bario

I just took my '05 in due the the HVAC fan is stuck on one speed and the air only flows from the forward vents.
I have the GMPP "select" warranty.
The dealer told me that the HVAC "actuators" are bad and need replacing. Ths would involve tearing the dash out and would run 10 - 11 hours labour +parts. GMPP says the parts are not covered?? Any info??

They said it would cover almost any other part of the HVAC. The fan, evap, condensro, etc, but that the actuators will not be covered. seems odd since none of the other HVAC stuff does much good if the actuators are stuffed.

Can this really be correct??

Barry

Gordon Shumway

It is unclear to me what the GMPP "Select' plan is. The Major Guard plan that most seem to buy covers everything in the HVAC system except recharging. However, I suspect even that would be covered if it were necessary as a result of other parts failures that were replaced.

There is a less expensive Value Guard policy that does not specifically list actuators as a covered part of the HVAC system.

http://www.gmprotectionplan.com/valueguard.html

The plan you have will be shown on the cover of your coverage agreement booklet.

bario

Up here in Canada it seems they use different names for the products.

I was able to choose from the following plans, in order of lowest to highest:

powertrain, custom, select, and total plus.

The one most people up here recommended was the "select" as it was supposed to cover just about everything. I don't yet have the booklet as I only bought the car 4 weeks ago and the GMPP documents have not yet arrived in the mail. I don't even have a number to call so that I can talk to someone at GMPP about this.

The brochure says the select plan even covers items such as power window modules, heated seats, Nav system, etc, which are not coverd in the more basic plans.

I find it hard to believe that if my AC/Heating system dies due to an actuator that it is "too bad, so sad. Live without heat and AC".

I paid over $3000 Canadian for this "Genuine GM Extended Warranty" when I bought the car last month. Looks like I should have turned it down and saved the cash.

Barry

Barry

Gordon Shumway

Based on your description I would guess you do in fact have the Canadian version of the "Value Guard" policy I mentioned.

Here is my suggestion:

When you get the booklet review the AC section, which for that policy probably lists what is covered instead of what is not covered. It is entirely possible that the teminology they are using (i.e. actuators) could be described differently in the booklet. In other words, you may have a semantics problem in describing the offending part. If the booklet isn't clear, then most assuredly call for clarification.

Not to rub salt in the wound, but $3000 (Canadian or US) sounds like an awful lot of money for not even the top plan.

Good Luck.

Good Luck

C8-Vette

I have the GMPP Major Guard and it covered 12 hours of labor and parts to replace the actuators and the film shroud on the HVAC of my 05. The dash had to come off. Total cost was in excess of $1500. I paid only $100 deductible.
I'm not sure what the "select" warranty covers, but it should have similiar coverage.

mcandrew67

Yeah but $2500 of it was Tax...

VET4LES

I am reading my GMPP Major Guard Coverage policy. It states everything is covered except the item's listed under "What this agreement does not cover". One of the item is air conditioning recharging. That's the only item listed for the HVAC system.

bario

Well I have even had a conversation with the people at GMPP and they will not budge. The say the actuators are not covered and I will have to pay for the repairs out of my own pocket. $250 for parts isn't bad but the 10-11 hours labour to dissasemble the dash is a real killer.

Tempted to cancel my GMPP, use the cash to fix the HVAC then put the rest in a "fix the Vette" account for future issues.

Now if I could just get the evaporator to develop a leak. That they will cover, and the tech could just pop in new actuators while the dash was apart for the evap. (sigh)

Barry

torquetube

Why not ask them to tell you on which document you signed does it say the actuators are not covered?

AORoads

I thought Les was correct in this since I read that policy, too. If bario, you're saying the GMPP rep told you it's still not covered this, to me, means there's a major flaw (no pun intended) in either the plan, or the wording. Again, just to me, if that's the case, that's deception and it doesn't matter which country you're in.

Can you take it up the line to a supervisor and get that in writing or do you feel you've worked it sufficiently? 11 hours of labor down here would be about $1100 US, and that is quite a bit.

Gordon Shumway

People...You guys keep quoting stuff from the Major Guard aggreement, but he stated he does not have that plan. What he has appears to be the equivalent of the U.S. Value Guard policy. That policy goes into great detail as to what is covered, and AC actuators are not listed. Here again is the link to that plan:

http://www.gmprotectionplan.com/valueguard.html

rjf965

WOW thats a bummer.

Would it be cheaper to call a forum supplier (Fitchner)Sp? and buy a good or better GMPP that covers the repair, then claim it?

bario

My "Select" plan seens to fall somewhere in between the US Value Guard and the US Major Guard. I checked the link above and my plan covers much more than the Value Guard, pushbuttons, electric windows/seats, Hud, Nav/XM unit etc,etc. But in the airconditioning section there is no mention whatsoever of actuators, whether covered or not.

We have 3 levels of GMPP here, Powertrain, Custom & Select. I bought the best figuring it would cover this sort of thing.

Cannot buy a plan elsewhere. GMPP is only available here at the time of sale, and from the selling dealer. Only options are, fork out the cash for repair, buy the parts & attempt disassembling the dash myself, or cash in the GMPP & use that to fix the car.

Latter option is at the front of the line due to the bad taste in my mouth at the present time. It's not that I couldn't pay for the work, it's that I feel I shouldn't have to. If I cash out the GMPP AND do the work myself I will still be left with over $2500 for my "fix the Vette" bank account. I would just not have time until winter which would mean driving the rest of summer with no A/C.

Yeah, yeah. Take off the top, I know. And I do. But right now it is 40 degrees here where I live, and it will likely stay 37-40 for a few weeks. Just too hot to have the sun beating down on me like that in the mid day heat. In the morning and evening the top is always off and A/C uneeded.

Oh, That's about 100 - 105 degrees for you southern folk.

Was planning a road trip into the US as we live right on the border but my wife won't sit in the car in the heat like that for a multi day trip so that plan is out. Right now if I need to go somewhere midday, I just fire up the 15 year old F150 pickup with 320,000 KM on the clock. The AC still works great in that truck after 15 years. Never been in the shop for a single issue and cost me only $13,500 new. Hmm...........



But all warranty stuff aside, I still love the car. Besides, I did need a good excuse to buy even more tools.

Barry

AORoads

OK, I guess you're right. Obviously, some plans state what is covered, some state what isn't covered, and some don't state anything as in the Major Guard, which seems to mean everything is covered but for the deductible. And then there's the different plans for Canadians...Thanks for the clarification, Gordon.

bario, do you mean you're going to take apart the dash and do it yourself? that's very intriguing, and brave.

Rich Farr

Under what's Covered:

A complete list would be so large it would fill several pages! This plan covers practically every moving or electrical part on your vehicle, except for cosmetic or maintenance items as outlined at the bottom of this page.

If your package says same, you might suggest to GMPP supervisor that you will take small claims court action .

VET4LES

Looks like there are too many plans. Not only in the US but north of the border apparently has a complete set of their own.

Zymurgy

Interesting. The GM Canada GMPP site lists the following GMPP plans:

There is no "Select" plan listed.

bario

Yep, I noticed the same thing on the Canadian site. I am trying to find out about that, but the select has been offered here for years and several Canuck Corvette owners have it. In fact, it was the plan recommended to me by a friend that has owned 3 'Vettes. The total plus was never even offered to me and I am thinking that it has just recently replaced the select plan. In my brochure it lists the Select as the highest but there is a little blurb, in fine print, that mentions the Total Plus, that it is for "newer" vehicles only, and to see the separate, Total Plus Brochure. That Brochure also makes no mention of actuators but I have now talked to one person that has that plan and was covered for this.

I am thinking that the Total Plus has to be purchased before the original warranty runs out?? My '05 was out of warranty and I think that maybe the seemingly discontinued Select is as high as I can go.

Weird thing is the paperwork that I signed lists all 4 plans. Powertrain, Custom, Select, & Total Plus but GMPP would only give Select or lower. Still digging into this part. If a mistake was made and I am eligable then I will upgrade to a plan that actually works. if not, I will cancel and save the cash.

But now for some good news, The GM of the dealer got involved and although he could not change GMPP's mind he made a deal that I decided to accept. I pay the parts & the dealership will waive all the labour charges for the job. Everyone at the dealership was kind of surprised that this wasn't covered and they did not feel it was right to sell a car with this issue. They have decided to stand behind their sale and do the work for free. The parts are only about $250 and I would have paid $100 deductible so it's only $150 more out of my pocket.

The Vette went in yesterday and will be ready today. Timing was good as I am out of town until Wednesday and needed my pickup truck so I couldn't drive the Vette Until Wednesday anyway.


So although I am still not happy with the plan and may cancel it & put the cash in a vette account, I am very happy with how the dealership has dealt with this issue.

CroOrange

My suggestion would be to call and say that if they don't cover you will cancel (and be prepared to cancel).

I would think that 3k$ is a lot of money to get this kind of response.

a++ Cedric

Zymurgy

Glad to hear that the dealership stepped up and waived the labor.