Stability System Disabled/Engine Power Reduced

[NotJLB]

Having wrestled with this problem for 15 months now, I'm 99.99999% certain it is not about what the throttle sensor codes suggest it is. It's about bad grounds in aging products, and it's something GM should be addressing.

Hundreds of good vehicles are likely getting sold, or scrapped, by overly-frustrated owners like us.

 

[NotJLB]

After reading some of the replies when I started this a year ago, it appears that "Reduced Engine Power" was not as common back then as it is now, or the first few who replied just were not aware of it.

Now it's all over this and other forums.

 

[NotJLB]

I've figured this was something simple all along, something causing not-so-simple things, like pedals and sensors and throttle bodies to needlessly get replaced.

&. I knew if I just took it to one of the repair shops available, it would be totally hit-and-miss, they would likely be influenced by the codes, and not look at the things I suspect. After all, they are the ex-spirts and all I am is a guy who has dealt with this and studied it on Al Gore's Internet for a year.

Yesterday morning when I could not get the codes erased, so reduced engine power/stability system disabled would not go away, I reached down and jiggled/pushed on the throttle pedal sensor connector.

It ran again, no codes.

I got it to our handyman/personal mechanic, who is better than any shop we could take it to around here.

Today he called and said, "You were right. Someone had replaced that connector, and every wire in it was iffy. I redid it, took it for a ride, and it seems fine. Of course, it will probably go bad again for you (laughing)."

I know better than to do a happy dance, but we took our dog for a beach ride for the first time in awhile.

 

[Fless]

Hope it's fixed now. So maybe it's not something that GM should be addressing in a 20YO vehicle?

 

[NotJLB]

Hope it's fixed now. So maybe it's not something that GM should be addressing in a 20YO vehicle?

I stand by what I said, that GM should be involved in letting owners know what all can go wrong with their fly-by-wire, since it is so confusing, and, after all, it is their improvement to the pedal to throttle link. Just read all the threads on just this one forum and you can see GM owners need some guidance. Just one of many forums trying to Macgyver a fix.

 

[NotJLB]

I will stand by my thought that GM should be providing some guidance even more now that it is doing it again, the morning after it was fixed.

 

[Fless]

IMHO your expectation of GM's responsibility to warn owners of the possible specific failures of long-ago new products is a bit high. It's a man-made product and things will go bad. Add to that that the issue you brought forward was apparently due to an aftermarket part. A good diagnostician would likely have seen the differences in the sensor readings and done a more careful inspection of the system's components.

Manufacturers typically specify using their OE parts for replacement; self-serving, perhaps, but maybe not so wrong to do in light of some of the aftermarket quality (or lack thereof). But, many of us have not had any issues with the drive by wire system.

Ultimately hopefully your issue is resolved now and you can move on to enjoy your ride.

 

[NotJLB]

Yet another DIY guesstimate/fix of a common GM issue:

The fix du jour!

My guy is going to the TAC module next probably.

You know, lacking any guidance from GM and all!!!

 

[NotJLB]

But, many of us have not had any issues with the drive by wire system.

This our third vehicle in the 2000-2006 Tahoe/Yukon/Escalade platform, totaling over 300,000 miles, so, you're right that most/many have not experienced the Reduced Engine Power GM feature.

It's pretty much divided into those who have and those who have not yet.

& I totally understand how those who have not yet view it differently than those who have.

 

[Fless]

Yet another DIY guesstimate/fix of a common GM issue:

The fix du jour!

My guy is going to the TAC module next probably.

You know, lacking any guidance from GM and all!!!

So that guy, after adding multiple grounds, chalks the cause up to a Dorman aftermarket throttle body. Pretty much validates why so many on here recommend OE parts if they're available. As @swathdiver would say, the OE parts lasted this long, why not continue using them?

I would challenge you to post details of any other auto mfr that provides ongoing guidance for this old of a vehicle. They don't -- or if they do, it's super rare -- and that's why Alldata and other vendors offer software and decision trees for diagnostics.