Alero Electrical Problems

mikey610

I have a 1999 GLS with 39000 miles on it - a few months back the fan for the HVAC stopped working on the lowest two settings - I took it in last week and they replaced some circuit board that was bad - a $20 part, $120 labor. Now that I think about it - I should have tried to get it covered under my warranty( 3 yr, 36,000 miles) - I just didn't get it in on time.

Two questions:
1. I know of at least one other Alero owner with this exact same problem - any others?

2. Do you think if I talked (coerced) to the service manager at the dealership he would give me a break because I'm so close to the warranty limit?

burdawg

I had the same problem on my 99 Grand Am, same part, same HVAC system. $120 labor? It took me about 10 minutes to diagnose and 15 minutes to replace the part myself. The resistor board was about $20 though.
As far as getting reimbursed for the repair, you may have better results by talking to a regional service rep for GM. They may be more interested in customer satisfaction than a local manager.

burdawg

Actually, $120 is probably about right, since the time for the mechanic to get the part from the parts counter, drive the car in and out, put those paper thingies on the floor and seats, etc, has to be figured in also. It seems to me that $120 is the minimum labor for any dealer repair nowadays.

Kirstie_H

If you want to talk more about this, why not move it over to our more general electrical problems topic, "Electric Avenue?" Click here:

/direct/view/.ef0627d

I'm sure other members would be interested in this discussion.

kirstie_h

Roving Host

Edmunds.com

mikey610

Thanks for the info - I'll give it a shot at the dealer first before using my contacts at GM. I have to go in there anyway to get my warped rotors fixed...for the second time.

hounddog3

Yes I had the board or resistor replaced under warranty on a 2000 Alero at or around 12,000 miles.

junkman2

at around 30k. Fixed under warranty. The low-trac light (traction control system) is constantly coming on, even on dry pavement. Dealer has tried to fix this several times to no avail. Also had the intake manifold gasket fail, leading to coolant in the engine oil (also fixed under warranty). Also had the brake rotor problem many have discussed on other threads. Olds got a lot right with this car, and I do enjoy driving it, but my experience leads me to believe that basic reliability is a question mark.