End of my XLR?

[rexster314]

Some of the regular members may remember me talking about putting my XLR in a Houston Cadillac dealer last year. I was given a loaner car. This was January 15, 2019.
A lot has transpired in the 13 months it's been in the shop.
Fix one problem, then find another problem that they generated. Couple of months would go by with no contact with the shop manager. Back in May, they dropped a bolt in between the fender that in order to retrieve it, had to drop/remove the power pack (engine and transmission) from the car. Then they said the EBCM was bad. Of course, we all know they are unobtanium. They, without my knowledge, tried several modules from the junkyard with no luck. I finally sent the module off for rebuilding. Shop said there was something wrong with it. I told them no, they just didn't know how to track down shorts in a system. Then they said it was a wheel speed sensor causing the problem. Still not fixed.
This week I got a call from a rep from the dealer. Bottom line is they're admitting they can't fix it, don't know what's wrong, and for me to come get it and give the loaner back.
I know I'm gonna get a bill, but most of the problems caused by the shop. So, I'm waiting.
Trying to determine what to do with the car, for the moment I'm getting AAA to pick the car up and bring it to a local shop who has worked on the car before, and I have trust in his work.
If that turns out bad, I'm gonna part out the car. Headlights and taillights are good, with the headlights having the burned DRL lens the only thing wrong with them. Top module, seats, everything will go.
Just another road bump in life.

 

[IAN]

Hi rexster.

Really sad to ear that you are with a such serious problem, I hope that your trusted repair shop can fix your car.
Part out could be a good idea, however you will have to be patient, many parts will go quickly, yes, however the captive parts will take more time to sell.

The chance to part out your car could be in the $20 at reasonable price.

I wish that you will not have to do it.

It is Valentine day, the hell with the car ( for now ) enjoy that day ( and the weekend ) with happiness.

IAN.

 

[Z1.]

This is why I never have ever taken my XLR to a dealer or any mechanic for repairs. Do your own work if you can.

 

[richardyoo]

My first 2006 XLR-V was bought off the lot the first month it was released... it ended up in the shop 3 times the first 6 weeks I owned it for various problems... then in the 4th month of ownership the top failed and it ended up in the shop for 3 months and it never worked right. It was bought in San Antonio, but mainly serviced in Austin. Eventually, GM bought it back and they built me a new 2006 that was delivered a few months later.

That 2nd XLR-V ended up in the shop 3 times in the first 6 months I owned it as well. I took it to two different shops in Houston... during those visits I maintained my relationship with the regional engineer that I was assigned by GM/Cadillac in detroit...

Bottom line - GM could never maintain the XLR - its too complicated of a car for mainline gm service techs.

Long story short - I agree with Z1, I have since been doing 100% of all the work to my XLR-V on my own, in my own garage... and its been running better than ever.

Rex- what exacly prompted you to take it into the shop in the first place?

 

[Gord]

A lot has transpired in the 13 months it's been in the shop.

Hi Rex,
That's a helluva episode - major bummer. What Richard asked as well if you wouldn't mind?

Do you perhaps...have insurance and a decent lawyer? I would be reluctant to remove the car immediately if served with any bill. I'd also recommend if you do decide to take it from them, have it go directly to the other shop and get them to go through the car and evaluate (not repair) how much damage the obviously inexperienced dealership may have caused.

It's a fact, they are human so are permitted to make mistakes and 'not succeed', but I don't see how it can't be at your expense. And, if in all their poking around, they've fried costly electronics and such, well they may be liable.

The back of dealer's work orders usually have a 'cover their ass' clause however that should not absolve them them from costs incurred if they say, blew up costly components in the process of their 'learning'.

They, without my knowledge, tried several modules from the junkyard with no luck.

See, that's really not right.

 

[pure zen]

What a mess Rex... How do you keep your cool during all of this cluster-f#%@? I've always considered you a great poster here, just so you know!

Agree with Gord > leave the car there and get a lawyer.....make either that shop or the insurance company to buy it, and get yourself another toy to own. Less headaches than parting out and selling items from the 'lemon'

Good luck with whatever you decide....think it over carefully.

jmo, p z

 

[Vetter]

When I bought my 2004 for a real good price, I had to drive it 120 miles home, the top wouldn't go up and all the way home the car would go in "limp" mode while every gauge would stop working and every dash light kept flashing. This happened on the entire two hour drive home, the car was going completely crazy! I thought at the time the car was going to be a royal pain to fix! All I ended up doing was going through removing every ground and cleaning then replaced the battery, even though the battery still read a full 12 volts and started the car fine it still caused all kinds of issues with the electronics, it was crazy issues!
Now I know everyone on this group probably already knows about the battery causing crazy issues, but maybe this dealer doesn't realize this? I know I let my car sit a couple weeks and the battery drains to almost nothing. If the dealer had this car for so long and the battery has been discharged for a long period of time maybe the battery won't fully charge now? Just a thought, with them changing out these EBCMs and them showing bad, just possibly there are ground and battery issues contributing to this?

 

[rexster314]

Richard, the variable assist steering went out. It was driveable and no wrench in the dashboard. It went in for that. I had previous work done at the dealer (David Taylor, now Sterling McCall; no kin) and was always satisfied. This time was a comedy of errors. I thing they put an apprentice on the initial job and it went downhill from there. Stripping the bolts from the lower control arms, ruining the front shocks by not clamping them down when unattached, I can go on and on.

 

[IAN]

This is why I never have ever taken my XLR to a dealer or any mechanic for repairs. Do your own work if you can.

Hi Z1.

I agreed with you, having a workshop manual and a thech2 monitor also having the XLR NET informations is the way to go.

For some reasons such as health, age. knowledge, one of a kind captive car and many other reasons, makes us to visiting the Dealer, that is very often the only way to go.

The Cadillac/Chevrolet network dealerships are obviously more available then the corvette/XLR specialised repair shops, so very often the XLR has no choices.

That dealer that had REXSTER XLR for repairs, shows a strange way to proceed and a obviously with a lack of follow up of the repair…. that is very strange.

Solving the issue by the court is one way, however it could be a very long procedure, the chances could be that Rexster XLR would be sold…. part out.

IAN.

 

[Z1.]

After going bankrupt but getting a taxpayer bailout, the same clowns running GM (with their nice pensions and retirement plans revived) decided to cut all technician's pay buy 1/2 half and double their work load. Inevitably, all the best and smartest techs eventually left.

 

[Z1.]

No one working for GM will mention this because of legal and liability issues, but the XLR ECBM is not XLR unique. A unnamed tech told me, "similar year SRX and DHS ECBMs can be used in a pinch. Just don't install any new SPS calibrations."

 

[JW7]

So sorry to hear of the situation that was created for you... ..Since I joined this forum, your knowledge and comments were both informative and enlightening...hoping that things will be able to be worked out for you, to enable you to keep your baby and continue in this forum...

 

[long Tall Sally]

No one working for GM will mention this because of legal and liability issues, but the XLR ECBM is not XLR unique. A unnamed tech told me, "similar year SRX and DHS ECBMs can be used in a pinch. Just don't install any new SPS calibrations."

They are similar but they will not work. I spoke with an ex top programmer that's knows the XLR inside and out when I was at Jay Lenos garage. He worked on Lenos turbine car, he told me the Xlr had hopes of doing a whole lot more electronically when it was made so many of the systems such as the suspension that controls the abs and the shocks if the car starts to slide sideways where way over engineered but just did not work as hoped and was dropped the yaw and abs , steering wheel position and one other thing that I forget all feed info to the brake module on the XLR, That's why you cannot just unplug the suspension module or turn it off like you can on the corvette with the mag ride shocks. The XLR is supposed to in a slide lock up the shocks on the forward side and soften the shocks on the trailing side to prevent roll over I am not going to try it out I hope. That's why most of the modules in 06-09 changed. They dropped that approach .A lot of the modules look identical to the sxr and the vette. seat controls even the soft top corvette module looks identical to the hardtop XLR module .ABS on and on but they are programmed In a way that most run thru the main computer on a different program format than the other cars so they will not interchange and unless you can erase them and rewrite the whole program they don't work.
Rexstarrs dealer lost me when he said they had to pull the motor to find a bolt. they dropped. I would have pulled it away right then but at least they let him drive a loaner for a year

 

[hawkeye372]

Sorry you are having so many problems with your xlr


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[rocket83402]

Ok I am officially scared of having my XLR. I love driving it and it looks so good going down the road, and so far (knock on wood) I haven't had any problems. Waiting for the snow to go away before its driven again, but I am having second thoughts after hearing the problems with some of the cars. I am not the best mechanic, and don't have a really trusted shop to get work done. Guess its a crap shoot...Hope you get satisfaction Rexter from the shop. Sounds like a ripoff....

 

[rexster314]

Car is getting picked up by AAA tomorrow and being taken to a local shop. I trust the guy and he'll be able to tell me if it's repairable.
The repair invoice total was 11,000$. I knew I had about 1500-1700 in it that I was responsible for. That's what we settled for. There's a new service manager there and a couple new service writers that weren't there last month. Service manager told me they had abut 8 other vehicles that they couldn't fix/didn't fix and they would probably wind up charging those off as well.
Time will tell.

 

[beaver_jd]

Ok I am officially scared of having my XLR. I love driving it and it looks so good going down the road, and so far (knock on wood) I haven't had any problems. Waiting for the snow to go away before its driven again, but I am having second thoughts after hearing the problems with some of the cars. I am not the best mechanic, and don't have a really trusted shop to get work done. Guess its a crap shoot...Hope you get satisfaction Rexter from the shop. Sounds like a ripoff....

rocket, Don't be afraid to drive your car. I have had my 06 for about 7 years and no problems. I will start to sweat if and when something goes wrong. I do worry about the headlights but I think that issue will get resolved in due time. I am not the least bit mechanical and that is a potential problem but I think I can find people to help me.
John F.

 

[Gord]

...The repair invoice total was 11,000$. I knew I had about 1500-1700 in it that I was responsible for. That's what we settled for....

...There's a new service manager there and a couple new service writers that weren't there last month. Service manager told me they had abut 8 other vehicles that they couldn't fix/didn't fix and they would probably wind up charging those off as well...

Hi Rex,
Respectfully... that's insane. If I may, how in the world do you figure you owe them a penny? Best as I understand you drove the car to the shop and had to have it towed out a year later? To me that says simply 'you owe me a car'.

I have to reiterate... keep notes, get names (past and present). Go see a good lawyer.

My 2 cents.

Gord

 

[rexster314]

Car was delivered to my local shop this afternoon. Tow truck driver actually started it up and drove it from the truck to the parking spot. Tried to open the trunk, and it's all messed up, it's happened before and a top relearn solved it, so not worried about that right now. I'm hopeful that with a little time and patience, my guy will track down what's wrong and get it straight. Body was in good shape, paint will need to be polished out but no deep gouges or scratches observed.
Fingers crossed.

 

[graytoad]

I am respectfully asking all XLR owners who read this to please chime in if you have the same wonderful experience as I personally do with my XLR. Nobody ever sits on this forum to report how flawless their car is - they only post when they have problems. Rocket 83402 Please do not despair, XLR's are great cars. So Carefree XLR Owners, Please speak up on this matter!
My car is virtually flawless and always has been. The only troubles I have had have been battery related. I am on my 3rd batter since purchasing it in 2011 (mine is an 09) and I do keep my car on a battery tender when not in use. My car had to stay in Florida over the summer (4 year old battery on a tender) and when I got back here in November the battery was toast as it was on my HD Road King and on our 65 Malibu which has a FI engine from a 89 GTA Trans Am under the hood which is another battery hog. (damn Florida summers: no good for uncycled batteries) Anyway my XLR was giving me all sorts of trouble until we tested the battery at an auto parts place - it was so bad it came up on their tester as 'Replace'. Got a new battery & renewed zest for life - problems once again.

Rexter - sorry you are not having the same experience as I am, good luck with your current issue!