Elective 'brain surgery' - worth it?

Discuss any problems, warranty, repair, or replacement issues you are having with your Vibe & Matrix
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Tammy09
Posts: 9
Joined: Tue Aug 18, 2009 3:49 am

Elective 'brain surgery' - worth it?

Post by Tammy09 »

2007 Vibe owner here who received the PCM recall notice awhile back & forgot about it. Oops. Am debating whether or not to take it in now. Being someone who works with desktop computers sometimes I know it's often best to not try to fix things that are not broke. And the thought of taking the Vibe in for this kinda thing gives me pause. Don't want to start a chain reaction of things going wrong if the original brain is taken out. But on the other hand I prefer to do regular maintenance than fix expensive problems later on. If it was the equivalent of a kidney transplant it would go in right away. Has anyone taken in a 'good' car and developed issues after the replacement? Also how long does the job realistically take? The notice gives the impression that it would be under an hour, but I'm not too sure on that. I would need to wait at the dealer as I recently moved and do not have any nearby family/close friends near enough to drop me off/pick me up. Other than fixing the darn gasket leak issue (thanks GM/Pontiac!) the car has been great. Only puzzlements are a few times when the power locks went nuts + an idle at 2rpm sometimes when the car is first started in the winter that quickly goes away as soon as I start moving. The door lock thing happens about once every six months after I turn the car off. Would be sitting inside it touching nothing when suddenly the doors lock all around me at once like I had been closed inside a mouse trap. Only way out was to slide the manual locks while grabbing onto the door handle as the key fobs became useless along with all the buttons inside. Once I got out all was well. Could this be related to the PCM or should I have looked out my window for the spaceship? Just trying to weigh the risks....
ou.grizzly
Posts: 2660
Joined: Sat Mar 01, 2008 5:26 pm

Post by ou.grizzly »

The doors on the 2003-2008 Vibe lock within 30 seconds I believe after turning the car off or something like that, it is normal... The high idle in the winter is also normal.... It is meant to REV higher to get oil through the entire engine... As for the PCM recall, get it done ASAP...Things could be worse, you could of had all your dash lights come on like me in my 2009, wait 30 days for the PCM to come in as the part was on back order, and then within 2 weeks later, the dash lights came on again, and within 2 days, they went off again...
2009 Jet Black 2.4L Auto / Fogs / 17" Alum / Clear Bra / Camry Leather Shift Knob / GT Rear Spoiler
2013 Polished Metallic Honda CR-V EX-L Navi
Salsa Guy
Posts: 1775
Joined: Thu Oct 07, 2010 10:46 pm
Location: Greater Tulsa Area

Post by Salsa Guy »

X2 on tgetting the recall done. It'll save you alot of hassle down the road if it does start acting up. In computer terms: If you have a RAID 0 hard drive setup and your drive are 4-5 years old won't it be wise to replace them.
05 Matrix XR 4WD and 03 Vibe GT
"If you want Government to solve your problems, then you are the problem!" BMSR
Trix MODS: SRI w/ AEM filter, Vibrant/Magnaflow Cat-back, Alutec Lightweight Crank Pulley
GT MODS: Cosmo SRI, DRL, Auto Stop
jimincalif
Posts: 622
Joined: Sat Jul 12, 2003 1:59 am

Post by jimincalif »

get it done. Our 2007 was perfect..... til it wasn't. Had to be towed in.We had taken it in for the recall, they told us it was not one of the recalled PCMs. But it failed anyway.
"We contend that for a nation to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle." - Winston Churchill---------------------------------Who is John Galt?2 Vibes, 03GT & 07 base (kids drive)1993 Lexus LS4001980 Fiat Spider
Tammy09
Posts: 9
Joined: Tue Aug 18, 2009 3:49 am

Post by Tammy09 »

How long did it take for everyone? Something you could truly get done during a lunch break or is it something I would need to take the day off for/plan on sitting around for hours?As far as the computer stuff goes I was thinking more along the lines of what would happen if you installed a super fast brand new hard drive in a 5 year old computer without upgrading any of the other do-dads in there.The lock stuff....normal? I sit in my car a lot after turning it off, sometimes 5-10 minutes and have only had this happen a few times over the past couple years. And when it happens the power lock buttons become inactive & the key fobs useless. I could sit inside the car and press those buttons all I wanted and it wouldn't let me out. Only way is to slide the manual locks over while pushing the door out. Think automatic locking would be dangerous, especially in a situation where someone just got out to pump gas, closed the door and there were small kids waiting in the car.
GMJAP
Posts: 1820
Joined: Thu Sep 02, 2004 4:24 am

Re: (Tammy09)

Post by GMJAP »

You can call ahead to the dealer to see if they have a PCM in stock. I was able to get it done over a single day.And it's not a "super fast brand new" hard drive.... it's just the existing hard drive with the known bugs fixed.
2005 Platinum Base ManualSide & Curtain AirbagsABSPower PackageTinted Windows"Mods": 'old-style' center armrest, center +12v, wheelskins leather steering wheel, AC/Recirc blue backlight, beeps on keyless entry, dome light switch, AC insulation, PCD10 10-disc CD/MP3 changer, AAI-GM12 AUX audio input, K&N filter, "shark fin" antenna.
jake75
Posts: 4792
Joined: Sun Feb 09, 2003 1:33 pm
Location: Columbus, OH

Re: (GMJAP)

Post by jake75 »

I don't remember my doors relocking automatically on either my 2003 or 2009 except if you uynlock the car with the remote and do not open the door within about 30 seconds it will relock.
2009 Vibe 1.8L Carbon Gray AT Power Pkg 1/12/092003 Vibe 1.8L Neptune AT Mono Power Pkg 1/27/03 [sold 2/2/09]2007 T&C SWB 7/31/07 "Broke people stay broke by living like they're rich. Rich people stay rich by living like they're broke."
blindman10
Posts: 107
Joined: Wed Mar 23, 2011 12:04 pm

Post by blindman10 »

My 2007 had absolutely no issues but I took it in for the recall as soon as I could. I called and they didn't have the part, but as soon as it arrived we set up an appointment. I think it took a little over an hour and I was out the door. No issues since then and nothing about how it drove changed. I'll agree that you should get it done NOW instead of when things start messing up.I understand your computer analogy but it's not very accurate; you aren't upgrading your PCM. The new one is exactly the same, it just doesn't have the degradation issues and solder joint issues that the originals apparently had. Also, the high idle issue is completely normal, especially in cold weather. I'm not too sure about the key fob/door locking issue.
Salsa Guy
Posts: 1775
Joined: Thu Oct 07, 2010 10:46 pm
Location: Greater Tulsa Area

Re: (Tammy09)

Post by Salsa Guy »

Quote, originally posted by Tammy09 »How long did it take for everyone? As far as the computer stuff goes I was thinking more along the lines of what would happen if you installed a super fast brand new hard drive in a 5 year old computer without upgrading any of the other do-dads in there.It should take less than a hour. Call ahead and make sure they have the part in stock and make an appointment. In regards to a PC a faster HD is always an improvement to a system. A RAID 0 setup is a very dangerous HD setup. Goodluck
05 Matrix XR 4WD and 03 Vibe GT
"If you want Government to solve your problems, then you are the problem!" BMSR
Trix MODS: SRI w/ AEM filter, Vibrant/Magnaflow Cat-back, Alutec Lightweight Crank Pulley
GT MODS: Cosmo SRI, DRL, Auto Stop
Tammy09
Posts: 9
Joined: Tue Aug 18, 2009 3:49 am

Post by Tammy09 »

Ok. So I finally got mine replaced today as I had the day off. Took about an hour and a half. Only weirdness so far was a rough idle in the dealership parking lot when I first started it back up. Felt like a diesel truck. After about 5 minutes and turning it off/on again it went away. Made a couple stops on the way home and it didn't do it again. Anyone else have that happen?They took out part 89661-02K40 and put in 19205366....hopefully that's right for an automatic 2wd.
Salsa Guy
Posts: 1775
Joined: Thu Oct 07, 2010 10:46 pm
Location: Greater Tulsa Area

Post by Salsa Guy »

The new ECU had to "learn" the engine. That's normal but if if persists you may need to take it back.
05 Matrix XR 4WD and 03 Vibe GT
"If you want Government to solve your problems, then you are the problem!" BMSR
Trix MODS: SRI w/ AEM filter, Vibrant/Magnaflow Cat-back, Alutec Lightweight Crank Pulley
GT MODS: Cosmo SRI, DRL, Auto Stop
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