C7 disaster
 

For the third consecutive time in the past 6 months my 2016 Z51 Coupe has gone to reduced power mode for no good reason. Each time I have had to limp home at speeds of 20-25 MPH hoping that I would not get run over by fast moving traffic. The problem is in the throttle linkage to the ECM and it has obviously baffled the local shop here in Florida because the car has been in the shop for 3 days and counting. I will soon be driving this disaster back to Canada and just hope and pray that it doesn't shut down on an interstate. In 50 plus years of driving I have never had such a disappointing car! Any suggestions?

I don't know where you live in Florida. If you can get it to Corvette Masters in Maitland i'm sure they can sort it out for you. I am not affiliated with them, but i have had work done by them. They repair problems the dealer cant seam to figure out.

Without more diagnostic info it's hard to offer a useful suggestion.

I will say that I experienced possibly similar with my previous C6 that was a failure of the Accelerator Pedal Position Sensor. It was a hard failure in my case but have to wonder if the symptoms may be indicative of a failing unit...

Here's my original issue... <Link>


Allen

Driving to Canada from FL will take a long time at 25 mph!

Good luck

Canadians use metric, so it's even further! :rock:

I wouldn't necessarily call it a 'disaster' considering the multitude of worst things that could happen, however a major pain in the ass for sure. :(

Might be time to call it a lemon. Pretty sure it three strikes and they're out - and you get a new car. Maybe you should check into it...

Lemon law is a lot harder than that , I think it's time for the OP to take it to the dealer and not a local shop ....

Dave

Sounds like a Canadian purchased Corvette. Do you guys have Lemon Laws Up there? Might need to ship it back to Canada.

nope.

where are you in Florida

Besides my 2017 Z51 (2LT, M7), I have a 2017 Prius Prime (a plug in hybrid). The car was giving us messages like 'Hybrid System Not Working Right Get Service' etc. The car never really broke down, but these message were persistent. We bring it to the selling dealer. They scratch their heads. They call Toyota USA headquarters in Texas. They call Japan. This goes back and forth for 2 weeks. Finally Toyota files two engineers all they way from the factory in Japan to Newburgh, NY (about 60 miles NW of NY City) to sort out this car. And they DID finally figure it out - the A/C compressor was randomly sending voltage spikes through the hybrid inverter making the ECU errantly send these messages. New A/C compressor, new hybrid inverter and *poof* the car is fixed.

The whole time we had a 2018 Toyota Camry XLE to drive, we were hardly inconvenienced. I was very impressed both by the lengths Newburgh Toyota went to take care of us and even more so by what Toyota did. That's really how it should be. They should FIX your car and GO TO ANY LENGTH to fix it. That's how companies like Toyota GET those reputations for reliability, when their shit breaks they are VERY CONCERNED, and they act accordingly all the way to the very top. P.S., since we got the car back 3+ weeks ago, we have driven it at least 1000 miles, it does appear to be back to normal, they did fix it.

The parts alone were like $3000+, I figure the total money involved in all this, parts, labor, rental car for period probably amounted to like $5K retail, our out of pocket cost was zero point zero zero. I couldn't be a happier customer, they turned shit into ice cream in the most professional and impressive manner possible.

Cars are increasingly computerized, and I'm sure your Corvette is suffering such a malady. So what is GM DOING about this? Are they doing what Toyota did? Ask the dealer and the regional rep that question when you talk to them. Feel free to reference my story and have them contact me about how a service customer with a major issue SHOULD be treated by a dealer, but more importantly by the manufacturer.

The car is in the hands of a Chevrolet dealer in South West Florida (not a backyard mechanic) and so far they seem hesitant to try replacing the ECM -engine control module=maybe because it is an expensive part. Who knows?

OK...I was going to PM you a suggestion if you were closer my way

I feel so badly for the OP, I would hope that GM would be as concerned about their flagship sports car as Toyota is about their Prius. Both important cars for each manufacturer.

That's just astonishing that they haven't tried replacing the ECU and the customer suspects it's because the part is too pricey. WTF? This is a $70,000 car. Wrong attitude, it's about protecting the brand and keeping customers happy, not allowing the owner to get so frustrated they start throwing (well justified) forum molotov cocktails (which is what true car horror stories like this become on the Internet) that besmirch the brand and the model.

Look what Toyota did with us. Gave us a nice car to drive. No worries. No hurry. Hell, I wouldn't have been too upset if it had taken them two MONTHS to fix the car, as long as THEY FIX THE CAR. And so they did. Why can't Chevy manage that?

Just completely unfathomable GM. Go figure.

I understand what you're saying about the dealership. But, they have a number to the Tech center in Detroit where they can get problems solved, if the dealer can't figure it out. You need to talk with them about going these extra steps, and for them to be pushing the matter so that the dealer (and you) are made whole by NOT having to pay for the expensive parts.

Under the conditions you describe, your car won't make it to Canada, and you WILL have an accident, but one that you knew would happen in advance. Your choice to make but I wouldn't be so restrained or passive about it. Good luck. :cheers:

When will it dawn on them that cases like this are NOT just about the individual customer and the repair involved? It's MUCH BIGGER than that. It's ABOUT PROTECTING THE BRAND you idiots. Figure it out.

Please note how Toyota seemed to know this IMMEDIATELY.

Holy cr@p!!! :eek:

No, I would call a forced reduction of power on an interstate something much worse than a major pain in the ass.

I have a friend who is a motorcycle cop. He had just merged into traffic at 70 mph when the electronic throttle of his Harley put the system into FORCED IDLE. He was nearly killed and basically due to his exceptional riding skills avoided panicking or being hit.

So, disaster no, deathtrap yes.