C6 Z06 Battery Replacement - Update

Well, the Z is back over at the dealer. This time I went to the service
manager and vented. He was "shocked". I hope so. Now the check engine
light is on and the traction control doesn't seem to be working. It has
been one computer controlled device problem after another. I told him it's
time to replace the computer and he said, "which one?" There's one for
every system he said. I figured there was one that ran the whole car.

As I was checking the car in at the service desk, a "kid" (25 year old
computer geek) came in and told us there was a new bulletin on battery
draining problem. Then a couple of hours after I left the dealer they
called to ask me what gear I parked it in. Well, it's reverse, which per
Dad's post below, was only an issue in 2005.

I told them to keep the F**cking (I starred for Arnie) car all week and put
the geek on it non stop as I'm ****ed. Haven't heard from them today.
I'll report as I know more.

Out, Ed

"Spud" > wrote in message
...
> Well, the Z is back over at the dealer. This time I went to the
> service manager and vented. He was "shocked". I hope so. Now
> the check engine light is on and the traction control doesn't seem
> to be working. It has been one computer controlled device problem
> after another. I told him it's time to replace the computer and he
> said, "which one?" There's one for every system he said. I
> figured there was one that ran the whole car.
>
> As I was checking the car in at the service desk, a "kid" (25 year
> old computer geek) came in and told us there was a new bulletin on
> battery draining problem. Then a couple of hours after I left the
> dealer they called to ask me what gear I parked it in. Well, it's
> reverse, which per Dad's post below, was only an issue in 2005.
>
> I told them to keep the F**cking (I starred for Arnie) car all week
> and put the geek on it non stop as I'm ****ed. Haven't heard from
> them today. I'll report as I know more.
>
> Out, Ed
There has been an on going problem with the wiring in the steering
column that causes the active handling to light up the DIC. Seems the
wiring harness is to short to use the steering column adjustment to
it's full up position when you get in/out. It pulls a connector apart
just enough to cause arching and then enough carbon builds up to cause
intermittent contact. Took me about 2 hours to take it apart and
loosen up the tension and clean the contacts in the connector and then
zip tie it so it couldn't pull apart. That has been 7 months ago and
no more codes have been set, they were coming on ever time it was
driven.

The last bulletin I saw on a dead battery problem was 3/23/07 and was
due to a passive entry program problem.

Hang in there, it can get worse.............

Ok, per Dad's earlier reply:

================================================== =
>While you're there ask them to check the parasitic draw., should be
less than 25Ma. That is the standard for a fully charged 660 CCA
battery to drop to 9.0 volts or less in 30 day in normal temperatures.
It could be as bad a 250Ma and still start it in a week of inactivity.
One amp will kill it in less than a day. NOTE--- this can be
intermittent as a module wakes up with a stuck relay in the circuit.

If you have Onstar it gets worse, as its' modules wake up and go back
to sleep repeatedly. If you do and have Lojac you are duplicating
activities that may conflict.

================================================== ==========
Ok, they say the parasitic draw is 0.44 mA.

I suggested they just need to replace the battery.

"Spud" > wrote in message
...
> Ok, per Dad's earlier reply:
>
> ================================================== =
>>While you're there ask them to check the parasitic draw., should be
> less than 25Ma. That is the standard for a fully charged 660 CCA
> battery to drop to 9.0 volts or less in 30 day in normal
> temperatures.
> It could be as bad a 250Ma and still start it in a week of
> inactivity.
> One amp will kill it in less than a day. NOTE--- this can be
> intermittent as a module wakes up with a stuck relay in the circuit.
>
> If you have Onstar it gets worse, as its' modules wake up and go
> back
> to sleep repeatedly. If you do and have Lojac you are duplicating
> activities that may conflict.
>
> ================================================== ==========
> Ok, they say the parasitic draw is 0.44 mA.
>
> I suggested they just need to replace the battery.
Are you really saying .44 mA? If not the manual says that the battery
will still start the engine after 15 days at a 44 mA rate. Was an
extend reading made to see if any waking modules added to that
reading. At nearly twice the normal parasitic draw I'd still guess
there is a problem.

Just to cheer you on there is a notice in the diagnostic aids that
says, "Do not turn the parasitic draw test switch to the off position
with the engine running. Damage will occur to the vehicle's electrical
system." They're talking about tool number J38758 not just any ol
meter. This meter is hooked up in line with the negative terminal and
the vehicle is then driven up to 30 minutes and all electrical items
are to be used during that drive. A fused 10 A jumper is then place on
the terminals on the meter when the engine is shut off and is required
to go 1 minute without blowing. If it does blow then a search of all
circuits is required.

Not really funny but the group writing this manual still calls an
alternator a generator.

Ok, got car back from Chevy dealer as follows:




J# 1 19CVZ ELECTRICAL

CUSTOMER STATES BATTERY GOES DEAD AFTER SITTING 4-5 DAYS.
INSPECTED AND CHECK BETTERY WITH TESTER
CHECK FOR DRAW IN STSTEM AT .40 AMP. WITHIN FACTORY
SPEC'S. NO SHORTS IN STYSTEM AT THIS TIME.
WORKING PROPERLY AT THIS TIME.

J# 2 35CVZ LITE LINE

CUSTOMER STATES CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STAYS ON
CHECK FOR CODES # P-0420LOW CAT. EFFIENCY
REPROGRAM COMPUTER

J# 3 45CVZ MISC
CUSTOMER STATES TRACTION CONTROL INOP
REFER TO LINE # 2



I took the car out Sunday after church to the closed office and warehouse
area of town and drove the **** out of it. Got tires from 31 psi up to 35.
Oil temp. up to 205. Strong brake smell. Hit 0.8 g's in a 360 loop in
front of a fancy office complex. Traction control seems to be working.
ABS functioning.

I know they didn't do a damn think about the battery problem. They also
mentioned I may have to store my key fob's in a farther point in my house.
Maybe I need to fabricate a lead box. And could be some drain from the
Lojac, which they sold me.

They've had the same tech, the 28 year old computer geek, working on it each
time. Maybe I need an old timer, if there's any left. I think I'll try
another shop across town next time.

Ed

I think you're on the right track looking for another dealer. The FOB
in these cars is totally passive until you press a button either on
the car or on the FOB. You can place the FOB 5 feet from the car and
it won't be detected. You can try that by making sure it is locked,
put the FOB 5 feet from the driver's door and try to get in. Once you
get 3 feet away it makes no difference whether you're 5 feet or 50,000
feet away as long as you don't press a button on the FOB. Pressing a
button on the FOB causes the FOB to use a high power signal that the
car can relieve from hundreds of feet away. Clearly this dealer
doesn't know how the FOB works.

Next the dealer wasn't telling the truth when he said the drain was
normal. 400mA is WAY too high. At that rate a fully charged battery
would be dead in less than 2 days. That is not normal. Now if that was
a typo and the tech meant 40 mA, then a fully charged battery should
last about 3 weeks. The allowable drain is related to the battery
installed but the OEM battery should be in the neighborhood of 30mA at
most.

Maybe it was a typo and it was 40mA and it still went dead in a short
time. That means you have a bad battery. If the car sat on a lot for a
while before purchase with the dealer charging it whenever someone
wanted to see it, that will kill any battery in short order. It is the
deep discharge and recharge that is death to batteries. Yes, these
newer cars will drain a battery faster than the older cars did but a
good battery fully charged should last for almost a month according to
the shop manual.

I'd say the "did you park in reverse" was strike #1, FOB is too close
is strike #2, and there's nothing wrong with the car going dead in a
week is strike #3. Time to find a new dealer with a tech that can read
the shop manual.

On or about Mon, 6 Apr 2009 15:04:01 -0700, "spud" >
wrote or did cause to be written:

>Ok, got car back from Chevy dealer as follows:
>
>
>
>
>J# 1 19CVZ ELECTRICAL
>
>CUSTOMER STATES BATTERY GOES DEAD AFTER SITTING 4-5 DAYS.
>INSPECTED AND CHECK BETTERY WITH TESTER
>CHECK FOR DRAW IN STSTEM AT .40 AMP. WITHIN FACTORY
>SPEC'S. NO SHORTS IN STYSTEM AT THIS TIME.
>WORKING PROPERLY AT THIS TIME.
>
>J# 2 35CVZ LITE LINE
>
>CUSTOMER STATES CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STAYS ON
>CHECK FOR CODES # P-0420LOW CAT. EFFIENCY
>REPROGRAM COMPUTER
>
>J# 3 45CVZ MISC
>CUSTOMER STATES TRACTION CONTROL INOP
>REFER TO LINE # 2
>
>
>
>I took the car out Sunday after church to the closed office and warehouse
>area of town and drove the **** out of it. Got tires from 31 psi up to 35.
>Oil temp. up to 205. Strong brake smell. Hit 0.8 g's in a 360 loop in
>front of a fancy office complex. Traction control seems to be working.
>ABS functioning.
>
>I know they didn't do a damn think about the battery problem. They also
>mentioned I may have to store my key fob's in a farther point in my house.
>Maybe I need to fabricate a lead box. And could be some drain from the
>Lojac, which they sold me.
>
>They've had the same tech, the 28 year old computer geek, working on it each
>time. Maybe I need an old timer, if there's any left. I think I'll try
>another shop across town next time.
>
>Ed
>

Thanks for the input Dale.

On the FOB's, I have the DIC set to lock/unlock and set the alarm
automatically. I can leave the fob in the house and go open the car door.
If you have it set to honk the horn to verify, it honks when I'm about 60
feet away in an unobstructed parking lot.

I am going out right now and setting them the DIC to manual where I have to
press a button to lock/unlock. You may have hit the nail on the head!!

They say they've checked the battery and it's ok. I'd have to think they'd
just replace it if questionable to save shop time and rental car expense.

Ok, Dad, your turn.

On a side note, I talked to the salesman that sold it to me. I've bought a
couple cars from him and he's a great salesman. Been with them like 18
years. Asked him if business had picked up. Said it was grim since the
"B" word came out. I told him it was the only way to break the union.
Chevy can't compete against Toyota paying and extra 10 bucks an hour for
employees. And the no cost insurance for retirees. He said, "I don't get
any of that stuff they do." He just happened to be holding a George Will
article in his hand on the pending bankruptcy. The take was that the unions
gave too much to Obama's election campaign for him to allow the bk.
Hmmmmmmmm....

Thanks for the help,

Ed

Are you sure it is locked and will still open with the FOB more than 3
feet away? That isn't right. I have mine set for autolock and 5 feet
away it will not open. If you can really unlock with the FOB sitting
in the house then your RCDLR (Remote Control Door Lock Receiver) may
be faulty and may be the cause of your battery problem. The way it is
supposed to work is you pull the door switch and the BCM (Body Control
Module) asks the RCDLR if the FOB is at the door. The RCDLR send out a
challenge signal which the FOB receives. The FOB then responds with
its code which the RCDLR compares to the previously stored valid FOB
codes. If there is a match the RCDLR tells the BCM it is ok to open
the door. The FOB receiver that listens for the RCDLR challenge is
very low power. If you aren't right beside the car the FOB will not
hear the challenge and will not respond. If you are really getting an
ok to open the door with no FOB nearby then either the door was never
locked or the RCDLR is giving false validations to the BCM. I'm not
sure that turning off the auto unlock will do any good if it is
unlocking without the FOB nearby.

As an aside, the reason the FOB works from 100 feet way when you press
a FOB button is that when you press the button on the FOB it is the
FOB that is sending its high power signal without being asked by the
RCDLR and the RCDLR has a large receiving antenna so it can hear the
FOB from a long distance but the FOB can't hear the RCDLR from more
than a few feet.

As far as the auto lock working after 60 feet, try this, with it set
to autolock and beep, get out but stand right at the drivers door. It
should beep with the same timeout (9 seconds). The autolock works on a
timer after it senses the door shut and the FOB outside. As soon as it
senses the door close and the FOB is no longer inside the car it
starts timing. 9 seconds later, if the door doesn't reopen and you
don't press unlock or lock on the FOB, it locks. It never interrogates
the FOB again, just a fixed timeout.


On or about Mon, 6 Apr 2009 17:24:43 -0700, "spud" >
wrote or did cause to be written:

>
>Thanks for the input Dale.
>
>On the FOB's, I have the DIC set to lock/unlock and set the alarm
>automatically. I can leave the fob in the house and go open the car door.
>If you have it set to honk the horn to verify, it honks when I'm about 60
>feet away in an unobstructed parking lot.
>
>I am going out right now and setting them the DIC to manual where I have to
>press a button to lock/unlock. You may have hit the nail on the head!!
>
>They say they've checked the battery and it's ok. I'd have to think they'd
>just replace it if questionable to save shop time and rental car expense.
>
>Ok, Dad, your turn.
>
>On a side note, I talked to the salesman that sold it to me. I've bought a
>couple cars from him and he's a great salesman. Been with them like 18
>years. Asked him if business had picked up. Said it was grim since the
>"B" word came out. I told him it was the only way to break the union.
>Chevy can't compete against Toyota paying and extra 10 bucks an hour for
>employees. And the no cost insurance for retirees. He said, "I don't get
>any of that stuff they do." He just happened to be holding a George Will
>article in his hand on the pending bankruptcy. The take was that the unions
>gave too much to Obama's election campaign for him to allow the bk.
>Hmmmmmmmm....
>
>Thanks for the help,
>
>Ed
>

I'll investigate and report back tomorrow.

Thanks!

Ed