Electrical Problems - Dash Lights & More

[Oliver]

I have an '03 that just hit 2000 miles. A week ago the following symptoms started occurring intermittently, sometimes all of them at the same time and sometimes completely randomly:

1) Chime alert, followed by "ABS" and "Brake" warning lights appearing on dash.

2) Security light and battery warning light come on, fuel and temp gauges lose power, in-dash turn signal indicators and mirror-mounted LEDs flicker. Turn signals inoperative while this is occurring.

4) Transfer case mode LED goes out, then they ALL come on, then they ALL go dark.

5) Cruise either won't engage, or disengages by itself

3) DIC display showing "Service 4WD" and "Service Brake System"

The truck drives OK, so I think this is a loose connection somewhere, probably the main power feed to all the dash/steering column controls and indicators. Either that or Linda Blair is living in my dashboard.

The dealer had it for three days last week, and said it was fixed with a firmware upgrade. Naturally it all started up again when I was 2 miles from the dealer. They get it back on Monday for some further diagnostics.

Anyone else experienced this?

- Oliver

 

[Ross_G]

I have had problems with my electical system but nothing like what you describe . My dash lights would dim on long trips over 300 miles. As of today it still happens but the dealer "can't duplicate the problem"
I think they need to drive it for a couple hundred miles and get stuck in a trafic jam.
Good luck

 

[RSWiser]

I have a problem also. Last night while driving down a long country road at 1:00am I tried to switch on the brights, they would come on but only for as long as I pulled back on the lever. There was no click in the switch. Does Chevy do their bright lights different than everyone else?

 

[jgwatsonjg]

Flip the Switch Forward. Your Hi Beams will stay on then.

Agent M.

 

[RSWiser]

Okay now I feel dumb!!!

 

[jgwatsonjg]

Okay now I feel dumb!!!

Hey,!!

No worries, ?We learn something new everyday. ?I'm still working on figuring out the Driver 1, Driver 2 key fobs. ?

Agent M

 

[TLB]

The only problem I have had was the fuel guage went from full to empty then quit working. They replaced the fuel level sender and I haven't had any problems since

 

[JJM]

Oliver:

Is this strange or what. This very day I had the same problem. Just turned 2400 miles and the lights on the transfer case panel all went out and I had the same message "service 4WD". Damn, that is really weird. I shut off the vehicle and then restarted it and the problem was gone.

I'm going to wait another 600 miles when I take it in for an oil change and have them look at it. Let me know if you find out anything else.

Just befor eit happened, I took off the dash bezal to put on a pro-fit phone holder. I can't believe I didsomething that would have caused that though. Keepme posted and I'll do the same.

JJM

 

[Oliver]

It's fixed!

It turned out to be the main ground wire to the frame - it wasn't bolted on properly from the factory and had worked loose to where it was contacting only intermittently. It's supposedly up front under the hood, probably near the battery. I don't have exact details since only the cashier was around when I picked it up from the dealer.

If that's what is wrong with yours, expect it to get steadily worse until they do whatever it is they need to do.

I have to wonder if there are hundreds of them with the same problem just waiting to happen..

- Oliver

 

[davidi4]

Okay now I feel dumb!!!

don't feel too bad about it, as it was forward-click in the '02, and changed to push forward in the '03.

you want confused, I came out of F-150s, where it was push forward, had to re-learn on the '02 (never did get the hang of flashing hi-beams, always too much pressure), only to have GM switch it on me. But much easier to flash hi-beams

what ever happened to the foot switch for hi-beams?

 

[dsw7311]

Oliver:

Is this strange or what. This very day I had the same problem. Just turned 2400 miles and the lights on the transfer case panel all went out and I had the same message "service 4WD". Damn, that is really weird. I shut off the vehicle and then restarted it and the problem was gone.

I'm going to wait another 600 miles when I take it in for an oil change and have them look at it. Let me know if you find out anything else.

Just befor eit happened, I took off the dash bezal to put on a pro-fit phone holder. I can't believe I didsomething that would have caused that though. Keepme posted and I'll do the same.

JJM

Same problem here, but have a 2wd Z66. Mine didnt start this until 66,000 miles. I will check the ground straps in the engine compartment

 

[Ghost 4]

Oliver,

I am experiencing the same thing; I have an 03 Z71 with all the same symptoms. First my oil guage went, then the transfercase LED and now half of my dashboard and temperature control area including my sterio. If this is a simple fix please let me know. I've purchased my AV used and since then I've dished out over $2,500 in repairs, and I still have problems. One of my biggest is that it stutters and stalls out from time to time. It's very unusual, when every my gas tank reaches the 1/4 marker it starts fluttering and acting like it wants to stall out. It stops after it passes that mark, then starts up again once it reaches the half-tank marker and so on. I had the CAT's replaced, O2 sensors, crankshaft position sensor and still problems exsist. my next stage is to replace the battery and possibly the fuel pump?