I'll tell you. I leave my wife alone with the car for a day and this is what happens.

I drove the car yesterday with no problems. For some background, I've had DBS twice (and I do believe it was the real deal....I have a manual, 2005, and both times it was when the car sat for 48-72 hours and it was dead as a doorknob. No activity whatsoever. Had to get in through the trunk mounted release mechanism).

Today, she calls me on my cell (I'm in Park City). She said she tried to get in to the car but the doors wouldn't open. Eventually they did, but the car wouldn't start. It said "no fob detected" or something like that, but she had the fob and in fact it recognized her setting on the DIC. Then, she said the Nav started freaking out - all kinds of displays, and the doors wouldn't open. She had to climb out.

A few hours later, by phone, I had her try my fob. Same thing. This time the horns started honking like the alarm got set off. I had her try to put the fob in the glove compartment, but she said it still wouldn't start.

Definitely not DBS, but seems to be some kind of major electrical failure. I'm fairly worried; I wonder if I should have her get the car flatbedded to the local dealer, but I wonder if I should wait until I get home first (late Friday night). For one thing, they don't know me b/c I bought the car out of state. For another, maybe I can get it running.

Thoughts?

 

Call Chevy 800 number and have them tow it in. Find out which dealer they will go to and initiate a confernce call between them, the wife and you.
Thats what I would do. Good luck !

 

I disagree. It sounds like typical weak battery behavior, due possibly to a DBS-in-progress or to diminshed capacity from the two previous deep cycles.

 

The computers go nuts when the voltage falls below 10.5 volts.

 

Bad battery. And this may have been the problem when you had the other episodes as well.

Is this the same battery in the car as when it had the other two episodes of "DBS"?

 

This will be a key answer to eliminating the "bad battery" theory.

 

I've had the same thing happen to me with a low battery. Time for a priority start and a Optima yellow top!

 

 

Doesn't it seem absurd to carry a 'priority start' in a vehicle that should not require this?

Not meaning to start a war of words on this matter (as it appears to be a very touchy subject matter). It just would rub me the wrong way to no end if this was a solution I needed to consider.

Just my $0.02

 

It rubs me the wrong way too, but after a DBS episode it's the only way to keep from getting stranded by a dead battery. There is a serious, albeit random, issue with the battery/electrical system on the 2005 C6 cars with the MN6. For those of us who have had it happen in apparently properly shut down cars, it's no longer a philosophical issue. It's simply a matter of not wanting to have to deal with a dead car again.

Until GM can diagnose and fix DBS and any associated gremlins, my Priority Start stays on.

 

Just logging in from Utah. Interesting; the consensus is that it may well be the battery, huh?

I have not changed the battery. In fact, I didn't even bring the car in the last two times. I'm generally way to busy and I didn't bother b/c nobody seems to know how to fix DBS anyway. In fact, I'd be surprised if the dealer even knows it exists.



Ok, given what everyone thinks, do you still think I should have it towed in? Seems like they could do more damage than good; I'd really rather avoid the towing if possible. Maybe I should wait until i get back, jump it and either bring it in myself or just get myself a yellow top and replace it myself. After all, they're not going to put a yellow top in for me, or a priority start for that matter, will they?

:

 

DBS has hit cars with both OEM and aftermarket batteries. There have been some bad batteries, but I don't think most of us who have had real DBS problems blame it on the battery. GM certainly doesn't think it's the batteries as they try to pin this down. Full drainage may compromise the battery's ability to hold a full charge, but that's not a major issue since many of us, even after a DBS incident, still have our original batteries and they work just fine. The Delco may not be the best battery out there, but it isn't typically the cause of DBS.

IMHO, you should report any dead battery occurrence to your dealer, if for no other reason than to have it documented and let them test the car for parasitic drains. This also adds to GM's database and shows them that this is an ongoing problem.

 

It's the battery...

Get a YELLOWTOP...

Next?

Rick

 

 

Had what may have been DBS or a bad battery -- put in priority start and new Optima. Two weeks later DBS that was halted by priority start. So, I would have to say NOT the battery in my case.

 

There's no reason why one can't have both a bad battery and DBS, as they are in no way mutually exclusive problems.
The DBS will just happen sooner with a weak battery.

 

Brand new 06, manual, 750 miles on it, Ive had it for three weeks. Last night I pulled the car forward in the garage to put on the license plate just rec (car ran for maybe 30 seconds). Plate on , went to start it again, and it wont start, definitely low battery, electronics are working, but working very flaky. Tried to start, can hear starter try to engage, then dead. I popped the hood, plugged my charger on for the night, charger read full and she started right up this am. I just ordered (2) Priority Start Pro's a few minutes ago, hopefully this isnt going to be a problem for me too.

ps: My glove box is slightly off center and occasionally I notice the light on through the top when driving. I'm wondering if the glove box light will stay on constantly, and that was the cause of my problem. Note car was not driven for 4 days, prior to the one "quick start up when I moved the car".

 

 

I thought it was not yet reported on '06's.

 

Dead batteries have been reported in '06s on this board.

One guy here, Devils Elbow, with an A6 has had multiple batteries, including an Optima Red Top, die in his '06 automatic. And there are other '06 owners here who have reported dead batteries.

This issue, though it be rare, was far from "solved" with the elimination of the shift into reverse requirement in the '06.