Over the past 15 years or so we have had some electrical issues with some of the vehicles we owned. A 96 Cadillac Catera was the first with "E" issues. The windows and moon roof would just open and close on their own. The key fob would not release the doors. The wife got frustrated with it and traded it in on a dealer program 06 Buick. It worked well for quite awhile but once again problems with the electronics started. It was traded in on a 14 Chev Captiva.
The latest casulty is my 06 Silverado. I came home Friday night and the climate control fan would not turn off, at all. Even when the ignition key was turned off. It was on a medium speed so it would not take it long before the battery would be exhausted. So I thought until I had some light to investigate I would just pull the fuse(s). Hmm - I pulled all three fuses and it still kept running. Okay - well that means pulling the battery connection, and it is now beyond my capabilities. I took it to the local Chev dealership here in Vancouver Saturday. Unfortunately they did not have time on Saturday so hopefully they can easily find it on Monday. Really can't afford it to be too expensive.
Google is your friend. A quick search shows several youtube videos on this apparently common problem. Even if you can't fix it yourself, you can at least be an educated owner rather than getting a stiff bill...
It helps to know someone that is familiar with electrical and electronic systems and components. Most dealerships will test components and if something is not working properly or at all they just replace it. There is no such thing as a repair as with todays' rates it's cheaper to replace than repair. I am very fortunate to have a friend who is a very knowledgeable on electrical and electronic stuff and he enjoys finding the failed item and repairing it. He will even repair a printed circuit board if needed. I do agree with Canadiantim about google as often the problem and repair procedure can be found on Youtube. Usually the process is well documented and the steps and tools necessary to do the job are spelled out and shown .
And then the dealership mechanic has experiance with that make and model, can get a part from the parts department and return it easily if not required. An independent shop can not always return an eletrical part. In my 70 years of being in the business I pefer an experianced dealership mechanic, especially on the super complicaed cars made at this time.
I also prefer an experienced dealership mechanic for new vehicles. The process of dealing with service writers at large dealerships does not allow for personal contact with the mechanic and there is no way of knowing the mechanics experience or knowledge level. The independent shop I use has a very knowledgeable owner who is a "hands on" person and works with his mechanics and supervises their work. If he suggest a repair it is because of need or prevention based on inspection and not simply time and mileage. I took my wife's car to the dealership (not Chevy) for their loss leader oil change and after their complimentary inspection recommended $1500.00 worth of work. Some I was aware of but most was time and mileage based (60000 miles). The independent shop did a complete state inspection and reviewed the dealer list and made the necessary/ preventive repairs. The total cost was a little less than $400.00
And then the dealership mechanic has experiance with that make and model, can get a part from the parts department and return it easily if not required. An independent shop can not always return an eletrical part. In my 70 years of being in the business I pefer an experianced dealership mechanic, especially on the super complicaed cars made at this time.
Many fuses in modern cars. Check your owner's manual for correct fuse location. There was probably a second fuse for that blower fan circuit somewhere.
Usually disconnecting the battery is an easy thing to do unless access is difficult. Pulling a cable off and re-installing usually resets gremlins,but you will lose radio presets and warning lights.
I have had mixed results using dealers. Some just scratch their heads and charge their 100 buck an hour labor charge. Independent electrical shops are rare, but if you find a good one, treat them well.
Although I love Chevys and typically buy them for daily drivers, I think the AC Delco electronics are junk--especially the sound systems. Radio and speakers disintegrated quickly on both my Monte Carlo and now my Silverado. Truck speakers gave up the ghost two years after I bought a new truck. Pulled them out and replaced with good aftermarket units. 7 years and still working!
Usually disconnecting the battery is an easy thing to do unless access is difficult.
On these modern cars with all of the electronic components, when the battery is disconnected all of the settings (and in some cases including the stereo system as well) are cleared and everything has to be re-entered into the computer.
And then the dealership mechanic has experiance with that make and model, can get a part from the parts department and return it easily if not required. An independent shop can not always return an eletrical part. In my 70 years of being in the business I pefer an experianced dealership mechanic, especially on the super complicaed cars made at this time.
I certainly agree with Gene on the issue of who is most qualified to repair your "electronic computer on wheels".
Many of these "electronic technicians " were born AFTER 1985, have lived in the electronic age their entire life..
I have not seen the "head scratching" by a GM technician, when it comes to electronic problem solving.
I still own two GM daily driver vehicles, each one has several fuse boxes, each one has several computers ....... a mass of electronics mounted on 4 wheels.
Certainly, I will not trust either of these vehicles to the neighborhood mechanic who has no idea how to reset my " engine oil life monitor ".
I think it depends on the caliber of the "neighborhood mechanic" and the local Chevy dealer mechanic. I have done business with two of the largest Chevy dealers in the state and would only use them for warranty work as neither has impressed me and I could post several horror stories of their performance. My "neighborhood mechanic" (also the owner) on the other hand has never let me down in 20 years and is a lot easier to do business with. As an example when my truck had a little less than 36000 miles I took it to the dealer for a brake squeak problem. They told me I needed a brake job without looking at the truck because of the mileage and the fact that I towed and that was about all the mileage I could expect knowing how I used the truck. The service writer was an EX employee of the truck dealership I worked for and we were not sorry to see him leave. My neighborhood mechanic took the truck in-found debris wedged under a brake pad-removed it and sent me on my way N/C. This past inspection I had him replace the brake pads and it had close to 70000 miles. The only problem I can see in the future is he is getting close to retirement age and would like to stop working 60 or more hours a week.
Because of shoddy and boarding on fraudulent billing I will not take any of my Chevrolets to the local dealer. I have known the owning family for many years. Across the road is a GMC dealer. They are a bit better but still not even close to the quality one should expect from "factory trained technicians". I have told them what I thought was the problem on more than one occasion. In most cases I was spot on even when they doubted it. Give me a good independent mechanic that lives on his reputation and repeat customers. Not many have the overhead requiring robbing customers.
Steve, if the EX employee from your work place was the individual who told you the truck needed brakes, without an inspection, and he was released from your truck firm ........ you should have avoided him, at all costs.
I still maintain a Chevy dealership tech is the only guy I would see for an electronic issue, as in modern electronics.
We all can cite horror stories, I have one where a "neighborhood mechanic" did normal maintenance on a 1969 Chevy, meaning a L.O.F. and rotate.
7 miles later, that's 7 miles, not months, the '69 was towed back to the "neighborhood mechanic" because the car "stopped running"
That same "neighborhood mechanic" then charged the customer for an engine overhaul ....... and the not knowing customer agreed to pay !
In court, the bearings revealed a "lack of lubricant" .......so, yes, the maintenance was done on the car, by the "neighborhood mechanic" ..... but the oil drain plug was not secured ........ not with the car, when it was towed back to the "neighborhood mechanic".
The customer was charged for the engine overhaul AND THE DRAIN PLUG by the same guy who did the "maintenance".
HOW do guys like this exist AND sleep at night ?
The "neighborhood mechanic" hung himself in court, when questioned by the plaintiffs attorney.
"WHY did you install a new drain plug" asked the attorney.
"Because the drain plug was missing", shouted the "neighborhood mechanic".
BINGO !
I was there because the owner was suing Chevrolet, as well, for a defective car.
Needless to say, the customer collected from the "neighborhood mechanic", but collected zero from Chevrolet.
Now, this has gone off course from the topic of this thread, which is MODERN ELECTRONICS.
My wife and I have a friend, a 60 year old + lady, she has a 2009 chevy impala. She was in a near by city last week and her remote control trunk would not open. She went to a well known chevy dealer and asked them if they could help her get the trunk open. She waited 2 hours as they checked out the car. They told her the latch was defective and it would cost well over $400 to fix it, also, they said she needed new power steering hoses, new struts, and a few other things at a cost of over $1000. They charged her $87 for the inspection and asked her when she wanted to make an appointment to have it fixed! She replied never and is taking it to a local independent mechanic whom I am sure will fix it much cheaper (I have known him since he was a kid and have dealt with him a lot). She did not ask them to check over the whole car, just get the trunk open. That dealer will never see any of us on his lot in the future!
