[mrlullabye]

So my recent purchase of a 2007 outlook has been a little bumpy. I have two issues right now I am not sure if they are related or not, but I have not found anyone with quite the same symptoms (believe me I looked) wanted to pose the question here.

When I bought the vehicle I did not have have this issue, took it in an had the struts and shocks replaced and the issue immediately appeared, but went away after a few days of driving and stayed away for 2 weeks and about 500 miles of driving but is still there.

So after I picked the car up from getting the struts repaired I immediately noticed that the stabilitrak light was on and the car would sort of slam when down shifting. In driving since then the stabilitrak off message comes and goes. Cruising down the highway or accelerating at gentle or hard the car shifts fine. If the stabilitrak light is OFF the car does not slam on the downshift. If the stabilitrak light is ON the car will slam when downshifting while decelerating. Its totally weird, I have had cars shift hard on the upshift, but never the downshift. When the stabilitrak message is displayed the car will slam downshift whether you are depressing the brake or not.

So let me say I believe I have the stretched timing chain / bad tensioner issue. My mechanic who changed the struts also replaced the valve covers and in doing so discovered some sludge and apparently disloged some sludge. When that happened the sludge must have some something to the tensioner and caused it to click for a while. We flushed and changed the oil a few times and 20 miles of driving later the clicking sound went away and has yet to return, but the check engine light and codes indicating timing issues has remained. so click went away, other symptoms of stretched timing chain stayed. engine now sounds fine.

I checked around and found that the MAP and brake position sensor are easy fixes for some stabilitrak issues so I have those parts on order and will try to swap them out as soon as they get in. I really want to resolve this stabilitrak issue before I put any money into the timing chain. Honestly I could live with the timing chain issue the way it is now, but the slamming downshift is pretty **** annoying.

I really don't think it is a transmission issue, and really I doubt it is the MAP or brake pedal position sensor either, but those parts were like $27 together so I figure hey why not try it.

 

[Superfan]

So my recent purchase of a 2007 outlook has been a little bumpy. I have two issues right now I am not sure if they are related or not, but I have not found anyone with quite the same symptoms (believe me I looked) wanted to pose the question here.

When I bought the vehicle I did not have have this issue, took it in an had the struts and shocks replaced and the issue immediately appeared, but went away after a few days of driving and stayed away for 2 weeks and about 500 miles of driving but is still there.

So after I picked the car up from getting the struts repaired I immediately noticed that the stabilitrak light was on and the car would sort of slam when down shifting. In driving since then the stabilitrak off message comes and goes. Cruising down the highway or accelerating at gentle or hard the car shifts fine. If the stabilitrak light is OFF the car does not slam on the downshift. If the stabilitrak light is ON the car will slam when downshifting while decelerating. Its totally weird, I have had cars shift hard on the upshift, but never the downshift. When the stabilitrak message is displayed the car will slam downshift whether you are depressing the brake or not.

So let me say I believe I have the stretched timing chain / bad tensioner issue. My mechanic who changed the struts also replaced the valve covers and in doing so discovered some sludge and apparently disloged some sludge. When that happened the sludge must have some something to the tensioner and caused it to click for a while. We flushed and changed the oil a few times and 20 miles of driving later the clicking sound went away and has yet to return, but the check engine light and codes indicating timing issues has remained. so click went away, other symptoms of stretched timing chain stayed. engine now sounds fine.

I checked around and found that the MAP and brake position sensor are easy fixes for some stabilitrak issues so I have those parts on order and will try to swap them out as soon as they get in. I really want to resolve this stabilitrak issue before I put any money into the timing chain. Honestly I could live with the timing chain issue the way it is now, but the slamming downshift is pretty **** annoying.

I really don't think it is a transmission issue, and really I doubt it is the MAP or brake pedal position sensor either, but those parts were like $27 together so I figure hey why not try it.

So its kind of hard to follow your post. Are you saying the check engine light is illuminated and there are codes related to timing issues stored? The Stabilitrack message many times is thrown as a result of other issues. So you may have to bite the bullet and address the timing issues. Why did the mechanic replace the valve covers in the first place...was something else wrong?

 

[vwtodd]

Tomorrow, I am installing the 4th or 5th brake position sensor on our Outlook They seem to go bad every 8-12 months or so. $16 part at Amazon (dealer charges about $180 for a job that takes 3 minutes). Easy way to tell is erratic ABS/TC lights that might go on and off with rapid pushing of brake pedal. A sure sign is that the transmission lockout in Park will not release when you push the brake - but is already released without pushing brake (opposite of correct operation).


http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007QB7XYW?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s01

 

[mrlullabye]

outlook guy 007 the valve cover gaskets were leaking. yes the truck appears to have more than 1 thing wrong with it. The reason I want to address the stabilitrak issue first (if possible) is because I don't want him to go all the way through to changing the timing change if there is something else under the hood he needs to be checking at the same time.

vwtodd when your sensor goes bad do you have the rough downshift also?

 

[vwtodd]

vwtodd when your sensor goes bad do you have the rough downshift also?

Not that I have noticed. We had the wave plate repair under warranty around 75k miles (at 132k now) I will still get a very occasional rough down/upshift, but not the norm. The brake sensor switch must be made out of paper mâché because I have seriously gone thorough about 5 of them now. In addition the the conditions I described above, if you have Onstar, they can diagnose over the air and give you the code, which is something about brake position (forgot exact code/wording).

3 minute fix with new sensor and screwdriver...

 

[mrlullabye]

outlook guy maybe I used too many words.

I have CEL light indicating timing chain issues. Sometimes the "service stablitrak" light comes on, when it does the car shifts roughly when decelerating. The rough downshift only happens when the stabilitrak light is on. Before I fix the timing chain is there anything I should check to address the stabilitrak issue? Do you think the timing issue would cause the stabilitrak/downshift?

Maybe that is easier to follow.

 

[vwtodd]

outlook guy maybe I used too many words.

I have CEL light indicating timing chain issues. Sometimes the "service stablitrak" light comes on, when it does the car shifts roughly when decelerating. The rough downshift only happens when the stabilitrak light is on. Before I fix the timing chain is there anything I should check to address the stabilitrak issue? Do you think the timing issue would cause the stabilitrak/downshift?

Maybe that is easier to follow.

I have no CEL whenever this happens - just ABS/TC lights.

 

[mrlullabye]

I changed the Brake position sensor and you know it doesn't completely solve the issue, but it does seem to have helped. Before the light was on probably 80 percent of the time and now it is down to 50 percent if I guessed. I will try the map sensor tomorrow.

 

[mrlullabye]

not the MAP light either.

It seems like other than randomly changing hubs the next move would be to disconnect and grease the BCM connectors.

 

[vwtodd]

Replaced the brake position sensor yesterday - all lights now off and everything working normally. $16 & Amazon are your friend.

Today, installing the new rear upper control arms & shocks.

 

[mrlullabye]

I unplugged all of the BCM connections and applied Di-electric grease today. No change. I think that's all of the easy stuff, not really sure what else to try.

 

[mrlullabye]

I made the plunge yesterday and took it to the mechanic. He said his suspicion is that one of the wheel speed sensors is reading incorrect speed. I never thought about it, but I'll post what he finds.

 

[bigneef123]

I had this same problem, it did happen to be one of the speed sensors a broken wire I believe he said patched it and problem solved. Code c0045 stored. Mine was the left rear wire broken near sensor, 30 buck repair at my guy. :thumb:

 

[mrlullabye]

Mechanic just called and said it was a vacuum line he had left off when he replaced the valve cover gaskets. I'm not going to declare victory until I get a few hundred miles on it though the way it was being intermittent.

 

[mrlullabye]

200 miles later and the vacuum leak repair has it performing perfect.