 35+ years as a mechanic, problems rarely are traced actually to the computers. It is usually a sensor or connection problem. Experts agree with the above statement, as many computers are replaced and sent back to the rebuild center that are found with nothing wrong with them. I recently repaired a transmission speed sensor problem by removing the computer plug and silicone greasing the connection. Had I replaced the computer, it probably would have cured the problem in the connection also, but silicone grease is $1.50 where a rebuilt computer is $200+, and they would have gotten a computer core that there was nothing wrong with it back at the rebuild center.
ANYONE with one of these trucks should "fix it & sell it." A.S.A.P.!!!
Randy Wise Chevrolet Milan Mi. The worst dealer on the planet!!!
This is just one of my many problems with my truck. Cyliner heads (fixed @ 8000 miles and the truck has not been the same since), parking and headlamps malfunctioning (bad connectors), misfire during rt. hand turns (Chevy couldn't figure that one out either. It still misses and is a hazard & liability), windows don't go down (then mysteriously work 2 minutes later), cruise control (didn't work for 1 day and then mysteriously started working), heavy carboning of the throttle body, and now my most recent problem. What's next???
I still think its poor wiring and bad grounds (I get real bad static shock during the winter when I shut the doors. Don't know if that has any bearing on bad grounds.
As long as I can remember, all of my immediate family members have driven GM vehicles. I am extremely displeased with my Colorado. It has been nothing but a headache. Don't get me wrong, I like my truck for a lot of reasons, not to mention it's a great looking truck. However, with all the enduring headaches, repeated trips to the dealer(with no results of course), and cash thrown into it, I may have no other choice but to dump it, along with my loyalty to GM products. I really don't want to do it, but after reading the previous 49 pages of gripes with nothing more than getting referred back to the dealer where they can blindly throw parts at it, it's a great possibility. I will continue to monitor this website. GM needs to solve this issue by the time I'm ready to sell and get someone on here other than a rep referring me to another dealer and inviting me to throw away more hard earned money or GM will lose more than just myself as an "unvalued" customer. I will make sure to spread the word that GM cannot be trusted as a reliable auto maker. Especially when my profession puts me in front of 125 to 150 youths a day, each year. That's a lot of potential GM buyers.
Ok. I'm done ranting. If anyone has any info related to any of these problems, please reply (for the sake of all our sanity).
You can also contact the representative from the factory that is mentioned throughout this thread and request an Incident number to get this resolved at a local dealership.
Were you planning on taking the vehicle into your local GM dealership to be diagnosed? Please keep me posted.
Thank you,
Caron, GM Customer Service
I just had the same problems. Lemme guess.....dead battery, now the driver side window won't go down but the other 3 will and locks won't work at all but the FOB seems to work but the doors don't unlock or lock?
Here's how I remedied the situation. Replaced the battery. Remove the driver control panel (2 screws) and unplug the connectors, let them sit for a couple of minutes unplugged, and plug them back in. Might be a good idea to use some contact grease between the connections.
Don't take it to the dealer, especially if it's not under warranty. They don't know what the problem is and all that will happen is you will end up spending more than what you can "fix" it for yourself. They will tell you you need a new driver control module/BCM that will cost at least $350.
If I can figure it out (and I'm not a mechanic) so can you. Good luck and keep us posted.
If it acts up again, I am going to attack the fuse box connections feeding the drivers module.
Dennis Tomlinson "Certified ASE Master Light and Heavy vehicles". (Volkswagen to heavy semi trucks).
Area of most expertise is computer and electrical issues.
It was at that point I started to try and get some resolution from Chevy. It was pretty evident something was seriously wrong with the electrical on the truck. The dealer said they would cover 1/3rd of the bill and Chevy 1/3rd if I would cover 1/3rd. Chevy wouldn't cover their third. That's when contacted their "Customer Care Center" and got offered 5 oil changes and a tire rotation "valued at $450 dollars!
The truck was ok from 2007 (it was an '05) until 2010 when the window problem happened again. Well I shouldn't say "ok" because I replaced the blower motor a couple times, the engine head when the compression was flat in a couple cylinders, numerous lights, and finally gave up on the CD player. The secodn time the window/fob thing happened (dead of winter with the window stuck down) I took the truck to a competent (non dealer) mechanic that trailed the problem to the window module this time.
I've also heard of things mysteriously fixing themselves on the truck. I think there may be some truth in fully discharging the electrical system in the truck. I don't know much about vehicle wiring, but I do know something about computers. Given the BCM, ECM etc, and the voltages they work at, I don't think it is all that unbelievable that some error code/message is retained or that some prom is corrupted that resets when power is completely drained. Remember, a lot of these components only "go to sleep" but still require some amount of power even when the truck is turned off. Just leaving the key in the ignition keeps the BCM alive at a higher level than if the key is removed.
So, problem with the fuse block, definitely - mine was burned. All the other stuff, grounds, connectors too much paint on the body, faulty programming... could be any or all of the above. Unless you really like tinkering with the truck to solve the mystery, just write the thing off as a money pit, a bad investment from a company that should have gone bankrupt, cut your losses, sell the thing and never buy another Chevy product. Trust me, I know from experience, you will be doing yourself a favor. There are plenty of manufacturers out there with similar products that probably support their customers.
BTW does someone have any info on the fuse block recall or replacement?
Actually with my truck, the first time I had the window/fob thing was after three and a half years, the truck was just out of warrantee by like 6 months. That's the time the dealership said it was the battery, after replacing the BCM and fuse block. At the time the batteries were only available from the dealer for $130 bucks. The second time the window/fob thing happened, replaced the battery as a precaution. That was three years again, but it didn't fix the problem. I took the truck to a competent mechanic that trailed down the problem to the window door module.
You figured out the problem correctly:
GM Service.
You figured out the only solution that will work:
"I can't say that I will be purchasing another GM vehicle..."
They are not standing behind a flawed product. They went bankrupt. Obama paid back some political favors and bailed them out. Next November Obama will be gone. At that point they will have to be concerned about customer satisfaction again.
Seriously, sell the truck. I had mine for 6 years. For 4 years I had the endless electrical problems. I'd spend $500-$800 bucks each time, swear I'd sell the truck when it was fixed because of all the inconvienence, but then I would want to get my money out of the 'investment'. Things would be ok for another 6 months or a year and then some other weird electrical problem would crop up. Luckily I found a good auto shop that would find and repair the problem rather than "just guessing", but it was more $$$ each and every time. I finally gave up and bought a Toyota. I absolutely hated to do that, but GM earned that the hard way, by being penny-wise and dollar foolish. Of course it wasn't their dollars anyway but the US tax payers, but...
GM= :lemon:
I apologize for your frustrations. Has your dealer involved Technical Assistance? If you email me your VIN and current mileage I would be happy to look into this for you. I look forward to your response!
Christina
GM Customer Service
If this helps resolve my situation and others can be helped by this that is all that matters.
take apart the door panel.. the pins just might be sticking.. the driver side.. drivers like me.. so easy to click, click all doors, windows.. my truck has over 140,000 miles. around 80,000 i quit being lazy and took the door panel apart.. those pins sometimes.. get stuck.. or damage.. i micky moused it.. (with cut off sucker sticks) works just fine.. the heater.. use to cuz some kind of smoke due to the connecter.. fine i broke the 3 pin off no smoke. only can use on 4 level.. i don't mind i don't like to use.. the air cond, or heater for more then 5 min.s at a time..
After going to GM and buying the schematic for the truck. I found that the security system uses a paired key format.. Meaning the vehicle security system must be paired to an ignition key in order to link the common data bus for the BCM(Body Control Module). If the problem persists beyond this process, you will have to take the vehicle to GM, they will reset the BCM, but not tell you that. They will tell you it was a fuse and charge you 20 dollars. There is no tech bulletin on this issue. Gotta love GM
Solution:
Set the parking brake
Disconnect the battery terminals
put the key in the ignition and turn to accessory position
leave the drivers door open
reconnect the battery(you should hear quite a bit of clicking etc.)
get inside the vehicle and close the door
turn the key to off and remove the key
you hear the door lock actuators open the locks
You're done.
Sure hope this helps. This is my girlfriends truck, and of course hers developed the problem in the middle of winter and her window was down about 2 inches as she smokes.. Let's just say, I was under the gun to fix this. GM was no help. Wish you all the best.
I apologize for your frustrations. Has the dealer spoke with Technical Assistance? Have you spoke with GM Customer Assistance? I look forward to your response.
Christina
GM Customer Service
Any ideas? Wouldn't expect this out of a truck with 47k miles, but I've already had to do the brakes and tires so not too shocked at more problems.