Mr.Impulse

Okay, I’ll try to make this brief but I’m not too optimistic. I purchased a 2011 GS last month, with 12,3xx miles. The car was a GM buy-back. The original owner had ongoing issues with the battery dying and finally had enough. I was told the theory was that the owner was keeping his fob too close to the car, thus draining the battery because the fob is in pretty constant communication with the car (I know, let’s not go there).

This was all fully disclosed to me and I was assured the title would not be ‘branded’ as a buy-back. GM also tacks on an additional 12-12 to the remaining warranty. I’m covered and comfortable.
Second day I own the car, no start. I call the dealer to come get the car and they sent a flatbed out that same day to pick up the car. Very impressive, as the dealer is 185 miles from my house.

The dealer had the car for 10 days for diagnosis. They ended up replacing the OnStar module and returned the car to me. I drive the car to work the next day, no problems. Next day, no start. Grrr…. The service manager instructs me to remove the OnStar fuse, saying that I can at least drive the car but without OnStar or Bluetooth capabilities. No biggie. Meanwhile, the dealer is conferring with their GM rep to find out WTF the deal is.

Day after I remove the fuse and charge the battery, I drive to work, no problems. Next day, yeah, you guessed it, no start.

The dealer and GM are supposedly pow-wowwing on what to do next. At this point, I’m thinking that I can’t deal this with anymore and I tell the dealer that. I put new tires on the car prior to delivery and had the dealer install a Borla axle-back when they replaced the OnStar module. I’m worried that this is going to drag out until the snow flies and that I’m going to take a beating on the tires and labor to swap the exhaust out again. My salesman tells me they are going to make this right. All along, the dealer has been terrific to work with and I really have no gripe with them.

Supposedly, this has been escalated with GM (I would hope so) and I’m waiting to hear back from the dealer. I recharged the battery the other day and the car starts. BUT, the driver’s window went down about 2 inches and won’t go back up! I re-indexed the passenger window and tried doing the same with the driver’s side with no luck. I’m thinking the car may be possessed. In the meantime, I have a meeting scheduled with an attorney tomorrow to find out what my options are.

Dan

red2012

Now you know why it was a buy back. I don't care if they gave me the car for free why would you ever get involved with a buyback no matter what they promised you. Sorry for you troubles and it seems you will have plenty. Good luck.

ButWhatDoIKnow

The car needs to go back to Bowling Green for diagnosis and possible complete new wire harness. This is frustrating, but fixable.

KneeDragr

Yeah sounds like wiring. Nothing will drain the battery faster than a short. Since that window is acting funny, tell the dealer to check out that portion first.

Top_Fuel

Uhh...I'm not sure he needs to go that far just yet.


Just to be clear...when you say "no-start", you mean the battery is continuing to run down and it will not provide enough power to start the vehicle...right? You verified that the no-start condition was because the battery voltage was too low?

I wouldn't panic, run for a lawyer, or freak out. If the problem is that the battery keeps dying after the car sits, someone doing a parasitic draw check should be able to isolate the cause. The battery charge isn't evaporating. Something is drawing power when the car is off, and they should be able to find it. That's probably how they ended up pointing the finger at the OnStar box. They also may have gone after the OnStar box because of THIS TSB. Apparently that wasn't it, so they need to run their test again.

If you have access to a decent digital multi-meter, we could tell you how to hook it up to check the parasitic draw on your battery yourself.

I'm ***uming they have done a basic charging system check on your car and verified that the alternator is working properly?

This may not make you feel any better...but you are not the first C6 owner to go down this road. It's possible that your dealer is overlooking something (which is why it still isn't fixed). You may want to consider another dealer's service department for a second opinion.

Mr.Impulse

I have not done any type of diagnostic on the battery itself. This means nothing but the battery is brand new. When I went to pick up the car, it would not start at the dealer so they replaced the battery.

I am not convinced that it's a battery issue or any parasitic draw - initally. I could be wrong. On the non-starting days, I get into the car and all the typical lights (dash, running) go on. The radio works fine. As soon as I hit the starter button, everything goes dark. I wait 15-30 seconds and the lights come back on. Hit the button again and back to black. I get out, shut the door, and grab the keys to my truck. While I'm backing the truck out of the garage, the dash and other lights stay on. I'm assuming the lights stay on until the battery dies; I'm on my way to work by then. Thankfully, this has only happened at home, not on the 6th level of the parking ramp at work.

I've thought about going to another dealer but because this is my first Corvette, I'm not familiar with any Corvette-oriented dealerships in my area.

Right now, I will see what the dealer comes back with. I'm not panicking or freaking out (well, maybe a little ). My meeting with the lawyer is just to see what he has to say and what, if any, options I have. I'm not on the hook for anything.

It's just that it's been so nice lately and I have this smokin' Torch Red beauty, dead in the water in my garage.

Top_Fuel

The first thing you (or the dealer) needs to do is fully charge the battery and then LOAD TEST it to verify the battery is good (you can't load test a partially charged battery and get a meaningful result). This is a painfully simple and fast test, but many overlook this and it bites them in the butt later. Again...I ASSume the dealer has done this.

Go buy a cheap DIGITAL multimeter and keep it in your glovebox. HERE is one at Harbor Freight for $5. The next time you get a no-start, pull out the meter, set the dial to read DC volts, and touch the probes to the battery terminals. Now you will know for absolute certainty that your no-start is a battery voltage problem OR something else. If you have 12.6 volts on the meter (and the battery has passed a load test), the problem is NOT the battery.

You may be right. These cars have had other simple problems like loose solenoid and/or starter cable connections. You can chase your tail convinced of one problem, and the fix may be a simple as a loose bolt at the starter.

Just out of curiosity...do you have a Mild to Wild switch on your car?

HERE is another thread worth viewing.

Chevy Cust Svc

Hey Mr.

Will you please PM me with your Customer Care number and VIN? I want to make sure you have a case and are speaking to the correct department here. I am sorry you are having so many difficulties. I want to help and keep you on the road,

Kelly J.
Chevrolet Customer Care

KABAL182

Had very similar problem with my 2011 GS vert. Im just going to cut to the chase. Two different dealers had my car for almost 30 days. The starter was replaced, wire from battery to starter and ground wire. Still had same problem. The tech finally got someone from GM that told the tech to slightly ground down the tips of the starter bolts. I was like you have to be kidding me, and thought the tech was BS me. After thinking it over it seemed plausible. The GM factory rep said in not so many words that some bolts were not up-to gm standards and might be slightly longer and cause the starter base to lift slightly off the motor causing a short and losing "ground". My car was fine after this "fix". The tech ground off less than half a thread.

JCtx

Sorry to hear you learned the lesson of NEVER buying a buy-back car the hard way. Unfortunately, I believe a 'bought back' car is not eligible for the lemon-law again, but each state is different, so check yours. However, even if that's the case, it might be ILLEGAL to sell to the unsuspecting public a bought-back car with the original issue not resolved. THAT might be your only way out. I'd attempt to get GM to buy it back again before involving a lawyer, but that's your call. Good luck man, and please keep us posted.

ravill

Yikes!! What a nightmare.

Landru

Given your description of events leading up to your dead cell, and what's already been tried? Perhaps you might suggest to the servicing dealer they swap-out your ECM with one confirmed to begood.

Get in the car, everything on dash 'looks' OK, yet no start due to dead cell? Might very well be a bad computer, worth having the ECM checked at this stage while the fix is on their dime.

Hope it gets worked out, whatever it turns out to be. You've a beautiful ride. A bloody shame no dealer could rectify the issue.

Mr.Impulse

Trust me, that has never been my intent and I'm pretty sure I never intimated that as an option. The dealer has been in contact with GM and has initiated another buy-back. The ball is in GM's court now; and Kelly, our resident customer service rep, is looking into this as well.

I'm meeting with an attorney to get him the basic information of what has transpired so far. I just want to be ready for whatever happens next. Nothing more happens until I hear back from the General.

Top_Fuel

Interesting. There have been more than a few of these "no-start" problems that were resolved with a simple mechanical fix (like a loose bolt, bad ground connection, damaged solenoid, etc.)

OP, keep the updates coming. Hope something works out for you.

Mr.Impulse

Thanks Top. I think the dealer has pretty much thrown in the towel, as they didn't balk at my (reluctant) desire to return the car. In the 10 days they had the car, I don't honestly know what tests they conducted or what all the looked at. I'm sure they were very thorough; I trust them, for what that's worth.

Last Saturday, another dealer gave me the car's transaction history from the GM database. There was a 'Relay Replacement' on 3 different occasions in less than a six month period for the original owner. And there was an 'Engine Wiring Harness Junction Box Replacement'. Even though I believe there has to be a fix, these types of things make it hard for me to spend much more time wanting to chase it down.

Regarding your question from an earlier post, the car does not have the M2W switch (no NPP).

Just in a holding pattern for now, waiting for GM. I've been told they won't do a second buy-back but the general manager for the dealer says he's seen it happen before. We'll see...

Torchsport

Curious on how this turns out for you.

Top_Fuel

It's unfortunate...but that history of replacement parts may be an indication of how dealer service departments aren't set up to handle these types of in-depth diagnostic problems. A tech generally isn't getting paid until he finds your problem. He's getting paid a limited amount of time to diagnose the issue...so if he can't track it down in in that time, he won't spend forever on it because he won't get paid for the work. This can be even worse for warranty work, which can pay a tech even less. This is where the flat-rate pay system can work against the customer's best interest. You can't blame the tech for not wanting to work for free.

I once looked at a used Z06. The thing had the PCM replaced THREE times in a couple of years. Turns out the AC evaporator drain tube was clogged...and water was dripping onto the PCM shorting it out. The last dealer to work on it unclogged the drain and fixed it for good. The first two guys who worked on it just hung the new part and sent it out the door. There's no way this car should have had to go through 3 PCMs. But the system allows this kind of stuff to happen.

It's hard to imagine a dealer throwing in the towel on it. Like I said, it may just need a fresh set of eyes at this point...or even some diagnosis from an independent shop.

I understand your frustration. At least the dealer is willing to work with you.

The reason I asked about a M2W switch is because it can cause battery drain if installed incorrectly...which obviously isn't your problem.

joec

I'd like to know how to check for a parasitic drain... had my battery go dead on my 13 g's after 5 days... I do have a mild to wild....


Thanks

BlueAngelSAE

Don't get discouraged, the problem can be fixed although it may come with some frustration and a competent through technician, not a parts changer.

I am waiting to hear the outcome, I can't imagine that the dealer or Chevy will not do what it takes to get it fixed.

Top_Fuel

OP...any update on your car?!?!