2011, <11k miles, dead in driveway

[domin8]

As long as it's still under warranty Lemon Laws apply. Otherwise you're screwed.

As for electrical issues, they can be tricky to track down, but aren't complicated if you have the right tools and just follow one wire at a time. They're mostly time consuming.

 

[Sheriff]

As long as it's still under warranty Lemon Laws apply. Otherwise you're screwed.

This is why the original poster needs to keep the Lemon Law in mind.... while his vehicle is under warranty.

As for electrical issues, they can be tricky to track down, but aren't complicated if you have the right tools and just follow one wire at a time. They're mostly time consuming.

A few years ago my neighbor had a brand new silver Suburban. It had electrical issues. The dealership could never find the issues. He got frustrated and traded it off on another vehicle. I feel for the person who came along and bought it as a used car. I also think these vehicles are what you often see on eBaY as well, with the disclaimer "sold as is". Scary thought.

 

[AmazinglySmooth]

One related question... when I jumped it, I first tried my standalone battery unit and I could only get a click. The same thing happened when I jumped from my Toyota Sequoia. It finally jumped when I connected the GND to the alternator GND (labled as such). I was nervous about jumping to that point since I didn't want anything to get tangled.

So the question is, where do I connect my jumper cables? For the battery unit, I just tied it directly to the battery since you can keep it shut off when connecting cables.

Also, it would seem to me that there is too much drop across the battery cables since it wouldn't turn unless I connected to the engine directly. What do you think?

 

[AmazinglySmooth]

Update: service advisor just called and told me that the problem is with the negative battery cable. Here's the rub: he tells me that there is a short in the battery cable! My degree is in electrical engineering, so I just chuckled. He obviously has no idea what he is talking about. If the cable isn't a short, then it drops too much voltage (i.e. you want your cables to be shorted). Oh well. They are replacing the negative cable, so hopefully that will fix it for good.

 

[plush]

Update: service advisor just called and told me that the problem is with the negative battery cable. Here's the rub: he tells me that there is a short in the battery cable! My degree is in electrical engineering, so I just chuckled. He obviously has no idea what he is talking about. If the cable isn't a short, then it drops too much voltage (i.e. you want your cables to be shorted). Oh well. They are replacing the negative cable, so hopefully that will fix it for good.

No, he knows what he is talking about, it is excepted terminology to the lay person he would be speaking to concerning this type of issue. You are right, having an electrical engineering degree, technically the specifics may be wrong, but it is still understood. Glad it is something as simple as a short in the wire

 

[AmazinglySmooth]

I got another call just to update me--I do like the fact that this dealer calls people twice each day for a status update. They replaced the negative battery cable because the voltage drop was too high during cranking. They also tested the positive side, but it passed. I hope this is all that is needed.

In TX, I think the vehicle has to be serviced 3 times for the same issue during the first year of ownership after its first title in order to be considered a lemon. I've gotten two, but I doubt it will happen again since they replaced the cable.

BTW, the vehicle now has 13.8k miles.

Cheers

 

[AmazinglySmooth]

Well, I was hopeful, but today it is dead again. My wife moved it out of the driveway in the morning around 9am and tried to start it again at 6pm but no go. It isn't just a little bit low either; it won't turn over even once and even the horn from the second lock press is weak. Something is totally draining it in a matter of hours.

I guess I need to dig into the lemon laws.

 

[soulsea]

Damn ... sorry J.

 

[Sheriff]

Well, I was hopeful, but today it is dead again. My wife moved it out of the driveway in the morning around 9am and tried to start it again at 6pm but no go. It isn't just a little bit low either; it won't turn over even once and even the horn from the second lock press is weak. Something is totally draining it in a matter of hours.

I guess I need to dig into the lemon laws.

I would first give the dealership a chance to replace the vehicle voluntarily.

If they refuse, lemon law!

 

[felixgun]

Man that sucks sorry to hear that. So terrible that you bought a vehicle with that low of miles and it's giving you issues like this... hopefully the dealer makes it right and gives you a new vehicle.