Truth or Fact

I had a 2001 Chevy S10 worked on this past week. I picked it up and it now idels poorly. The garage says it is b/c they re-set the computer and it will be rough until it fully adjusts or whatever. Is this true?

What did you have done to the vehicle?

New plugs, wire set, fuel, air, oil, trans filters, fluid flushes…oil, trans, diff., coolent, tune up…

The engine controller should adapt immediately. Something isn’t right.

I’ve disconnected the battery to reset the computer on my 2000 S-10 Blazer numerous times with no effect on the idle. A couple of suggestions.

  1. Check to see if any hoses or harnesses are disconnected from the tune up.

  2. Check that the spark plug wires are connected correctly. The idle would be poor and the truck would not have much pickup.

  3. The computer on my Blazer is very sensitive to the battery voltage. A partially discharged battery (~12.1 volt) had the truck idling 100-150 rpm higher than normal (600 rpm) and the torque converter lockup was not engaging. Once the battery was fully charged (12.6 volts), the idle and lockup operation returned to normal.

Ed B.

False. Your computer ought to adjust to proper values for idling in a few seconds. It ain’t the computer.

Great, don’t you just love how when a shop screws up it is always YOUR problem. For busy workign people with a 5 month old getting the truck to the shop and pciking it up is a huge hassel. Why when you pay good money to have something fixed and they don’t get it right is it always YOUR problem. If I owned a shop I would come pick it up for the client. As to the problem at hand, I took the truck to them for poor running condition…missing, stumbling, etc… The garage told me it is b/c I replaced the electrical components with non-AC Delco parts. He said it is a known issue. Any truth to this claim or is it BS too. Thansk

well, lets see. it was stumbling before you put in the “bad non delco” parts, and it still runs bad. sounds like you didnt diagnose the problem correctly and put in unnecessary parts.

what CEL codes were given?

no, that isnt what you said, why did you replace the parts? and was it running ok, before you took it in? did you replace the parts before, and it didn’t improve anything? more info and timeline what was done and why.

Sounds like more BS to me…

Well first off I am not sure what this “you” stuff is since I didn’t diagnose the problem the shop did. I did a 75K service on the truck that included the plugs and wires. Then at 85k it started running poorly so I took it to the shop and “they” are the ones who told me the problem was non-AC Delco parts on the truck. I felt it was a suspect diagnosis but then I am a Banker they are mechanincs. I am not the type who calls a shop and tells them their diagnosis is off just like I would not apprecaite a mechanic calling me and telling me how to risk rate a loan.

ok,l so there was a time, after you put in the other parts, that it ran fine? timeline timeline. it is difficult to get the picture here, more info.

I was pleased with the truck for some time. I bought it with 38K. I drove it to 75k and I replaced the drive belt, the tensioner, the plugs and wires. Then around 82k it started to miss very gradually. Then 2k later it was missing more so as the outside temp went up, it was missing while driving down the Hwy and not just at idle so at 84.5k I took it to a shop. They said it had a miss code and asked who replaced the electrical components. I told them I had. They said you didn’t us AC Delco we see it a lot. They put AC Delco plugs and wires on it and SAID it drove fine. They said put 50-60 miles on it to reset the computer (which I now think to mean reset the computer for my state inspection that is due) then bring it back. I called them today and alerted them that it idles like crap. They siad bring it back in…easy for them to say right. So $443 bucks later and it still idels for crap. I guess I have to try to get it back there tonight.

More BS unless the non-AC Delco parts were not the proper replacements, like spark plugs of the wrong heat range, or the parts are of low quality. But that’s not really a problem with using a different brand, per se.

Ah, now we’re getting some vital information! Yes, in order for you to pass inspection, the misfire code must not only be cleared, the monitor for that code must be in a “ready” condition, meaning it wasn’t just reset. This takes a number of drive cycles or the scanner at inspection time will show one or more “not ready” states. This is grounds for failing inspection.

At least they aren’t totally blowing you off. As inconvenient as it is, you have to give them a chance to make things right. Of course, a road test after the work was done should have revealed the rough idle, and they shouldn’t have released the vehicle to you in that condition.

Be prepared for a diagnosis that more work needs to be done, however. There are many possible causes of rough idle.

Either way I just don’t want to put a lot of money into this truck. I bought it for $7000 and I have had it 2 years 2 months. I have a new baby and I just found out my house needs a new roof and my insurance co is being a bunch of pricks. Is it too much to ask a domestic mid size truck to hit 100k without having to put a bunch of money in it? I knew I should have gotten a Toyota but resale is so high on them that for $7000 I was looking at trucks that where comparable (ext cab, 2 wheel drive) that where 10 years old with close to 100k (in some cases over 100k) for the same price. Although, In high school I owned a 1990 4x4 Toyota Tacoma and the damn thing was bullet and high school guy proof. We tried it seemed so hard to tear that truck up between mud in the summer and snow in the winter it just laughed at us. You get what you pay for I guess.

Well what about this, when I take it to a shop I expect them to fix the problem with the correct part not just keep replacing $hit at my expense until they eventually find the cause. Hell I can do that! If a shop puts a bunch of stuff on a car under their assertion that it is the cause of the problem and the problem is still there why it is always just OPPS! MY BAD! I mean if I draft a loan and the docs are not correct the borrower could get out of even having to pay the loan back. I guess that is why I went to college and my mechanic didn’t…

You are entitled to have the problem for which you brought the truck to them fixed, for a fair price. That includes doing reasonable and accurate diagnostics. From what you’ve told us so far, the equation isn’t working out that way.

For your reading: use our search feature 2 weeks ago we discussed OEM (original equipment manufacture) parts versus non OEM parts the various responses will educate you. I have worked for independant (non-dealer) garages as a mechanic and when we mis-diagnois a condition we were required to fix it right and we were not paid any more labor. Its bad for the mechanic to make a mistake,we do realize the burden on the customer having to bring the car back several times. Sounds like the other guys have you handeled on the technical side.The parts story is semi-BS IMHO some aftermarket parts are junk.But you can find good non-OEM ignition parts.

Due to the continued addition of information and word play I’m not convinced the shop has done anything wrong here except try to sort out someone else’s self-caused problems.

Note how the original post started out as “I HAD a 2001 Chevy S10 worked on…” followed by “I picked it up…”.
As the tale progresses more and more info is added with the original insinuation that someone else caused the problem.

OP, you replaced all of these parts yourself and by your own admission YOU continued to drive this vehicle for another 7k miles before motoring blindly on for another 2400 miles with it running badly and only went to the shop when the truck became unbearable.

You should give some consideration as to just how long you think new plugs and wires are going to last with a chronic misfire condition. Problem X causes plug misfires which causes failed plug wires which causes failed coils which causes failed ignition modules…ad nauseum.
Given the story you related, up to this point, the plugs and wires are the first place to go because the simple fact they only have aprox. 8k miles on them means nothing due to your continued operation of the truck.

If I were going to ask a question it would be why in the xxxx you drove around for 2400 miles with a poorly running truck?
Speaking as a non-college educated tech I will say that at least when one of my vehicles starts running badly, at least I have enough common sense to repair it rather than continue to beat it into the ground and blame someone else.