Variable Effort Steering rack

[rexster314]

The actuator for the Variable Effort Steering has fritzed out on my 06. It's an integral part of the steering rack so the entire assembly has to be replaced. Bad part is the steering rack is discontinured and even remanufactured racks are limited.
Wondering if the steering rack from a 05-06 C-6 Corvette is interchangeable> From the mickey mouse diagrams on the GM parts websites it looks the same, but not willing to part with my money unless I can be sure. Since the control is done through the ECBM on the car, I'm thinking that it might work.

Ideas?

 

[long Tall Sally]

bunch of them on ebay used and reman. 200 and up to 600 reman.Most all the catalogues show some vettes the same but not all. Same as some show 04-09 all fit but I think 08 changed from 07.

 

[rexster314]

Failed to mention I've got an extended warranty

 

[long Tall Sally]

then they should locate one for you and do all the work. My corvette tech friend says there are 11 that look the same but internals are not Most are no longer available from Gm for the Vette and rebuilt usually just rebuilds the one out of the car 2-3 weeks

 

[rexster314]

That's what I'm hoping. I know rebuilt ones are out there, seems like Rock Auto has it. Got an appt with Cadillac dealer next week.

 

[redvett94]

Rock auto has same PN for Corvette or XLR

 

[rexster314]

Thank guys.

 

[rexster314]

So, thinking that a good Chevy dealership could assess the problem with the steering, I took it in last week. Told them that there was a C0450 code. Service manager could have cared less, didn't even write it down. Got a call later that day saying they've been looking at it all day and they 'think" it's the EBCM. Knew better, so went and got the car back. They didn't charge any diagnostic fee however. When I got home, I made an appointment at David Taylor in Houston, about an hour away from me. Yesterday I took it in, and while doing the paperwork told the service writer about the code, and described in detail how it was acting and how it should be acting. About an hour later, he came back, told me it was the actuator on the steering rack gone bad. Good part is that extended warranty will pay off except my 100$ deductible of course. The price on the steering rack was $1800 just for the part. So I made my money off the extended warranty already. Plus they put me in a '19 XT5 CUV till the car is finished.

 

[rexster314]

So it's been better than 2 months and my car is still at the Caddy dealer. Dealing with Delta Auto Protect has been a nightmare. They're of the bottom line version, lowballing the dealer in what they will and won't pay for, taking a week to get an answer from them. While the shop was waiting on the rebuilt steering gear, they stripped out the bolts that attach the lower control arm, and then found the control arms were shot. I know that for a fact cause I was getting some popping from the front end. Delta refused to pay for that cause it wasn't relative to the original claim. I wound up ordering 2 lower control arms from Rock Auto and had them drop shipped to the dealer. While they were waiting on the control arms arrived, they didn't secure the shocks, they over extended and got locked up. While putting the steering gear in, they found a short in the EBCM that probably caused the steering mechanism to go out. Delta flat out refused to pay for any of this. Couple of weeks ago, the shop foreman told me he was going to contact Cadillac to see if they would help out and pick up some of the repair cost. This sounded good, but Cadillac pay for repairs on a 13 year old car? So I wait around and yesterday he calls me and said that Cadillac agreed to kick in and to send them the parts and labor that was require to finish the car. So, 2 800$ shocks, an 1100$ EBCM plus labor came out to around 3300$. I was shaking in my boots. This afternoon the shop manager calls me and tells me that Cadillac agreed to pick up 2600$. He said apparently Cadillac thinks a lot of me, that they just don't do that. I told him this was my 3rd Cadillac and that was probably it. Who knows? One thing good from the get go is they've let me have a loaner car all this time, from Jan 15 to the present. So after better than 2 months, I might be getting my XLR back next week. I put a review of Delta Auto Protect on ConsumerAffairs.com back in February on how they've handled this claim. I got an email from Consumer Affairs website saying that Delta and I actually settled the claim and they were closing the review, but I refuted their statement, so it's still there

 

[XLRATING]

That’s great to hear! I hope we can get totally free repairs if needed since we’re on our 10th Cadillac (4 are still with us).

 

[long Tall Sally]

you da man rexster. Sounds like if one of use went in with a steering problem nd did not have the connections we could have faced a 6-7000$ bill for a lot of repairs that would be hard to understand as related. I installed a rebuilt rack for a customer not too long ago. It was just leaking a bit. Cost of rack was less than 500 and labor book time was like 3 hours ,so 250 for labor. It actually took a little longer as I tighten the intake and inspected the brakes and tires while I worked on it . No need to remove the control arms as the bushings were good and tight at 75,000 miles.

 

[IAN]

Good for you rexster314.

It is obvious that GM/Cadillac like you, as you says your car is 13 year old XLR, so the reason could perhaps be for what you have written since, on this site.

Also the Cadillac is a low volume production car and the dealer has perhaps an important says with the services repairs allowed to its customers in order to maintain their loyalty.

The EBCM (main source of the problem ) found by the Chevrolet and Cadillac dealers was probably defective since new, that is probably why the shop foreman got in touch with GM/Cadillac and agreed to help you.

As far is the extended warranty money collector and far away a protector, it is not a surprise in the car industry.

GOOD for you, most the XLR owners share your luck.

IAN

 

[long Tall Sally]

so if the EBCM is the source of the problem , why would the rack need to be replaced especially if defective since new? Never heard or seen or read about the EBCM being replaced becasue of the variable assist not working. Please fill us In on the reason for this.

 

[IAN]

Hi LTS

My comment to rexster314 was to congradulating him, 2 GM dealers come up to the source problem, call them they will tell and filll you the why the how and when.

On rexster314 comments 1/16/19 line 4 and 3/20/19 lines 9 and 10 on the possibility of defective EBCM was mention by him and that is all tally that i will go for your impulsive comments.

IAN.

 

[long Tall Sally]

you were the one that called it" the main source of the problem", and "was probably defective since new". No one else said that. Not the dealer. If this is a problem we would like to be able to go and get ours repaired also before it causes damage

 

[IAN]

Hi Sally.

The GM dealer said that they '' THINK that the EBCM is defective '', the Cadillac dealer said that ''PROBABLY the EBCM cause the steering mechanism to go out ''

The word probably means '' perhaps '' is in it…... and not a statement.

Sally... please read properly the threads.

IAN

 

[IAN]

Hi Sally.

The words use by the GM dealer is they ''think '' and the Cadillac dealer '' probably '' that EBCM is the problem that has cause the steering mechanism to fail.

Is this the steering who has cause first the mechanism to fail .......NO..... it is the Cadillac dealer, who state it.

Respectfully…...please read properly the threads.

IAN

 

[rexster314]

I'm thinking the Chevy dealer found the root of the problem with the ECBM short, and that short fried the steering rack electronics. Dealer didn't want to go further into it.
Failsafe went into effect when I could still steer, with normal power steering. Then when the Caddy dealer replaced the steering rack, found the short in the ECBM.

 

[long Tall Sally]

that could make sense . But probably doe not mean in the English language "perhaps" Something could have shorted the EBCM while checking it out ,connecting battery cables in the wrong order is a common reason for shorted EBCM. The rack could have failed first also and damaged the EBCM. so the word POSSIBLE would make more sense than PROBABLY. Maybe it an non English speaking thing

 

[IAN]

Hi Sally.

Sorry…...Check with the dictionary,'' Perhaps'' means possible and '' probably'' means possibility.

Some curious trip for the XLR owners.

My ''mom'' she is a francophone and my uncle is an American anglo/francophone, so i am not the perfect American and i believe that the XLR owners know how to make the difference.

Today it is sunny and it is spring time lets celebrate with a glass of wine or a beer, that is what i did with my beloved today, and driving with her my US made XLR.

Santé, sally…….

IAN