Burned Out Bulb - $100?

[Lefty]

I recently got a recall notice for my '04 Vibe. I took it to my former Pontiac dealer (now a Chevy dealer) and had the recall work done (it involved the electrical system). When I got the car back one of the bulbs in the radio/time display was dark -- only the right side of the display was readable.

The dealer said it was a "coincidence" that the bulb went out at that exact time. The service manager said that the radio was a "sealed unit" and that I'd have to replace the entire radio. He wants $100 to replace my radio with a "refurbished" receiver. When I pointed out that I could buy a new radio from Best Buy or Crutchfield for $60 or $70 he said that I'd also have to replace the "security module," which alone would cost a hundred dollars.

I feel that the dealer should either fix my radio or replace it free of charge since it was damaged in the dealership during the recall work. Do I have a case? What would other Vibe owners do in this situation?

BTW, I don't feel capable of replacing the bulb myself. I found instructions on how to do that on this site, but they're way too complicated for me to even contemplate.

Thanks for any input.

[trb]

Security module??? Are they full of it? It has a blinking light, that is the security system. I put a DVD system in my son's 06 and just needed the adapter harness ( instead of cutting the stock one) and an antenna adapter to hook it up. The mounting kit also was needed to cleanly mount it in place, but I didn't need anything else. The harness and antenna adapter cost me about $20 and the same for the mounting kit. Crutchfield includes them with radios over $100 or $120 I think for free, but you have to pay for them if you get a cheaper radio. I bought my son's DVD player locally since Crutchfield was sold out, but ended up paying about the same price.

[joatmon]

.I feel that the dealer should either fix my radio or replace it free of charge since it was damaged in the dealership during the recall work. Do I have a case? What would other Vibe owners do in this situation?

I'd tend to agree with the dealer that it was coincidence. There are plenty of Vibe radios burning out bulbs, it is not uncommon, and I'm not sure how an inept dealership could cause one to to burn out unless they were really trying.

If the dealership believes that the radio is a sealed unit and can not be serviced and that replacing the radio requires also replacing a mythcal security module, then you need to tell them to read genvibe. There are radios which look identical on the outside in use n many other GM vehicles where they are tied into an info bus and need to coded to work in a car, but Vibe radios are different. Being a joint GM/Toyota venture, these have to work in cars without that info bus. So, even if you could get them to fix the problem, you might want to reconsider having them work on it at all for anything. I know I'm being harsh and exaggerating, but there are nuances to Vibes that a GM dealership who doesn't service many might not be aware of, especially now that they are three years out of production. Also, a dealership isn't set up to disassemble individual items and solder new parts in, at that service level they pretty much only replace assemblies, so to be fair, since they would have to send the radio out somewhere to have it fixed, they may look at it as a sealed unit. (here at genvibe we think of nothing as "sealed" ) It is frustrating, but I think that the bulb was just a coincidence, and its a lost cause trying to get the dealership to resolve it for you.

Definitely understand not wanting to tackle the bulb replacement yourself, but there are other options. The best might be as trb offered, get a cool new radio, perhaps one with an AUX input and bluetooth. You could also look for a used Vibe radio, here, or on ebay. Replacing the radio with a different Vibe radio is token easy compared to replacing an individual bulb in one. You could look for a local electronics repair shop to do the bulb replacement for you. Or the zero cost option of just leaving it as is. On the positive side, its not something you have to resolve anytime soon.

[Lefty]

joatmon wrote:

It is frustrating, but I think that the bulb was just a coincidence, and its a lost cause trying to get the dealership to resolve it for you.

If so, that's one hell of a coincidence. More than nine years and 71,700 miles and the bulb just happens to burn out during the one hour that the dealership was working on the electrical system? I don't buy it. My thought now is to tell the dealer to shove it and order a new radio from Crutchfield, but can somebody tell me what that blinking light in my current display is signifying when the car is locked and sitting in my driveway?

[trb]

My thought now is to tell the dealer to shove it and order a new radio from Crutchfield, but can somebody tell me what that blinking light in my current display is signifying when the car is locked and sitting in my driveway?

Nothing. It is just a fake alarm/security light that blinks when the ignition key is off.

[Lefty]

Yesterday I discovered that the 115 volt power outlet and the cigarette light don't work -- and I'm assuming that this is because the former Pontiac dealer screwed up the electrical system big time while doing the electrical work called for under the recent recall. The power outlet DID work just before I took the Vibe in for the recall work because I used it to charge my cell phone.

Before I discovered the latest problems the dealer's general manager called me and said the service department had been "silly" to suggest that the bulb going dark in the radio display was just a "coincidence" and that I shouldn't have to pay for a replacement radio. He said someone from the service dept. would call me, but nobody has called and the service dept. is closed on Saturday!

I'm kicking myself for not testing the power outlet and cigarette lighter until two weeks after the recall work -- I checked with a Toyota dealer today and a service guy there told me it would cost at least $200 to fix the problem caused by the ex-Pontiac dealer.

Grrr!

[thebarber]

Radio was likely coincidence

Wleasy checks for the 110v outlet and lighter: fuses in box and take the front plate off it. They may have forgotten to plug it back in...

[Lefty]

Radio was likely coincidence

Wleasy checks for the 110v outlet and lighter: fuses in box and take the front plate off it. They may have forgotten to plug it back in...

Could you be more specific? They may have forgotten to plug what in -- a fuse?

In any case, I think I found the instrument panel fuse box, but can't figure out how to open it. And the '04 Vibe manual says that the "CIG" fuse is for the cigarette lighter, power rearview mirrors, power outlets, and the audio system -- but the power for the rearview mirrors and the audio system (except for one bulb) works, so I don't see how this fuse could be the problem.

Pardon my ignorance, but I spent most of my life in New York City without a car and never learned much about car maintenance and repair. I suspect that I'm overlooking some easy way to open that fuse box, but can't figure out what I'm doing wrong.

[thebarber]

There is a plug that literally plugs into the back of the lighter and AC outlet. If they had the panel off to do warranty work, its likely they forgot to plug it back in.

[Lefty]

Yesterday the dealer installed a refurbished radio and a new fuse to replace a blown-out one that had shut off the cigarette lighter and the AC outlet. Everything is working now and there was no charge (but only after I appealed my case to a salesman and then to the general manager).

Yesterday I discovered that the 115 volt power outlet and the cigarette light don't work -- and I'm assuming that this is because the former Pontiac dealer screwed up the electrical system big time while doing the electrical work called for under the recent recall. The power outlet DID work just before I took the Vibe in for the recall work because I used it to charge my cell phone.

Before I discovered the latest problems the dealer's general manager called me and said the service department had been "silly" to suggest that the bulb going dark in the radio display was just a "coincidence" and that I shouldn't have to pay for a replacement radio. He said someone from the service dept. would call me, but nobody has called and the service dept. is closed on Saturday!

I'm kicking myself for not testing the power outlet and cigarette lighter until two weeks after the recall work -- I checked with a Toyota dealer today and a service guy there told me it would cost at least $200 to fix the problem caused by the ex-Pontiac dealer.

Grrr!

[cchausis]

I had my safety recall 13030 work completed at the local Chevy dealer yesterday. My DH took the car in and didn't notice the left radio light was out when he brought it home. Got in it today, noticed the light was out, so I went back to the dealer with my concern that this problem did not exist until after the recall work was done.

I tried the "banging on the faceplace" trick suggested in other threads (viewtopic.php?t=15297" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;) about the lights going out (seems to be a common problem with Vibe radios). See also: viewtopic.php?t=26889" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I'm glad that Lefty was able to get a replacement radio from his dealer. My dealer basically shrugged his shoulders, said there was nothing they could do, since they only take off the trim panel, and the work on the recall had nothing to do with the radio parts.

I'm bummed.

(2004 Vibe, 82K miles)