2001 Chevrolet Suburban 1500

LTR RE HIS 2001 SUBURBAN WHICH CAUGHT ON FIRE AFTER NOTICING THE ABS SYSTEM SENSOR APPEARING ON THE DASH BOARD; SEEKING REIMBURSEMENT FOR REPAIRS. *KB WHEN THE CONSUMER ATTEMPTED TO START THE VEHICLE, HE DISCOVERED THE BATTERY WAS DEAD. AFTER THE CONSUMER JUMP STARTED THE VEHICLE, THAT WAS WHEN THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE CONSUMER HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED AND WAS INFORMED THE ABS WAS BAD, BUT IT WAS NOT THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE. THE CAUSE WAS A COMPUTER SYSTEM THAT HAD OVERHEATED AS A RESULT OF THE ABS MALFUNCTION. THE CONSUMER HAD REPLACED THE ABS MODULE PREVIOUSLY. THE DEALER REPLACED THE ELECTRONIC BRAKE CONTROL MODULE AND BRAKE PRESSURE MODULATOR. *JB

SAME SYMPTOMS AS WAS SUBJECT OF A RECALL TO BRAKES DONE 09-06-06 (SERVICE TICKET CTCS224790). INTERMITTENT ABS ACTIVATION ON SLOW SPEED STOP THAT CAUSES THE STOPPING DISTANCE TO INCREASE. NO SLIPPERY SURFACE OR TIRE SKIDDING THAT WOULD CAUSE THE ACTIVATION. PRIOR TO THE 2006 RECALL, THESE SAME SYMPTOMS HAD BEGUN ON THE VEHICLE AND GRADUALLY WORSENED. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER (DAMASCUS CHEVROLET 301-253-2151) ON 8-24-07 (SERVICE TICKET CTCS233310). SERVICE WRITER BUTCH ECCARD STATES THE MECHANIC COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG EXCEPT ONE FRONT BACKING PLATE TOUCHING THE ROTOR. NO CODE STORED IN THE COMPUTER. ABS ACTIVATION OCCURRED TWO MORE TIMES SINCE THE SERVICE. *TR

MY WIFE WAS DRIVING TO WORK AND THE ABS LIGHT CAME ON. THIS WAS ACCOMPANIED BY A LOUD NOISE FROM UNDERNEATH THE SUBURBAN. AFTER THE CAR WAS SHUT OFF THE LOUD NOISE PERSISTED. SHE TURNED THE CAR OFF AND ON SEVERAL TIMES AND THERE WAS STILL A LOUD NOISE. SHE CALLED ME AND I CAME OVER TO HER WORK AND CRAWLED UNDER THE CAR. I FOUND THAT THE ELECTRIC MOTOR ON THE ELECTRO-HYDRAULIC CONTROL UNIT (EHCU) WAS CONSTANTLY RUNNING AND THE UNIT WAS VERY HOT. THE ONLY WAY TO STOP THE UNIT FROM RUNNING WAS TO DISCONNECT THE POWER HARNESS. THE EHCU IS RIGHT NEXT TO THE FUEL FILTER AND IT WAS SO HOT THAT IT COULD HAVE CAUSED A FIRE IN THE FUEL LINE/FUEL FILTER IF I HAD NOT DISCONNECTED IT. IT MIGHT HAVE ALSO GOT HOT ENOUGH TO START THE CAR INTERIOR ON FIRE. THERE SHOULD BE SOME SORT OF SHUT OFF MECHANISM WHEN THE EHCU FAILS. I TALKED TO A NUMBER OF MECHANICS AND THEY SAID THAT THE PROBLEM IS NORMALLY WITH A RELAY IN THE EHCU AND THIS CAUSES THE MOTOR TO RUN NON-STOP. THEY SAID THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM FOR 1999 + CHEVROLET SILVERADO, GMC SIERRA, AND THE 2000 + CHEVROLET SUBURBAN/TAHOE AND THE GMC YUKON/YUKON XL. THEY THOUGHT THERE WAS PROBABLY A RECALL ON THEM BUT APPARENTLY THERE IS NOT. THE PART IS ONLY AVAILABLE FROM THE DEALER AND COSTS APPROXIMATELY $950. IT TAKES ALMOST TWO HOURS OF LABOR TO INSTALL IT SO THE REPAIR COSTS ABOUT $1150. THE SUBURBAN IS NOW IN THE SHOP BEING REPAIRED. THE CAR ONLY HAS 51,000 MILES AND THIS MODULE SHOULD NOT FAIL WITH SUCH LOW MILES AND IT SHOULD NOT COST NEARLY THIS MUCH TO REPAIR. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE TRAVELING 55 MPH, THE VEHICLE'S ABS AND PARKING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO THE SERVICE DEALER, WHERE COMPUTER DIAGNOSTICS IDENTIFIED THE COMPONENT FAILURE AS THE SERVICE BRAKE; ELECTRONIC BRAKE CONTROL MODULE, HAD AN INTERNAL FAILURE. THE SERVICE DEALER MECHANIC ALSO DETERMINED THAT THE PUMP MIGHT DAMAGE A NEW MODULE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED.