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View Full Version : Please help before I push this car over a cliff!


mander487
10-08-2010, 07:00 PM
Hi everyone,
I have a '02 Alero 3.4L. It has 129,500 miles on it. Had 54,000 when I got it as a "high school graduation present" from my dad (Thanks dad :icon_rolleyes:) I'm the second owner, he got it from a chevy dealership,the first owner was a service writer at the same dealership. I've had it for about 5 years now. No mods,its just my "please get me to work and back without a light coming on" car. Besides the normal things most Alero owners have had going on it's been a pretty decent car. Lately, I've had something strange going on that's pretty much stumped my boyfriend(who mostly deals with Hondas and hates the fact that I own a GM product) and everyone that works at the shop where he works(most of which drive GM's). So the first telltale sign that the car ISN'T going to start, the remote(factory) won't work at all I have to use the key to open the doors. The lock buttons work, the truck button works. Then I try to turn the car over, I hear the fuel pump but it won't turn over. The radio will come on and then most of the time it'll shut right back off. Only light on the dash that is on is the "Check Engine Soon" light. Now this has happened 4 times counting today. The other 3 times, if you put the car in neutral and push it about a foot, the key chime will start chiming and the radio comes on and if you hop in real quick it'll start. Once it starts the radio shuts off sometimes and the gages don't work and a bunch of lights are on including the "Service Vehicle, Trac Off, Anti Lock, Security, and Brake" lights. My boyfriend ran the code and come back with nothing and of course by the time I get it across town where he works the things starts like nothing ever happened (I think its secretly laughing at me too). Well today it did something really weird. It did all these things above except today when some co-workers and I pushed it, it wouldn't start AND the chiming noise was going off after I wiggled the battery cables, but the keys were in my hand and the door was closed. So I wiggled it again and it stopped. Then randomly, I sat in the car while I was calling Verizon roadside assistance to come tow this piece to my boyfriend's shop and everything lit up and it turned right over but again none of the gages worked and all those lights were one. Does anyone know what is wrong with this car or is it just possessed??? The local Chevy dealership said it was the BCM (body control module) I'm hoping they're just feeding me a load of crap cause I don't have money for that, my brother thinks that there's a pinched wire in the steering column as this is what was going on with his buddy's Achieva. Someone please help me before I take this car to Carmax and trade it in for a Honda :( (At least I know my boyfriend could fix that lol)

cherrington17
10-08-2010, 07:29 PM
ok.. so... welcome aboard, but learn to indent. :lol: (i'll let it go, your new)

anywho.... the car is having "roaming" electrical issues. i'd have the battery tested, and the alternator. If your b/f is good with cars, the alt on the 3.4 should be no problem to get off. (or you might be able to.. its pretty basic)

check the connection of the cables on the battery. Sometimes some corrosion gets in there and causes havoc. Take each off, clean them, and put them back on nice and snug.

The BCM could be the culprit. Its under the glove box. Some cars have a small water leak that pools right ontop of the BCM (wonderful engineering) The good part is that you can get one from a junkyard (or one being scrapped on site) and have it flashed to your car. MUCH cheaper than the dealer doing it.

robalero
10-08-2010, 07:46 PM
your bf only likes honda's because a 2 year old can figure out its easier to push off the cliff then worth fixing haha lol j/k

but really tho what cherrington said could be however you said your only having this issue when you use the remote? I think its your anti-theft not working properly and may need to be re-learned. your battery terminals aren't tight enough if you can move them too btw please use a 8mm socket or wrench and tighten them up because that is more then likely the issue you are having is loose wire connection.

a garage cannot diagnose its a BCM without properly looking at it the chevy dealer sounds just like their trying to get your money

Redog
10-08-2010, 07:50 PM
Sounds like the battery or Alternator has a problem like Cherry said. Sounds like a ground issue.

I'm thinking the grounding bolt on the back of the alternator is loose. Very easy to get off. 3 15mm bolts, two on the front and one on a stem in the rear. Takes me about 30 to 45 minutes to swap out the alternator after buying 3 dead units, right out of the box, from Autozone. Should be easy enough for even a Honduh guy to remove :lol:

mander487
10-08-2010, 09:49 PM
Thanks you guys for the help. I'm working on the indention ;) Honda boy's going to take it with him to work tomorrow.

It is now currently starting and driving like normal except the remote still will not unlock/lock the doors, gages and radio still don't work, the horn doesn't work, and the A/C doesn't work. And I don't hear the fuel pump hum before it turns over. Everything else works even the blinkers, lights, windows and sunroof.

The light on the radio is blinking like it does when the car is off. I'll show him the suggestions you guys gave and hopefully he'll figure it out.

I'll keep you guys posted and thanks again!!

Redog
10-08-2010, 10:54 PM
For the remote thing, could you just need a battery in the fob?

The gauges, radio, and AC thing. Same thing happened to me when the alternator took a crap. With the car running, hook a voltmeter up to it. If it's reading around 12, the alternator to shot.

GM cars have this little warning thing in them when the alternator is going. The gauges will go all the way up to the max, then back to zero, then the fuel gauge, tach, and temp (if the car's warm) will read the correct reading. the trip odometer will also reset.

If your driving with no gauges, etc. What I think is happening is the BCM cuts power to all the unnecessary things and puts all it's power to the thngs to just keep the car running, like the coils, crank sensor, cam sensor, IAT, MAF, etc, etc since the car is running straight off the battery

mander487
10-10-2010, 08:15 PM
Thank you guys for all of your help!

It ended up being the ignition switch module. We got a one and switched it out this afternoon and everything fired up like new, you know besides the 20 miles I drove it yesterday while none of the gauges were working that are not on the odometer.

Thanks again guys!

cherrington17
10-10-2010, 09:45 PM
so your gauges still aren't working? I'd still check the BCM for water damage.

maybe a bad connection in the gauge wire harness, itself? unlikely, but possible.

mander487
10-10-2010, 11:54 PM
Oh no they work now.

Yesterday when I drove it to his shop then drove it back home they weren't working but now everything is working even the remote.

zzyzzx
10-11-2010, 08:59 AM
For the remote thing, could you just need a battery in the fob?

I was also thinking about this one. Given the age of the FOB, and the fact that I don't trust the batteries in them past about 7 years...


GM cars have this little warning thing in them when the alternator is going.

Dash light.

cherrington17
10-11-2010, 10:41 AM
Oh no they work now.

Yesterday when I drove it to his shop then drove it back home they weren't working but now everything is working even the remote.

so to the shop to get fixed, they didn't work.

after fixed on the way home, they didn't work.

next day they did work?


that sounds like something else is still going hay-wire... if i'm interpreting this correctly.

Redog
10-12-2010, 02:27 AM
Dash light.

No all the gauges will max out, then go back to zero, then at the correct reading at start-up.

My belt was slipping like crazy once in the rain, voltmeter was at 12, power steering wasn't working, but no battery light :rolleyes2:

mander487
10-18-2010, 08:05 PM
So what happened was, whenever I would take it to his shop it wouldn't mess up. So no one could really figure it out because it wasn't doing anything wrong while at the shop.

We switched out the ignition switch the Sunday before last(10/10) and it ran perfect UNTIL, last Saturday (10/16).

I took it back to his shop(10/16) and it finally messed up while it was there. They thought it was a loose ground wire and turns out its my BCM.

My brother is shipping me one tomorrow,hopefully the car will get me back and forward to work until I get it. I'll keep you guys posted.

Redog
10-18-2010, 10:54 PM
you know besides the 20 miles I drove it yesterday while none of the gauges were working that are not on the odometer.



Same thing happened when my alternator took a crap and I was driving straight off the battery

Lucalare
10-18-2010, 11:14 PM
My friend's Cavy did this. The solution was we cleaned the battery terminals, and all the problems stopped.