OT - Late model Chevy truck owners FYI

[Firefyter-emt]

Hey guys, if you own a 2005 (ish body style, not sure of the year ranges) You may want to access the underside of yor fuse box under the hood. I have come across three trucks this month where mice have been living in the underhood fuse box and chewing on wires in there and the firewall pad. The fuse box is easy to flip open as it has a "hinge" to flop it open. There is not a big chance of a short as they are all positive wires, but crossed circuts could result.

I was told for one dealer that it was common and they get it a lot, since the first one I found it on another truck at a shop with a broken fuse box and mentioned it to another shop. That shop said "Dang, last summer I noticed my firewall pad was chewed on. Sure enough the fuse box harness was damaged and there was the left over of the firewall pad.

I suggest moth balls to be placed in the lower housing of the fusebox as this is a VERY expensive repair. (About 5k)

 

[alamocdc]

Thanks, Lee. I'm guessing this would apply to my 2007 Silverado Classic since it has the old body style. I have moth chrystals, so if I can figure out what you're talking about, I'll make the "modification".

 

[Firefyter-emt]

Billy, feel free to drop me a line if you need any help.

 

[Penmonkey]

5k is too much to pay for harness repair-replacement. You should look into doing this yourself. If it's just one section of the harness go to a junk yard and cut it off a wrecked truck.

 

[lane223]

reminds me when I was stationed in Germany, minks used to chew up the spark plug wires in my car. You could either spray a evil smelling subtance on them, purchase armored wire or ambush the little devils.

 

[Firefyter-emt]

Originally posted by Penmonkey

5k is too much to pay for harness repair-replacement. You should look into doing this yourself. If it's just one section of the harness go to a junk yard and cut it off a wrecked truck.

Per GM repair guide lines "No more than 5 repairs or 12" of wire per harness." On this truck (not mine, I am an appraiser, remember) there are four harnesses ending at this fuse box. If there is enough damage, you have the front lamp harness, the engine harness, the dash harness and the main chassie harness. They run about $600 each. To replace all the harness which will require removal of the dash, and things like gas tanks, interior panels ect. you can easily get into 40 hours of labor.

Now figure a dealer rate close to $100 per hour for say 25 hour, you can have $2500 right there. Then add another $2500 for the harness replacements and you get there fast! On top of that, if you replace all the harness, I dobut it will be done in 25 hours, I would bet it would pust 40 hours, and that is 4k! Used harness replacement "may" work, if you can get yourself one. However, try to get any yard to remove it without damage. Then you may find that the truck has the wrong options and it is not the right one. Very few yards that have trucks this new in them will let you walk in and start to hack up a harness or remove enough to take the whole harness out.

Modern OBD systems are not all 12v give or take a few volts, but have a wide aray of computer sensors that watch low level votlate feed back and if you repair a wire (think along the lines of adding a heat sink with a solder joint or connector) and you can change the input voltage from a sensor. SRS systems? That is a major no-no to even cut the wires.

I am ASE/I-Car trained, a licenced appraiser in two states and I had 11 years in the industry working and running a repair shop so I do know what I am talking about.

My point is that this is not info you will get as a recall, but it could be a "Special Service Procedure" that they check out and repair (cheaply) if they find damage. It is as easy as changing your car battrey to check, but could save a lot of repairs.

 

[Firefyter-emt]

Originally posted by Firefyter-emt

Originally posted by Penmonkey

5k is too much to pay for harness repair-replacement. You should look into doing this yourself. If it's just one section of the harness go to a junk yard and cut it off a wrecked truck.

Per GM repair guide lines "No more than 5 repairs or 12" of wire per harness." On this truck (not mine, I am an appraiser, remember) there are four harnesses ending at this fuse box. If there is enough damage, you have the front lamp harness, the engine harness, the dash harness and the main chassie harness. They run about $600 each. To replace all the harness which will require removal of the dash, and things like gas tanks, interior panels ect. you can easily get into 40 hours of labor.

Now figure a dealer rate close to $100 per hour (you can have 4k right there, add another $2500 for the harness replacements and you get there fast! Used harness replacement may work, if you can get one. However, try to get any yard to remove it without damage. Then you may find that the truck has the wrong options and it is not the right one.

Modern OBD systems are not all 12v "give or take a few volts", but have a wide aray of computer sensors that watch low level voltage feed back and if you repair a wire (think along the lines of adding a heat sink with a solder joint or connector) and you can change the input voltage from a sensor. SRS systems? That is a major no-no to even cut the wires.

I am ASE/I-Car trained, a licenced appraiser in two states and I had 11 years in the industry working and running a repair shop so I do know what I am talking about.

My point is that this is not info you will get as a recall, but it could be a "Special Service Procedure" that they check out and repair (cheaply) if they find damage. It is as easy as changing your car battrey to check, but could save a lot of repairs.

 

[maxwell_smart007]

Is a 1985 considered a late-model?

Heck, I think mine likely has vacuum tubes instead of fuses! []