[Zapp and Roger]

Just looking for advice as a layman. My DD Solstice had been free of any flaws except the sway bar squeak this year. Winter has been fine, but I noticed this week something odd happening and I am not sure if it is something to be concerned about or what to watch for. Usually I let the normal warm up cycle go and leave when temp reaches 100deg. 2 days ago at 25 degrees F and today at -9 degrees F outside, the car did not go through it's warm up cycle (up to 1500rpm for however long etc), and instead went to 1000rpm and stayed there. After this, the console lights and headlights would occasionally dim like the alternator or revs couldn't keep up, but the tach read a normal steady 500-w/e. The issue would stop with acceleration for the most part and almost completely stop if the fan was off and blower directed to the floor.

So, the car did this Friday and today but started and acted normally on the weekend (38deg and 8deg respectively). Is this something I should watch for in normal temps of 35+ as this did not get this cold when I purchased in Feb last year, or is this something I should have checked at the dealer ASAP? No errors or codes or warning lights, I can't think of any more details that would help. Thanks for any advice.

 

[MomsSol]

In extreme cold, such as most of country is suffering right now, with wind chills bringing temps down to extreme negatives this is not uncommon for any car.

Yesterday we had wind chills of -30 and it took 4 tries to get my car started after sitting outside for 5 hours. After that I went out and started it 2 hours later and let the temp get up to 112 before I turned it off again.

 

[rob the elder]

Another consideration is how old is your battery? If its 4-5 years old and / or has been allowed to go dead in the past without proper reconditioning, its remotly possible that you are experiencing a low voltage condition which has been known to result in a number of strange, intermittant behaviors on startup.

 

[TX08manualGXP]

Yeah. with a weaker battery, you might not notice a thing in the summer but ince it gets cold and has been cold for a while, that's when it seems to weaken. I'd check my battery with a volt meter tomorrow morning before you start your car and see what it says. I'd bet it's under 12.

 

[07GXP2.0]

Yup mine is doing flashing dash lights and wont start. How nice another TSB for my car after I looked it up. These cars seem to be garbage atleast mine is super poor quality!

 

[Shadofax]

Yup mine is doing flashing dash lights and wont start. How nice another TSB for my car after I looked it up. These cars seem to be garbage atleast mine is super poor quality!

What does this have to do with the OP's possible issue and questions? You might want to start your own disgruntled thread and post whatever current flashing dash lights you have so you can get some help. :thumbs:

 

[Cev93]

The flashing lights and dash is your battery, My car is doing the exact same thing every morning below 30 degrees.

My battery is completely dead.

 

[07GXP2.0]

What does this have to do with the OP's possible issue and questions? You might want to start your own disgruntled thread and post whatever current flashing dash lights you have so you can get some help. :thumbs:

This is odd weather behavior, which the subject says.

 

[07GXP2.0]

Oh and the diagnosis, which dealer said, was bad BCM module, After the flashling light issue on dash it gave oil light, engine light and service traction control another 800 dollar repair.

 

[GODROD]

07 GXP. Rare but true that some. BCMs have an issue but it's corrosion on the pins it plugs too or something. You might want to try to clean it. I seem to remember a post on that.


Solo Dio
08 Solstice GXP Brazen / Inferno Orange

 

[07GXP2.0]

I got that done yet it had more trouble starting up, it was -10 the other day here in Ohio so I sent it to a mom n pop shop that only charges 29 n hour labor and to see what came up.

It started up but with puttering and a diesel like smoke. CEL came up. Multiple Cylinder misfire, catalytic converter threshold met, Low Voltage, and MAF sensor. Weird because low battery light had never came on. Put in a new battery, to diagnose what the misfires were coming from we changed the coils and it still misfired, plugs were put on 5k miles ago with the new fuel pump well they were pitch black the car is simply not burning fuel when cold. Misfired cylinders were 1 and 4.

Got the 02 extenders with O2 sensors (I make Denso 02's so I got them cheaper) so it wasn't really much waste and on the drive home from the shop it popped the Threshold light again also I noticed the Exhaust from solo I put on last month was rusting already and a magnet sticks to it! Is it really stainless steel? Kinda bummed about this car hopefully it straightens itself out soon or trade in is likely.

 

[Zapp and Roger]

Sorry for taking so long to follow up. So the issue continued once more in subzero before I was able to arrange a battery replacement. No mechanics or service centers would touch the Solstice after looking at it, so finding help took some time. Battery was showing 11.8 volts in a 62 degree garage. New battery (WHAT a process) went in and car feels smoother. Subzero startup is easy and without issue. Thanks for the help, this forum has been a huge education.

 

[TX08manualGXP]

Glad you are back on the road Zapp. Old and weak batteries as well as dirty / loose connections and grounds can really play some tricks on your cars computer. throw in cold weather and precipitation and troubleshooting becomes a crap shoot. My last few dead batteries (in other cars) would take a charge and show 12+ volts afterwards but would either fail to start the car or would start but run rough and once I checked them immediately afterwards, they barely had 11v in them. if your alternater is good and your connections are tight and clean, once you see slow starts in the cold weather, it's only a matter of time before they crap out.

To 07GXP2, I think Solo uses chromium in their exhausts which will attract a magnet but is also supposed to prevent rust so if it's actually rusting then you may want to give them a call. as for your problems, I'm sorry but that shop might not be doing you and your wallet any good. You really need to find a place that is familiar with the kappa platform.

 

[Zapp and Roger]

Well crud. I rescind most of what I last posted. Startup is flawless and noticeably stronger with the new battery in, however subzero the last 2 days and the lights dimming and dash also is still continuing, and there is a slight whistle from the engine compartment audible at idle and under 30 speeds when the dimming occurs. This occurs after stepping on the brakes, or turning on the fan, basically anything that draws power causes it to dim not briefly, but a random flickering. I have an appointment at the dealer today, I will be asking them to check the alternator I would guess since the battery is new and acting right. Thanks again all. Wish me luck lol.

EDit: I guess I should add that there are no warning lights or anything like that coming up, just the lights randomly flickering and the whistle accompanying it.

 

[The_Ghost]

Zapp... do you have a GXP? If so, the whistling I'm guessing is your turbo. Which is normal. Or, it could be your alternator. Might be time to replace it. How many miles are on your car?

I got that done yet it had more trouble starting up, it was -10 the other day here in Ohio so I sent it to a mom n pop shop that only charges 29 n hour labor and to see what came up.

It started up but with puttering and a diesel like smoke. CEL came up. Multiple Cylinder misfire, catalytic converter threshold met, Low Voltage, and MAF sensor. Weird because low battery light had never came on. Put in a new battery, to diagnose what the misfires were coming from we changed the coils and it still misfired, plugs were put on 5k miles ago with the new fuel pump well they were pitch black the car is simply not burning fuel when cold. Misfired cylinders were 1 and 4.

Got the 02 extenders with O2 sensors (I make Denso 02's so I got them cheaper) so it wasn't really much waste and on the drive home from the shop it popped the Threshold light again also I noticed the Exhaust from solo I put on last month was rusting already and a magnet sticks to it! Is it really stainless steel? Kinda bummed about this car hopefully it straightens itself out soon or trade in is likely.

07GXP, you must find a reputable repair shop. One that knows what they're doing. One that used to be a Pontiac dealer. One that still has some Pontiac technicians left. It sounds from your posts that your catalytic converter is plugged. I would have NEVER let someone replace the coil packs as they can "test" these to make sure they're making enough power. Secondly, why did you replace the HPFP? Was that dealer recommeneded? If it's smoking that bad at startup, you're running WAY too rich. Are you tuned? If so, I would HIGHLY recommend putting it back to the original OEM tune. Furthermore, you need to start a new thread on the issues your having....we'll help if we can! My Solo exhaust is rusting as well...

 

[Zapp and Roger]

Zapp... do you have a GXP? If so, the whistling I'm guessing is your turbo. Which is normal. Or, it could be your alternator. Might be time to replace it. How many miles are on your car?


<snip>

2007 GXP 24k miles, stock everything (Got it at 12k miles mint, the previous owner was immaculate) Just replaced what I'm sure was the OEM battery. It only seems to pop up in 0 or below weather and is not repeatable on every startup. I tried to go out and film a clip of it for reference and , of course, the issue went back into hiding. Diagnostic at the dealer here at 9 after they replace the squeaky bushings, I'll certainly report anything I learn. I appreciate the help.

 

[KellyfromVA]

Most cars one way or the other struggle with super cold weather. Oils are at their thickest, electronics slow down, seals shrink, batteries are stressed and fail. Even with a new Optima battery in my Jeep, turning on the rear window defroster dims the lights and you can hear the alternator working harder to keep up.

My GXP though, doesn't seem to care so much. The little car fires right up and gets me to work every day with no complaints. I attribute to the reliability from having not thrown a bunch of aftermarket parts at the car, nor relied on a dealer who probably knows little to nothing about this sort of car.

 

[Zapp and Roger]

I hate to keep bumping this thread but the issue still has not resolved. Dealer did a check on the electrical system, and said battery and charging system came out with flying colors. To reiterate, after the first subzero temp the car began acting odd, rare startups would bypass the normal startup and there would be flickering of the headlights and dashpanel (4-5 oscillations) and the RPMS would sit at the 900~ idle. It now creeps up in any temperature, completely randomly, and always accompanied by a whistle from the engine compartment but the warm up cycle may be normal or not. I have uploaded a very cruddy youtube video of the issue this time taken this morning in 20 degree ambient temperature. It is quite impossible from what I can tell to see the dash panel flickering, but the whistle is audible. Doubt it's helpful, but figured why not.

I guess I'm looking to hear whether this is something I should ignore until warmer weather since the car runs spectacular still, or if itis something I should be concerned about. My knowledge is only basic and limited to what I can learn here.

 

[The_Ghost]

Definetly electrical. That's more of an eletrical hum. It could be your door chime giving the issue, it could be your blower motor, it could be your radio....point being is that it could be anything. That's very odd. Does it come from inside the cabin, or outside? If inside it could even be your BCM not getting enough juice. Did you retighten your main ground? If its outside the cabind, could it be your HPFP starting to go? Also, if its outside, are you tuned? If its inside, is it coming from left or right side? To give you an example, one night I was sitting waiting for my buddy to show up at a bar. My top was up, I had just turned the car off, the radio turned all the way down, I was just on the phone to him. I noticed a really low deep bass sound, but very quiet. After a minute I realized that it was my sub/amp making the sound because it went away the minute I shut the radio completely off. My suggestion is sit in the car (both sides) when this happens and see if you can somewhat pinpoint a general area of where it's coming from....this would help!

 

[Zapp and Roger]

Definetly electrical. That's more of an eletrical hum. It could be your door chime giving the issue, it could be your blower motor, it could be your radio....point being is that it could be anything. That's very odd. Does it come from inside the cabin, or outside? If inside it could even be your BCM not getting enough juice. Did you retighten your main ground? If its outside the cabind, could it be your HPFP starting to go? Also, if its outside, are you tuned? If its inside, is it coming from left or right side? To give you an example, one night I was sitting waiting for my buddy to show up at a bar. My top was up, I had just turned the car off, the radio turned all the way down, I was just on the phone to him. I noticed a really low deep bass sound, but very quiet. After a minute I realized that it was my sub/amp making the sound because it went away the minute I shut the radio completely off. My suggestion is sit in the car (both sides) when this happens and see if you can somewhat pinpoint a general area of where it's coming from....this would help!

It is definitely coming from the engine compartment, the issue was present before the battery change and has persisted after. All bolts tightened, radio is off, blower off, not tuned. Also, not a hum, that might be the engine you are hearing, it is a whistle (no other way to describe it) you can hear it at 5, 6 , 8 and 10-13 seconds in the video linked.