2013 GMC Terrain. Recap: BRAKE, ABS, TRAC lights on. “Service power steering message”, collision and lane depart not working, multiple new fully-charges and tested-good batteries die within 48 hours with car off. Cause of drain was ABS module fuse. $200 spent at dealer for diagnostic. Came back with DTC U0121. Want $2000 to replace module #22754644 and valve kit #23156466 said to “start here first”. Am I just totally screwed or could it still be something cheaper and easier to fix and are they just telling me the most expensive thing possible? Car is in brand-new condition. Everything is spotless and immaculate. You could park it inside a showroom with the hood open and nobody would know the difference. Has only 16k miles on it but is out of warranty.
I have a hard time believing that a fuse caused the drain. Maybe they removed the fuse because the ABS controller was fried and draining the battery… especially because of this:
The '644 is the ABS/traction control computer and the '466 is the mechanical bits for the ABS/Traction control. Each are $270 from Amazon.
https://www.amazon.com/ACDelco-22754644-Original-Equipment-Electronic/dp/B005OVQPOU
https://www.amazon.com/ACDelco-23156466-Original-Equipment-Electronic/dp/B00S0I41ZO
I think $2000 is waaay high for this and that you should leave the dealer and go to an independent shop for this 10 year old SUV.
And given the code, I don’t know why the dealer thinks the mechanical bits are broken, too. I’d just replace the electronic control and see it that fixes the problem
Ask your shop if it is possible to eliminate the ABS function from the vehicle entirely. If so, just drive the Terrain extra safely using the regular brakes, like all drivers did before ABS was invented.
Yet another example where well-intended complexity yields unreliability.
Another idea, maybe there is a company who could bench-repair these parts for you; i.e. you mail the broken stuff to them, they repair it and mail it back to you, and your shop installs.
That is less than 2000 miles/ year. After you get the ABS repaired, reassess your need for this vehicle.
For months, when I was posting about the issues with this car on this very forum (go back and read those threads), I was berated for not having taken the car to a shop to have the DTCs read. So now I have come back after finally doing so -and I am eagerly awaiting all of the useful information you guys said would come from such information.
In my post yesterday, I asked the question about possible causes other than the $2000 module replacement that the dealer suggested.
2013 GMC Terrain can be configured as either AWD or FWD, and both of those come with different engine options. Suggest to post the vehicle’s full configuration information for best results here.
Are you aware of this bulletin?
George - yep. In the 9 months I have been researching these issues, I have found and read every possible related TSB or posting on any car repair forum you can imagine. Having exhausted all of those resources, I finally made the trip to the GMC dealer expecting a detailed list of things that could be the problem as well as a detailed list of possible solutions starting with the fastest, easiest, cheapest. Instead I was told it’ll be $2000 and they’ll “start” by replacing the EBCM. I thought I would leave the dealer with the problem fixed and that my posting here would have come to and end.
The vehicle is a 2013 GMC Terrain FWD SLT-1 with ABS system, Stabilitrak Stability Control System with Traction Control. It has a 2.4L DOHC 4-cyl engine.
I 100% agree, a fuse is nothing more then an electrical safety device consisting of or including a wire or strip of fusible metal that melts and interrupts the circuit when the current exceeds a particular amperage… The fuse most likely stopped the current draw caused by the malfunctioning ABS Module… An ABS module failure can cause the ABS pump to run continuously. This can eventually drain out your vehicle battery. To prevent a dead battery or burning out the ABS pump, remove the ABS fuse…
I think everyone here, as well as myself and the service technician at the dealer - knows that what was written on the piece of paper (which I transcribed here) about the fuse CAUSING the drain wasn’t meant literally. I’m sure he just meant that by taking the fuse out, it stopped the drain. I didn’t think it was worth mentioning. I had told the service advisor that my theory going in (when I arrived at the dealer) was that it was a module not going to sleep.
That nomenclature could refer to the body control module. I presume you are referring to the Electronic Brake Control Module; i.e. ABS module. I have no experience with this vehicle nor with ABS modules, I somehow get by with no ABS in either of my vehicles. But if all the pins of the electrical connection to the ABS unit test good (presumably that part is shown in the photo in the bulletin above), & all those wires have been tested for short circuits to each other or to ground, my guess is the dealership service dept is correct to recommend replacing the module and the ABS valve-pack. Note that – unless a warranty repair – you are not required to have this work done at a dealership , so good idea to check if a lower price can be obtained from a well-recommended inde-mechanic.
I’m presuming there are no other diagnostic codes present, in any other modules.
Also worth considering to replace one or the other first then test, might get lucky.
I would just leave the fuse out and drive it if the brakes seem to work normally, I have owned and driven many many vehicles before I got one w/ABS, me personally, I had rather have full control of my vehicle and not have the computer interfering with my braking… I know how to drive… lol
… and also your maintenance schedule…
All too many motorists have their maintenance performed solely on the basis of odometer miles, when they should be focusing also on elapsed time.
Here is literally what is written. If I wasn’t so shocked and dumbfounded at the moment, I would have asked a bunch of questions - which I have thought of since leaving. But at that moment, I felt that I had already lost faith in this place anyway.
“Run Diag Test. DTC U0121 x 4. 4 modules not communicating to EBCM.”
So, you are able to apply and release your brakes as fast as 15 times per second?
Really?
I am in absolute awe of your physical prowess.
This was my father’s car before he died. That is why it is now my problem. He kept meticulous records for the maintenance and if anything, he wasted a lot of money having things done that didn’t need to be done just based on time, rather than mileage.
… and that would be… incorrect.
wait. wasting money is incorrect?
I’ve never seen that nomenclature, but it could refer to the 4 wheel speed sensors not communicating properly with the ABS module. No harm done to phone them up or go back to the dealership and ask for a better explanation. One question might be: Could the short circuit be with one of the wheel speed sensors or its wiring?
You seem pretty frustrated, totally understandable. I expect you already know however you’ll get best results by speaking calmly and politely to the service folks. If you simply cannot understand what they are saying, don’t argue or despair, just ask to speak to their manager. Maybe the manager will be better at explaining the issues.
Ok, ok, everyone has an opinion about ABS, needed or not needed … lol … I expect our esteemed colleague Mopar Dave means he’s never had any trouble stopping quickly enough to avoid serious accidents so far, so doesn’t consider the ABS function an absolute necessity. Commonsense comprise is to just drive a little more slowly and carefully without ABS. Which is the same way we should all drive whether or not we have ABS.
Years ago I worked on a rental car fleet of 250-500 cars, local company with higher mileage vehicles, anyway we had many of the same vehicles with and with out ABS and traction control, we also had a very steep in/out on one side of the shop… When it snowed we (only two mechanics) would take the cars out and play in the parking lot and I could stop a vehicle most of the time in a shorter distance w/out ABS then with, and some of the Trac control vehicles wouldn’t make it up the hill as it would stop the vehicle instead of going up the hill with some wheel speed…
I also had a RWABS truck that would lock the front wheels up at the bottom of the hill (loose gravel) while pulling a trailer and rears didn’t do anything, but using another truck the same make just no RWABS with the same trailer would stop fine at the same spot…
And yes I can reduce the amount of braking pressure to keep the wheels from locking up when needed, but I also do not panic and try to put my foot through the floor in an emergency situations…
Nope, I normally drive fast… lol