Decreased Engine Light

[dbowden13]

Whenever it happens to rain my 2005 Chevy Equinox decreased engine light turns on and I cannot drive my car 5 feet. I believe that the water is coming in by the hood lever. I pulled the plastic panel off by the hood lever and there are a bunch of wires there that are getting wet and I believe this is why my engine light/decreased engine light are popping up.

If anyone knows how I can fix this problem it would be greatly appreciated!

[Ruley73]

Unless the insulation is stripped off and you see bare copper, those wires you are concerned with are probably fine.

How many miles does your vehicle have on it? Have you ever had the spark plugs & wires changed?

If these have never been changed, I believe this is most likely the source of your problem; especially if your Service Engine Soon light is blinking or on constantly.

[dbowden13]

None of the insulation is stripped off the wires and I cannot not see bare copper anywhere.

It has 125xxx on it. The spark plugs and wires were just changed roughly 3-4 months ago when I had to replace my head gasket but before that got changed the car still did the same thing when it rained

[Ruley73]

I must apologize. It just occurred to me that you were referring to the wires near the interior hood release lever. For some reason I was thinking of the hood latch lever under the hood. The wires you are concerned with definitely should not be getting wet. If you have a sunroof, the drain tubes may be plugged. You'll need to find the source of the leak even if your vehicle doesn't have a sunroof.

I did find a TSB that may be related to your issue. I tried to attach the TSB in PDF format below, but the link doesn't seem to be showing up for some reason so I pasted the text below as well.

TSB_03-08-45-003C.pdf

Subject: Reduced Power,Stuck in High Gear,SES Light On,DTC P0223,P0504,P1228,P1271,P1280,P1599,P1779,P1791,P2 119,P2101,P2128,P2135,P2138 Set,Speaker Buzz Noise,HVAC Inop(Inspect/Replace Corroded/Bent Terminal) #03-08-45-003D - (02/24/2006)

Models: 2005-2006 Chevrolet Equinox
2006 Pontiac Torrent
2002-2003 Saturn VUE


This bulletin is being revised to update an illustration. Please discard Corporate Bulletin Number 03-08-45-003C (Section 08 - Body and Accessories).

Condition:

Some customers may comment that the vehicle is exhibiting one or more of the following conditions:
• Reduced power
• Transaxle not down shifting
• SES light on
• Buzz noise from door speaker(s)
• Speaker(s) inoperative
• HVAC blower motor inoperative
• A/C compressor commanded OFF with vehicle speed (evaporator temperature sensor circuit 719 and/or 731 may be open)

These conditions may be intermittent. Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTC) P0223, P0504, P0700, P1228, P1271, P1280, P1599, P1779, P1791, P2119, P2101, P2128, P2135, or P2138 may also be present.

Cause:

The instrument panel/body inline connector (black 40-pin electrical connector), located behind the left hinge pillar garnish molding, may have bent or corroded terminals.

Correction:

Disconnect and inspect the instrument panel/body inline connector (black 40-pin electrical connector). If necessary, replace damaged terminals and apply dielectric grease to the connector.

[dbowden13]

Its my fault for not being more clear about it. I do have a sun roof in my vehicle. What would be the best way to figure out where the leak is coming from.

[Ruley73]

Just figure out what areas are wet and look for signs of a leak such as water streaks in dust/dirt. I'm very confident that one or more of the sunroof drain tubes are clogged. I've attached some PDFs which should help you fix this.

2005-2009_Equinox_sunroof-drain-inspection-and-cleaning.pdf

2005-2009_Equinox_sunroof-housing-front-drain-hose-replacement.pdf

2005-2009_Equinox_sunroof-housing-rear-drain-hose-replacement.pdf