I took my 98 a4 in for the recall. They said they would have to do everything listed in the sticky above for my car and would't flash the PCM. I said good I just got a new tune in it from the Vette Doctors and I don't want problems. I walk away to hear a loud scream (Stop) I look back to see the nose of my C5 under a 4X4, an inch from contact . Well I go home and to bed since I work 3rd wake up early enough to get my car and the say it's not done. Ok, no big deal I will get it the next day so I thought. Well on the fourth day of it not being done I go down their and ask whats the deal, they say it's almost done just 30 more minutes, so I wait . It leaves on a test drive comes back. I walk out to the tech and ask how it is and he is unhooking a tech tool. I ask what he did and he said that all the 98's call for is a re-flash of the BCM and they did nothing with the column or wiring. Panic set in. I told him it wasn't suppose to be flashed and I asked that it not be flashed since the car was not stock. he said the flash would not affect anything that I would have done with tuning and walked off. I'm pissed, tired, and want my car so I leave. Put the key in and hear the little servo motor unlock the column and think what I have I done. Drive off and it seems fine, still under 30 mph. Get to the on ramp and punch it, bam straight to the rev. limit and won't shift, I take my foot out of it and hobble it home. I get home and have codes like crazy , I hook up LS1 edit and download the new flash and the long edit started, trying to look at everything Vette Doctors had done and put it all back. Now what should I do, my car I assume isn't fixed and they claim my car to GM as done and get their money. I have read that the CLB has issues with the 98's. Any thoughts or am I wrong in what I read and thats all my car is suppose to have done.

 

Good lord. Well on your 98 you should still hear the zrrrt of the CLB, but it should be disabled mechanically from locking the steering wheel, because they're supposed to change the plate. The motor will still engage but there is nothing for the pin to lock on anymore.

As for the reflash, wow, what a bunch of moroons.

 

buncha fktards. how can a reflash NOT screw up your programming.......this is EXACTLY why I did the CLB myself and when the stealership ask me about the open campaign on my car for the recall I said NFW...do NOT touch my car..I signed a waiver stating the car had been fixed and they closed the campaign. My advice get the car reprogrammed from Vette Doctors and install a CLB........

 

All they did to my A4 was remove the locking plate. When you pull the key you can still here the motor lock, but the lock has nothing to engage to.

 

It seems if they just reflashed the BCM, it should have no effect on the PCM...right?

 

They have screwed up your car but good. I'd see the owner and tell him/her how his/her service people f-----d up your car. They did not follow the GM recall instructions and they are liable for any repair costs or damages to your car. I'd also call Chevy customer service and file a complaint w/ them. It probably will not help, but, at least its on file. If they will not fix your car, your only recourse may be legal. What a bunch friggin idiots you had to deal w/. This is really a sad, sad story. A 45 minute job, that takes four days and is totally f----d up. Good luck w/ your car.

 

John, give Carmen a call in the morning. I'm sure he has your file and could just resend it to you.
Bob

 

I have a '98 MN6 and installed my own CLB as posted on this forum. It has worked flawlessly since last December without a single error message and underwent some severe heat while at the strip in Sacramento in June with outside temps over 100 degrees.

This thread got me thinking again.. ..grrrrr....maybe I should design up a secure locking cap that covers the OBDII connector to stop the dealer from connecting up and doing a PCM re-flash without having a discussion with the owner. We invest so much in our PCM programming, maybe we should protect ourselves? Of course I refuse to let a dealer anywhere near my car, but there are many who cannot do their own work. What do you folks think?
John

 

Wow, this sounds familiar. When I also got called in for recall, I ask the dealer if what they were doing would affect any of the tuning that was done to my car since it was highly modified. The guy assured me it would not affect the tune job at all, because their only correcting the steering lock problem, which has nothing to do with the engine tune. So, I assume they know what their doing/telling me (big mistake) and leave the car with them to get something to eat. After I come back 2 hours later to pick up the car, the dealer tells me, yea I guess what we did erased your tune, because your car will not go over 15mph and says reduced engine power…etc. What the hell... Not only did they kill my car, but on top of that they took no responsibility for what happened , because the car was “modified” as he put it. I had to pay to get my own car towed back to my house (was late on a Friday night) then to DRM. What a bunch of morons, how do they not know a re-flash of the PCM will erase the tune.

 

I think I have the programing taken care of, just took several hours to go through the original file Carmen sent and update the new flash. I didn't want to chance flashing my old flash on their new one just incase something went wrong. I guess the best thing to do now is install a CLB since it has locked on me in the past. I forgot to mention before that I had just detailed the car before it went in and they left it outside through 2 rain storms. They also had a sign up , reward for information leading to whoever had broke in and stole several 05 cars, trucks and shop tools several times in the last 3 weeks. A lock would probably be a good idea, but can you trust the dealer not to just cut it off and charge you for it.