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Eng pwr reduced THEN Engine disabled displayed

84K views 46 replies 31 participants last post by  boomer 
#1 ·
i have a 2006 pontiac G6 and i have a problem that i cant resolve now for over a month.. while im driving the car suddenly shuts down.. and then on the radio i get a display ... ENG PWR REDUCED. when i try to start the car it says ENGINE DISABLED. the car has been to pontiac 2x and they cant find any codes.... and 2 other mechanics dont know what is the problem either...

i replaced the fuel pump and the car still does the same thing.... does anyone have any idea what is wrong??
 
#46 ·
My car did the same thing driving down the road said engine power reduced engine disabled got the car running again running about 2 miles did the same thing.the rear passenger door was opened at the very same timethe message came on coincidence? Any help appreciated.Could low trans fluid be the culprit.
 
#6 ·
Check your body connectors for shorts ...ect.

Funny that the techs at the deal have no idea....They just say oh well I don;t know....What a bunch a horse crap.

Here is some info for a similar problem I found
,,,,

Bulletin No.: 07-06-04-019A

Date: November 06, 2008
Subject:
Intermittent MIL/SES, DTC P2138 with Reduced Engine Power (Repair Instrument Panel (IP) to Body Harness Connector)

Models:
2005-2008 GM Passenger Cars and Light Duty Trucks (Including Saturn)
2005-2008 HUMMER H2
2006-2008 HUMMER H3
2005-2008 Saab 9-7X

Supercede:

This Bulletin is being revised to add additional diagnostic service information. Please discard Corporate Bulletin Number 07-06-04-019 (Section 06 - Engine/Propulsion System)

Condition

Some customers may comment on an intermittent MIL/SES light Illuminated with a message center or an indicator that displays Reduced Engine Power. DTC P2138 Accelerator Pedal Position (APP) Sensor 1-2 Correlation may be set. The voltage difference between APP sensor 1 and APP sensor 2 exceeds a predetermined value for more than a brief period. Refer to DTC P2138 in SI for further diagnostics.

Cause

On some vehicles, the IP to body harness connector, which carries the APP signal to the ECM/PCM, is located in the left hand kick panel area or inside the IP. Water intrusion into these areas could cause an electrical short in the APP circuits setting a P2138 code.

Correction
Note: Make sure that no add-on/aftermarket equipment is electrically connected to the APP signals or to the other ECM/PCM five volt reference or return lines. These can generate false P2138 and/or other ETC System DTCs. If there are other engine DTCs besides P2138, such as MAP sensor faults (i.e. P0107, P0108), resolve these first before attempting to diagnose P2138 DTCs.

Important: Refer to DTC P2138 in SI to confirm that the ETC pedal is operating correctly.

Locate the IP to body harness connector, which may be located in and around the left hand kick panel area or inside the IP. Check to see if there is a water leak into the area and repair as necessary. Use a water hose to determine the source of a water leak and effectiveness of repair. Some examples of potential water leaks are: A-pillar seals, sunroof drain lines (if so equipped) and windshield/cowl sealing. Finally, repair or replace the IP to body harness connector, making sure no corrosion or debris is left on or between the terminals.
 
#8 ·
2006 G6 Engine Power Reduced, Engine Disabled



I'm now having the same thing happening to my 2006. Very intermittent and under different driving conditions. Your driving along when all of a sudden the engine light comes on, the message displays "ENG PWR REDUCED" and is followed very quickly by a message "ENGINE DISABLED". After you coast to a stop, shut everything off and wait about a minute, you can start it back up and it drives like normal? While disabled you can not even engage the starter. The engine light clears immediately. No codes are even stored in history. I pulled the inside interior cover on the left side and did not find any signs of water. The car does have a sunroof. Air cleaner and intake look clear. I've seen a few posts now with this problem but no indication of anyone finding a smoking gun.

Mark
Indiana, PA
 
#32 ·
I'm now having the same thing happening to my 2006. Very intermittent and under different driving conditions. Your driving along when all of a sudden the engine light comes on, the message displays "ENG PWR REDUCED" and is followed very quickly by a message "ENGINE DISABLED". After you coast to a stop, shut everything off and wait about a minute, you can start it back up and it drives like normal? While disabled you can not even engage the starter. The engine light clears immediately. No codes are even stored in history. I pulled the inside interior cover on the left side and did not find any signs of water. The car does have a sunroof. Air cleaner and intake look clear. I've seen a few posts now with this problem but no indication of anyone finding a smoking gun.

Mark
Indiana, PA
Okay I dont know if you have resolved your problem. I finally brought my G6 to the dealer after a day when the car did this 6 times even on the highway at 80 miles an hour. What they found was the computer (ECM) lost communications with a number of items. They checked the wiring and found that they were all good. It turns out that my problem ended up being that ECM. A $400 item and 5 hours of checking wires I spent 800 total. It is still a deal for me. This dealer has treated me well and I plan on buying my next car from them though it wont be a Pontiac since they dont make them anymore. So to all of you out there have the dealer look at the ECM and good luck

Bob
 
#10 ·
I had the same thing happen to me but only one time.
I was on the interstate and had to pull off. I couldnt restart the car.

Went to the dealership and sat for two days till they could look at it.
I was a tad upset over that then they said it started right up and they could
find nothing wrong with it.

I was pissed. It cost me a tow and an $80 diagnostic fee. So $200 later to be told nothing was wrong. That was about 2 years ago. It never happened again....to date that is.

No idea....
 
#11 ·
I know that is exactly what I will get if I just take it in. My understanding so far is that the system monitors the pedal position and the position of the throttle plate. If the monitored values are out of spec for a given time then power is reduced and follows with the engine disabled. I assume this is so you don't get an accidental full throttle without touching the gas pedal, etc. So, my throttle plate could be sticking, the pedal position sensor could have the problem or the DC servo moving the throttle plate could be malfuctioning or a false signal in the wiring due to a corroded connection. That is why it's my best bet to find someone that solved their problem.
 
#14 ·
check your grounds

specifically the ground from the negative of your battery to your engine block/trans theres been a few members that this ground has broken off from the conector causeing problems similar to what you state.............
 
#15 ·
ok mabey not the ground lol, i missed your last post with the pcm codes LOL
 
#17 ·
Pontiacs are the biggest piece of S!@# vehicles on the road! No wonder they went out of business!!! I cannot wait to get rid of my G6 but i cant keep it on the road long enough to sell it. Its always one thing after another.... from brakes, rotors, starters, batteries, connectors, radio, engine everything has had to be replaced so in a sense ive basically bought almost 2 cars!n Never in my life will i own another car made by General Motors and they can count on that!
 
#20 ·
This just happend to me - thought I was stuck 22 miles from home at a grocery store with a frozen dinner for lunch. Reduced Eng power - shut off tried to start again - engine
check came on. Stepped out of the car for a minute made a call; then it started right up.

Please tell me what the smoking gun is - i'm going to Advanced Auto for an air filter - I'll see about getting a code. Thanks.
 
#23 ·
I have a 2008 G6 and it has 64,000 miles on it the check engine light is on and the TC light is on as well the I had the check engine light checked and it said misfire in cylinder 3. I have had all kinds of fuel injection cleaning done its starting to shake and sounds like its going to shut off not all the time but every now and again not only that it takes forever to get speed. HELP
 
#27 ·
I agree with another poster here. You have to start on the easiest ones first. Start with wires and plugs. Then look at the injector itself. If that isnt it then move on to the compression. Hopefully your compression is good. Lastly then look at the cam and valves.

To the knucklehead who think these G6's are pieces of crap. Try my car I have a 2006 with 150,000 miles on it. I am on my third set of tires (common maintenance). I did have trouble with replacement brakes but that was chinese junk sold at Autozone. I had one major repair and it turned out to be a bad wire that burned out the fuel pump. Outside of that this car is the best one I have own since my 74 toyota cylica.
 
#25 ·
well if it deals with the engine losing power, there must be something wrong with the compression or something to do with one of the four strokes. i mean you guys know more than me, and so do mechanics and dealerships, but from as much as i know about how engines work (which is truly just basics) loss of engine power is most of the time from a loss of compression, or something off with the fuel air mixture in the cylinder. you could have something clogging the intake on your car, so not enough air is getting to your engine, your car might be supplying to much fuel to the mixture which means combustion wont occur properly. maybe something got in your fuel tank (highly unlikely) maybe someone put water in your fuel tank causing the gas not to burn. your car is old so your pistons might be worn causing a leak of the fuel air mixture, there may be a hole in the cylinder or their may be a hole in your intake. the hole in the cylinder could occur at the top of the cylinder where it attaches to the spark plugs and is sealed by a gasket, the gasket may be worn or broken down causing a hole or leak. Your spark plug may be worn, or your ignition timing may be off. the bearings in the crankshaft may be worn out not allowing it to turn.

but thats all i know and most probably wont apply but i hope i can help good luck with your car, i hope you figure it out.
 
#28 ·
the reduced engine power is not a result of something wrong causing it to lose power it is the computer NOT LETTING the engine make enough power to do permanant damage so they say, like if you bust your radiator and all the coolant pours out the computer will "reduce engine power" so that you can still drive it a little ways and supposably not really hurt the engine in doing so like you would definately do if the engine was still "allowed" to make full power..........
 
#30 ·
If you have an autozone or advanced autoparts or some other parts store go there and have them put the code checker on it. It will give you a reason since your light is on. In the case of this post this information comes up on the display of the radio saying engine power is being reduced. Then engine disabled. It does not show up again in a code checker. Maybe the dealer has one that reads history but I have a feeling not. In your case though your check engine light could be many things from a loose gas cap to low oil pressure. Have it checked.
 
#33 ·
This just happened to me. Luckily I was near my mechanic and he just reset the code and it was okay after that (hoping it stays ok, but not holding my breath.) My BIGGEST concern is: What if this were to happen while driving on the highway? I had a hard time pulling 30-35 mph on the road let alone if I were on a 65 mph highway!
 
#34 ·
This happened to me a couple times when I had the crappy jet vforce chip in. I was doing 80 and pulled over no problem. I since got rid of that damn thing and have had no problems since.

Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using AutoGuide.Com Free App
 
#37 · (Edited)
This same issued occurred on my '05 G6. Vehicle would die out 4 or 5 times at a time. I let it go and no problems for about 2 weeks. Then it happened again. Read this thread, took it to a Goodyear Service Center near my house and they didn't want to touch it fearing it could be something else and they don't put a whole lot of trust in blogs. This would tarnish their work ethic. I saw their point.

Then took it to a Chevy service/dealer, told them of this blog, and paid to have it completed. It has been 1 week and no surprises (my fingers are crossed!).

Thank you RLanois for being the guinea pig and posting your experience. I'm hoping this failed ECM was the problem. Your post saved me a lot of time, heartache and mis-diagnoses.
 
#38 ·
ECM too hot

When troubleshooting my nieces 2008 Pontiac G6, I found some of the same problems as mentioned in previous posts where the car would die with the "ENG PWR REDUCED", "ENGINE DISABLED", "SERVICE TRACTION", and "TRACTION OFF" messages on the radio display. Once it died, the car would not even turn over until it sat for a few minutes. The only trouble code was the P0601 "Internal Control Module Memory Check Sum Malfunction".

I suspected that the ECM (located in front of the battery) was overheating. I let the car idle until it died. Ambient air temperature was about 85 degrees (F). I then used an infrared laser thermometer to measure the top edge of the ECM and it was about 125 degrees (F). Each of the three times I performed this procedure the car died after about 20 minutes and the ECM temp was ~ 125 on the top edge (hotter in other places on ECM). The car would not restart until the top edge of the ECM had dropped to ~ 100 degrees (F). I then removed the ECM from its bracket and used my heat gun to accelerate the temp of the ECM to the critical temp faster, and the car died after 5-10 minutes with the ECM temp again at around 125. Then with the ECM still out if its bracket, I pointed a 12" desk fan at the ECM to provide additional cooling. With the desk fan, the G6 would idle for over an hour at which point I would turn the car off. The car did not die with the desk fan cooling the ECM and the ECM temp at the top edge remained at ~ 85 degrees (F). This experiment told me that the ECM temp was the critical item and that it was triggering when the car died. I ordered a replacement ECM (used and flashed with VIN I provided) from Flashmasters (would recommend) on EBAY. The replacement ECM came with the necessary procedures to reprogram the key and reset error codes. The ECM I was working on is SERV # 12612384. According to the gmpartsdirect web site this ECM is used in many GM cars and trucks; cadillacs, corvettes, chevy, GMC, saturn, etc.

With the replacement ECM, yesterday I ran the car for about 40 minutes (until the weather front came through) and the car did not die. The top edge of the ECM reached about 135 degrees (F) without failing. The ambient temp yesterday afternoon was about 80 degrees. Today I have ran the car for over an hour without issue, but the top edge of the ECM has reached only ~108 degrees with an ambient temp of 60 degrees.

So I suspect that some internal failure of the ECM has caused the fail point to drop to a temperature that should be within the normal operating range of the ECM. Also this issue depends on weather and driving habits. If there is enough air exchange in the engine compartment to cool the ECM then the issue won't happen.
 
#41 ·
Somebody just sent a question to me on this issue and I realized I don't think I posted the end result. I went back in my email(s) and got the conversation I had with a person. (2012) Hope this helps anyone still wrestling with this issue. Mark

Hi Kevin,
It was pretty frustrating. I even changed the throttle body thinking that would fix it. The end result was the main ECM. I usually never suspect this component should be changed but that was the culprit in my case. It is very easy to get at (near the battery) but you have to get the dealer to change it because they upload the data from the old one and flash the new. I would recommend you buy the module separate, NOT from the dealer. I got mine from Pace performance in Niles OH. 800-748-3791. I spoke with Mark Lucicosky. At the time, the list was $414.40. They sold it for $267.87. The dealer should charge you no more than 1Hr labor to flash and install. Any GM dealer can do it. I never had a problem since. GM had a recall for a group of these ECM's. Mine was not listed but I think it should have been. I hope this helps. I'm curious how you make out.
Mark

Thanks for the quick response Mark I also was leaning towards the throttle body after reading the posts and haveing the u0107 code but i also have the p0601 and p0606 codes so was really unsure which way to go but now i think i will just replace the ECM and hope it works as well for me as it did for you. I was also thinking about haveing the dealer reflash the Ecm that is in it now but dont really want to pay for it twice if it doesnt work. I have checked all the electrical conections to the ecm and throttle body and no corrosion at all so yes this is a frustrating problem and i will let you know how i make out but it will probably take me a little while to order it and get it to the dealer to flash or reprogram it. I will call the number you sent because i think thats cheaper than rockauto,com . Did you keep the car after and is it still fine? Thanks again for your help

Hey Mark just thought i would let you know it was the PCM/ECM on my car too. I got lucky though i found a guy in Ohio that has refurbished ones and you give him your Vin number and it comes all programed for your vehicle except for the anti theft which he sends instructions on how to reset that to the new pcm and it worked like a charm and for only $120. Again thanks for your help. If you ever need any assistance with any other problems feel free to contact me i have been doing mechanical work for years just not a registered mechanic but have been through alot of issues with many different vehicles over the years and have been able to figure most of them out without haveing to hire someone but on this one i was leaning towards the throttle body also and you saved me money by letting me know what solved your problem. Thanks Kevin
 
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