General Motors have announced a recall for over 38,000 Chevrolet and Buick sedans equipped with its “eAssist” mild hybrid system. According to GM overheating of the circuit boards in the Generator Control Module (GCM) could result in loss of battery charge, the illumination of the engine malfunction indicator light, and in extreme cases, a fire in the trunk. Two trunk fires have already been reported as a result of the issue. (more…)
Posts Tagged ‘General Motors’
GM Sedans Equipped with eAssist Could Experience Trunk Fires
Wednesday, May 8th, 20132013 Buick Encore Steering Problem
Thursday, April 18th, 2013General Motors (GM) has announced a recall for certain 2013 Buick Encore crossover vehicles equipped with heated steering wheels. During manufacturing, certain steering wheel fasteners may have not been properly installed resulting in the steering wheel potentially becoming loose and separating from the steering column. (more…)
Lemon Alert! Investigation Into Pontiac G6 Brakes
Friday, February 8th, 2013The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is furthering an investigation into certain Pontiac G6 vehicles due to brake light problems. In 2009 General Motors (GM) issued a recall for certain 2005-2006 Pontiac G6 cars because the brake lights could intermittently illuminate (more…)
Lemon Alert for Chevy And GMC Minivans
Monday, January 21st, 2013General Motors (GM) is recalling certain 2013 Chevrolet Express and 2013 GMC Savana minivans because some could fail to conform to the requirements of the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. The driver may be able to remove the key from the ignition when the vehicle is running or when the transmission is not in “Park”. (more…)
Missing Hood Latches On GM Pickups
Wednesday, December 26th, 2012General Motors (GM) is recalling certain 2010-2012 Chevrolet Colorado and 2010-2012 GMC Canyon vehicles because the secondary hood latch may have not been installed. (more…)
Lemon Alert For Cadillac XTS Head Restraints
Wednesday, December 5th, 2012General Motors (GM) have announced a recall for approximately twelve thousand 2013 Cadillac XTS vehicles because the rear seat headrests may not meet the requirements of the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. (more…)
Automobile Efficiency Turns To Low Roll Resistance Tires
Monday, November 26th, 2012Over the years automobile manufacturers have been put to the test to design vehicles that will meet rising Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards and consumer demand brought on by high fuel prices. In their quest they have turned to develop and test low roll resistance tires. While these tires are used most frequently on hybrid cars, low rolling resistance tires are now starting to show up on more mainstream vehicles as well. (more…)
Chevy Volt Software Glitch Stalls Engines
Wednesday, October 24th, 2012
General Motors (GM) has announced a customer satisfaction campaign affecting approximately four thousand 2013 Chevrolet Volt electric cars. A software glitch in the delayed charging function could cause the vehicle to unexpectedly stall. Drivers will still have steering and brakes, but in order to restart the engine, they must stop the vehicle, turn it off, and wait five minutes before restarting.
According to GM spokeswoman, Michelle Malcho, the glitch only affects the small number of owners that have used the delayed charging option. All drivers are recommended to switch to immediate instead of delayed time charging until the problem can be fixed. GM has already sent letters by Federal Express explaining to customers that the repair requires the vehicle’s control system software to be re-flashed. The repair is expected to take less than an hour.
Chevy Sonic Turn Signal Malfunction
Monday, October 8th, 2012General Motors (GM) is warning customer’s of certain 2013 Chevrolet Sonic vehicles about a problem that could leave drivers unaware that their turn signals are not functioning. When a turn signal lamp fails to operate, the Body Control Module (BCM) is suppose to detect the condition and warn the driver of the problem. A programing error in the BCM system may fail to warn the driver and if the problem goes unfixed, other drivers will not know that the vehicle is turning. This could increase the risk of an accident. Owners wanting more information can contact the Chevrolet owner center at 1-866-694-6546.
GM Ford Alliance To Improve Fuel Economy
Wednesday, October 3rd, 2012A manufacturing alliance between General Motors (GM) and Ford, expected to be unveiled next month, will have the two rival companies developing automatic transmissions designed to improve fuel economy. The alliance could save the companies billions of dollars as they work towards meeting demanding federal fuel economy regulations set for 2017.
GM and Ford have already successfully worked together building six speed automatic front wheel drive transmissions in 2002, introduced in 2006 in approximately thirty different models. Both companies are currently developing 8, 9, and 10 speed transmissions for front and rear wheel drive cars and light trucks and they hope that the agreement will not only speed up technological developments, but will allow them to reduce manufacturing costs.
Packing more gears into the compact transmission housings used in smaller vehicles is an increasingly tricky challenge, according to engineers. Automatic transmissions with more gear ratios and more sophisticated electronic controls are crucial to improving fuel economy but the limited space of compact and subcompact cars makes it difficult. The lack of space is one reason that subcompacts like the Ford Fiesta and Chevrolet Sonic do not achieve higher fuel efficiency than the larger Ford Focus and Chevy Cruze. Longer vehicles also have lower aerodynamic drag, which helps overall efficiency.
Developing transmissions in house will not only allow GM and Ford to tailor the components to suit their needs, but will eliminate royalty costs for licenses and intellectual property rights charged by their current gearbox suppliers. The new transmissions are expected to reach the market by 2015.
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