Limp home mode

[raz1]

HELLO,

I handed down my daughter a 2009 Chevy Aveo5. Right after the 36k warranty was ended we started experiencing problems with the vehicle. She still lives at home. The two current problems are a slow draw which depletes the battery. We have gone through a few batteries in a year. This was our one and only problem initially. I took the vehicle into the Chevrolet dealer to check the draw. The service person called me back after having the vehicle overnight and told me that the vehicle had a low battery!!!!!! And asked if I would like to replace it.... After biting my tongue, I informed the service writer that I know that the battery was low and they were supposed to check for a slow draw. Approx. 4 hours later, a call back informed me that the Onstar was staying active while the vehicle was off and drawing the charge from the battery. Hedrick Chevrolet's fix was to pull the fuse for the component - stating that this would take care of the slow draw.

This worked for awhile, but then we experienced another problem. The vehicle would go into limp home mode. The error code was pointing to the throttle control. I had it diagnosed at a different auto shop. The folks there told me that the fuse that was pulled from was for more that just the onstar component. I do not know if this caused the vehicle to go into the limp home mode. This problem is very frustrating due to it being intermittant. The vehicle will drive normally for a trip or two then go into the limp home mode. My daughter pulls to the side of the road and shuts off the vehicle for a few minutes then restarts. Usually the vehicle drives normally for a distance.

The real concern is that my daughter is very petite and works nights - approx. 10 miles from home. I worry when she tells me that she has to pull to the side of the road and wait with her vehicle off. I have since put the fuse back into the slot because I dont know if this is somehow connected to the limp home mode problem.

I cannot believe that GM would allow such workmanship to go on without a recall on this problem. I have been checking forums on Aveo's and this limp home mode/throttle control problem seems to be prevalent. Any help would be greatly appreciated.. Thanks... Mr. running out of money.

[thankful_ragamuffin]

As Service Manager at a local Napa Autopro shop, this post just ticks me off. In this day and age there is no reason that this car should not have been fixed the first time it went into the shop. Parasitic draws CAN be found! All it takes is time to isolate suspect circuits. Find a shop that is competent with electrical issues, subscribes to a service such as Identifix or IATN where technicians all over the world share fixes for obscure problems, and does not charge flat rate. Removing the fuse only removes the symptom but doesn't fix the problem. What it does do is isolate the problem to a circuit serviced by that fuse. A competent shop should find the fault within 3 hours. The limp mode issue may or may not be related. Did the limp mode issue end when the fuse was reinstalled? Any check engine light?

[raz1]

The limp mode started after the fuse was pulled. I placed the fuse back in hoping that would take care of the issue, but it persist. I also bought a battery trickle charge and installed it for my daughter, so all she had to do was plug in when she got home. Unfortunately, she did not follow through with plugging in and I became upset and de-installed the trickle charger and got my money back. This vehicle issue has been a bummer on many different levels. I have been asking around about installing a kill switch that would totally eliminate the draw by disconnecting the battery. I know that this would reset all electrical components, but just looking for options. My daughter took out a loan and will be shopping for a mechanic to attempt to fix the limp mode issue. I will never by Chevy again. Looks like we are Toyota or Honda family now. My last 5 cars have been from the same Chevy dealership... I'm just fed up.

[thankful_ragamuffin]

I don't blame you. Dealerships operate on a flat rate system for their technicians. Diagnostic time is paid poorly so to earn a living wage techs default to "No Fault Found" for difficult diagnostics. What could take 3 hours to find they will only get paid for 20 minutes, so they don't look properly. The parasitic draw and limp home issue are 2 separate problems. The limp home issue should set a code and a check engine light. Find an independent garage that has a good reputation and go there. By the way, I met a fellow who was a tech at a Honda dealer. I asked him if they were as good as people say and he told me that he wasn't unemployed. All car makers have issues. A good tech can solve them.

[petrified.rabbit]

AS said, Did you get a check engine light with the limp mode? There are a few things that will kick the car into limp mode. But a code would make it an easier fix.

The parasitic draw issue with on star, on star is fully integrated into the cars stereo system, etc. So just pulling the fuse might seem to work, but it probably just slowed the draw down, if that is in fact the circuit that had the issue.

99% of car ownership and satisfaction is having competent people who keep you and the car moving, GM is not good with either.