Active Handling/Traction Control Issue
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 4,408
Likes: 61
From: Centerville OH "If we weren't all crazy we would go insane"
CI 3-4-5-6-7 & 9 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '08
Active Handling/Traction Control Issue
Been having some Active Handling/Traction Control issues lately, so I reset all the codes and went out for a drive today. Here are the symptoms...
Drives fine for awhile, then SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL, SERVICE ACTIVE HANDLING, SERVICE VEHICLE SOON. Traction control is then disabled. I stop the car, power off and back on, and head off again with everything looking OK. After awhile, the same issues. Then after awhile, for no apparent reason, on dry road, only going about 40 MPH, ACTIVE HANDLING kicks in. This occurs every so soften.
I pull the codes when I get home, and here's what we got...
28-TCS
C1287 H
99-HVAC
B0361 H
B0367 H
B0441 H C
By the way, nothing HVAC-wise was turned on (i.e. no air conditioning). Been reading all of Bill Curlee's commentary on grounding issues. Could this be my problem, or is there something more sinister I should be looking at?
BTW... 2004 / MN6 / 9K miles.
Thanks in advance all you experts.
Drives fine for awhile, then SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL, SERVICE ACTIVE HANDLING, SERVICE VEHICLE SOON. Traction control is then disabled. I stop the car, power off and back on, and head off again with everything looking OK. After awhile, the same issues. Then after awhile, for no apparent reason, on dry road, only going about 40 MPH, ACTIVE HANDLING kicks in. This occurs every so soften.
I pull the codes when I get home, and here's what we got...
28-TCS
C1287 H
99-HVAC
B0361 H
B0367 H
B0441 H C
By the way, nothing HVAC-wise was turned on (i.e. no air conditioning). Been reading all of Bill Curlee's commentary on grounding issues. Could this be my problem, or is there something more sinister I should be looking at?
BTW... 2004 / MN6 / 9K miles.
Thanks in advance all you experts.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 1,170
Likes: 27
From: Magnolia Greens NC
It may that EBCM....
here's my tutorial...PM me your email address if you want the pictures:
The Basics
Let's cover some basic information on AH, TC, and ABS. In simple terms, these three systems combine data from wheel speed sensors, yaw rate sensors, steering wheel position sensors, along with brake and throttle inputs to determine what the driver wants to do and detects any lose of traction and take corrective action by pulling back on the throttle, activating brakes on individual wheels, or releasing brake pressure as needed to maintain traction.
What goes wrong
When there is a problem anywhere in the system, the computer does not know what's going on with the car or cannot respond correctly. Rather than risking the wrong response which could potentially wreck you car, the whole system is simply disabled for the remainder of the ignition cycle. At this time you will see the ABS and Traction Control warning indicators illuminated on the instrument cluster along with the following messages on the Driver Information Center (DIC):
- Service ABS
- Service Traction System
- Service Active Handling
At this point, you can safely continue to drive your car, just remember that your electronic driving aids are no longer functioning so you should adjust your driving habits accordingly.
Troubleshooting
As I said before, when there is a problem the system is deactivated for the remainder of the ignition cycle, so sometimes everything will go back to normal if you just turn off the car and restart it. If that corrects the problem, it was either a glitch in the system, a lose connection that's going to come back soon or an early sign of a future failure that is coming. Even though the system is now functional it is still beneficial to continue to trouble shoot. The history code should give you a good idea of what to check
The next step is to see where the fault is. If you have several different codes write them down, clear them, and see which ones come back the next time you start the car. At this point, I'm betting that the codes point to either the EBCM or the wheel speed sensors. We'll get to the wheel speed sensors later, for now, let's get to the EBCM.
Electronic Brake Control Module
The most common code for the EBCM is C1214 - Sol Valve relay Contact or coil CKT Open. This code is set when the system voltage is less than 8 volts for 0.23 seconds. Since our goal is to fix this for the lowest price possible, we'll start checking things we can fix for free
The EBCM sits between the engine and radiator. You can see it in the picture on the left below. The EBCM is on the left with the large wire harness coming into it and the sticker on top. The Brake Pressure Modulator Valve (BPMV) in on the right with the brake lines coming out. The EBCM is a dry module, meaning that you can change it out without having to worry about bleeding the ABS system. All of the brake fluid is contained within the BPMV. The coils (seen in the picture on the right below) fit over small spools that have valves inside them. The valves are operated by an electromagnetic field supplied by the coils.
Start by doing a quick visual inspection of the wires. If there are any obvious signs of damage, you've likely found the problem. One member had a problem with the wires rubbing the serpentine belt
Also check to make sure the wire harness has a good connection. If the connection appears solid disconnect it (see step 3 in the replacement instructions below) check the pins to ensure that they have not been bent or damaged in any way. If there is any sign of corrosion, clean it off. Once everything looks good, reseat the harness.
Next, let's move on to the grounds. The EBCM is grounded to the chassis on the left frame rail, just forward of the engine. It's the Black box right in the middle of the picture. As you can see, it's real easy for dirt and moisture to get in that area which isn't exactly good for electronic components. Even if you never drive your car in the rain, it'll still get wet when you wash it, and that could be enough
Start by unbolting the chassis ground, then take the chassis ground connector apart.
These pictures show the corrosion that can build up in the ground connector. If you chassis grounds look like this one, you've probably found the problem. Even if they don't, go ahead and clean it up with a wire brush before putting it back together. Also clean off the chassis and bolt to make sure you've got a good clean ground.
*If you are having any other electrical issues, it's a good idea to check the grounds. These pictures show where the other grounds are.
It's unlikely, but before you break out you credit card and forking over your hard earned money, it's a good idea to check the fuses. One fuse box is located under the hood beside the battery, the second one is under the passenger side of the dash. Remove the floor mat and you will see the access panel. Just pull the fuses out and do a quick visual check.
On the left, you see a good fuse, on the right is a bad fuse
At this point, we know all of the wires are good, but for some reason enough voltage is not getting to the system. It is possible that your battery is not functioning properly. If your battery is a couple of years old, has been drained and recharged a couple of times it might be a good idea to go ahead and replace your battery. This is a long shot for EBCM issues, but I think it's worth a shot before spending several hundred dollars for a new EBCM and you're going to have to replace it eventually anyways. Old batteries can cause a variety of minor electrical issues and you likely have a bunch of history codes for minor issues if the battery is causing the problem.
Now on the EBCM itself. If the electrical contacts inside the relay are dirty or burnt, the vibration from striking the module may change the symptoms or may clear them up for a while. This is by no means a fix or a cure all, in fact it could make it worse or it may not do anything, it's just something to try. Use a small plastic hammer or something similar, lightly tap the front of the EBCM on the lower right corner of the module. The area will be on the right hand side of the lower electrical connection seen in the picture below.
At this point, You've got to additional possibilities. Replace the EBCM or replace both the EBCM and the BPMV. The service manual calls for you to measure the resistance between each pump motor control circuit and the housing of the BPMV, if that checks our okay, you replace the EBCM if not you replace them both. Since most people do not have the equipment to do this the best we can do is to replace the EBCM. If that doesn't work, you'll have to go back and replace the BPMV.
The procedure for replacing the EBCM is very simple. The only special tool you need is a T-20 torx screw driver. I have a Craftsman tool set that has a 1/4" drive screwdriver with and adapter for many different size bit. Unfortunately, the adapter was to long to fit between the EBCM and water pump, so I purchased a set of Craftsman 5 pc. torx screwdriver set that worked fine. A flathead screwdriver may also be needed to pry apart the EBCM from the BPMV
1 - make sure the car is off.
2 - you will probably need to remove the airbridge to get to the EBCM.
3 - remove the wire harness by first removing the white plastic clip that locks it in place (I cut it off and replaced it with a zip-tie) (picture 1), then lift gray handle and pull back on the wire harness (picture 3). At this point, you will be able to see the second wire connection that is removed by pulling down (picture 3).
4 - The service manual call for you the remove the 2 insulator nuts that hold the BPMV to the brackets and lift the EBCM/BPMV out of the bracket. I do not think this step is necessary because there is plenty of room while it is still in the bracket and you do not gain much additional clearance since the brake lines restrict the movement.
5 - Remove the 6 T-20 torx screws connecting the EBCM and BPMV - 1 on each corner and 2 on the sides (picture 2).
6 - "Separate the EBCM from the BPMV by gently pulling apart until separated" - I should start laughing here, but it's not that funny. It's been my experience that anytime the instructions call for you to do something gently, nothing gentle is going to work. In this case, I had to use a flathead screw driver to brake the seal. Once it moved a little, the rest was easy. In addition to the rubber seal, each of the 12 holes you see in picture 3 have a peg in them from the BPMV. Don't go crazy, but be prepared to force them apart.
7 - At this point, all you've got to do is put it all back together. push the new EBCM onto the BPMV.
8 - Replace the 6 T-20 torx screws
9 - reconnect the wire harness
10 - put the intake back on
picture 1 picture 2 picture 3
At this point, the AH/TC/ABS should work normally. If not, you've also got a problem with the BPMV. Although you could replace the BPMV yourself, you have to bleed the ABS system which requires Tech II. For those of you like me that don't have access to Tech II, you've got 2 options. Replace the BPMV yourself and tow the car to a shop with Tech II to have it bled, or just take it in to have the BPMV replaced. The advantage is that you've already done all of the trouble shooting so you want have to pay the mechanic to diagnose the problem for you.
Wheel Speed Sensors
Back to the wheel speed sensors. Code C1221 - 1228 indicate that one of the wheel speed sensors is either sending a bad signal or no signal. Start by checking the connections. The wheel speed sensors are integrated into the wheel bearing/hub assembly pictured below. The wire coming out of the back is the connection for the wheel speed sensors. Verify that the connector are not broken, damaged, or corroded in any way. Pay particular attention to the female end.
The wire coming out of the wheel speed sensor connects to and 18" jumper harness, then to the main harness. It is very common for people to have a weak female pin in one of those connections. If all of that checks out good, Swap the jumper harness from side to side. For example if the left front is bad, swap it over to the right front. and install the good one from the right front to the left side. Then clear the trouble code. If the trouble code is now on the right side, you know the wire harness is the problem. If the code is still on the left side after swapping the jumper harnesses, you know the problem is inside the wheel speed sensors.
If all the wires check out good, it's time to take a trip to Auto Zone for a new set of bearings. You can buy replacement AC Delco bearing from your dealer if you want to, or get the exact same bearing in a different box for half the price (~$150) from Auto Zone, you decide. The bearings should be replaced in axel sets, so if your left front is bad, you have to replace the right front too. While your at it, this is a good time to upgrade the lug studs and add spindle ducts.
Replacement part sources
New EBCMs. Below is a list of part #s and estimated prices from Fred Beans to give you an idea of what you should pay.
Part Number: 10343433
All 2003-2004: $465.58
Part Number: 12216561
All 2002: $610.16
Part Number: 12208997
All 2001: $612.80
Part Number: 9367071
All 1999-2000 w/o Control Active Brakes: $486.40
An alternative to buying a new one is to have your original rebuilt.
For EBCM repair/replace
Call Brandon
877-648-7530 at ABS FIXER
or: www.absfixer.com
$150. plus UPS....warranted as long as You own it
The best place to get replacement wheel bearing/hub assemblies is Auto Zone. You're looking for the Timken brand ones. They are exactly the same as the OEM AC Delco bearings, but sold for about half the price (~$150 vs. $300+ from Chevy).
The Basics
Let's cover some basic information on AH, TC, and ABS. In simple terms, these three systems combine data from wheel speed sensors, yaw rate sensors, steering wheel position sensors, along with brake and throttle inputs to determine what the driver wants to do and detects any lose of traction and take corrective action by pulling back on the throttle, activating brakes on individual wheels, or releasing brake pressure as needed to maintain traction.
What goes wrong
When there is a problem anywhere in the system, the computer does not know what's going on with the car or cannot respond correctly. Rather than risking the wrong response which could potentially wreck you car, the whole system is simply disabled for the remainder of the ignition cycle. At this time you will see the ABS and Traction Control warning indicators illuminated on the instrument cluster along with the following messages on the Driver Information Center (DIC):
- Service ABS
- Service Traction System
- Service Active Handling
At this point, you can safely continue to drive your car, just remember that your electronic driving aids are no longer functioning so you should adjust your driving habits accordingly.
Troubleshooting
As I said before, when there is a problem the system is deactivated for the remainder of the ignition cycle, so sometimes everything will go back to normal if you just turn off the car and restart it. If that corrects the problem, it was either a glitch in the system, a lose connection that's going to come back soon or an early sign of a future failure that is coming. Even though the system is now functional it is still beneficial to continue to trouble shoot. The history code should give you a good idea of what to check
The next step is to see where the fault is. If you have several different codes write them down, clear them, and see which ones come back the next time you start the car. At this point, I'm betting that the codes point to either the EBCM or the wheel speed sensors. We'll get to the wheel speed sensors later, for now, let's get to the EBCM.
Electronic Brake Control Module
The most common code for the EBCM is C1214 - Sol Valve relay Contact or coil CKT Open. This code is set when the system voltage is less than 8 volts for 0.23 seconds. Since our goal is to fix this for the lowest price possible, we'll start checking things we can fix for free
The EBCM sits between the engine and radiator. You can see it in the picture on the left below. The EBCM is on the left with the large wire harness coming into it and the sticker on top. The Brake Pressure Modulator Valve (BPMV) in on the right with the brake lines coming out. The EBCM is a dry module, meaning that you can change it out without having to worry about bleeding the ABS system. All of the brake fluid is contained within the BPMV. The coils (seen in the picture on the right below) fit over small spools that have valves inside them. The valves are operated by an electromagnetic field supplied by the coils.
Start by doing a quick visual inspection of the wires. If there are any obvious signs of damage, you've likely found the problem. One member had a problem with the wires rubbing the serpentine belt
Also check to make sure the wire harness has a good connection. If the connection appears solid disconnect it (see step 3 in the replacement instructions below) check the pins to ensure that they have not been bent or damaged in any way. If there is any sign of corrosion, clean it off. Once everything looks good, reseat the harness.
Next, let's move on to the grounds. The EBCM is grounded to the chassis on the left frame rail, just forward of the engine. It's the Black box right in the middle of the picture. As you can see, it's real easy for dirt and moisture to get in that area which isn't exactly good for electronic components. Even if you never drive your car in the rain, it'll still get wet when you wash it, and that could be enough
Start by unbolting the chassis ground, then take the chassis ground connector apart.
These pictures show the corrosion that can build up in the ground connector. If you chassis grounds look like this one, you've probably found the problem. Even if they don't, go ahead and clean it up with a wire brush before putting it back together. Also clean off the chassis and bolt to make sure you've got a good clean ground.
*If you are having any other electrical issues, it's a good idea to check the grounds. These pictures show where the other grounds are.
It's unlikely, but before you break out you credit card and forking over your hard earned money, it's a good idea to check the fuses. One fuse box is located under the hood beside the battery, the second one is under the passenger side of the dash. Remove the floor mat and you will see the access panel. Just pull the fuses out and do a quick visual check.
On the left, you see a good fuse, on the right is a bad fuse
At this point, we know all of the wires are good, but for some reason enough voltage is not getting to the system. It is possible that your battery is not functioning properly. If your battery is a couple of years old, has been drained and recharged a couple of times it might be a good idea to go ahead and replace your battery. This is a long shot for EBCM issues, but I think it's worth a shot before spending several hundred dollars for a new EBCM and you're going to have to replace it eventually anyways. Old batteries can cause a variety of minor electrical issues and you likely have a bunch of history codes for minor issues if the battery is causing the problem.
Now on the EBCM itself. If the electrical contacts inside the relay are dirty or burnt, the vibration from striking the module may change the symptoms or may clear them up for a while. This is by no means a fix or a cure all, in fact it could make it worse or it may not do anything, it's just something to try. Use a small plastic hammer or something similar, lightly tap the front of the EBCM on the lower right corner of the module. The area will be on the right hand side of the lower electrical connection seen in the picture below.
At this point, You've got to additional possibilities. Replace the EBCM or replace both the EBCM and the BPMV. The service manual calls for you to measure the resistance between each pump motor control circuit and the housing of the BPMV, if that checks our okay, you replace the EBCM if not you replace them both. Since most people do not have the equipment to do this the best we can do is to replace the EBCM. If that doesn't work, you'll have to go back and replace the BPMV.
The procedure for replacing the EBCM is very simple. The only special tool you need is a T-20 torx screw driver. I have a Craftsman tool set that has a 1/4" drive screwdriver with and adapter for many different size bit. Unfortunately, the adapter was to long to fit between the EBCM and water pump, so I purchased a set of Craftsman 5 pc. torx screwdriver set that worked fine. A flathead screwdriver may also be needed to pry apart the EBCM from the BPMV
1 - make sure the car is off.
2 - you will probably need to remove the airbridge to get to the EBCM.
3 - remove the wire harness by first removing the white plastic clip that locks it in place (I cut it off and replaced it with a zip-tie) (picture 1), then lift gray handle and pull back on the wire harness (picture 3). At this point, you will be able to see the second wire connection that is removed by pulling down (picture 3).
4 - The service manual call for you the remove the 2 insulator nuts that hold the BPMV to the brackets and lift the EBCM/BPMV out of the bracket. I do not think this step is necessary because there is plenty of room while it is still in the bracket and you do not gain much additional clearance since the brake lines restrict the movement.
5 - Remove the 6 T-20 torx screws connecting the EBCM and BPMV - 1 on each corner and 2 on the sides (picture 2).
6 - "Separate the EBCM from the BPMV by gently pulling apart until separated" - I should start laughing here, but it's not that funny. It's been my experience that anytime the instructions call for you to do something gently, nothing gentle is going to work. In this case, I had to use a flathead screw driver to brake the seal. Once it moved a little, the rest was easy. In addition to the rubber seal, each of the 12 holes you see in picture 3 have a peg in them from the BPMV. Don't go crazy, but be prepared to force them apart.
7 - At this point, all you've got to do is put it all back together. push the new EBCM onto the BPMV.
8 - Replace the 6 T-20 torx screws
9 - reconnect the wire harness
10 - put the intake back on
picture 1 picture 2 picture 3
At this point, the AH/TC/ABS should work normally. If not, you've also got a problem with the BPMV. Although you could replace the BPMV yourself, you have to bleed the ABS system which requires Tech II. For those of you like me that don't have access to Tech II, you've got 2 options. Replace the BPMV yourself and tow the car to a shop with Tech II to have it bled, or just take it in to have the BPMV replaced. The advantage is that you've already done all of the trouble shooting so you want have to pay the mechanic to diagnose the problem for you.
Wheel Speed Sensors
Back to the wheel speed sensors. Code C1221 - 1228 indicate that one of the wheel speed sensors is either sending a bad signal or no signal. Start by checking the connections. The wheel speed sensors are integrated into the wheel bearing/hub assembly pictured below. The wire coming out of the back is the connection for the wheel speed sensors. Verify that the connector are not broken, damaged, or corroded in any way. Pay particular attention to the female end.
The wire coming out of the wheel speed sensor connects to and 18" jumper harness, then to the main harness. It is very common for people to have a weak female pin in one of those connections. If all of that checks out good, Swap the jumper harness from side to side. For example if the left front is bad, swap it over to the right front. and install the good one from the right front to the left side. Then clear the trouble code. If the trouble code is now on the right side, you know the wire harness is the problem. If the code is still on the left side after swapping the jumper harnesses, you know the problem is inside the wheel speed sensors.
If all the wires check out good, it's time to take a trip to Auto Zone for a new set of bearings. You can buy replacement AC Delco bearing from your dealer if you want to, or get the exact same bearing in a different box for half the price (~$150) from Auto Zone, you decide. The bearings should be replaced in axel sets, so if your left front is bad, you have to replace the right front too. While your at it, this is a good time to upgrade the lug studs and add spindle ducts.
Replacement part sources
New EBCMs. Below is a list of part #s and estimated prices from Fred Beans to give you an idea of what you should pay.
Part Number: 10343433
All 2003-2004: $465.58
Part Number: 12216561
All 2002: $610.16
Part Number: 12208997
All 2001: $612.80
Part Number: 9367071
All 1999-2000 w/o Control Active Brakes: $486.40
An alternative to buying a new one is to have your original rebuilt.
For EBCM repair/replace
Call Brandon
877-648-7530 at ABS FIXER
or: www.absfixer.com
$150. plus UPS....warranted as long as You own it
The best place to get replacement wheel bearing/hub assemblies is Auto Zone. You're looking for the Timken brand ones. They are exactly the same as the OEM AC Delco bearings, but sold for about half the price (~$150 vs. $300+ from Chevy).
Tech Contributor
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 32,910
Likes: 2,402
From: Anthony TX
CI 6,7,8,9,11 Vet
St. Jude Donor '08
Been having some Active Handling/Traction Control issues lately, so I reset all the codes and went out for a drive today. Here are the symptoms...
Drives fine for awhile, then SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL, SERVICE ACTIVE HANDLING, SERVICE VEHICLE SOON. Traction control is then disabled. I stop the car, power off and back on, and head off again with everything looking OK. After awhile, the same issues. Then after awhile, for no apparent reason, on dry road, only going about 40 MPH, ACTIVE HANDLING kicks in. This occurs every so soften.
I pull the codes when I get home, and here's what we got...
28-TCS
C1287 H
99-HVAC
B0361 H
B0367 H
B0441 H C
By the way, nothing HVAC-wise was turned on (i.e. no air conditioning). Been reading all of Bill Curlee's commentary on grounding issues. Could this be my problem, or is there something more sinister I should be looking at?
BTW... 2004 / MN6 / 9K miles.
Thanks in advance all you experts.
Drives fine for awhile, then SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL, SERVICE ACTIVE HANDLING, SERVICE VEHICLE SOON. Traction control is then disabled. I stop the car, power off and back on, and head off again with everything looking OK. After awhile, the same issues. Then after awhile, for no apparent reason, on dry road, only going about 40 MPH, ACTIVE HANDLING kicks in. This occurs every so soften.
I pull the codes when I get home, and here's what we got...
28-TCS
C1287 H
99-HVAC
B0361 H
B0367 H
B0441 H C
By the way, nothing HVAC-wise was turned on (i.e. no air conditioning). Been reading all of Bill Curlee's commentary on grounding issues. Could this be my problem, or is there something more sinister I should be looking at?
BTW... 2004 / MN6 / 9K miles.
Thanks in advance all you experts.
Well,,, here is a post that helps explain the HVAC DTCs:
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show....php?t=1434320
As for the TCS messages, recommend clearing all the DTC again and reading the DTCs after the DIC messages reappear. This time read the codes before you shut off the ignition. EBTCM functions will reset after the ignition is turned off and back on.
We need the EBTCM DTCs before we can figure this out. There are more your not seeing. C1278 is TCS inhibited and is normal when the EBTCM errors out.
BC
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 4,408
Likes: 61
From: Centerville OH "If we weren't all crazy we would go insane"
CI 3-4-5-6-7 & 9 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '08
Bill, trussme,
Thanks for the great info. I'll check things out again tomorrow and get the codes before shutting off the engine. I didn't know you could actually get the codes with the engine running.
trussme, I Pmed you my email address for the pics you mentioned. Thanks again.
TnT9,
Geez, get a life. For someone who has been on the forum for only a few weeks, what gives? I trust the guys who've been there done that.
Keith
Thanks for the great info. I'll check things out again tomorrow and get the codes before shutting off the engine. I didn't know you could actually get the codes with the engine running.
trussme, I Pmed you my email address for the pics you mentioned. Thanks again.
TnT9,
Geez, get a life. For someone who has been on the forum for only a few weeks, what gives? I trust the guys who've been there done that.
Keith
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 152
Likes: 0
From: SE Michigan
trussme, could you add a section with more depth about the steering wheel position sensor? Codes C1287 and C1288 both indicate issues with the sensor. It is a few hours of work to replace, requires pulling the steering column. The wires are supposedly easy access at the firewall. I'm hunting for a part number, it is supposedly a $60 part, but if you go to your local stealer they'll hit you up for at least 3 hours of labor. Good job putting that together, seems like there are way to many active handling/ traction control issues out there.
TnT9, settle down. While the article didn't aim totally at this particular issue at least he tried to help without bashing.
TnT9, settle down. While the article didn't aim totally at this particular issue at least he tried to help without bashing.
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 152
Likes: 0
From: SE Michigan
How far off does it have to be off center in order to pose an issue? I don't think this is the case for me, but mine is messed up. C1288 pops up occasionally, think I'll double check the wiring like you guys mentioned. If it still comes back I'll go pick the part up and swap it out.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 32,910
Likes: 2,402
From: Anthony TX
CI 6,7,8,9,11 Vet
St. Jude Donor '08
How far off does it have to be off center in order to pose an issue? I don't think this is the case for me, but mine is messed up. C1288 pops up occasionally, think I'll double check the wiring like you guys mentioned. If it still comes back I'll go pick the part up and swap it out.
I have to look in the service manual to see if I can give you an exact value (probably wont be able to). If it is off center at all, I would get an alignment FIRST!
If your alignment is off and you get an alignment and it doesn't fix the issue, you will save your tires and make the car drive better.
If it were me, I start with checking the connector and have a professional alignment completed. Make sure you tell them about the steering wheel center issue and when your car's steering wheel is held "STRAIGHT" which direction does it pull or drive??
BC
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 4,408
Likes: 61
From: Centerville OH "If we weren't all crazy we would go insane"
CI 3-4-5-6-7 & 9 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '08
I cleared all codes before leaving for work today, and only received the B0367 HVAC code (I even checked before turning the car off). No Active Handling or Service... messages. I'll see what happens at lunch time.
With regards to the steering wheel questions... I think it is centered, but can't be sure. The steering wheel has never been removed and the last alignment was last September.
With regards to the steering wheel questions... I think it is centered, but can't be sure. The steering wheel has never been removed and the last alignment was last September.
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Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 4,408
Likes: 61
From: Centerville OH "If we weren't all crazy we would go insane"
CI 3-4-5-6-7 & 9 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '08
I drove home at lunch today (only about 6 miles), and on the way home Active Handling engaged 3 times. Check the codes and had A6-SCM B2605 H C.
On the way back to work, I cleared the codes, and about half way to the office got SERVICE VEHICLE SOON & SERVICE ACTIVE HANDLING, along with the B2605 code again.
Keith
p.s. trussme.... I never received your pictures that you emailed.
On the way back to work, I cleared the codes, and about half way to the office got SERVICE VEHICLE SOON & SERVICE ACTIVE HANDLING, along with the B2605 code again.
Keith
p.s. trussme.... I never received your pictures that you emailed.
1st Gear
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
Active Handling Problem
I have an '04 corvette that had a very similar issue. Out of the blue on dry pavement running at normal interstate speed my Active Handling kicked in, jerking the car somewhat. This happened a couple of times within a month driving home from work. Then one morning as I was backing out of the driveway the "Service Active Handling" message came on, and this message continued to occur. I took the car into the dealership, and surprise, surprise, they couldn't recreate the problem. Being persistent that I am, and also analytical, I did my own research on the web, and found a recall on the 2005 C6 models where the steering column sensor caused these same issues. After 3 days, thank goodness they gave me a free rental, the dealer FINALLY called GM and they were told to replace the steering column sensor. Problem solved!
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 4,408
Likes: 61
From: Centerville OH "If we weren't all crazy we would go insane"
CI 3-4-5-6-7 & 9 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '08
UPDATE:
After all the experimenting, cleaning of the grounds, and code tracking, I decided to take the car to the dealer to at least get their diagnosis (Voss Chevy in Centerville is actually rather good). I figured a few dollars for them to check it out, and if it was the EBCM, I would just go the absfixer.com route.
The result.... it was one of the steering wheel sensors
After hearing other stories, I was prepared to "ride, ride, ride, let it ride" 
But... total cost, including the part ($60), labor and taxes... drum roll please.... $362. So I had them fix it, and everything is A-OK.
Thanks for all the info.
After all the experimenting, cleaning of the grounds, and code tracking, I decided to take the car to the dealer to at least get their diagnosis (Voss Chevy in Centerville is actually rather good). I figured a few dollars for them to check it out, and if it was the EBCM, I would just go the absfixer.com route.
The result.... it was one of the steering wheel sensors
After hearing other stories, I was prepared to "ride, ride, ride, let it ride" But... total cost, including the part ($60), labor and taxes... drum roll please.... $362. So I had them fix it, and everything is A-OK.Thanks for all the info.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 19,384
Likes: 87
From: Horncastle Lincolnshire, England
2023 C5 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
UPDATE:
After all the experimenting, cleaning of the grounds, and code tracking, I decided to take the car to the dealer to at least get their diagnosis (Voss Chevy in Centerville is actually rather good). I figured a few dollars for them to check it out, and if it was the EBCM, I would just go the absfixer.com route.
The result.... it was one of the steering wheel sensors After hearing other stories, I was prepared to "ride, ride, ride, let it ride" But... total cost, including the part ($60), labor and taxes... drum roll please.... $362. So I had them fix it, and everything is A-OK.
Thanks for all the info.
After all the experimenting, cleaning of the grounds, and code tracking, I decided to take the car to the dealer to at least get their diagnosis (Voss Chevy in Centerville is actually rather good). I figured a few dollars for them to check it out, and if it was the EBCM, I would just go the absfixer.com route.
The result.... it was one of the steering wheel sensors
After hearing other stories, I was prepared to "ride, ride, ride, let it ride" But... total cost, including the part ($60), labor and taxes... drum roll please.... $362. So I had them fix it, and everything is A-OK.Thanks for all the info.
Thanks for the update
I've been having similar problems and BC suggested the same. I'm thinking my steering wheel sensor is causing the snag.
6th Gear
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 6
Likes: 0
Your aritcle talks exactly about the problems I am having with my 2003 convertible. Please send my the pictures mentioned in this article as soon as you have time.
Frank and Jill Linhart
jlinhart@comcast.net
Frank and Jill Linhart
jlinhart@comcast.net