Volume 2 Issue 4 - Extra

Follow Up

Last issue, Joel Paynton wrote about aftermarket power modifications on the Duramax diesel and their potential affects on your GM warranty. Shortly after, on August 4, 2009, GM posted Bulletin #08-06-04-006D which contained this statement:

Important: In order to process ANY driveability/engine/transmission/drivetrain WARRANTY CLAIM, you MUST photograph the required Tech 2® screen information BEFORE servicing or removing any engine/transmission/drivetrain components from the vehicle.

This had broad implications, requiring a technician to do all the groundwork to ensure there is no power program in the truck before doing any powertrain warranty work. It could be interpreted to mean that even minor and completely unrelated powertrain issues, for example, leaky seals, an electrical failure, a failed sensor and so on, would obligate the technician to investigate and document if there is a power program in the ECM. GM seemed to be launching an all-out campaign to find and stamp out anyone running aftermarket calibrations in their ECM.

Volume 2 Issue 4 - Extra

As a child, I remember asking my father why some odd state or local government project was being undertaken. He would always say,

Follow the money trail, son, and you will invariably find out why.

As an unfortunate commentary about the world that we live in, this pearl of wisdom has proven all too often to be absolutely accurate. In a perfect world, one would hope to find truth and honesty and maybe even facts to make critical decisions. However, I believe that it is rare when policy decisions are made on the issues obvious to all. Most often there is a hidden agenda that provides advantage for a particular person or group; again, this is a variation of the money trail. A closer look at global warming reveals a disconnect between the facts and the policies being formulated. This issue is the single greatest threat to our prosperity for the Twenty First Century: not the atmospheric warming but the fallacious conclusions of cause and effect that is resulting in disastrous policies.