Stranger Things

[TNJYOUNG]

Good morning everyone,

Situation 1. (blinker/turn signal)

This past weekend I turned on my left blinker. Normally it has an audible "click noise" that matches the green blinking light on the cluster. This weekend the green would blink once green with a click noise, no green with a click noise, then green with a click noise again. It seemed as if it were out of sync. I remember on older cars the way the blinker would respond to the driver could be indicative of a burned out bulb or something, but with my vehicle this only happened during one episode. The only thing that I thought "may have" caused this was that my iPhone was plugged into the USB port and may have somehow interfered with the instrumentation for a brief few seconds (maybe a minute). Has anyone else ever experienced this?

Situation 2. (brakes and squeaking sounds)

I drove 450 miles to Savannah Ga. No issues for entire trip. When I arrived I pulled onto the cobblestone (rough) pavement of the hotel and began to hear a light high pitched squeak. A couple of days later when I checked out, the squeak was apparent when turning the vehicle, driving, and applying the brakes. Is it possible that the cobblestone did something to the suspension/brakes, or just an absolute strange coincidence that my brakes decided to let me know at precisely that moment that they needed to be replaced?

...spooky ghost-like phenomenon this weekend...

~TN

 

[Doubeleive]

blinker i wouldn't worry about it unless it keeps doing it then maybe it could be a funky blinker switch, brakes just pull the wheels off and (check both sides) see how much pad you have left there is a little metal tab on the pads that will touch on the rotor and make a squeak to let you know it is time to do the brakes

 

[Clinton Ellyson]

blinker i wouldn't worry about it unless it keeps doing it then maybe it could be a funky blinker switch, brakes just pull the wheels off and (check both sides) see how much pad you have left there is a little metal tab on the pads that will touch on the rotor and make a squeak to let you know it is time to do the brakes

What he said.

 

[TNJYOUNG]

What he said.

LOL

 

[TNJYOUNG]

Took her to the shop today and found out that whoever did the brakes before I owned the vehicle had the rear brake retaining clips/pins put in backwards. Problem solved. Brakes were fine.

 

[TNJYOUNG]

A few other things of note:

I thought the wheel bearings, upper control bushings, and struts likely needed to be replaced. So I had the dealer check them while the vehicle was in the shop.

The good news:
To my surprise the dealer told me there was little to no play in the wheel bearings, no play in the upper control bushings, and that the struts/shocks (while they could be replaced) are not at a critical level yet. They went on to say that all hoses looked good as did the belt.

The bad news:

The dealer called me and asked me... "when you turn sharp do you feel a "popping" in the steering"?

I said, "yes", this is something that I had been wondering about. Someone else told me that maybe the 4wd was getting "stuck" and causing this feeling.

Basically my whole lower control arms and rack and pinion steering is shot and needs to be replaced. Bushings are all completely worn and have been for quite some time apparently. I was leaking power steering fluid inside of some kind of "boot" near the front and will need all new seals. Basically said there was a steering gearbox "kit" that included all new lower control arms, seals, rack and pinion, etc. I am not the first owner, so I have no idea how the steering was damaged so badly, but I am eager to drive my Tahoe again after the repairs are made.

 

[TNJYOUNG]

Okay, so update...

New steering gearbox (lower control arms, bushings, etc.)
New pinion seals
New transmission cooler lines (were weeping)
Replaced brake clips that had been reversed
Alignment
Some other seals

$3800 worth. I am not sure it is a smart thing to put this much money into a used vehicle, but time will tell.

 

[TNJYOUNG]

So, some more stranger things last night...

My wife and I went to some friends for dinner. The Tahoe drove there wonderfully and we parked at the street in front of their house. We enjoyed some wine, steak, and great conversation. We stayed about 4.5-5 hours and then we left to go home.

I started the Tahoe and drove for about 3-5 minutes when my dash lit up with amber-colored lighting. It was dark outside and inside so when the amber lights turned on it was a significant change to the cool green ambient lighting that the electronics normally create.

I looked and there were three amber lights on.

1. ABS
2. Traction control OFF light
3. and another smaller traction light indicating that slipping could occur.

It was 91 degrees yesterday, sunny, and no chance of rain and when we left it was around 83 degrees and dry so I wasn't "worried" that I may not have traction control or ABS, but I was concerned as to why those lights came on.

I asked my wife, "did you hit something", knowing there was a traction control OFF button at the console. She said "no". I pushed the traction control OFF button a few times, but the lights never went off.

We drove another 25 miles or so to pick up my daughter and when we stopped I deliberately turned the Tahoe off and took the key out of the ignition. Then I reinserted the key and restarted the Tahoe and all of the amber lights were off.

Anyone have this experience before?

 

[PG01]

So, some more stranger things last night...

My wife and I went to some friends for dinner. The Tahoe drove there wonderfully and we parked at the street in front of their house. We enjoyed some wine, steak, and great conversation. We stayed about 4.5-5 hours and then we left to go home.

I started the Tahoe and drove for about 3-5 minutes when my dash lit up with amber-colored lighting. It was dark outside and inside so when the amber lights turned on it was a significant change to the cool green ambient lighting that the electronics normally create.

I looked and there were three amber lights on.

1. ABS
2. Traction control OFF light
3. and another smaller traction light indicating that slipping could occur.

It was 91 degrees yesterday, sunny, and no chance of rain and when we left it was around 83 degrees and dry so I wasn't "worried" that I may not have traction control or ABS, but I was concerned as to why those lights came on.

I asked my wife, "did you hit something", knowing there was a traction control OFF button at the console. She said "no". I pushed the traction control OFF button a few times, but the lights never went off.

We drove another 25 miles or so to pick up my daughter and when we stopped I deliberately turned the Tahoe off and took the key out of the ignition. Then I reinserted the key and restarted the Tahoe and all of the amber lights were off.

Anyone have this experience before?

Many times, when there is a misfire or anomaly within the engine or ground issue etc, whether you feel it or not, the ecm shuts those systems down because the abs, tc, etc uses the engine to kill power so the wheels don’t slip, accelerate, etc when is senses any slippage.
I would have truck checked for any stored codes, there may be or may not anything and you may or may not have that problem again.

 

[Rocket Man]

A faulty or intermittent wheel speed sensor will cause all those lights to go on.