Nicka,

Thanks for your post. My tahoe was made 1/08.

On 2/11/09 the performed the following:
PERFORMED BATTERY TEST. FOUND BATTERY TO BE BAD
REPLACED BATTERY AND PERFORMED PARASITIC DRAIN TEST -- NONE
TECH NOTES INCORRECT BATTERY IN VEHICLE -- REPLACED WITH CORRECT BATTERY

The battery they installed is 89022168 - 6YR

This was done during the final repair attempt. Then the battery drained again.

On 2/16/09 it went back because I was getting DTC and CEL. Car started normally but lost brakes. They kept it for a couple of days then decided that a tech should drive it home for a road test.

On 2/18/09 they told me the issue is known and that they were working on it for the past 10 weeks. That a new firmware is out that necessitated a battery change. When I asked them when the solution came out, they told me 2/17/09 but they had to wait for the area manager or something to e-mail all the info.

I got the vehicle in 2/19/09 and this is what was written in the invoice.

FOUND BATTERY BAD CELL CAUSING CODES 921 D5400 C0560 TO SET
REFER TO DOC #2219821
REPLACED BATTERY AND REPROGRAMMED BCM WITH LATEST UPDATE.

Battery Replaced was 89022169 - 487YR 7YR

What's the difference with the batteries and what do the others have that had the same issues as mine?

Maybe you can make sense out of this.

 

As a very new owner I was getting worried as my car shut down the other day at a stop sign and wouldn't restart. After putting it in park it started right up and I drove to the dealer where they updated my software load. I'm hoping for our countries sake that GM is as good as I think it is. I have had lots of foreign cars of all types and I have taken a chance on america with this car and so far other than that singular problem I have been truly impressed with this car and quite happy so far.

 

Defender,

Here is my interpretation and some factual information. The bottom line, in my opinion, is that the people working on this vehicle either had no clue what they were doing or that they were not using the proper tools (i.e. GM Service Information software, and Technical assistance) at their disposal.

On 2/11 they installed the wrong battery and did most likely did not reprogram the BCM because they never even looked for a bulletin on this. They probably just assumed it was a bad battery and replaced it like they would on any other vehicle. The bulleting that they referenced on 2/19 should have been followed on the 2/11 visit. Bottom line is that it is clear that they did not have a certified Hybrid technician working on this vehicle or else he or she would have done their research.

They are full of it with regards to the 2/18 comments. It sounds to me that they replaced the battery on 2/11 with the wrong one and never reprogrammed the BCM. Them telling you that the solution came out on 2/17 is very fishy. It sounds like a “Cover your ***” routine more than anything.

With regards to what is written on your invoice from 2/19, there is no such code as a C0560. There is a C056D and a C056E which have to do with the ECU both relating to the EBCM (Electronic Brake Control Module). The first is for hardware performance and the second is for software performance. To my knowledge as well as referring to the GM Master DTC code list there is no such thing as a D5400 or code 921. I am not sure if one of those are codes from the battery tester, but they are not codes that would be stored in your vehicle itself.

They did install the proper battery (GM# 89022169) on the 2/19 invoice. The difference between the two is mostly the size and capacity I believe. The thought that the second battery they installed went bad because it was problematic itself is hard to swallow. It is most likely that they skipped a step like reflashing the BCM or something else occurred. Also, it is quite possible that you had a brake issue after they replaced the battery the first time if they did not follow the specific instructions for disconnecting and replacing a battery on a Hybrid. Judging by the fact they clearly didn’t search for a bulletin on battery issues the first time they probably never came across this bulletin either. The combination of putting in the incorrect battery, not reprogramming the BCM because they probably never searched for a bulletin, and the possibility that they did not follow the bulletin describing how to replace a battery on a Hybrid to avoid brake failure, all probably contributed to the problem. The more you share with us the more I find it hard to believe that your vehicle is inherently a “Problem” vehicle. It sounds to me like a lot of human error and a lot of BS. Now, this is purely my opinion based on years of experience in both working in the service department as well as managing it.

 

Actually, I read through the invoice before I left and asked some questions. They did mention that the battery originally installed in my Tahoe is the wrong type and is not the battery that came out of the plant. Furthermore, it is unlikely that it left the plant that way. They are suspecting what they call a LOT ROT.


I agree with you here but I sat down with the service manager and their certified hybrid tech. The dealer is GM Dealer of Last Resort.


I actually called them again to get an official document that the vehicle wouldn't start when they pulled it into the service bay. He said that the firmware was so new it could not be downloaded and had to be emailed to him. So I had assumed that I'm one of the first to have received this update. As far as I know, this update should address the charging system. It allows the voltage to ramp up quicker after a start and puts more amps into the battery. That is what I recall.


I checked my invoice again and the C0560 is correct. So either it is a typo, or they are pulling my leg.


I also wondered how a 4 day old battery went bad so quickly.

 

FYI, this is what the BCM reprogramming after battery replacement is designed to do. Also, FYI, SPS programming can not be sent via email so I am not sure what he is talking about. ALL programming is done through what is called Tis2Web where the software is downloaded from GM TIS to your car from the computer to the car either directly connected or done through the Tech II computer.

I know you have sat down with them and they are trying to explain things to you, but I still call Bull Sh**.

Good luck and I hope that you don't have nay more problems while you are still in your truck

 

Now that you mentioned it, he did say something about the firmware not being in the TIS yet. It was so new the details had to be emailed to him. So I was teasing him then about being a beta tester for the new code. "Maybe GM was tired of me going back so they released a firmware that suppressed the error messages and the CEL instead of fixing them." I'm starting to feel there might be some truth in that so that my vehicle will not stall anymore during the arbitration.

 

I can say with confidense that they would not and can not do that. There ar eover 30 modules on that truck that have to constantly communicate and there is no way that they will create anything software related for one vehicle. Also, there is no way to suppress a MIL.

I think there is a good chance that your truck is fixed now, and all you are getting from the dealer is BS. It is possible that software updates will come out as they do all the time, but they are not creating somethign specifically for your vehicle.

 

Well, Ironic things do happen!

I went to the train station tonight to pick up my wife. I parked my car and locked it so I could go greet her. We get to the car and, you guessed it, it would not start . I had to have AAA come and I was able to start it after having the jumper pack hooked up for about 3 minutes.

I am going to my dealer tomorrow and am guessing I will need the new battery and BCM reflash myself. Because of this topic on this forum and all the posting I did about it I couldn't do anything but laugh

 

Welcome to the club. Watch out. You might get the same BS from them. The good thing is it happened when you were not in motion. It is your time to share after the vehicle comes out of the shop.

 

Luckily many of the techs there used to work for me and I know the service manager who replaced me well. I just got my Tahoe back a couple weeks ago after they had to replace the engine and it has been fine up until tonight. I am pretty confident it is a battery issue so I am going by there in the am. I will let you know what happens.