An Emergency "Get Home Checklist" for Our GMT900s Would Be Useful, IMO

[Scrappycrow]

Y'all,

I consider myself an above-average shadetree mechanic and am competent at doing almost everything except for welding and final paintwork. What gives me anxiety, though, is the possibility of something like this happening and getting stuck somewhere away from home because I don't know some obscure fact about our GMT900s and how a problem with some module or other component can cause seemingly illogical unrelated failures.

So, what I'd like to see if we can develop some sort of "Get Home Checklist," with the sole purpose being to limp home or to a safe area. A proper diagnosis and fix would be out-of-scope for this checklist, and wouldn't include situations that could occur with most vehicles on the road (e.g. water pump locks up) or are base-level simplistic and/or not related to getting home (e.g. burned out bulb, rear wiper fails). This is just to get the vehicle mobile, no matter how lights/warnings pop up and how many unnecessary functions you lose. The suggestions should also consider whether a particular uncommon tool is needed, but not necessarily require you to have a Tech2 or similar diagnostic tool on hand.

I'm willing to create and maintain the checklist if others who are far more knowledgeable and experienced with our GMT900s can work out what should go into checklist. Ideally, the number of failure situations should be limited so the checklist doesn't become unwieldy. This would be a "live" document that will change as suggestions are received and are agreed on by consensus.

What do Y'all think? Consider this a brainstorming session.

Thanks,
Scrappy

 

[GMCChevy]

Unless you want to keep a bunch of modules on hand in case they're ever needed there's not much to do. Murphys law would probably come in to play and whatever you need you probably won't have.
If you're going on a trip make sure there's no neglected servicing you've been putting off and go for it. If it breaks down and can't make it home most shops can deal with a GM truck.

 

[Doubeleive]

Y'all,

I consider myself an above-average shadetree mechanic and am competent at doing almost everything except for welding and final paintwork. What gives me anxiety, though, is the possibility of something like this happening and getting stuck somewhere away from home because I don't know some obscure fact about our GMT900s and how a problem with some module or other component can cause seemingly illogical unrelated failures.

So, what I'd like to see if we can develop some sort of "Get Home Checklist," with the sole purpose being to limp home or to a safe area. A proper diagnosis and fix would be out-of-scope for this checklist, and wouldn't include situations that could occur with most vehicles on the road (e.g. water pump locks up) or are base-level simplistic and/or not related to getting home (e.g. burned out bulb, rear wiper fails). This is just to get the vehicle mobile, no matter how lights/warnings pop up and how many unnecessary functions you lose. The suggestions should also consider whether a particular uncommon tool is needed, but not necessarily require you to have a Tech2 or similar diagnostic tool on hand.

I'm willing to create and maintain the checklist if others who are far more knowledgeable and experienced with our GMT900s can work out what should go into checklist. Ideally, the number of failure situations should be limited so the checklist doesn't become unwieldy. This would be a "live" document that will change as suggestions are received and are agreed on by consensus.

What do Y'all think? Consider this a brainstorming session.

Thanks,
Scrappy

that particular instance you referenced would not be something that you could determine on the side of the road without a tech2 and even then I am not sure if just unplugging the module or pulling a fuse would suffice as a work around.
what you are talking about is a complete roll of the dice, the only thing you "could" try in a unknown situation is either try pulling fuses 1 at a time or visual inspection and that is a gamble at best, if a electronic part goes bad your stuck in most situations.
my suggestion is if you are road tripping it beyond mildly out of town then throw the tech2 in the back somewhere, at least you might be able to atleast figure out why your stuck

 

[Doubeleive]

your best "get home" fix is going to be a tool bag, zip ties, duck tape, extra fuses, water, jumper cables, spare tire, jack.
and/or if you do something stupid like me and drop your fob in the water, lake, river then a spare key also.

 

[mikez71]

If a module goes bad and messes with the network signal, you should be able to bypass it by jumpering the 2 tan wires together, and 2 tan/blk wires together.

 

[PPV_2018]

I used to carry WAY too many tools and parts in my vehicles. . . In my 2 decades of driving experience, there are only really two things that will leave you stranded: flat tires, and dead batteries. For tires, i always had a spare and jack, so never ever technically stranded.

I had a first gen explorer that threw a rod(?) when i was pulling off my street onto the main thoroughfare. I limped it back home spewing oil and smoking like a rastafari. I guess that is one roadside stranding i narrowly escaped being so close to home, but none the less, there’s nothing i could have used to fix it anyways, so moot point.

now, the only think i keep in my Tahoe is a duffle bag in the back with a socket set, electrical tape, spare fuses, jumper cables, flashlight, OBDII reader, and a spare set of clothes. For newer models K2’s and T1’s maybe a spare FPCM. . .seems to be more of an issue with the T1’s though.

BOTTOM LINE is , i love the idea OP, but it’s just not practical and I’ve learned that from experience. Just keep your vehicle maintained as best you can and keep truckin. It’s not like a car from way back in the day just keep some spark plugs and a few basic maintenance parts .. nowadays you’d have to keep an AutoZone and a GM parts counter in your trunk to be prepared for every and anything.

Oh yeah, i forgot. One time i bought an old Buick Electra from an older fella in the city. Well he neglected to tell me that the gas gauge was broke. On the way home the motor killed.. i let the car glide into a store parking lot. There was no way i could leave the car behind and walk to go get gas because any gas station was hella far, and the area i was in the car would *definitely* been gone by the time i got back. Had to call a friend of mine who had to leave work, go buy a gas can, go fill it with gas and bring it to me so i could get home.

 

[intheburbs]

I have one each of the stupid shifter cable grommets in each of my trucks.

On long road trips, I do bring my Tech 2 with me.

Spare serpentine and long ratchet to install.

Other than that, just the usual stuff, and a AAA card.

 

[blondie70]

One should have a breaker bar and a deep well socket to fit the tire lug nuts....the stock truck tools will have trouble removing tire as tire shops use impacts set at max ugga duggas.! Also need a couple short boards to place the jack on....stabilize the jack if needed to change a tire.

 

[j91z28d1]

on trips I take things that make common failures easy to repair. like my hybrid didn't come with a spare tire, so I added a spare tire kit. but for trips I won't rely on the little tool kit. I'll throw a small aluminum jack and impact in the back to make quick work of it.

as for tools, a small bag, the tech 2 and something to access prodamand software. since while any shop can fix a common gm. zero shops can fix these hybrids if it breaks. so I would at minimum have to trouble shoot it for them and find the parts. if that's not possible, I gotta figure out how to tow it home because you're just not repairing something like a transmission failure on the side of the road. Uber to a u haul is what I'm thinking. I used to always keep AAA but they have gotten so bad. this is the first year after 30 year member I didn't renew. I was visiting a buddy back home out doing some pulls in his car and the tranny broke. was like eh I haven't used AAA tow in years, I'll Just tow us home. 3 hours of waiting around later he called his girl, got her to pick him up, go get a tow strap and we just towed it home. they finally called back saying the tow truck was on its way later that night. i told them to cancel it. after I got back home I happened to check my account and that counted towards my 4 free tows a year. even those they never showed up.

from what I'm told by drivers AAA pays so low of rates, you're always the last on their list. drivers avoid AAA calls if they can. I've probably paid 160$ a year for 15 years and used it 2 or 3 times. for that money I could just Google a local tow company and come out ahead. everything has become a scam these days.


as said above being able to bypass the can bus network for a failed module could be very helpful. so some wiring diagrams printed out could be good. but the only one I can think of would be that suspension one under they spare tire.

 

[Scrappycrow]

Thanks for the input, Y'all!

I guess I'll just fabricate some jumpers for diagnostic/field use, then! Sooo... does anyone have pin P/Ns?

 

[CaptainAmerica1]

Dunning-Kruger right here…

 

[Joseph Garcia]

I have one each of the stupid shifter cable grommets in each of my trucks.

On long road trips, I do bring my Tech 2 with me.

Spare serpentine and long ratchet to install.

Other than that, just the usual stuff, and a AAA card.

I have a second battery in the second battery space, and I have a high amperage quick disconnect on it to link it into the truck's electrical system, prior to the main fuse. I keep this battery charged by periodically connecting it to the truck's electrical system to top off the charge. This way, if I ever have a battery failure out on the road or in the bush, I can quickly connect the second battery to the truck's electrical system and be on my way.

I was going to suggest a spare serpentine belt, as well. For me, it is an absolute necessity, since I had a non-standard serpentine belt, and it would be difficult to replace it on the fly.

A small floor jack was also mentioned, and I take one with me for trips over 5 hours each way.

 

[Scrappycrow]

I have a second battery in the second battery space, and I have a high amperage quick disconnect on it to link it into the truck's electrical system, prior to the main fuse. I keep this battery charged by periodically connecting it to the truck's electrical system to top off the charge. This way, if I ever have a battery failure out on the road or in the bush, I can quickly connect the second battery to the truck's electrical system and be on my way.

I was going to suggest a spare serpentine belt, as well. For me, it is an absolute necessity, since I had a non-standard serpentine belt, and it would be difficult to replace it on the fly.

A small floor jack was also mentioned, and I take one with me for trips over 5 hours each way.

Those are some good suggestions! FWIW, the spare belts I keep in my vehicles are used belts. They should have sufficient life left for emergency use when you change them out, you know they fit, and if you give one to someone else to help them out, you're not out of a new belt.

Dunning-Kruger right here…

LOL, this thread is the opposite of Dunning-Kruger.

 

[Foggy]

In any of my cars/trucks when I do a road trip of any distance
I'll have: Jump Pack, Air Compressor (cordless or 1 with the jumppack),
1qts of oil. 1 bottle of octane boost. Serpentine Belt. Fuses.
Water - always water.. Can use it for lots of emergencies. IF it's cold
ass winter I keep 3/4 gallon jug a & a jug of premix coolant.
In my Yuk I generally keep a bottle of washer fluid too.
And a very small tool list. Fuse Puller, drive to change said Serp Belt,
pliers, screwdriver, and a just a few wrenches - 10mm, 13mm,14, 15
That will generally get me to the next stop/town/help

 

[Grady_Wilson]

For long trips I keep pretty much what others have said, minus the Tech 2.
I do take my Launch scanner with me just about everywhere, though.
It always rides with me along with a jump pack and some hand tools.
For long trips I make sure to take my 1/2" cordless impact and the charger, as well.

But I would maybe throw in a spare ignition coil pack, just in case.

 

[petethepug]

Fuel gauge issues and lack of gas can. Just saw this you can stuff in with your spare tire jack …
2 Gallon Gas Pouch (Foldable-Expandable gas pouch, holds 2 Gallons of gas) fits in the palm of your hand. Fits in the storage compartment of a motorcycle or glove box of a car.

Amazon.com: 2 Gallon Gas Pouch (Foldable-Expandable gas pouch, holds 2 Gallons of gas) fits in the palm of your hand. Fits in the storage compartment of a motorcycle or glove box of a car. : Automotive

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a.co

Stuff one or two 4x4 wood blocks in same place in case the jack needs a stand to reach. A 40 gal trash bag for the dirty flat tire and blanket to lay on snow or wet pavement over plastic bag. Keeping warm & dry under truck help keep a cool head.

Combo air pump for flat spare with lithium/ion battery that stays charged off truck that doubles as jump starter.

 

[TrybalRage]

A few years back I had an issue with a recurring no-crank condition, that I eventually traced down to the VCIM/OnStar module. Unfortunately a Tech2 was not a bunch of help because essentially the CANBUS network was freaking out due to the bad module and showed errors for all kinds of other modules which were in fact OK.

The only thing that worked for short periods of time was to disconnect the battery for a few seconds to force the network to reset. So keep that in your back pocket.

As far as being prepared for other failures - heater hose tees come to mind. Those things seem to break all the time. I replaced mine at 145k as a preemptive measure.

 

[OBSandaNNBS]

@Scrappycrow

Long reply, hang in there...

I really like this idea. I don't know why it gets so much hate (not just here). Doing/having something is way better than nothing.

I'm here because I want to do that exact thing you didn't; throwing a good tool set in for any trip over 1 hour. Target the common random failures, etc

I've had my 2012 (156K) for 6 months and it had two major issues; throttle body position sensor (freaking wire broke) and oil pressure sender. Luckily I was 2 miles from home and limped for the TBPS. Oil sender wasn't a breakdown.

Point being if the throttle happened a long way from home I'd be screwed for an expensive tow, and oil sensor would've made for a bit of a nervous drive.

I came to the natural conclusion that there are two things you can do: Maintain your rig and prepare for those things you can't afford/don't want to replace now or are "freak" issues.

If you or anyone else is interested, I can share my list of maintenance, potential problems and likelihood, whether they can be road-sided or shade-treed, special tools needed, est time, error codes, gm part numbers...the list is not done yet.

Fair warning I am a little nutty, not a mechanic, and definitely have an optimistic time estimation habit.

 

[OBSandaNNBS]

I have a second battery in the second battery space, and I have a high amperage quick disconnect on it to link it into the truck's electrical system, prior to the main fuse. I keep this battery charged by periodically connecting it to the truck's electrical system to top off the charge. This way, if I ever have a battery failure out on the road or in the bush, I can quickly connect the second battery to the truck's electrical system and be on my way.

I was going to suggest a spare serpentine belt, as well. For me, it is an absolute necessity, since I had a non-standard serpentine belt, and it would be difficult to replace it on the fly.

A small floor jack was also mentioned, and I take one with me for trips over 5 hours each way.

This is a great idea. I had always wanted to throw in a battery box but put tools in it ..like the factory storage box in my 97 Burb. I tried, the old box will not fit in that battery spot...
But now I'll have to think about your setup!!

 

[B-train]

I bring what I call my "Murphy Kit."

Jumper cables, jack, Ridgid batteries with air compressor and big ugga-dugga impact. A Klein toolbag that was my go-to for basic generator services (wrenches, ratchets, screw drivers, spark tester, multi-meter, etc - weighs about 30 lbs). Then there are spare fluids for all cavities, the last serpentine belt I took off - still usable, coveralls, blocks of wood, hammer, code reader, etc. It fills a tote and the bag sits next to it.

I tend to get eye-rolls from the females when packing for trips, but it saves my (and their) ass(es) when a u-joint was gonna grenade in New Orleans on spring break. I'd rather pack extra and not need it, than having to use my dashingly good looks to bum a ride........