I don't blast the competition, since I work for GM, but tonight I saw within 30 minutes, 2 Volkswagen Bugs, the new slug bugs with left side driving lights out. Now, here's the thought, GM my employer, last I knew can't figure out why the DRLs have gone out on all our light duty trucks, but only on one side? And then I see 2 VW's in Flint, MI with DRL out on the driver's side, do you think that GM and VW may be getting lightbulbs from the same cheap a$$ vendor, I would think, that, but maybe someone like TurboDave231 would check it out! Cause if both GM and VW are using the same vendor, then we are all in trouble, life as we know it in the USA is going to be scary! When you can't get good parts from your suppliers, then why aren't we still making the parts for ourselves, and saving jobs, and $$ in the long run. A UAW Friend said to me the other day, we care about our work, the outside suppliers don't, they just care about making $$, and that's the truth. But on the other hand, outsourcing makes management easier, cause you can blame them for everything, DUH! Management is the problem, oh, that's me! But there's always UAW Beer from the Trenton, OH, Miller Brewery, if the UAW can't make cars, at least they can make BEER in OH, oh, begins with 0 ends with 0, OHIO, except Norwalk, OH, Cause that place ROCKS! And I know Norwalk Rocks, those Norwalk Rocks were in my trailer again! But 1.50 60 times is definitely a Norwalk ROCK! and 11.228! :beer was invented for management to understand the real meaning of life as a boss, golf was invented for people that don't race Buicks, and still want to drink beer! my drunken team has a drinking problem, I mean my racing team has a racing problem. I mean, real trucks don't have spark plugs, I mean, I'm really glad I had 2 weeks off of work to go back to the challenge of a lifetime at the best GM plant in the world, so they say! The challenge at the best is going to be a challenge, but I'm 3 miles from home instead of 42 for the last 14yrs! Enough Rant! :af:
Someone at the Chevy dealer told me that they were using the wrong bulbs, and they were blowing out all the time....notice all the full size GM trucks/SUV's with one DRL out. It seems they have remedied the problem. None of our vehicles 2003 and up have this problem. And since the dealer switched the bulbs out on our 2002, it is fine.
First of all get rid DRL's all together. Plain and simple. If we have to have them, use something other than a white light and in no way the bright lamps on reduced voltage. the Gran Prix and F cars and vettes with yello lamps is tolerable. How about the 2000 Bravadas that shut off the Drl's (reduced hi beam method) when the turn signals were activated, made it appear you were flashing your lights to the car in front of you during lane change signalling on the interstste. Or why does the car have to turn the lights on and off for me, I am the adult and I will turn them on when I want them on and in the postition I want them in. Why do some models even have a control on the dash? And what is with the bright red lamps in the bumpers of the last model of the Auroras? Give it a rest with all the lights GM, but thats not enough, now GM has imposed DRL's on Saab and Subaru thru GM's partial ownership. Thanks Roberta for starting this and giving me a place to soapbox it for a few.
I've often wondered about the "Popeyed GM Trucks", and Hope I don't have that problem. (check reflections all the time.) I have been listening to the Gripes of Out Sourcing for MANY Years, and see various sides. Give us BACK Packard Electric, and Quit sending things across the NAFTA Hiway. I was watching something on Speed Channel Sunday, where they were interviewing a "James (don't remember the last Name) who has a 60 point suggestion to get GM back on it's Feet. He is also a GM, at a Buick Dealership. He BLEW UP, about what is happening to Buick. "Killed the Most Familuar Name Plate with a Great Following, LeSabre. Then remove Regal & Century for the LaCrosse." "GM HAS to build on it's Quality, and QUIT having Distress Sales of it's Products." He is ALSO Trying to Tell Wagner & crew to Step Down, a point that I voted for on my Share Holder's Ballot. He also mentioned that Buick is going like Olds, if they DON'T turn it around, and the quit feeding Buick with Glorified Chevy SUVs. Dump the Ivory Tower Crew (and DON'T give them their INCOMPATANCY Bonuses) and get back on track! Cadillac is Fighting the Mercedes, Lexus & BMW, So WHY Can't Buick? IF Cadillac wants to compete against the 600 & UP Class, Why cant Buick fit in the 500 and Below area for that Market? Chevy has so many various levels I can't name them, and even Pontiac & Saturn are going to fight against each other with the Solstice & SKY. How would You like Your Suburban? Suburban, Yukon XL, Denali XL, or Escalade XL? Would You like a Trail Blazer with that? Or an Envoy, Envoy Denali, or a Rainier? Thank You Very "McMuch" for Shopping at GM. JR
Yeah, tis easy to blame the vendor... But GM is the one who approved and designed the product, but most importantly the one who purchases on PRICE only (assuming the vendor is the problem). I also suspect the vendor to be a foreign Co (maybe even from China). Is it all GM's fault, no, the market drove them there, and GM feared higher manufacturing costs VS the competition. You are not going to get more than you pay for. Same thing is happening in the electrical utility industry. You saw the Cal blackouts, then the ENRON crap. Those are the kind of things that happen in competitive business when profit is the 1st priority. I see some utilites buying components that will not last 4 years, because it is cheaper. ou: Electrical power will not be reliable in the upcoming years if the politicians do nothing. It may take 5-10 years, but it will happen.
I had (notice the HAD part) a 2002 GMC Yukon. It too suffered from the "one-eyed" syndrome and I discovered it was NOT the bulb, but the socket! I had started to buy a replacement bulb at NAPA and they, at the time, did not have the bulb number it required. I removed the headlight assembly to access the "burned out" bulb and took the "bad bulb" into the store. As it was, they did not have the proper bulb in stock so I took the "bad bulb" and re-installed it in the socket. That's when I noticed the socket was bad and failing to make proper contact with the bulb. After I cleaned the contacts in the socket, it worked fine and did so for the rest of the time I had that vehicle, which was not too much longer. I was on a first name basis with the service writer AND the tech ("hey Brad, what's wrong today?") at my local GMC dealer. GM got to buy that one back...only after I spoke VERY loudly after the time they tried to deny my warranty coverage since I had a amateur radio installed in the vehicle! I wonder if the deny warranty coverage to police departments who have a 2 way radio in their cars/trucks??? THAT was a bunch of bullcrap! Roberta, you heard that right! They tried to deny any warranty coverage as I had a ham radio installed!! I know you're a ham, just thought I'd let you know you better watch out installing a radio in your truck...they'll try to deny your warranty! I had (and still have) an ICOM 706MKIIG HF rig running through an ICOM tuner into the ICOM HF whip. There's also a Kenwood 733A 2 meter/440 rig installed and they are both installed very much to spec's, if I do say so myself. Proper braided ground straps, etc.
Blame me! Blame me! I've got it covered. I work for Delphi - supplier to GM (and others), but also still kinda, sorta "GM" and we have parts supplied to us. I used to be officially "management" and "engineering", then became "Union", then skilled trade - Electrician, and now I'm working undercover as a 'management' flunkie in the Quality department as a computer jockey, but I still get paid "Union" and they still take my dues every month. I figure I've had a hand in it all, so it must be MY FAULT!! :grin:
GM used the wrong bulb. I can get the new number if anyone wants it. Also can get the amber number used in the Colorados which I put in my Avalance. Usually it's the drivers side that goes out first. My guess is the ground is on the passengers side so it gets a little less amps because there is less left after lighting the first one. The passengers side will burn out too. John
I would have to believe it is a wire size, voltage problem. My DRL burned, went to changed the bulb and the wiring harness had melted.
This one is your "Tax Dollars" at work Yup, we call them "winkers": there is a Federal requirement for how far the turn signal can be from the DRL. The Design Studio missed the criteria and styled them too close together. The quick fix was to turn off the DRL when the turns signals are activated which allowed us to legally sell vehicles. K
In Subarus for the past several years, if you leave the lights on, they turn off with the car and on with the car - they are basically low beam DRL's that you can turn off. The only time your parking lights stay on with the car off is by a seperate switch. I like this design better than perminant DRL's
Brad, Never knew you were a ham. I'm a ham too, but I only play on 2 meters. I used to have a 1/2 wave mag mount on the top of my truck, but switched to a 1/4 wave to stop running into stuff. I had a 2001 Toyota Tacoma with the DRLs. I thought them annoying along with the other commenter when they turned off for your turn signal.
Bert - I posted this on the other thread, too: The system engineer is sitting here next to me so I asked him. He says (like we often do) that we tried to "sneak up on it", by releasing a slightly higher voltage level bulb but didn't totally kill the problem. We have gone back a second time and released yet another higher voltage bulb and he now believes it is fixed. K
If I had a dollar for every time I saw a Chevy truck front light out on the late 90's through today models, I could rebuild my engine again. You think they could solve the problem. It looks bad when your vehicles are always running around with blown bulbs.
There are still hams around? Im looking to get my license, my grandfathers call was W2BDB but he died in 1995. Now that call is up for a "vanity call", so thats what Im going for.
Ive met a few locals around, the HAM association (dont know the official name?) and the State of New York allows my grandmothers to keep the plates on her car, so whenever I drive her car I get a lot of people pulling up next to me. They are mostly WW2 era guys, all very nice :TU: Im not sure what band or anything my grandfather used - I was 12 in 1995 when he died and I dont remember much from then, but we did use it together occasionally, but it was actually a radio, with a speaking person on the other end, not just code. He did do code as well, as i've found a lot of vintage "tappers" (its what I call them) in his old workshop.
