1999 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Electrical Problems

Your truck's security system (Passlock) is randomly shutting down the engine during startup about 1 in 4 times, forcing you to go through a 30+ minute reset process to get it running again. This repeated draining of your battery has left you stranded multiple times, including a recent 3.5-hour roadside situation. The fix likely involves diagnosing the Passlock security module, checking the ignition switch, or replacing the engine control module that manages this system.

While your truck was parked, you noticed a strange smell coming from inside the cabin. When you tried to open the hood to investigate, the hood latch wouldn't release. You then saw flames under the hood, which appeared to have started in the fuse box and burned the engine wiring harness. The fire department extinguished the fire, and a police report was filed. No one was injured, but the truck was towed away and has not been inspected or repaired by a mechanic. Addressing this issue will likely require a complete electrical system inspection and replacement of the fuse box, wiring harness, and any damaged engine components.

THE CLICKER STOPPED WORKING SO WE BOUGHT A NEW BATTERY FOR IT. THE TRUCK STARTED RAN JUST FINE. SHUT THE TRUCK OFF AND TRIED STARTING IT AGAIN AND NOTHING. NOW ITS LIKE THE SECURITY SYSTEM ISN'T READING THE DRIVER DOOR. SO THE MORE WE TRY WE ARE FINDING THAT THIS TRUCK MUST OF BEEN REDONE SOMETIME. THE KEY DOESN'T UNLOCK THE DOOR. YOU MUST USE THE CLICKER.

I HAD THE IGNITION SLEEVE REQUIRED IN RECALL DONE. NEVER HAD PROBLEMS WITH KEY BEFORE THAT. SINCE THEN, HAVE TROUBLE STARTING CAR; THE GARAGE REPLACED BATTERY (WAS 6 YRS. OLD) BECAUSE THEY COULD FIND NOTHING ELSE WRONG WITH THE CAR. STILL I HAVE DIFFICULTY STARTING THE CAR..........YESTERDAY IT TOOK 3 TRIES. I MOVED IN THE INTERIM OF HAVING THIS DONE....SO GOING BACK TO SIMON CHEVROLET IN WOONSOCKET,RI IS OUT OF THE QUESTION. I CALLED SALVATORE CHEVROLET IN GARDNER, MA. AND THEY TOLD ME THERE WOULD BE A $200. CHARGE TO FIND OUT WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS. NEVER HAD PROBLEMS BEFORE AND THIS SHOULD NOT BE A CHARGED FOR ISSUE. ANY SUGGESTIONS? ALSO, THIS MORNING THE DIAMOND SHAPED BUTTON FOR THE WARNING LIGHTS BROKE OFF AND FELL INTO DASH......THE CAR IS SOUND AND I KEEP IT WELL KEPT UP. THESE ARE JUST FRUSTRATING ISSUES. PLEASE ADVISE. THANK YOU FOR THE TIME AND EFFORT PUT INTO THIS MATTER. SINCERELY....[XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

REAR PASSENGER DOOR LOCKS WILL NOT OPERATE MAKING IT ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO EXIT THE VEHICLE QUICKLY INTHE EVENT OF AN EMERGENCY. THE STEERING IS VERY SLOPPY AT SPEEDS ABOVE 30 MPH. AT HIGHER SPEEDS THE VEHICLE WILL WONDER ALL OVER THE ROAD MAKING IT VERY HARD TO OPERATE SAFELY. *TR

PASSLOCK II SYSTEM IF FAULTY, LEADING TO HAVING THE OCCUPANTS OF THE VEHICLE STRANDED FOR 10 MINUTES TO HOURS WAITING FOR THE SYSTEM TO RESET ITSELF. SYSTEM MISREADS THE KEY'S RESISTANCE VALUE AND DISABLES THE FUEL FOR A PERIOD OF TIME, FREQUENTLY OVER AN HOUR. MY SYSTEM FAULTS MORE FREQUENTLY IN HOT, HUMID WEATHER, LEADING ME TO BELIEVE THE MOISTURE FROM THE HUMIDITY IS LOWERING THE OHMS CAUSING A MISREAD OF THE FACTORY KEY. I HAVE NO AFTERMARKET WIRING, ALARMS, STEREO, REMOTE STARTS ETC. I ALSO USE THE SINGLE KEY WITH NOTHING ATTACHED TO THE RING THAT WOULD BEAR ADDITIONAL WEIGHT TO THE KEY IN THE CYLINDER. *TR

DASH LIGHTS (4W/DRIVE,CRUISE,BRIGHTLIGHTS)STAY ON,GAUGES DO NOT WORK RIGHT. WAS TOLD WIRING HARNESS HAS SHORT IN IT,NEEDS REPLACED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT INSTRUMENT PANEL GAUGES WOULD FAIL SPORADICALLY. THE GAUGES WOULD FLUCTUATE TO THE LEFT SIMULTANEOUSLY INDICATING THAT THE FUEL TANK WAS LOW, THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING HOT AND SO FORTH. THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN TAKEN TO THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES BUT NEVER AT THE TIME WHEN THE FAILURE WAS ACTUALLY OCCURRING SO THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT EXPRESSED THAT HE DID NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 100,000. UPDATED 5/9/11 *CN UPDATED 05/16/11

HI I HAVE AN 1999 CHEVY PICK UP SHORT BED 5.3 I HAVE HAD THREE FUEL PUMPS PUT IN AND MY GAS GAUGE DOES NOT WORK NOR DOES MY ODOMETER HAVE EVERYONE HAVE THIS PROBLEM IS IT JUST MINE I WORK AT BRAHLER OIL AND LUBE AND 3 OUT OF 10 CHEVY TRUCKS HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM IS THERE ANYTHING THAT CAN BE DONE ? 500 IS ALOT FOR A FIX THAT DOES NOT WORK FOR THAT LONG AND HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION MY TAIL GATE STRAP'S BROKE THE TAIL GATE FELL DOWN AND DENTED THE GATE WHAT CAN I DO ABOUT THIS ? *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 CHEVROLET K1500. ON MAY 17, 2008, WHILE DRIVING 10 MPH, SMOKE APPEARED FROM THE DASHBOARD, FOLLOWED BY FLAMES. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED AND EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT STATED THAT SOMETHING ELECTRICAL HEATED UP UNDER THE DASHBOARD AND CAUSED THE FIRE. THE CONTACT CHECKED TO SEE IF HE WAS ELIGIBLE FOR ANY REIMBURSEMENTS BECAUSE HE HAS NO COMPREHENSIVE INSURANCE TO COVER THE DAMAGE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 101,000. UPDATED 6/16/08 *CN

ENGINE CUT OFF WHILE DRIVING, FAILURE TO START - FIRST IGNITION WILL CLICK,SOMETIMES STARTER WILL TURN OVER, MOST TIMES NOT, WILL NOT START. DASH GAUGES ARE ALSO ALL OVER THE PLACE ,WHEN AND IF IT STARTS,RUN REALLY ROUGH. ABS PROBLEMS TOO, DELAYED BRAKING ACTION AT LOW SPEED. *NM

MAJOR GUARD WARRANTY.9/16/02 NEW BATTERY & BULB REPLACED. 10/5/02 REPLACED THE BATTERY. 10/16/02 BATTERY WENT DEAD. LOOSE GROUND CABLE ON ENGINE BLOCK. BATTERY REPLACED. 11/4/02 BATTERY DEAD. VOLT GAUGE FLUXUATING AND BURN SMELL. ALTERNATOR AND ALTERNATOR CONNECTER REPLACED. 11/11/02, BURNT SMELL AND BATTERY IS DEAD. REPLACE BCM & REPROGRAM BCM AND BATTERY. 12/19/02 PCM NOT COMMANDING ALTERNATOR TO CHARGE BATTERY. AT. IDLE ONE MINUTE THE ALTERNATOR IS PUTTING OUT 13 AMPS AND THE NEXT 10 AMPS. REPLACED PCM & REPROGRAM AND REPLACED BATTERY. REPLACED PASSLOCK SENSOR CASE. PASSLOCK SENSOR READS INVALID WHEN KEY UP MOST OF THE TIME AND VOLTAGE DOESN'T DROP OFF OF 5 VOLT. IGNITION SWITCH NOT READING PASSLOCK RESISTANCE CORRECTLY. REPLACED IGNITION SWITCH. 1/24/03 ALTERNATOR ONLY PUTTING OUT 58.6 AMPS. REPLACED ALTERNATOR AND BATTERY AND BATTERY INSULATOR. REPLACED LEFT TAILIGHT BULB.BCM NOT POWERING DOWN AT TIMES PER GM REGIONAL TECH.BILL YODE,MINNESOTA DIAGNOSIS. BCM REPLACED & REPROGRAMED. THE GENERATOR VOLTAGE WAS FLUXUATING. 12 HZ ELECTRICAL FEEDBACK FROM THE CHARGING CIRCUIT AFFECTING THE GAUGES. REWIRED CONNECTOR PER BULLETIN # 02-07-30-030. MAKES THE ALTERNATOR EXTERNALLY REGULATED BY PCM INSTEAD OF INTERNALLY REGULATED BY THE REGULATOR. LO# N8505. BILL YODER WAS WORKING ON THE VEHICLE FOR TWO DAYS. 2/3/03. TRANSMISSION NOT SHIFTING PROPERLY, HEADLIGHTS DIM. SINCE 9/02, CONTACTED JAMES CLARK CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGER WITH CHEVROLET DIVISION SEVERAL TIMES, BUT WILL NOT ANSWER MY PHONE CALLS. CONTACTED BBB AND THEY WOULD NOT LOOK INTO THE CASE, AND WOULD NOT RETURN MY CALLS.DATED BACK 1/28/00 HOOD LAMP REPLACED. 11/13/00 THE POWERTRAIN CONTROLLER REPROGRAM, VEHICLE STALLED,DASH LIGHTS ON. FUEL GAUGE RECEIVING DIFFERNET READINGS. 5/7/01 HOOD LAMP, & BOTH DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHT BULBS REPLACED. 1/16/02 HOOD LAMP REPLACED. 1/18/02 REMOTE CD PLAYER REPLACED. 5/6/02 LEFT FRONT DOOR & LEFT REAR SPEAKERS REPLACED.

BATTERY IS LEAKING ACID. DAMGEROUS TO PEOPLE AND ENVIRONMENT

DASHBOARD AREA NEAR THE LIGHT SWITCH WOULD GET HOT. DRIVER'S SEAT IS LOOSE. WOULD ROCK BACK AND FORTH WHEN BRAKING OR ACCELERATING. WOULD MAKE SCRAPPING NOISES WHEN THIS HAPPENS. HAVE BEEN TO DEALER. *AK *ML