Comments: 1-15, 16-30, 31-45, 46-57
I have a 2000 Saturn L-series sedan, with about 120K kilometers (75k miles) on it. I bought it used about 3 years ago. About a year ago, the rear driver's side power door lock stopped working. I have occasionally had the horn start honking, but always thought maybe the button on the fob got pressed (fob was always in my pocket at the time...). A couple of times the trunk has been open, when I thought I closed it, or hadn't opened it in the first place. This summer, the AC isn't working. I don't feel the extra load on the engine when I turn it on, so it's like the compressor isn't kicking in. I suspected an electrical problem. The LED on the AC switch comes on when I press it, so I figured it wasn't the switch. I checked the plug to the compressor itself, as well as the fuse and diode, and even changed the relay (nearly $20 just for that little guy!). Still not working. There's not much else in the path... except the BCM!. After reading the posts here, I'm suspecting a BCM problem. Could that also cause a single power door lock to fail? (I would have suspected all 4 would not work if it was the BCM. I was thinking the relay for that particular lock was toast.)
Is there any kind of TSB or recall for these faulty BCM's? Sounds like a pretty prevalent and potentially dangerous problem.
ws
I have a 2000 Saturn L-series wagon. After replacing the battery the odometer read 694978. Prior to this, for quite a while in fact, the automatic lock on the driver side in the back seat didn't work and the light that indicates which gear I am in only works when the headlights aren't on. (Very similar to other posters.)
I replaced the door lock mechanism myself (part cost about $80) about three months ago. It worked for about a day and is back to not working.
Today I had the BCM replaced. It costs about $380. I gave the dealer an estimate of the mileage and they put that in to the new BCM. According to the dealer, there is a record of the mileage in the engine control module and the actual mileage is calculated as the average of the BCM and ECM. They can't retrieve the ECM reading and just put that in. As long as the two are close, there is no need for denoting that the odometer reading is inaccurate. I was within 100 miles (in about 89,000), so the odometer is only off by 50 miles.
The new BCM did _not_ fix either of the other two problems but it did put the odometer back to normal.
Frustrating that I had to pay $400 just to change the battery. Perhaps my last Saturn.
My daughters 2000 LS1 air conditioner controls come on and off intermittently, thinking she has a loose wire somewhere. According to the posts here it seems like the BCM might be the culprit. Now she is having issues with her dash lights flickering. Is the BCM still the probable culprit?
I own a 2000 Saturn LW2 that probably needs the BCM replaced. The odometer just reset and stuck at approx. 694K and it really has 107K. Also, the motor just turned off while driving and the lights on the instrument panel flashed. From reading the Internet, it looks like a bad BCM. My real problem is that I live in Costa Rica and there are no Saturn dealers in this country.
Is it possible to replace the BCM on my own given that I do not have any other options? Is there some kind of manual available that would walk me through the directions.
Any advice from anyone who has experience doing this on their own would be much appreciated.
The BCM sits behind the dashboard and requires removal of the glove box. It's not physically difficult to replace, but will require programming ("flashing") once installed. That's why most have it done at the dealer.
I've heard that it is possible, though not easy, to program given the right equipment. I would ask your local mechanic or auto diagnostic/electric shop about it. They may be able to get the software flash from Saturn and do it for you. The BCM needs to be flashed because it contains pertinent info about your specific car (mileage, VIN, etc) that must be entered in.
Do you have a local gm dealer of any sort? if so they can flash your bcm with their access from gm dealer world (tis2web). good luck.
I also have a misbehaving odometer. (2001 L200) At some point around 155,000 miles it started reporting mileage anywhere from 151,000 to 155,000 changing several times a day. Then it started to report mileage anywhere from 0 to 10,000, also changing several times a day. Add to that panel lights and gauges that come on and off when they feel like. From the many entries I read here, it sounds like BCM. This seemed a little different, but I suppose it could be the same thing. I learned here that the BCM is located behind the glove box. My problem seemed to start after I left the car idling for a long time with the defrosters on while I was cleaning snow. I wonder if the proximity is such that the BCM could have overheated.
To the comment about possibly overheating the BCM: it's unlikely. Typically, the BCM fails because of the loss of a good ground, leading to damage to the unit itself. BCMs have failed in cars with only a few thousand miles on them. Yours seems to have had a good run, so to speak!
I'm experiencing the BCM problems that many of you here seem to have had. It's a very expensive plunge I'm about to take to fix it (the consencus seems to be about $600), so I'm wondering about how things hold up for the second time. Has anybody had a second one fail and was it soon after the first? One recent post refers to the loss of a good ground as the probable cause, so I wonder if all dealers know this and find the source of the bad ground before installing the new module? Is there a consistent source of the bad ground? I wonder if the replacement modules are more robust or do we get the same old....
From what I understand, the replacement BCM is a new and improved unit. Once the ground problem is experienced on the BCM, it's unlikely to ever be repaired, even if the software is flashed. I haven't heard of anyone needing a second replacement BCM.
I have a 2000 Saturn LS2 with 118000 miles on it. Just in the last week it started making this strange noise, almost as if it needed power steering fluid, but it doesn't, that is just the sound it makes. It mostly happens when I accelerate or it is shifting gears. Sounds kind of like a whining sound. It is in the motor somewhere just unsure of where it is... anyone have this problem too? Any suggestions of what it might be?
Those of you who paid around $400.00 to $500.00 to have your BCM replaced, consider yourselves lucky. It cost me $900.00 to fix mine. My odometer was 80,300 when it happened. I also have had a gassy smell for over a year now and have had it checked twice with no solution. Both places could not find a problem. It happens at all different times of my driving the car. This gassy smell comes into the car and leaves a few minutes later. Anyone had this problem and how did you solve it?
Are the BCM problems for the Saturn LS series specific to the V6 or does it occur in the 4 cyl too?
BCM problems are common to ALL L-series models, regardless of powertrain. 2000-2003 models are the most affected.
Great! I just bought a used one with 74000 miles. I guess I have something to look forward to.