onerevolution

I believe this issue isn't related to this particular model, so I posted it here. But this car is a 2017 Chevy Traverse LS AWD.

We had to temporary disable the car by disconnecting the battery. Our mom has dementia and we were waiting to hear back from her doctor if she is okay to still drive. But since we live out of state and she forgets that she agreed to not drive (at least for the time being), we had to make sure she couldn’t.

Unfortunately, when the battery is disconnected if you put the key in and turn it to try to start, the key becomes stuck and you cannot remove it until the battery is connected again (not sure the logic behind this). Anyway, she indeed forgot and tried to drive it and the key got stuck. So she called someone to get the key out and they re-connected the battery.

But now afterwards the car has power but will not start or crank. The dash goes blank, no sound, as you try to crank. When you turn the key back the dash goes crazy but there are no error codes. We’ve tried to slowly recharge the battery to make sure it is fully charged and have tried to jump it, but it does not seem to be a battery issue. Someone told us their mechanic friend said if the battery is disconnected for a week, the car’s computer would need to be reprogrammed (or reset, I would guess).

Does anyone have any ideas of what to try? Or if indeed something needs to be reset, what exactly would need to be reset and how much a mechanic may charge? Thanks!

onerevolution

I did my best to troubleshoot as much as I could on the last trip and I'm just getting around to trying to update this post before my trip back out there next month.

Here's some of the things I tried:

• I had the battery load tested (tested good) and I completely recharged the battery (still wouldn't start).
• I checked the Starter fuses and relay and I jumpered the wires (starter worked but it still didn't start).
• I tried all sorts of key fob tricks to try to reset any strange key fob issue (and put fresh batteries in it).
• A few times the Traction Control Off message would come up when I tried to start (it was about 20° out, so not sure if that was a factor). But I checked the Traction Control fuses and all other fuses/relays and they all looked good.
• I've tried staring it in P, N, R, D, etc. (still wouldn't start).
• On one attempt, the key got locked up in the ignition and wouldn't release (I had to mechanically release it). So at least in that case it may point to an issue with a potentially bad neutral safety switch.

In consulting with my mechanic friend over the phone while I was out there, we seemed to potentially narrow it down to one of these issues:

• Security/key issue (beyond what can be done from the tricks we found online)
• ECU (or some computer issue that needs to be reset or reprogrammed after it has been disconnected from the battery for more than a couple weeks)
• Bad ignition switch
• Fault in ignition circuit/wiring
• Bad neutral safety switch
• Other?

Regarding a security/key issue or some part of the computer system that may need to be reset or reprogrammed, does anyone know if I would have to take it to a dealer or just about any repair shop? What do I ask to get an estimate? Any ideas of how much it would cost to do a reset or reprogram?

onerevolution

I called a couple mechanics today including a Chevy Service Center. They all said there should be no issue with disconnecting a battery for an extended period. When reconnected with a fully charged battery, it should start up fine. Nothing would need to be reset or reprogrammed. So I'm at a bit of a loss. The minimum electrical diagnostic fee seems to be between $140-$190 so far. I know electrical issues can turn into a long can of worms, so I'm hoping to try to better pinpoint some potential causes before towing it somewhere to get looked at.

BowNaxe

Ever resolve this issue? I'm troubleshooting a different issue with my Suburban and saw yours and was intrigued.

onerevolution

I haven't resolved the issue yet.

onerevolution

I talked to a mechanic in her area today that was pretty helpful. He said it sounds like it could need a security reset. At least for earlier Traverses, you close the doors and turn the key on for 10-12 minutes and then off for 1-2 minutes, and repeat two more times. I'll give it a try when I'm back there in March.

Has anyone tried this? Did it solve the issue?

Brody103

One thing you can try is to disconnect the battery cables and short them together for a minute or two. I've had similar issues before. It basically will remove any capacitance in the system and resets the ecu