If you’ve been reading Road Reality for any length of time, or delved into past articles, you’ll notice that a month or two ago, I stopped posting every little recall. If a recall involves a danger to the driver or passengers, I certainly will mention it, but otherwise I’ll leave it to the manufacturer to notify you. While this recall doesn’t necessarily pose a danger to drivers, it shows that the new GM is quicker to react to problems than it used to be, and at least in this case, has their consumers’ best interests in mind. Read on for why engines could be failing on 2010 Cadillac SRX crossovers.
A driver associated with Automobiles De Luxe accidentally filled a 2010 SRX’s fuel tank with 88-octane gasoline. The affected SRX was equipped with the 2.8-liter turbocharged V6. While most modern engines will accept either “regular” or “premium” fuel, the engine control software on the SRX couldn’t handle the low octane gas in conjunction with driving the vehicle aggressively. The result was complete engine failure. GM quickly got the vehicle back to their testing facilities, figured out that the engine control software (as well as the 88-octane gas) was to blame. They re calibrated the software on several 2010 SRXs and sent them to Death Valley for extended testing. After the vehicles returned safely and under their own power, GM and the NHTSA announced this recall.
You can take your 2010 SRX to your favorite Cadillac dealer and they’ll reprogram your engine computer free of charge. There are roughly 550 affected vehicles, since only the 2.8-liter turbocharged V6 is susceptible to this problem. Turbocharged engines are known to be finicky about the octane rating of the gasoline they’ll burn, so make sure you read your owner’s manual and make sure to put the proper gasoline in your car, even if you’re not driving a new SRX. It’s also a good idea to do this for non-turbocharged engines as well, because they may or may not be programmed to accommodate lower octane gasoline.
by John Suit
Source: GM