Erratic electrical behavior-maybe possessed!
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 24
Likes: 0
From: South Carolina
Erratic electrical behavior-maybe possessed!
Here is what happened: my car started itself while I was standing beside it. Then the flashers came on and the trunk opened. When I tried to turn the engine off, it restarted as soon as I released the ignition switch. I tried to turn off the flashers but the ignition turned off. I tried to turn off the flashers again but the engine started again. I decided to park it in the garage and unhook the battery cable but could not get it out of park. So I turned off the ignition again with the flashers and unhooked the battery cable. I waited and hooked the battery back up, moved the car into the garage, put up the top, then unhooked the battery again. I waited about an hour and hooked the battery back up. As soon as I got in the car and closed the driver door, it started itself. After a whole afternoon of erractic behavior, I finally got it to the GMC dealership. They have been trying to find the gremlin for 2 days. Anyone else every experience this erractic behavior? I have a 2007 base model convertible. This has happened to me three times in the last four years. The anti-theft light also came on and I got a DIC message that read "service vehicle soon"'." Well duh! The GMC master mechanic can't find anything wrong.
Last edited by afpadre25; Apr 4, 2018 at 07:07 PM.
Race Director
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 15,763
Likes: 3,281
From: Phoenix area, AZ
I don't see how a Corvette could "start itself." An auto trans requires the brake pedal to be pressed down, and a manual trans requires the clutch to be. Then there's that whole "have to press the ignition button to start the car" thing.
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 1,428
Likes: 113
From: Brick NJ
I had a Ford truck did the exact same thing, turned out water got in one of the computers after a hard rain, after i disconnected the battery i put a fan under the dash for a day and never had another problem once things dried out. Good Luck
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 24
Likes: 0
From: South Carolina
Thanks everyone. The battery is good. The car is garaged and I don't drive it in the rain. These things have been checked. And impossible as it may seem, two GMC employees, one which is a master mechanic witnessed it start itself.
Safety Car
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 3,807
Likes: 508
From: Oshawa, Ontario
have you or a previous owner installed a remote start?
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Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 24
Likes: 0
From: South Carolina
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 24
Likes: 0
From: South Carolina
Dangerous
You are exactly right and I thought of that. I will be unhooking the battery until this can be resolve
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 24
Likes: 0
From: South Carolina
Safety Car
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 3,807
Likes: 508
From: Oshawa, Ontario
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 24
Likes: 0
From: South Carolina
Nothing happened without the FOB nearby.
The car has sat in my garage for four years with the FOB in the house and I have never had a problem. The three times this has happened, I was either just getting in the car to go somewhere or had arrived somewhere and was getting out of the car. The FOB was always in my pocket during those times. Other factors I remembered are the top was always down and both doors were opened. Since the anti-theft light came on on the instrument panel, it make me think the car believes an attempt to steal it is going on. That would explain not being able to shift it out of Park. But having it to start up the engine on its own, and not being able to turn off the ignition doesn't make sense. When I disconnect the battery for several hours, it is as if I re-boot the computer and all is good until the next time. Wish I could figure out what causes it to go haywire?
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 14,475
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From: Las Vegas NV
The car has sat in my garage for four years with the FOB in the house and I have never had a problem. The three times this has happened, I was either just getting in the car to go somewhere or had arrived somewhere and was getting out of the car. The FOB was always in my pocket during those times. Other factors I remembered are the top was always down and both doors were opened. Since the anti-theft light came on on the instrument panel, it make me think the car believes an attempt to steal it is going on. That would explain not being able to shift it out of Park. But having it to start up the engine on its own, and not being able to turn off the ignition doesn't make sense. When I disconnect the battery for several hours, it is as if I re-boot the computer and all is good until the next time. Wish I could figure out what causes it to go haywire?
Race Director
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 12,502
Likes: 3,629
Since this is an automatic.
The break-down on what has to happen before the car will start,
RCDLR has to see the programmed fob inside the car, and sends the signal to the BCM that there is a fob inside the car to start with.
Next, BCM has to see the signal you have the brake pedal presses down, you have pressed the start button as well.
From here, once the BCM gets all the needed signals to it for it motor start requirements, will send a signal to the ECM to start the car.
If the car is self starting, then it's pointing to a problems in the BCM, or could even be the ECM as well.
The break-down on what has to happen before the car will start,
RCDLR has to see the programmed fob inside the car, and sends the signal to the BCM that there is a fob inside the car to start with.
Next, BCM has to see the signal you have the brake pedal presses down, you have pressed the start button as well.
From here, once the BCM gets all the needed signals to it for it motor start requirements, will send a signal to the ECM to start the car.
If the car is self starting, then it's pointing to a problems in the BCM, or could even be the ECM as well.
Safety Car
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 4,435
Likes: 874
From: Bay Area CA
Never heard of the car self starting.
If the front wheels starting turning 360 degrees on there own I suggest an exorcist.
Seriously, I agree with Dano, a bad BCM or ECM. I hope you get this resolved soon!
If the front wheels starting turning 360 degrees on there own I suggest an exorcist.
Seriously, I agree with Dano, a bad BCM or ECM. I hope you get this resolved soon!