I posted below message on the Equinox forum and subsequently did a search and found many answers on "Service Engine Soon Light" and little was answered on "Service Vehicle Soon Light". Obviously the 2 lights are not the same as I have both. My question is probably more generic to all GM cars so I repost my question here. Thanks,




My 05 Equinox has had "Service Vehicle Soon Light" on 3 times since last week with only 2,400 miles driven. Last week after the light turned on, I took the car to the dealer and gotten a code P2701 (Throttle) and they said if the same code happens they will replace the whole throttle body... Yesterday, the light was on (on/monrning and off/evening) and I made it to the dealer after 5PM and they advised me to come back today. This morning, the light was on again but the GM technician failed to read any code. Becase of no code, they refused to service my car and sent me away feeling extremely unhappy...

According to my manual, "Service Vehicle Soon Light"-This light will come on if you have problems that may require the vehicle to taken in for service.

This light is different from the "Change Engine Oil Light" and "Check Engine Light" which also on my dash and they are off. Can some one educate me on what the light means? I asked the 3 different technicians at the local GM dealership and none can answer me.

My 96 El Dorado has a similar light that says "service engine soon" which I'd say is pretty basically similar. The manual says if the light is flashing its a misfire. If it is on steady it's an emisssion control malfunction. Trouble is that can mean almost anything on new cars since every damn thing is part of the emission system. It can simply mean bad fuel that the engine isn't digesting well or any one of the zillion sensors, a fuel injector, pump or a fuel regulator.

That friggin lite has been all those things depending on the computer code on the Eldo. And there was a time when no code registered but the lite was on- fuel regulator that time. My independent mechanic couldn't repair it without code either.

The mechs don't want to speculate at a dealer so they don't get in trouble. Going through a service writer sucks but at the dealer it's the only way.
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Ok this might sound stupid, but is your gas cap tight? That can cause the light to come on. THe dealer should be able to read a stored code, don't let them tell you they can't. Good Luck

Ok this might sound stupid, but is your gas cap tight? That can cause the light to come on. THe dealer should be able to read a stored code, don't let them tell you they can't. Good Luck

No sure if my gas cap was tight or not. The 1st time, the light was on in evening commute home and stayed on for 2 key starts. The light come on in the morning and off in the eveing. Then yesterday morning, the light was on again until the techcian shut off my car and the light remained off since... I did twist the gas cap last night to be sure that it was tight. If my gas cap wasn't tight, should the light be on all time? I believe the gas cap trigger the "Service Engine Soon Light" because of fuel pressure related, right?

My search on the "Service Vehicle Soon light" point to problems with bad headlamp or Daytime Saving Light relay (mostly on GrandAM & buick). In my case, all the lights are working prefectly...

Again, "Service Vehicle Soon Light" is different from "Service Engine Soon Light". So are you saying that "Service Vehicle Soon Light" will generate some sort of code(s)?

The last techcian who found no code was using a large pad GM Tec2(sp?) placed on my steering wheel. He was busying keying something when a young tech who happened to work by and said that my car needed a "candy". They got into an argument and at the end young guy was right and my tech had to go back in to retrieve a connect module. Now I am wondering the tech might have inadvertantly erase the code or he was not knowledgeable to use the scanner with the module... Next time should the light come up, I will stop by autozone first.

I did complaint to Chevy but GM & the local dealer (I didn't buy my car from them) failed to agree to provide me with free loaner car altought the service manager agreed to "take a look" if I drop my car off for a day. Without GM or the dealership telling me what specfic action to fix my car's problem, I won't leave my car with them and lose a day of my work for nothing...