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ECM reprogrammed per recall - now car won't start

37K views 63 replies 12 participants last post by  Merc6 
#1 ·
2012 Cruze Automatic 1.4T - I've had the car myself for about 2 years. I had an issue with the car electronics acting funky and that was fixed with the negative battery cable recall. Car worked fine since that was done in November of 2015. The car was in the dealership for the ECM programming recall about 3-4 weeks ago, and now this past Sunday, the car freaked out on the highway. All the gauges died, all service lights came on, and the car lost power (step on the gas and you'd hit maybe 2500rpm). Pulled over and when I coasted down to about 5 MPH the car acted like it slammed into gear. I stopped, and shut it down, and ever since it fails to turn on. It doesn't attempt to crank. When you try to start it, the gauges do their self check and then all drop to 0 - the service stabilitrak, service traction control, service parking assist, etc all come on and flash. You hear a buzzing noise from the engine that sounds like the electronic break booster, but the car doesn't try to crank. Sometimes the radio comes on, sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes you can roll the windows, sometimes you can't. The dealer today said the code they pulled is saying no sensors or modules are communicating with the ECM, but they don't know why yet.

I don't know if this could be another negative cable issue, or if something with the ECM may have been damaged with the reprogram. Anyone else have issues after their recall and reprogram?
 
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#2 ·
For it to be the reprogramming, I'd think it would have to show up a lot faster than 3-4 weeks. As such, it's probably unrelated. The good news, it sounds like a "solid" problem. The dealer should be able to find it. (Nothing worse than a car that does that once every two weeks and then is perfectly fine on restart. Darn hard to fix that kind.)
 
#3 ·
If the ecm had been damaged the problem would have been immediate.

Off the top of my head, a major circuit is opening the moment a load is applied......could even be a battery with a broken internal connector.

Connector (under the top cover) count is 5....6 cells, 2 external terminals.
When a fracture occurs, the connector will 'draw up' as it heats......we are talking thousandth's here, and the battery goes 'open'.

This results in total current loss........yet a test, usually taken with no load and cold connectors will show normal voltage.
The moment a load is introduced, the voltage will show 0.

Often, low draw components, such as a radio, sometimes some lights, will work......until more load is introduced....then, back to 0.

So, my first thought is a battery with a second thought along the lines of a main circuit interruption.

Rob
 
#6 ·
Off the top of my head, a major circuit is opening the moment a load is applied......could even be a battery with a broken internal connector.
I could see that giving a tech the run-around, but I'd think the loss of all electrical power (for the tech) would be a big clue. Like going to crank and seeing everything die.
 
#4 ·
Based on Robby's explanation, it begs the question: How old is the battery? Original equipment or replaced when? The secondary question is: Has the Special Battery Cable Coverage #14311 been performed on this car?
 
#7 ·
Opps, my bad. Missed it completely. Hopefully the new cable hasn't gone bad in the ensuing 5 months.
 
#10 ·
An open battery while driving would mean the power from the alternator is no longer filtered. Major noise on the power system.

While battery is certainly possible, I'm not taking any bets against something like the ECM going south. Rare, but I won't say it can't happen. Or maybe a major screw up on the car's bus such that the BCM can't talk to the ECM.
 
#13 ·
They seem to not be sure what it is. The service manager who updated me said the technician was "at a standstill" yesterday - not sure why nothing is communicating. I spoke with them this morning and they said I would have an update today, but they close in 40 minutes.
 
#18 ·
Talked to the dealer yesterday - they were able to put me in a loaner car finally. They said they have decided it is either going to be an ECU replacement or wiring harness replacement. I asked if that was covered under warranty, but they said they didn't know and would be calling me today with an update, however I did not get a call today. Hopefully tomorrow I hear some good news. Day 9...
 
#19 · (Edited)
UPDATE:

Dealer called this morning and told me it appears there was a fire in the engine bay which melted the wiring harness, melted an engine mount, killed the tcm and may have damaged the transmission, and also the radiator may need to be replaced. They do not know the cause of the fire- they said it MAY have been an overheating transmission, but have no way to tell. They can't test the transmission because it won't start still, and can't pull data from the ECM due to the melted data line. They told me to get insurance involved due to the fire.

I spoke with my insurance and they said basically anything damaged by the fire would be covered but not the component that started the fire. So if the tranny started it, it is not covered. Insurance wants more information as to damage and cost before they file a claim, and are pushing me to blame recalls and warranty work through GM. I relayed that information to the dealership and they said they needed to talk to their field manager to try and figure out what to do as they have not had this situation before.

Ugh.
 
#20 ·
Call your insurance company back and tell them to get an adjustor out to the dealership ASAP. That's a bullshit response from the insurance company. I highly doubt the ECM reprogram caused this. While I agree this is very likely a component failure your insurance company, GM, and the dealership need to work out who's paying for what. At most you should be responsible for at this point is your insurance non-collision deductible.
 
#21 ·
Call your insurance company back and tell them to get an adjustor out to the dealership ASAP.
Make sure to point out the car has already been siting at the dealership for XXX number of weeks, might speed up their response time. BTW when My girlfriend took out the oil pan of our cavalier on a block of wood in the road, insurance adjuster was at the dealer the very next day.... No excuses for a slow response.
 
#26 ·
I'd like to hear what Robby has to say. If the transmission caught fire, I'd think GM would be on the hook for the whole thing since it was the failure of a covered part that started it.

However, I'm wondering how this happened without setting a code well before a fire started. IIRC, the transmission temp is estimated, but I'm sure slippage is monitored. (By comparing engine RPM and vehicle speed.)
 
#28 ·
I read about the NHTSA investigations into 2011 and 2012 Cruzes catching fire due to oil dripping onto hot parts due to a missing shield. The fire occurred right below the oil filter, so maybe that is the case? It sucks the dealership doesn't have a more definitive answer on what is happening. Like jblackburn said, I would think the tranny would have given out before catching fire or heating to that point, but I'm no mechanic.
 
#29 ·
I read about the NHTSA investigations into 2011 and 2012 Cruzes catching fire due to oil dripping onto hot parts due to a missing shield.
IIRC, the problem was a shield that would trap the oil and prevent it from reaching the ground. There was a recall to hack a chunk out of it to "fix" that.


The fire occurred right below the oil filter, so maybe that is the case?
That sounds more likely. You could have had a leak at the oil filter and it dripped down onto the exhaust manifold.
 
#30 ·
Dealer called back and recommended I contact GM directly and open a case with their claims team, at which point GM and the dealer will work together directly. They said they can try to work with them to get them to cover the costs of getting the car to a point where they can communicate with the ECM and modules so they can try to see what was happening at the time of the incident - although it was over 2 weeks ago, I don't know how long that information is stored.


Hopefully GM will agree to something and we can try to get more information out of the car.
 
#31 ·
Press State Farm......That roadside assist response was out and out b/s......if they don't want to play the roadside assistance game then stop offering the coverage.

Since there is fire or heat melting a wire harness mindset, this is a insurance claim since the car is out of warranty.......actually, even in warranty these are often insurance co. babies since the odds of finding the cause are less than likely.
A trans does not start a fire......that was dumb speculation on the dealers part.....

Someone speculated rodent damage and that is a possibility........also, a wire rubbing against metal, ultimately wearing through the insulation and shorting out, creating a fire is a possibility.

All that aside......speculation on all parties is a waste of time.

Your car has experienced a electrical fire.......State Farm is in the business of Comprehensive coverage.....Fire is a comprehensive claim......there is no discussion here......call State Farm in Bloomington Ill. if you must but it is time to become a PITA consumer.

If they want to subrogate the expense with GM down the road, that is their problem, not yours.

RAISE HEdoublehockystick!,

Rob
 
#32 ·
I am going to wait to see what GM and the Dealership come back with - if GM agrees to front the bill to get the car to a point where they can diagnose cause, that's fine with me. At that point, the cause will either be GM taking the responsibility, or if something not under warranty like chewed wires, then I will push State Farm.
 
#37 ·
Update: GM came back and said they found no manufacturer defects in the vehicle.


They cannot determine what the cause of the fire was.


All they know is that some data lines and TPM lines are melted.


Does anyone here know if a non communicative TPM would cause the car to not start? Trying to figure out if I should just bite the bullet and replace/repair said cable - but not sure if that is the actual cause of no crank.
 
#38 ·
It's an insurance comprehensive claim then. Contact State Farm and let them split the cost with GM.
 
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