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Originally Posted by djdhaene
First post, please be kind. 
I'm rolling a 99 Century with 120K miles. I moved to GA where they require emissions tests. I'm having a problem passing it. About 5 years ago (I'll give everyone a minute to do the math), the SES light came on and has been on since. I took it in about 6-7 times  and the dealership told me different things each time, but the most common story was that I was using cheap gas and the injectors are dirty. So, after the warranty was up, I took it to the "family mechanic" who really seems honest. He replaced a couple of O2 sensors over and over again. Eventually, he sort of reset everything and manually fired the heating element in the sensor that the computer said wasn't working. If this doesn' make much sense, I apologize. I'm trying to describe what he told me ... and keep in mind that this short story took about 9 months to develop. Anyway, in MI, we aren't required to pass an emissions test, so the mechanic and I agreed not to worry about anything. He said the computer isn't working properly and that it would cost $3,000 to replace it.
Now that I'm here, I have learned that OBD computer comes from the manufacturer with an 8-year warranty. Has anyone had anything like happen to them? Any suggestions as to what to do next? Any experience replacing the OBD computer under warranty? |
Do you have an extended warranty? GM's basic emissions warranty on the CAT convertor and powertrain control module is 8 years or 80,000 miles, which ever comes first. Therefore with 120K miles it is out of warranty.
You might want to take it to Autozone, etc. and have it scanned for free or invest in your own ODB-II scanner. Be sure to right down the specific generic and manufacturer specific codes and go from there.
BTW - $3,000 for an ECU/ECM/PCM computer to include labor is outrageous.
With 120K miles and failing emissions I'd seriously look at the CAT convertor if it has never been replaced before. Good luck!