Okay, sorry if this ends up being a long post, but I could use some help/advice.

Friday, I got in my car to take it to the dealer to have the Bose amp swapped out and to work on some steering problems since getting the car back from my accident (ran over/into a "gator", screwed fron bumper and had to replace engine cradle". The car had been sitting for 4 or 5 days w/o being started, and when I went to crank it, it barely started. Also, the Onstar light in the rear-view was red.

I tell the service guy all about it and how I know of some of the 2006s have batteries w/a bad cell or whatever. He says he'll have them look into it. Okay.

As far as the steering, ever since I got my car back from the body shop, my steering "rattles/wobbles" (I think it's the steering :? ) around 50 - 60mph. I seriously do not remember feeling this before the accident and figure since the cradle had to be replaced and they had to re-align it, that something must not have been done right, for this to be happening. At first, the body shop guy said it was probably b/c the front pass. wheel was damaged and possibly out of balance. He said when we get that new wheel on and balanced, I should be okay. Well, I've had the new wheel for over a week before this and it didn't get any better.

So I pick up my car...

As far as the difficult start, they say they couldn't duplicate it, so nothing happened there. Well, of course they're not going to duplicate it. My car didn't sit at the shop for 5 days for them to try starting it. Once I started it and drove it to the shop, I figure I charged the batt. enough for it to be okay for the rest of the day. Anyway, I know that several people have had to have their batteries upgraded because of dead cells in the original batteries, but is there a TSB for this. I know there is a TSB for another electrical system problem w/bad starts for cars built B4 11/06. Mine was built 10/06, but I don't think this is my problem. I think it's the battery. Also, when I started my car this evening, after having sat since Saturday morning, it wasn't a clean start. It wasn't as bad as Friday morning, but it certainly wasn't immediate. What can I do, and do you think I need a new battery??? Or, could it be something else???

Once again, I'm sorry for the length, and appreciate you reading this far.

Now for the steering problem. They said both outer tie rods had "excessive play" in them and that they replaced them "and/or the adjuster sleeves." They also, "Align(ed) front end reset both front toes alignment specs." Well, when I drove the car home Friday, it was still there. I took it back Saturday morning and the service writer said he doesn't know why it's still there, but did point out that according to what the tech wrote in the service ticket, that my tires had "choppy patterns on them" and wanted to say that my problem was the tires. I was like what the hell does that mean, choppy patterns??? My tires feel fine, can you show me? He ran his hand over one of the front tires and said see, your tread is "feathered." Then he felt the back tires and said they weren't "feathered". He said that front wheel drive cars do that to the front tires and that I should rotate them. I will admit the front tires did feel a little "feathered", but I doubt this was my problem. I told him these tires were fairly new (5,000 miles) and that if this was the case, how do you explain the fact that B4 my accident, I didn't have the wobble, and now all of a sudden, I do??? Also, why do all that work with the tie rods and crap if the problem was MY tires to begin with???

Does anyone else seem to have any wobble in their steering around 50-60 mph? Is this something normal? Mind you, the wobble isn't horrible, but it's definitely noticeable.

Anyway, I have a screw in one of my front tires and will be going to the tire shop in the morning to have that fixed. While I'm there, I'm going to have them rotate my tires and see what happens. The Chevy service writer guy said that if I wanted to, I could come get a manger (they weren't there on Saturday. Go figure ) to take for a ride to see if they feel the problem. If it's still there after the tire shop, you can bet I'll be doing just that. So, anyone have any advice/help about this?

As far as the Onstar light, when I picked it up, it was green again, but they said I still needed to get a "VICU". What the heck is that, and if they didn't do anything to it yet (not according to the service ticket) how did it fix itself and turn green again???

Finally, at least they swapped out the Bose amp and that is better. There is still a little hiss, but definitely not as much as before.

Once again, sorry for the length, but thanks to all who have ventured this far.!!!

 

when i'm doing 70 or so if i just lay my and on the wheel there is a very slight i want to say "jiggle" but feels normal to me because when i'm doing 100mph it dosnt get worse still feels the same. Might want to try to go faster to see if it gets worse if not i woudn't worry bout it if you look at my car domain i was hit by a yukon but the truck was so big it went over my frame just smashing the door unibody. so i had no frame damage.

 

Also if you really wanna see if your hubs are balanced door 100mph and slow down as fast as you can without screeching tires or setting off ABS if that is smooth you really don't have a problem but if you do feel vibration it could also be your rotors but if your car only has 5000 miles on it should be no problem

 

might have a bad inner axle joint or maybe you bent up the wheel...Mostlikely bent up the wheel ...I mean if your car is perfectly lined up and everything is tight, its down to the rotating hardware.

 

And this thing was mint before the accident? Im pretty sure its your tires at this point or the rims. Have you tried putting the factory rims back on for testing?

My car hada shake at 50-60 after i changed the tires back from the drag radials. had them road force balanced. problem solved.

 

As for the red/green light on the onstar, my friend, who also happens to be one of my bosses ownes a 06 SS impala, same problem. Dealer had a TSB about wires getting pinched in a harness under the drivers seat. He also had a problem with his onstar antenna on the roof, some type of washer needed to be installed. His battery was also dead.

 

My car's onstar light turns red when its communicating the monthly report. I noticed it was red one time on my way home, when i got home and checked my mail and the report had just got in my in box within the time i was driving.

 

(From another forum) ...it turned out to be an unbalanced wheel due to feathering in the tire. He rotated them and all was well.

 

Yeah, sorry about that.

I had them re-balanced and rotated, and the vibration is gone.

She feels pretty good. Now, if I can just figure out how to get a new battery.

 

my onstar had the red light too they had to replace the backup battery for it and never had a problem agian.