The ignition switch started to fail while driving. First the heater fan would quit and the ABS light would instantly turn on, and the cruise control would fail to operate. When the ABS light would be on the ABS would fail to operate. Then suddenly all operations would go back to normal. It would be unpredictable when the heater fan and the ABS would fail and come back. Then yesterday, the suburban started and died 3 seconds after starting. I restarted the suburban and all seemed good. I put the suburban in drive and rolled at about 5 MPH and the truck died. I stopped and put the suburban in to park and restarted. Placed it into drive and made it home. When I got home, I turned off the suburban and tried to restart it. It would crank but not fire the engine. The radio and heater and all other electronics would operate as normal, but the dash lights would not turn on I.e. The "service engine soon", "brake", "air bag", "ABS". The ignition switch has failed on it and now sits in my driveway.
1997 GMC Suburban electrical problems
21 complaints (11% of all complaints for this car).
- owner complaints
- 21
- of this car's complaints
- 11%
- crashes
- 0
- recalls
- 0
Which part fails
- 12v/24v/48v battery8
- Alternator/generator/regulator3
- 12v/24v/48v battery: cables3
- Wiring2
- Ignition: module2
- Wiring: rear compartment/trunk1
- Wiring: interior/under dash1
- Wiring: fuses and circuit breakers1
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
GMC Suburban electrical problems in other years
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Related investigations
Battery leaks acid
Odi has received 21 complaints where owners allege that the standard gm factory supplied AC delco battery case failed, resulting in the leakage of sulfuric acid.of the 21 complaint vehicles, six suburban, three tahoes, and one yukon owner(s) complained about a loss of brake fluid from deterioration of the right frontbrake line as a result of sulfuric acid contamination.the remaining 11 complaints pertain primarily to sulfuric acid leakage from the battery case.at least one complainant stated that the replacement battery also failed.several of the complainants note that the leaking acid had come in contact with a wire harness at the frame in the vicinity of the steel brake line.a field inspection by odi indicates that the described harness is the ABS connection to the right front wheel speed sensor.prior to the battery case failure, there is usually no warning (short of an underhood inspection), and the ensuring damage (sulfuric acid contamination) is progressive.of the known battery failures, there may be a temperature correlation, as 60% of the owner complaints came from four states; california, florida, georgia and texas.there is also a product improvement program and engineering change notice to add 1% silver to the battery's positive side terminall, with the earliest implementation date for this being feb 2, 1998.the effect of this design change is as yet unknown; further review is warranted.an ea is being opened to gather further appropriate information, clarify any defect trends, and to assess the safety implications and risks concerning these failures.
PE99073
What 1997 GMC Suburban owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Fuel gage was acting erratic went full then empty with full tank . A few days later the truck would not start. Found fuse in engine compartment blown for fuel pump. Fuel pump wiring was melted in fuel tank causing short. Had to replace pump and harness which was part of the pump housing. Also replaced fuel filter due to lack of fuel flow (no power) a week later.
1997 gmc suburban- multiple engine & transmission failures. At 60,000 miles, vehicle began to shift hard. Returned to shop for diagnosis and repairs several times for work. Finally, while driving the vehicle in city traffic, the transmission failed compeletly. Required valve cover and transmission rebuild @ cost of $2,000. On december 27 '03, had to replace the radiator. On jan 17 '04, discovered that there was no antifreeze in new radiator. Returned to mechanic who replaced the radiator. Said the intake manifold needed to be replaced. Cost: ~$600. Took to another mechanic for second opinion. Same diagnosis. Both state that gm is aware of both problems, however, they will not cover the costs of repairs or replacement. Additionally- replaced alternator two times; replaced water pump two times; replaced the master cylinder in fall 2003.
While driving the serpentine belt tensioner broke from its mounting and resulted in loss of power steering and other components including charging of the battery. The alternator also shorted out. The manufacturer and the dealer were notified. *ak the consumer was told that the warranty not longer covered the belt. The brakes shuttered while braking from 60 MPH. The dealer replaced the front brake pads and resurfaced the rotors.
The vehicle caught on fire. The fire chief stated it was possible there was a short in the steering column. *ak
Ongoing problems with the fuel injection system causing the engine to hesitate and exhibit poor acceleration, dealer replaced fuel filter, fuel pump driver module, fuel injection pump, and added fuel conditioner.
Battery leaked significant amount of acid, terminal came loose, unable to start, corrosion to cables and components in area of the battery.
Acid was leaking from battery terminal. Thus far, dealer had to replace A/C lines and battery cable. Consumer was experiencing the same problem as mentioned in pe99-073.
Battery cable failed, causing suburban to stop in traffic. Control of vehicle became difficult due to lack of power.
Consumer opened hood and noticed battery acid was leaking on A/C cable. Dealer has been notified. Please provide further information.
Questions about the 1997 GMC Suburban electrical
Does the 1997 GMC Suburban have electrical problems?
Owners have filed 21 complaints about the electrical of the 1997 GMC Suburban, 11% of all its complaints.
At what mileage do 1997 GMC Suburban electrical problems start?
Not enough complaints include the mileage to tell.
Was there a recall on the 1997 GMC Suburban electrical?
There is no recall for this problem on this model year.
What year does the GMC Suburban have the most electrical problems?
The GMC Suburban model years with the most electrical complaints are 1999 (23 complaints), 1997 (21 complaints) and 1995 (18 complaints).
Other 1997 GMC Suburban problems
Brakes 58Steering 39Transmission 24Fuel system 22Engine 21Tires 16Visibility 12Airbags 5Suspension 5Body 4Seats 3Acceleration 2Wheels 2Seat belts 1
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