2001 Grand-Prix electrical ‘gremlins’

The HVAC blower motor in our 2001 Grand-Prix started acting up, sometimes only working on ‘5’, sometimes not at all, along with the trip computer (Driver Info Center or DIC) blanking out randomly. The fuses were fine, I cleaned the ground connections to no avail. Not wanting to chase the problem further, I took it to the dealer, who brilliantly diagnosed this as a failed resistor. Next day, same problems all over again. A few web searches later, and I convinced myself that the real problem was the ignition switch. While replacing this at first looks daunting, it really isn’t that hard, and it cured all the problems. I found detailed, easy to follow instructions online, and purchasing through gmpartsdirect.com saved considerable money.

While I had the covers off the lower part of the dash, I replaced the DRL diode, which brought the DRL’s back to life. Now the only problem left is the (un)heated seat.