help!! throttle control malfunction/power failure/traction control problem

[Hummer eh!]

current temp -30 celsius. plugged in the H3 (2006) last night (block heater) and it started perfectly this morning. I made it about 5 minutes from my house and engine light came on and Power Failure mode came up on the display. luckily i was by a large parking lot and rolled in and parked. Onstar said the power failure mode came on because of an electronic throttle control problem. i turned the vehicle off for ten minutes, when i restarted it i could get rpm's above 1500 and onstar said the problem was gone, but i still had a traction control problem. drove it home and parked it. can't get tow truck for a cpl days due to the weather, any ideas or input would be greatly appreciated.

[Hummer eh!]

one more thing, totally stock vehicle, no mods to anything.

[fourfourto]

-30
Maybe the gas ( water/condensation) froze up and restricted the line or pump

[Hummer eh!]

gas is always a concern up here, but why would the error show up after i was already driving and disappear after i turned it off? in better weather i'd take it for a drive and try a cpl things, but right now if the vehicle fails, i'll freeze my you know whats off.

[Hummer eh!]

onstar gave me the diagnostic codes:
as of now:
P1516
P2101
P2119

[algy]

Here is a link to the Diagnostics Trouble Codes:

http://www.hummeranswers.com/files/DTC_File_H3.htm

[algy]

P1516: Throttle Actuator Control (TAC) Module Throttle Actuator Position Performance

P2101: Throttle Actuator Position Performance

P2119: Throttle Closed Position Performance

[Hummer eh!]

thanks algy
earlier today there were 3 separate issues, now it's just down to the throttle control i guess. i will continue my online search. some say i can drive it, others say no because it may go into reduced power mode again and then shut down. guess it's time to call the rental car companies. i'm very interested in finding out the how and why of this problem, time will tell.

[pdsq99f4]

Sounds like you had some moisture in your throttle body that froze and TAC motor had trouble moving the throttle. Not sure how to remedy the problem at -30c. That's freakin cold!!

[Hummer eh!]

with the weather the way it is, i had to wait a cpl days for a tow truck and the dealership is dealing with it now. unfortunately, also due to the weather the only info i've got from the dealership is that they have my vehicle and they're working on it. i was able to find alot of good info on the net so i decided not to drive it anymore as the module freezing may have destroyed it, or it may thaw out and be great again. my desire not to be stranded beat out the ego on this one.

[blindzebra]

Maybe you should tarp off the grill of your truck mostly so not much col air passes into your engine compartment, therefor keeping a higher over all air temp around your engine. That's the only way truckers are able to drive in ubercooled air

[justforfun]

Originally Posted by Hummer eh!

thanks algy
earlier today there were 3 separate issues, now it's just down to the throttle control i guess. i will continue my online search. some say i can drive it, others say no because it may go into reduced power mode again and then shut down. guess it's time to call the rental car companies. i'm very interested in finding out the how and why of this problem, time will tell.

It's under warranty, so take it to the people that "know" - your dealer (once the roads are clear mind you).

Do NOT rent a car.... that's what your dealer is there for - your truck ain't working, they fix it and give you a loaner... probably just a sensor issue - let us know how it goes!

Cheers
JFF

[Hummer eh!]

got it fixed. it seems that due to the cold the sensors went a little wacky and they ended up rhaving to reprogramm the engine control module, which there is a service bulletin for. they also replaced an onstar battery, not sure what that is but apparently that's why i got so many diagnostic codes and error display messages. that made sense, as my check engine light came on and off quite frequently over the past 6 months. they also had to replace the throttle body and associated connectors, which i have read dysfunction due to vibration (driving through snow drifts/banks like a teenager) and due to extreme temperature changes. anyway, once they did all of that, she's good as new. and apparently should have a better idle.
as far as the loaner car, not up here. they use rental car agencies instead of having their own loaners and they'll only pay for the rental car when they're actually turning wrenches on your vehicle. so for me that meant my car was out for 8 days, but since they only worked on it for one day, they only cover one day of the rental.
since they are the only hummer approved service center in our city, the h3 will be replaced this summer. now comes the tough decision of what to drive next. my choices won't prob be popular on this site, but i'll let you know anyway. tahoe/yukon, cayenne s, range rover sport.

thanks for all your help

[HUMTECH]

As far as rentals, if your vehicle is under factory warranty and is disabled, they are required to provide you with a loaner from the time the disabled vehicle shows up at the dealer until it is ready to be picked up after repairs are completed.For eg if it is ready fri aft and you cant pick it up till monday that is when you would be responsible for rental charges for sat and sun.

[wpage]

-30...
Oh Canada!
Thats enough to freeze your flapper

[mikejr]

Originally Posted by HUMTECH

As far as rentals, if your vehicle is under factory warranty and is disabled, they are required to provide you with a loaner from the time the disabled vehicle shows up at the dealer until it is ready to be picked up after repairs are completed.For eg if it is ready fri aft and you cant pick it up till monday that is when you would be responsible for rental charges for sat and sun.

[LordLang]

Originally Posted by HUMTECH

As far as rentals, if your vehicle is under factory warranty and is disabled, they are required to provide you with a loaner from the time the disabled vehicle shows up at the dealer until it is ready to be picked up after repairs are completed.For eg if it is ready fri aft and you cant pick it up till monday that is when you would be responsible for rental charges for sat and sun.

... So wait until you have to make a long drive to somewhere, and then take the Hummer in the day before -- and then drive across the state in the loaner. Thats what I do

By the way, I had a similar problem with Traction Control / Loss of power. I just drove it straight in w/out appointment and the fixed it on the spot. Was some type of wiring issue, or fuse... dont remember exactly.

[FishnMan]

Originally Posted by wpage

-30...
Oh Canada!
Thats enough to freeze your flapper

30 below....thats' tee shirt weather!

[cdmintmi]

well if you must get rid of the hummer (very disappointing by the way) id go with the yukon. My last truck was a 97 yukon and I couldnt kill it. I mean really, it wouldnt die. I did rebuild the transmission but we tow a boat from NC to PA and also to FL every year atleast once a year and I was young and drove it like a teenager. Traded it in last year on my H3 with 273,000 mileso it and it still ran like a champ. Luckily I convince the wife that it was no longer safe to drive on long trips and that a new rig was in order. Dont know how I got her conviced the H3 was the right replacement (oh yeah I brought it home and said what do you think ) The Yukon did very well in the snow we get down here nothing spectacular in the mud but it did fairly well. Your main loss will be with approach, departure angles, and ground clearance, not to mention gas milage but it was one solid stock truck. Just make sure you atleast get the Z71 package and 4x4.