My 08 Tahoe will ‘die’ at odd times. Sometimes I open the door and there is no charge from the battery. This can happen between opening the door with the remote and trying to start the car. It can happen between putting the car in park and cutting it off. I have come home, dut the car off and been unable to open the doors until I remember how to do it manually. a jump will always restore the car - for a while. If I leave it alone for an hour or so,it usually will start but the clock and climate control have reset. Most recently, the alarm went off, I turned it off using my remote. I found later that the car had ‘died’ momentarily. I have had the car checked and rechecked. Everything seems to check out each time - battery, alternator, whatever. This stated a 18 months ago when my battery died and I got a new one. Most recently, my mechanic has changed the make of the battery and checked every connection and every component. I am now waiting to see if this happens again. Usually it happens every 4 months ±. I am at my wits end. I do not know what to do, My mechanic does not know. He has even tried to update the computers n the car.
It sounds like a bad engine computer or a bad connector or connection somewhere. If the car has been in a wreck or had engine work prior to this happening, it could be a bad or missing ground connection. Sometimes the grounds are removed during engine work for access, and the mechanic forgets to replace them. But it could be almost anything in the electrical system. Bad fuse, etc. If you can re-create the problem and take the car to the shop and let them work on it, most any auto-electric specialist should be able to determiine what the problem is. I think your mechanic may be the wrong person for this task. Mechanics who are the best in the world at fixing the water pump or the differential are often no so good at the electrical system. Suggest to find somebody with expertise on your brand of car and with electrical. problems. Ask your mechanic for a recommendation. There’s usually one shop in town that has a good elecrical specialist that all the other mechanics know about in case they run into a tough problem like this.
Do you have any aftermarket items, remote start etc, or things left plugged into powerpoints? I have seen some weird things happen under those conditions. One funny one the car would not turn off until the door was opened.
I would replace the battery cables, it’s a cheap easy repair and it’s what i belive your issue is. I think your connections are bad/loose. Try that 1st and see how it works.
I’m thinking battery cables as well. Sometimes those GM side terminal cables will harbor loads of corrosion and sulfur under the rubber insulator at the battery end. Peeling away the rubber would reveal this. It could happen with either cable and could happen at either end, including at the starter or at the underhood terminal bus. I think all these connections need to be revisited and, if everything seems to check out okay, a continuity check should be done on both battery cables. There should be very little to no resistance from end to end. If there is any significant resistance, the cable(s) should be replaced.
Sounds like a bad ground cable connection…or dirty connections at the battery. Thats the first place I’d look and or start with something like this. Sometimes cables even look good but the cable ends are a mess…esp where the wire goes into the “cable end” sometimes that last metal connection is corroded.
Thanks. There is nothing aftermarket - to my knowledge. Everything seems standard for the Tahoe. Do not know about a wreck or engine work. I checked the car with CarMax and nothing showed up there. It does have 70k miles on it. Have been unable to ‘recreate’ the condition. It will come and it will go seemingly at will. If I let the car sit, for a while, it corrects itself - generally. I will have the cables replaced.