Tahoe/Yukon Hybrid Problems: Brake Loss, Service Traction Control,Service Stabilitrak
 

I thought I'd start a new thread about this issue. If you have a 2008 or 2009 GM Hybrid Truck and has experienced loss of brake assist accompanied by DIC error messages such as Service Traction Control, Service Stabilitrak Soon, Service Brakes Soon, Stabilitrak Off and a Check Engine Light. This thread is for you.

My vehicle is currently in lemon law proceedings and I'm publishing my experience in my blog - Chevy Tahoe Hybrid Problems.

This problem seems to affect both 2008 and 2009 Hybrids and circumstances vary greatly. I acknowledge that not everyone is affected but for those that have experienced it, it is very scary. Maybe this thread will help educate all users and we can avoid some of the BS we get from the dealers.

This thread aims to pick up where the 2 other threads left off: Power Brake Problem and Problems with my Tahoe Hybrid

I assume that most of you have brought the vehicle in to the dealer for repair with the error codes intact but they are unable to replicate the problem. In my 6th and most recent service, my vehicle was towed to the dealership, started fine when they brought it to the service bay and would not start when they were ready to perform diagnostics. At that time, I already had a new battery and firmware upgrade.

This may be an problem more than skin deep but we won't know until we hear from more people.

Re: Tahoe/Yukon Hybrid Problems: Brake Loss, Service Traction Control,Service Stabili
 

I think it is important to add that for most people a simple battery recharge or replacement and software update or reset seems to have fixed the problem.

Re: Tahoe/Yukon Hybrid Problems: Brake Loss, Service Traction Control,Service Stabili
 

It is also worth noting that it is possible to get these messages all at once and not have a brake failure. There is a specific bulletin out there to address these error messages by reprogramming both the brake and engine control modules as well as performing an EBCM relearn.

Re: Tahoe/Yukon Hybrid Problems: Brake Loss, Service Traction Control,Service Stabili
 

Today I got a clarification on the trade assist offer from GM:

Since options and colors may vary, it would be your in your interest to find a specific vehicle that meets your requirements in terms of color, options, price. Since the dealership that you previously purchased your vehicle is no longer in business, you many contact any local GM dealership that sells the vehicle you are looking for ( Ie if you want a Chevy contact a Chevy dealers, a Cadillac ... a Cadillac dealership) and then can help you find either in their stock or do a locator to find a vehicle or vehicles meeting your criteria or similar criteria with perhaps different options or choices. GM will cover the retransfer cost of any vehicle within a 200 mile radius of the NorthWest Atlanta area. If the only vehicle meeting your criteria is in excess of 200 miles then additional transportation fees will be added the balance. ( Ie if you find a vehicle in the GA area we will cover the re-transportation costs to get the vehicle to the area however if you select a vehicle that is only in Washington State then the cost to transport that vehicle would be your responsibility.)

The 7500 mile/ ten day offer is simply to provide the offer of a discounted (reduction is the usage miles) for a trade assist. Ie if you put 10,000 miles on the vehicle before deciding to trade with GM it is not reasonable to expect the miles to be backed down to only 5000 miles of usage. In effect this limited offer was provided as a goodwill gesture to give you up to 2500 miles for FREE with no depreciation or usage charges if you choose to trade for another GM vehicle using the terms previous noted. MSRP to MSRP difference and usage based on purchase price / 100,000 miles x number of miles on the vehicle 5000 miles was the offer vs your current miles which is at near 7200 +/- miles). Thus in this case, GM has provided goodwill above and beyond any legal requirements by reducing the miles usage factor.

My Tahoe is Gold Mist with Tan Interior. I asked my sales rep to check the inventory database and there is no available stock for my color in the 2008 and 2009 model years. I still think 0.50/mile is too steep and restricting my use to 7500 miles is like rubbing salt. And what do you think about paying to ship the car to me?

By the way, I called BBB today and they told me mileage stops at the time I filed the repurchase and that GM is responsible in providing the replacement at their cost if that is what I want. Also, the "resonably equivalent" clause in the lemon law applies to the features of the vehicle and not the color. GM cannot legally force a different color down my throat and ask me to pay for it. So there you go. I get BS during purchase, I get BS during service and now I get BS from the manufacturer.

Today I filed for arbitration with the BBB because I'm tired of the BS.

Re: Tahoe/Yukon Hybrid Problems: Brake Loss, Service Traction Control,Service Stabili
 

I have seen a bunch of these letters and it looks pretty standard. I think charging you for only 5000 miles is fair, but the 50 cents still seem like they are raping you. As far as the color and options, you are pretty lucky since the only options are the RSE and Sunroof and I assume you have both. You might have to go with a different color choice or you could always have them order you a new truck which might take a while (Possibly up to 8 weeks) to get and would definitely cause you to go over the mileage goodwill. I personally think a 200 mile radius for transporting is fair. Also, you might want to check if they still make your specific color. I am not sure, but there may have been color changes in '09.

The problem might be if MSRP on the 2009 models went up. They are swapping MSRP for MSRP, not what you paid for the vehicle or what you could negotiate. This makes it objective and fair, as long as there has not been a larhe increase in MSRP from '08 to '09.

Re: Tahoe/Yukon Hybrid Problems: Brake Loss, Service Traction Control,Service Stabili
 

How can you think paying for transporting is fair when all I want is a working and reliable version of the vehicle that I have purchased? The MSRP hasn't changed but the color I want is not available. How many times have you bought a 50,000 vehicle and not cared about the color? Besides, if I'm going to compromise on my original choice, why should I be penalized for it?

Re: Tahoe/Yukon Hybrid Problems: Brake Loss, Service Traction Control,Service Stabili
 

I definitely agree with you and think you are right. It sounds like you might have to order one to get your color. If they will let you do that then I would play "Hard Ball" on either getting more mileage to cover the additional time or tell them to find you one. Out of curiosity, was your sales rep able to find one in that color and options anywhere (Outside the 200 miles) or are there none at all? I think you should still be able to negotiate on this as long as the color is still manufactured.

Bottom line is that as long as they are negotiating this with you prior to an arbitration or court ruling they can offer you whatever they want. You are not in the driver's seat until you actually file the case and I think you did the right thing by filing the BBB case today. Hopefully this will put some fire under GM since you will be able to introduce in a hearing that they already offered to repurchase your vehicle. They will either cave in once they are notified of the BBB case or they will not budge and clam up. I hope you can resolve this without having to arbitrate. Once you have to arbitrate it tends to taint your feeling towards the car and the brand.

Re: Tahoe/Yukon Hybrid Problems: Brake Loss, Service Traction Control,Service Stabili
 

The Gold Mist with Tan is not available anywhere in the US for both Chevy Tahoe and GMC Yukon (2WD / 4WD). There are 2 in Atlanta for the Cadillac Escalade (2WD/4WD) but they will probably kill themselves before they give me that as a replacement.

I'm just tired of the delay and manipulation and just want to get things back to normal. If I were GM, this is the time to suck up and not negotiate with me after their product has caused harm and inconvenience.
I had every intention of amicably settling this outside of arbitration. Now that I have filed it, my mind is set on repurchase. Between a vehicle that stalls and a SM, AVM that gives me BS, what else should I be expecting?

Re: Tahoe/Yukon Hybrid Problems: Brake Loss, Service Traction Control,Service Stabili
 

Go for it killer ;)

I can't blame you. OK, have to get back to life now, enough posting :D

Re: Tahoe/Yukon Hybrid Problems: Brake Loss, Service Traction Control,Service Stabili
 

nicka,

Pick your brain on this. Drove my vehicle almost all day today but a bunch of trips less than 15 miles each. Saw the Battery voltage on the DIC fluctuate between 13 - 15 volts which is what I normally see.

This afternoon, I saw a brief message - "STABILITRAK OFF" and then the voltage read 12v. So I took my digital battery charger just to get a reading of the charge level and voltage. It read 11.8v - 45%. Does this make sense? An hour later, it is 12.1v. Vehicle starts fine, message did not appear again and no CEL.

The last time this happened, I lost my brakes the next morning backing out of my garage. Which makes me think, if the voltage dropped this low after an all day use, the battery should be less efficient when it is cold the next morning right? But if I'm getting a reading of 13-15 volts while it is running, how did it drop to 11.8?

If the new firmware is supposed improve the charging system, why is it still not topping off?

Re: Tahoe/Yukon Hybrid Problems: Brake Loss, Service Traction Control,Service Stabili
 

My guess would be that it has to do with the way this vehicle's charging system is different compared to a normal vehicle. Unlike a traditional vehicle with an alternator, this vehicle does not have one. Instead the power and charging is generated from the Hybrid battery and Hybrid system. The computer monitors the voltage and decides when to charge the accessory battery (12V) and most likely when you measured it the system was not in charging mode and the battery had a draw on it. It is not really possible to measure the charging system on a Hybrid without a Tech II because it does not have the constant flow like a traditional alternator.

The Stabilitrak message is a bit strange??? Not sure what to tell you on that one.

Re: Tahoe/Yukon Hybrid Problems: Brake Loss, Service Traction Control,Service Stabili
 

Wow. I did not realize that. It is starting to makes sense to me. The GM Hybrids are designed to run up to 4 miles @ 25mph on battery right? Usually, when I enter my subdivision, my house is so close to the entrance that my vehicle stays in battery mode all the way inside my garage. The distance is probably not great enough to discharge both the 300v and 12v batteries but with the air, radio and the hybrid motors all drawing power and the engine not running, a voltage drop has to occur.

The voltage readings I take directly from the battery is the same as the DIC except that the DIC rounds it up and mine gets to tenth of a volt. I guess the voltage drop was not enough for the run down protection to kick in.

Lemon Law Second Offer
 

Today GM called after they got a notice from the BBB. They told me instead of the 5000 miles of usage in the first offer, they are now going by Lemon Law rules which means I now have to pay the full mileage. So offer has gone worse. Also they are declining my repurchase request. (LIKE I CARE, at this point)

Re: Tahoe/Yukon Hybrid Problems: Brake Loss, Service Traction Control,Service Stabili
 

WOW. That is unfortunate, sorry to hear they are taking that stance. I would go through the arbitration process and have all your facts ready. Go to the arbitration with every piece of documentation you have in a organized manner. Do not bring any subjective info like posts form a forum or a blog as it will not help and might hurt you. Do NOT show any emotion at the hearing and stick to the facts. They will try to prove that the vehicle is fixed and that there is no recurring problem. If any issues arise between now and the hearing go right to the dealer and have them write a new repair order. If they will not then call GM customer asisstance and document the situation and get a case number for your file to back up that you attempted to take it in to the service department. Also, keep a camera in the vehicle and snap a shot of any messages that appear. Make sure the date and time are stamped on the photo. Obviously if you experience ANY brake problems do not drive the vehicle, call Roadside Assistance immediately and have it towed. Also, be sure to bring copies of the offer letter from GM as well as documentation on the conversation yesterday.

Good luck and feel free to PM me if you want to speak directly and privately. It sounds like you have done what you have to do so far and I applaud your ability to keep a level head. Keep your cool and document everything.

Re: Tahoe/Yukon Hybrid Problems: Brake Loss, Service Traction Control,Service Stabili
 

I own a 2008 Tahoe Hybrid and just came home to the airport from a business trip. The truck was completely dead. After a jump start (following the manual’s instructions), I let the truck run for a bit in place and then as I put it in gear, I too got the Stabilitrack, Brakes, ABS, and check engine lights all illuminated. I was traveling at less than 5 mph, but went to brake to pull into a parking spot. No brakes, no vacuum assist, no nothing. I sat in the spot wondering what to do next. I let the truck run for a bit, turned it off, waited, then re-started it (it had enough juice to restart at this point) and all lights were now off, but the check engine light was on. Pushed OnStar and they indicated while it may be OK to drive as long as I had braking, that they were showing Stabilitrack, ABS, and a general fault code and to get to a dealer as soon as convenient. I took the truck in yesterday morning and after 8 hours on the phone with GM Engineering, they do not know what is wrong. They have a video conference with GM techs on Monday where they will hook up the truck to the dealership service systems and be able to transmit data to GM Engineering. Not good and I am not sure if I feel safe, now knowing that brakes could fail at any time…I will keep everyone posted…

Re: Tahoe/Yukon Hybrid Problems: Brake Loss, Service Traction Control,Service Stabili
 

I am not sure why they are all having so much trouble with this? Based on their own bulletin of how if the battery is disconnected improperly these exact symptoms may occur and the fact that your battery was dead and had to be jumped would make me believe that their is some sort of communication error between modules due to a low or no voltage situation. It seems that in each time after the second restart with the battery not being dead any longer that the system is realizing communication is back up and vital functions are again working as designed. Now, hopefully all of these complaints will eventually lead to some sort of software update to prevent this from happening when a battery goes dead. There seems to be a common trend though, dead battery followed by these series of events.

Let us know what happens. I suspect that you will eventually get the truck back with an explanation that it was all related to the dead battery event and that they just wanted to be sure before they gave it back to you.

Re: Tahoe/Yukon Hybrid Problems: Brake Loss, Service Traction Control,Service Stabili
 

Yup, it's a common problem with a simple solution. I reported about it months ago when I first got my Tahoe. The battery wears down easily in these rigs so you can't leave the key off and the accesories on for long. Early on when this happened to me I had the same warning lights and no power brakes. You'll also find the engine misfires and surges. I (carefully) drove around for about 10 miles, went home and parked it, then started it up in the morning and everything was fine. The second time it happened, it was after my wife merely turned the car off but left the keys in the ignotion and came inside the house for a couple hours. I eventually replaced the battery at the dealership. That was at 800 miles and now I have over 20,000 without any further issues. Just because it comes with a weak battery does not make the vehicle a lemon. People need to calm down, get a more powerful battery at their dealer (with reprogram), and everything will be fine. Then just keep the engine on whenever stopped and listening to the radio or with the headlights on (especially in auto stop since here the hybrid batteries take over) and don't leave the keys in the ignition for long periods of time and you'll be fine.

Re: Tahoe/Yukon Hybrid Problems: Brake Loss, Service Traction Control,Service Stabili
 

I understand it now, but why after just having a truck sit for 10 days with nothing running on it (parked in an enclosed parking structure), would the accesory battery go from what I believe was fully charged to fully dead? Is that normal? All my other cars have at certain points sat for up to 3-4 weeks without any issues. Also, the reason I think that people like me are "fired up" is due to the fact that when you hit a brake pedal and nothing happens, you are a bit scared by the whole experience. Engine/computer glitch or not, a vehicle should have primary and secondary braking systems in my opinion. That makes this "glitch" go from an inconvenience to unsafe. Thanks.

Re: Tahoe/Yukon Hybrid Problems: Brake Loss, Service Traction Control,Service Stabili
 

You are correct in the fact that the truck should be able to sit without the battery going dead. However, the batteries that have been replaced have been so because the battery tested bad. Occassionally batteries have problems like a "Dead Cell" or other isues, just a fact. It doesn't matter the size of the battery, if it goes bad it goes bad and all you can do is replace it.

Re: Tahoe/Yukon Hybrid Problems: Brake Loss, Service Traction Control,Service Stabili
 

I second the motion that we all understand all cars have issues & 1st releases more so than others but when the issues make the vehicle unsafe to drive- and we see so many of us having the same issues just in this small forum with no way to detail wether or not if because b, e & g happen then a, c, d will also.... things get a little nerve wrecking. You expect or hope to be able to go to the dealer and get answers but when your dealer can't help after your truck's issues put you in a dangerous situation it's not so easy to say I know it's okay b/c the battery has been replaced and no other reasons can be given as to why all the other malarky occurred.
I mean these are new vehicles that I'd guess many of us plan to drive a few more years--with that said hopefully the battery is the only issue for most of us and we can and will be able to drive up to 20k+ miles w/o issues.

Re: Tahoe/Yukon Hybrid Problems: Brake Loss, Service Traction Control,Service Stabili
 

Totally agree with heavychevy's comments. I chalk it up to the normal GM first-year growing pains with new models. However, I have jumped many a car in my life, and after a jump, all of them have had all systems up and running without endangering my safety. This is a bit different and un-nerving to say the least. Hopefully the battery swap will be what will come out of tomorrow's service session, but I hope that ends the issues. I still don't like the feel of a "dead" brake pedal with no braking action.

Re: Tahoe/Yukon Hybrid Problems: Brake Loss, Service Traction Control,Service Stabili
 

Re: Tahoe dilemma - Will not start

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

****update*****
Spoke w dealer by phone and they're saying the truck is ready. 1st report was that the hybrid battery conked out and the truck didn't kick over to gas...& they didn't know why. It is bc of the hybrid battery conking out and the truck not "switching over" that it ceased to excellerate and the reason I had to pull off I85 w/ a disabled vehicle.
That report was on Friday 2/27 they kept it at the time b/c they couldn't determine why it shut off

3/2/09
Today they said they replaced the normal battery bc it was dead....no word on firmware upgrades or anything like that I'll post another update if anything changes when we speak to them in person.

This is totally not what I expected. Not that I had it figured out but I did think something in the form of software updates would be mentioned- the hybrid battery was replaced already so I've checked that off. Has anyone had this happen?

Oh, the truck was made 6/08

Re: Tahoe/Yukon Hybrid Problems: Brake Loss, Service Traction Control,Service Stabili
 

Bought my Tahoe Hybrid new on Saturday. Today I go to start the enigne and the check engine light comes on, the message on the dash say's "Reduced Enginer Power" and the truck starts shaking.

Turned the truck off and turned it back on several times to have the same result. called OnStar and they said it was a malfunction of the DCM module and to take it to the nearest dealer. This concerns me especially since the car only has 300 miles on it.

Has anyone else experienced this issue?

is this a Tahoe exclusive problem?
 

the only posts seem to be from Tahoe owners...I can't imagine it would make any difference as they are all made in the same factory, but then stranger things have happened..just curious.:zip:

Re: Tahoe/Yukon Hybrid Problems: Brake Loss, Service Traction Control,Service Stabili
 

OSU125,

While I have not had this happen to me, I do know of several Hybrids that were brought into my dealer that has similar complaints (Reduced Engine Power, SES Light). I don't remember what the outcome was, but I seem to remember hearing that it was the same thing in all of them and that it wasn't anything major. I hope you have the same situation.

If you have not taken it to the dealer yet I would recommend having Roadside Assistance tow it because if you are truly in "Limp Mode" (Reduced Engine Power), you should not drive it because you will probably not be able to even reach the speed limit. Good luck and keep us posted. I am curious because if it is just a problem with the DCM that would be interesting since the DCM is the "Door Control Module". It is very possible that if one module can not communicate with another it goes into a failsafe mode like you are experiencing.

Stabilitrak Off
 

This morning, as I start the vehicle, I saw the message - "STABILITRAK OFF" again. This is the 2nd time it happened after my last repair which they said fixed everything with the Tahoe Hybrid.

The message is brief so there is no way to take your camera out and take a picture of it. With nicka's advice, I actually tried to use my video camera but after 4 attempts, it became more of a hassle so I stopped doing it. Bad idea.
:angry:

I'm sure everyone at GM is working hard to resolve these issues as they occur but as my service manger put it - "GM is still learning from all this."

I'm no longer bringing the vehicle into the shop anymore until my Lemon Law proceedings are over.:zip:

Re: Tahoe/Yukon Hybrid Problems: Brake Loss, Service Traction Control,Service Stabili
 

Nicka,

I had it towed to the dealership immediately, they have it now but have not gotten around to looking at it yet.

I'll let you know what they find out.

Re: Tahoe/Yukon Hybrid Problems: Brake Loss, Service Traction Control,Service Stabili
 

Dealer called, said that they thought that the battery had been incorrectly jump started at the previous dealership. So they are going to trickle charge it for 12 hours and then it should be ready in the morning.

My question is how could jumping the battery cause the engine power to be reduced and shake like crazy? If the dealership can't jump it properly how am I suppose to when the battery goes dead?

Re: Tahoe/Yukon Hybrid Problems: Brake Loss, Service Traction Control,Service Stabili
 

I have not experienced my vehicle shaking but I've had my battery run down to less than the required voltage to turn the engine more than 3x. These things are so complicated that it we can all be experiencing different defects all related to the power system. That is probably why the circumstances surrounding the error messages vary greatly and even after my last repair, I'm still getting a brief "STABILITRAK OFF" message.

As of yesterday, I have accepted GM's voluntary repurchase of my vehicle :) so I won't be a Hybrid owner for long.:(

Re: Tahoe/Yukon Hybrid Problems: Brake Loss, Service Traction Control,Service Stabili
 

Hey Defender,

Sorry to hear you will be leaving, but GOOD Luck with your next vehicle. I hope you were able to work something out with them that was better than their initial response to your BBB filing :)

Re: Tahoe/Yukon Hybrid Problems: Brake Loss, Service Traction Control,Service Stabili
 

Prior to the BBB filing, I could not get them to give me a repurchase offer. They wanted a replacement. After the BBB filing, the I got a repurchase offer but the mileage was capped at 6950. I can continue to use the vehicle while they process the paperwork which can take up to 60 days.

I'm now talking to a friend of mine who works in auto wholesale. They buy trade ins from dealerships and take them to auction. I'm hoping to get a 2007 GX470 for about 20 - 23K. Anyone have experience with late model GX's?

Re: Tahoe/Yukon Hybrid Problems: Brake Loss, Service Traction Control,Service Stabili
 

I had a 2006 GX470. It was a great vehicle. The only problem I ever had was the drivetrain "clunk" that they never seemed to be able to resolve (just greased frequently). I should warn you that you will be appalled by the gas milage...I got about 13 MPG. The interior was also more cramped than my Tahoe and forget about using the 3rd row seating alltogether. Try to get one with Navigation and the Mark Levinson sound system...well worth it.

Re: Tahoe/Yukon Hybrid Problems: Brake Loss, Service Traction Control,Service Stabili
 

The "drivetrain clunk" has been resolved. I got a 2006 CPO GX470 with 29K miles on it. Nav and Mark Levinson although I could not tell the difference between that and my RX330 that does not have the Levinson system. Drove it home yesterday and averaged 21.5 on the freeway. Not bad for a vehicle w/o cylinder deactivation.
The suspension is very smooth but too cushy in the comfort setting.
It is a mixed feeling coming from the Tahoe but it was nice to have memory seats and rain sensing wipers again. Plus I like not having to fold the mirrors when I pull into my garage.

As a final note, I brought my Tahoe to the dealership last week. It took that long to get all the paperwork done. At 8000 miles, it has some abnormal wear (cupping) on the front tires that I have not noticed at 7000. I informed the dealership about this and was told it happens sometimes in the Tahoes.

For my Lemon Law case, they had initially offered me a Trade Assist but penalized me 5000 miles out of 7000 in my ODO. When I filed with the BBB, the offer was revoked and the new offer was a penalty of 7000 miles for both repurchase or trade assist.

Given that I was going to take a $3200 hit to lose the Tahoe, it made more sense to me to get rid of it. Auction prices for used TaHy's with 10K are 25,000 and the $3000 was much less than the depreciation for the vehicle if I traded it in.

If I still get to keep my $2500 hybrid credit (since I put it into service last year), then the TaHy will cost me $700 for 7 months. :angel:

Now I could understand Nicka's comment about how this process "stains the brand". By the time you file the case with the BBB, you will feel disowned by GM. The person who picked up the case is one cold fish and her only objective is to mitigate the losses to GM. By the time I agreed on the settlement, the case was moved to the repurchase department which is more human and amicable. This experience was so strange, the district manager and business resource office seemed to do everything in their power to push you away as a customer and destroy all the goodwill built up by the dealers. But the repurchase department is very professional and courteous. It almost seems like they should put the repurchase department up front.

When I purchased my TaHy, it had about 200 miles on it. I had wrongly assumed that the settlement was 7000 - 200 miles. When I called the BBB, my CSR also could not tell me if I was entitled to the deduction since it was settled out of arbitration. She had to ask her manager who gave a vague answer also. Long story short, I ended up paying for the original miles too even if Lemon Law states it is usage miles. There was no formal document outlining the numbers. I would need to agree first to see the math. By the time the numbers came out, it was too late for me to dispute anything.

Between me, GM and the BBB, I was the only non-expert on the lemon law. I feel GM used this to their advantage. IMO, although the BBB says they are a neutral party to this case, I think their assistance to the consumer is skewed to the manufacturer since they are the one that pays to join the "Arbitration Club". You wouldn't shoot your customer in the foot would you?

I still plan to update my Tahoe Hybrid Problems blog with all the documents. No consumer should be made to go through all this after buying a new, expensive vehicle. As the consumer, the burden of proof is so great especially on an intermettent problem. I'm maybe lucky that all my problems surfaced in the first 7 months of ownership. Lemon Law has a 2 year provision but once it reaches the 2 year mark, the usage fees you have accrued would have made it worthless to pursue lemon law.

Re: Tahoe/Yukon Hybrid Problems: Brake Loss, Service Traction Control,Service Stabili
 

$3200 is a lot of batteries!
I'm surprised they could't get to the source of your problem as it seems easy to localize. They'll likely fix it and sell it for a nice profit.

just out of curiosity..
 

was your car "running" IE in auto stop when your battery ran down or had you stopped IE shut the car off and were still using the battery IE radio and AC on?
:zip:

Re: Tahoe/Yukon Hybrid Problems: Brake Loss, Service Traction Control,Service Stabili
 

I have an '08 TaHy. I have about 10k miles on the truck. I used it all last year to tow a BMW M3 on an 18' trailer all over the northeast and Quebec. It tows like a charm although with the rear loaded with gear and my family and dog the rear does drop a little. I get 15 mpg on the highway towing at capacity. My '01 Yukon used to get 9-12 mpg in the same situation so I have to say that I am happy with that result.

My dealer has not been the most responsive. I had some braking issues when the truck was in for a software reflash. I had to take the truck to another dealer to have it fixed.

Then the tranny started acting strange and throwing codes. Wouldn't run in hybrid mode. The dealer said that it was some valve that was bad. Replaced it but this weekend it started bucking again and now the regen braking feels strange. Back to the dealer it goes.

Oh, and the battery thing... the manual clearly states that if you want to sit and run things you should do it with the key on to allow the system to cycle the engine on and off as needed. I've done this for hours leaving the lights on to illuminate a work area. The motor just cycled on and off occasionally.

Re: just out of curiosity..
 

Vehicle was not running. In 2 cases, I would drive 100 miles the day before and vehicle wouldn't start and give error codes the following morning. Since I bought my Tahoe, I've had 3 full firmware updates and 3 batteries.
Battery never runs down in Auto Stop but I don't keep my accessories on in ACC either. After the second repair, I unplugged everything on the accessory sockets and left them at home. So my vehicle was back to stock and the problems were still happening.

Re: Tahoe/Yukon Hybrid Problems: Brake Loss, Service Traction Control,Service Stabili
 

My truck is in the shop again (2nd time in first month of ownership), this time the lower gears and reverse were not properly functioning. They are have to order new parts for the Transmission, but the truck is out of commission for a week.

Has anyone else had problems with their transmission?

Re: Tahoe/Yukon Hybrid Problems: Brake Loss, Service Traction Control,Service Stabili
 

We bought our 2009 Hybrid Tahoe about the same day as you. I can tell you that after 600 miles of driving, the brakes failed and the flashing "service" lights were all over the place (service stabilitrak, etc). The more I read on the web, the more concerned I am that this is a very real issue and GM has yet to recognize it. It's wild as we just had a recall with our Nissan so they could move the LATCH system (clips for child car seat) about 1/4". It was hardly anything, but they recalled it to make it safer. As I read more and more on the web of this recurring brake problem with the Tahoe Hybrids, I can't imagine GM doesn't know about it! How can there not be a recall for this? To say the brake failure is unnerving is a HUGE understatement. My wife drives the car with our 1 year old each day and to think she could be on the highway doing 55 mph and lose braking power doesn't sit real well.
I wish you luck with your Tahoe. Mine went into the shop on Saturday of last week, so I'm holding out hope that everything will be just fine and there will be no further issues.
Best
Kevin

Re: Tahoe/Yukon Hybrid Problems: Brake Loss, Service Traction Control,Service Stabili
 

Hey OSU125,

I left my truck at the dealership last Saturday for a "Service Hybrid System" message last Saturday after Onstar said it was a serious code. Last Monday they got it in the shop and diagnosed that one of the drive motors in the tranny failed. GM sent them a brand new complete transmission which came in Thursday and I am picking it up today. 10 days without the truck :cry:.

The upside is that no one was monkeying around inside the tranny and I got a brand new unit which is guaranteed to 100K.

The code for the "Sevice Hybrid System" message flagged a bulletin. It basically told the dealer to NOT do any reflashing of the software or touch anything. It instructed them to download the freeze frame snapshots from the module and send them to GM TAC. It stated that GM engineering is trying to "Route Cause" the issue which means they still don't know what is going on. Anyway, my dealer has changed at least 5 other Hybrid transmissions since they came out and none have been back once the new tranny was installed. I am confident in the dealer and the tech who did the work. It just sucks to have to be without your truck for so long.