Check out this text I received from my daughter today. She has a 2020 Chevy equinox she bought used a out 6 months ago. She told me she thought she had turbo lag. What she didn't realize, she had NO turbo. It wasn't kicking in at all. So she took it to a Chevy dealership. Unfortunately I couldn't go with her because I had a doctor's appointment and have been having a lot of health issues of late. I should have never let her go by herself, I know how women are treated at automotive facilities. Read her text and let me know what you THINK. We will not be going back to this dealership. My daughter: They said the turbo coolant bypass valve is not working. They said It's not covered by the power train warranty. The want $730 total. $230 of that is just the diagnostic fee. They said after they fix it that they will run another diagnostic because this problem could be hiding other problems. So there could be more to do. It took them over 7 hours to tell me anything. I called twice over a 2.5 hour time period and they never called me back. They told me to come in at 7am so that I didn't have to wait long. But when I got there they said that it was going to take a long time. So I had to pay for an Uber. (I went to Annandale and took care of stuff there). They said they could fix it today by 3:30. Then they called back and said they "don't have the part in stock after all" so they can't fix it today. So I'm paying for and Uber back up there. To pick up my car up with nothing done. They want me to pay for the part in advance. They said I shouldn't drive to MD because "the car won't be able to go over 45 mph and it will probably stall out on me and not start back up". Which is bull sh*t. When I said that I was upset about it taking 7 hours just to run a diagnostic test and I wasn't expecting to pay for an Uber both ways and be without a car all day, based on what the guy that scheduled me said, he got an attitude with me and said that just because I was the first person there it doesn't mean that my car gets seen first. That they do all the oil changes before Repairs. I told him that was literally the opposite of what the scheduling guy said and if that's the case it would have been nice to know that. And mine isn't even a repair it was just a diagnostic. And he never acknowledged not calling me or returning my phone calls. He said that my oil is on zero and then got an attitude when I said that I'm taking my car to my local mechanic for the oil change and not them. He got pissy when I said that I was going to consult with my Father before committing to anything. This guy is an asshole. I'm sorry for cursing but I'm so irate. I really don't want to pay $230 for the diagnostic. But I guess I will have to. I definitely don't want to go back to them. Even if the repair and cost is correct I don't like them. I don't want to give them my business. He really didn't even explain what's wrong to me. He said something about it being an "81" which I have no idea what that means. I'm just so over this. My day has been wasted. I still have a lot of errands to do. I want to scream at this guy. I wont. But I really don't like letting people get away with treating me like this when I'm paying for a service. I'm so mad right now.
I'll have a look when in office tomorrow to see what service bulletins may apply. In the meantime, this is one known issue: https://gmauthority.com/blog/2022/12/heres-why-your-chevy-equinox-may-have-reduced-engine-power/ Is hers the 1.5L or 2.0L?
Just had a look. It's the 1.5L that the article's bulletin is about. This is currently the only bulletin I see related to turbo lack of power. Of course it could still be related to some other less frequent failure, as bulletins are only written and published for higher frequency issues. Will ask around tomorrow as well.
I think it depends on the dealership frankly... I have had good experiences with them on my newer vehicles, but I build relationships with the folks there and they know I won't be "upsold". When my wife goes in for specific items, she will tell them to simply call me if they want to discuss any extra work, and 9 times out of 10 they won't bother. I've noticed that a lot of private shops around me have increased their rates to where they are comparable to the dealerships, so you are not really saving money that way anymore, but you do have a better chance to build a relationship with the shop owner. One of the best stories I had was when a new service writer came and sat next to me while I was waiting for something to get down (never a good sign). He went on to tell me that my vehicle, which was 2 years old at the time, was low on A/C refrigerant and had to be flushed and recharged. I politely suggested to him that if that was true, there must be a leak in the system given it was supposed to be a sealed system, and that it should be repaired under warranty. The next 10min went like a comedy routine of him trying to "explain" to me that leakage was normal and me calmly explaining that the system was closed and it was illegal to release R134A into the environment. Bottom line was that I didn't buy his service, but I imagine that hard sell technique works on many people, men and women. I never dealt with that guy again and I made sure to let the service manager know that I didn't appreciate the tactic. I'm sure your daughter is running into the same kind of individual.
Bring the devils advocate here... Couple points- there is no "diagnostic test" that you can run in a few minutes that miraculously spits out the cause of the issue. It's a technician with a multimeter, some tools, and a schematic checking powers and grounds. It takes time to figure it out and the technician should be compensated for his time for the right diagnosis. With drivability problems, the shop should never allow you to wait. It's a "drop it off and we'll call you after we look at it" thing. There's no telling how long it will take and the tech is likely looking at several cars. There's no reason for the attitude by the advisor though.
And btw, I'm no fab of dealerships but I've worked at repair shops. It's a tough business. Most shops generally want to do the right thing though
Thank you very much. Just so you know. When my daughter first experience problems, the engine light came on. I have a friend who owns a service (independent type). He ran diagnostics on her car and got the light to turn off. He couldn't find anything wrong and he told me to have the car looked at by a Chevy dealership. I'm sure he doesn't have the GM software required for a 100% diagnostics. Anyway, at this point, I don't trust the dealership. When they say there be other underlining issues, that's a lead in to more parts replacing to cure the problems. I have no confidence in their service department. Maybe i'am wrong, but, i'am 75 and have been screwed over more times than I would like to say. Appreciate your help. VET
Thank you Cjay. Last year, I was at NTB, I saw this old lady crying and I asked her why she was cry and was there anything I could do to help. She took her car in to see way it wasn't running right. The Service writer told her she would be charged $125 just for the diagnostics part and then to repair would be another cost to her. She said she was embarrassed to have to tell the service writer she couldn't pay for the diagnostics. I went up to the desk and told the service writer to put the charge for the diagnostics on my credit card and not to tell the old lady. After just a couple of years, the charge has escalated to $230 bucks. This is unreasonable. It makes it very difficult for old retired folks and the young to afford repair costs, this situation is out of control, the way I see it. Just my take on the situation. VET
I don't see how a turbo cannot be considered part of the powertrain unless it is explicitly excluded from the warranty in writing. If you remove the turbo, the car will not run without capping of oil/coolant lines and reconnecting the intake and exhaust to bypass it. It is an integral part of the engine as sold by the manufacturer.
According to the dealership, this what they said= My daughter: They said the turbo coolant bypass valve is not working. They said It's not covered by the power train warranty. That's how dealership gets around not having to cover the power train warranty. I don't get it, this part is required for the turbo to operate and the turbo is covered under the power train warranty. What gives here????
She got a Po299 code. However, when I read what you sent me on problem with this particular car. The article you sent the Po299 core does read out the same as what the dealer definition for what a Po299 code is. Amazing, who's code is this dealer using? PO299: Your article code - Engine Under Boost. Dealership code- Turbo bypass solenoid valve sticking. These don't seem to be the same issue?
Not saying the bulletin in the article is her root cause, but the correct designation for the article's trouble codes are: P0101: Mass Air Flow (MAF) Sensor Performance P0172: Fuel Trim System Rich P0299: Engine Underboost P0506: Idle Speed Low P1101: Intake Air Flow System Performance The code basically informs the tech which system(s) to look into, not necessarily that a particular, single component is at fault. Just gives a place to start looking. In other words, the code Engine Underboost is a broad description, which, if the tech drilled down far enough, could be determined to be caused by the bypass solenoid sticking. The initial code says look at this system to see which component(s) or condition (s) are causing or contributing, then the tech has to dive in further. Devon
Ok, well I was thinking maybe this was why the invoice was different from the PO299 Underboost. Guess he drilled down. But why would he say, there maybe other underlining issues. To me, this means, ops, this is not the problem, I have to dig deeper. Need to draw more parts out of stock. That's what it sounds to me.
He has to replace what he knows is verified bad part. Once he installs it, only then he can verify and test drive the car and that the turbo itself as an example doesn't have a problem or another part made the item he's replacing go bad
Back around 1989, I purchased a used 1984 Dodge Ram Van, basically a cargo version of the mini van. It was a 4 speed standard with a divider front to back, and bins on the sides. Perfect for the Cable Splicing I was doing at the time. I purchased an, admittedly, aftermarket warranty, which was supposed to be honoured at all Dodge dealers. After about 6 months, I got up one day, drove to the C.O. to meet the crew. We had our meeting and I got in the van, put it into reverse, and, nothing. I had all forward gears, but no reverse. Off to Edmonton to get the transmission fixed. I went to the West End Dodge Dealership, told them my predicament, and verified they were a party to the warranty company. No problem, I was told. It took them 3 weeks to fix the van and when I picked it up, I went to pay my $50 deductible and they handed me a bill for $2000. What's this? I asked. They said they wanted me to pay the bill, then recover the money from the company. That's not the way the warranty works, I told them. They refused to give me my keys until I paid them the full amount. I told them, and the manager that had come out, that I was tired of this and I was going to get a cop. Then we will see if I get my vehicle back. Also, this is costing me $450 per day lost wages, you will be responsible starting the next day. They told me I had a bad attitude. I told them they were crooks who needed to be stopped. In the end, I paid my $50, and was asked not to return. I said Certainly, the service here is bad anyway. So, in the end, I don't deal with the Dealers. They charge too much and don't see you as a person. I will stick with my local mechanic, Bob.
Thank you so much for the explanation. All very logical process. Appreciate you taking time to help me out. Vet
That does sound like something that should be covered by the powertrain warranty. I don't know gm's current corporate structure, but there used to be an "area Manager" that dealt with customers who were having problems at local dealerships... Climbing the ladder and friending someone at the dealeship or at gm that will stand behind the product will get you the result you want. Good luck...
