2020 2500 Silverado LTZ tailgate removal cameras

CharlieH · September 19, 2020

Andypa, your complaint is identical to ours. The dealers know nothing about the feature of disabling all cameras when the tailgate is removed, and I have been trying since June to get a remedy from GM for this problem. So far I have had no luck. I did send a formal complaint to GM detailing all my conversations with their "support" team, but due to the slowdown in mail service, it has yet to be delivered. I'm with you: I can't believe that the GM engineers would be so ridiculously stupid as to design a system this way. I can think of no valid reason for doing this. Please post again if you get any response from GM. My plan is to escalate this as high as I can with the Consumer Protection Agency and the Better Business Bureau, as well as on every forum I can find. I also plan to print a large sign to put on the side of my pickup when hauling a camper that says that GM does not support their customers, and send them a copy of the picture. I feel helpless and angry, but perhaps if enough of us raise our concerns, someone at GM will listen.

SnoGirl · October 13, 2020

DItto on the camera issue with 2020 Silverado 3500 High Country when the tailgate is removed. Made a separate post and then found this one. My dealer provided me with the same two part numbers. Their parts guy said the Wiring Harness #84679989 was no longer available and discontinued. I'm sure I have LED lights on my new Northern Lite Slide in so can't wait to get to that problem. The list of problems buying this truck never stop:

1) Dealer said it was good for a slide in camper. Glovebox sticker said otherwise. Dealer finally added the F60 torsion bars and that got us a 2925 lb rating.

2) Truck bed was too high to tow our 5th wheel level. Trailer couldn't be raised any higher so we had to buy a new lower hitch and now travels 2 inches nose high with less than 5 inches btwn overhang and bedrails. Sucks for off pavement.

3) Now the camera issue. Then the light flicker.

This is our 3rd Duramax. The 2003 was great. The 2009 became a shop queen - brakes, injectors, transmission control module, turbo....

We've had this truck a month. And it might be our last GM product ever.

CharlieH · October 13, 2020

SnoGirl, Thanks for your update. I sent a long and detailed account of the issues with the cameras to GM Complaints department about a month ago and have not heard a peep from them. I can't believe that GM has such a poor view of their customers. This will probably be our last Chevy, too, but for different reasons--we're hoping that it'll carry us through to the end of our camper days. It's so disappointing, but I'm not giving up. I plan to file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau and the Consumer Protection Agency, and we're also going to print up a sign to post on our truck that everyone can read, saying what lousy service we've received from GM and how crappy this truck is.

Matt_88 · December 9, 2020

On 10/12/2020 at 7:08 PM, CharlieH said:

SnoGirl, Thanks for your update. I sent a long and detailed account of the issues with the cameras to GM Complaints department about a month ago and have not heard a peep from them. I can't believe that GM has such a poor view of their customers. This will probably be our last Chevy, too, but for different reasons--we're hoping that it'll carry us through to the end of our camper days. It's so disappointing, but I'm not giving up. I plan to file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau and the Consumer Protection Agency, and we're also going to print up a sign to post on our truck that everyone can read, saying what lousy service we've received from GM and how crappy this truck is.

Hi, there is a service bulletin on this (the camera issue, not the flicker issue) from GM which was also referenced in an earlier post I think. It is located here: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2020/MC-10178269-9999.pdf I believe this issue is caused because the electronics treat the cameras as a unit and stitch the images together. It must be more than a software/firmware issue since they have not offered an updated software package where you could simply indicate the camera is removed. The camera probably operates as a networked node and when absent the software fails. Still seems like this could be fixed with some new code.

Matt_88 · December 9, 2020

On 10/12/2020 at 6:19 PM, SnoGirl said:

DItto on the camera issue with 2020 Silverado 3500 High Country when the tailgate is removed. Made a separate post and then found this one. My dealer provided me with the same two part numbers. Their parts guy said the Wiring Harness #84679989 was no longer available and discontinued. I'm sure I have LED lights on my new Northern Lite Slide in so can't wait to get to that problem. The list of problems buying this truck never stop:

1) Dealer said it was good for a slide in camper. Glovebox sticker said otherwise. Dealer finally added the F60 torsion bars and that got us a 2925 lb rating.

2) Truck bed was too high to tow our 5th wheel level. Trailer couldn't be raised any higher so we had to buy a new lower hitch and now travels 2 inches nose high with less than 5 inches btwn overhang and bedrails. Sucks for off pavement.

3) Now the camera issue. Then the light flicker.

This is our 3rd Duramax. The 2003 was great. The 2009 became a shop queen - brakes, injectors, transmission control module, turbo....

We've had this truck a month. And it might be our last GM product ever.

Hi SnoGirl, just wondering how your rig is going? I have about an identical truck and a Northern Lite I am putting on in about a week. Would love to hear!

Thanks.

CharlieH · December 9, 2020

I had hoped that GM would respond to the pressure I was putting on them to provide a solution. I wrote a letter to the complaint department with a log of all the emails and phone calls I'd made since buying the vehicle, and I eventually got a customer service agent to call me. She was sympathetic to my cause and told me that she would request that GM send me the parts to solve the problem. BUT, she had to get it approved by her department, and, as you can imagine, they said no go. So now I have no further recourse with GM, and, if these parts are not available anyway, I'm going to have to find another solution. I'm wondering if I can order a replacement tailgate camera instead, and then figure out some kind of mounting for it. I've heard that there are aftermarket cameras available, but GM says that using one will void the warranty. Very disappointing and definitely the last time we buy a GM product.

SnoGirl · December 10, 2020

49 minutes ago, Matt_88 said:

Hi SnoGirl, just wondering how your rig is going? I have about an identical truck and a Northern Lite I am putting on in about a week. Would love to hear!

Thanks.

Hey Matt_88, once we made some modifications, it all worked fabulous. We had to take a picture of the tag on the tailgate wiring harness and give it to the service tech - he was able to find that part and order it. We also had to order another OEM tailgate camera to avoid taking the one out of the tailgate. We used the new harness to McGuyver the solution. The truck end of the harness was cut and used to close the connection on the truck so that dirt wouldn't damage that connection end. The camera end was used to wire the new camera and plug into the camera outlet at the tailgate end. We then (temp solution) created a holder under the steps of the NL and zip tied the camera and new harness piece (not ideal, but we wanted to get out and travel). This allowed all of the cameras to work correctly. If the cameras don't work, the navigation screen displays an error each time you use your blinker and it requires driver interaction to resume navigation.

We became habituated to unplugging the camper from the truck each night (or long stop) to resolve the camper lights from blinking every 10 seconds. This also saved some battery drain from the camper to the truck (we replaced the batteries in the camper with Lithium). Hubs is working on adding more solar as I type - we'll end up with 360 watts on the top. We added torklift stableloads to the upper and lower springs - made driving the rig a dream. We drove through some pretty good winds, no drama.

Congratulations on your new NL! We love ours - just spent 6 weeks breaking it in.

CharlieH · December 10, 2020

Matt_88, thanks for the link to the service bulletin. I called my local dealer today and ordered the parts. The cable part number in the bulletin has been discontinued and replaced with this one: 84819641. The total cost of the camera and cable is $251. I'm still very upset with GM about this, but I've decided to move ahead with this solution, and maybe someday in the future GM will come to its senses.

Matt_88 · December 10, 2020

2 hours ago, CharlieH said:

I had hoped that GM would respond to the pressure I was putting on them to provide a solution. I wrote a letter to the complaint department with a log of all the emails and phone calls I'd made since buying the vehicle, and I eventually got a customer service agent to call me. She was sympathetic to my cause and told me that she would request that GM send me the parts to solve the problem. BUT, she had to get it approved by her department, and, as you can imagine, they said no go. So now I have no further recourse with GM, and, if these parts are not available anyway, I'm going to have to find another solution. I'm wondering if I can order a replacement tailgate camera instead, and then figure out some kind of mounting for it. I've heard that there are aftermarket cameras available, but GM says that using one will void the warranty. Very disappointing and definitely the last time we buy a GM product.

Ok, this is what I am going to do:

1. Purchase this connector and modify it to act as a plug:https://www.gmpartsdirect.com/oem-parts/gm-harness-replaced-by-part-number-84819641-84679989

2. Purchase a replacement tailgate camera with cord: https://www.gmpartsdirect.com/oem-parts/gm-camera-84079952

3. Wire this camera as an extra while I have my camper installed. Maybe put it so I can see the trailer hitch for a boat etc. Gonna be tie wrapped till I decide.

The above OEM camera is 1/4 the cost of this Camerasource camera: https://camera-source.com/automotive-cams/gm-oe-fit/2019-gm-1500-w-360-view-relocation-kit-with-camera-included.html which would also work.

4. Now, if I could just find that $15 fix for the blinky LEDs!

CharlieH · December 10, 2020

Here's what I did to solve the blinking lights. I purchased a 7-way connector to mate with the trailer connector at the back of the truck and wired in two incandescent bulbs across the RT and LT terminals. Before I put the camper on, I plug in the connector with the bulbs, and the blinking stops. It does require a little soldering, but you could probably get creative and find a different way to do this. This cost about $9 or so.

yvehC · December 26, 2020

On 12/9/2020 at 7:01 PM, Matt_88 said:

Ok, this is what I am going to do:

1. Purchase this connector and modify it to act as a plug:https://www.gmpartsdirect.com/oem-parts/gm-harness-replaced-by-part-number-84819641-84679989

2. Purchase a replacement tailgate camera with cord: https://www.gmpartsdirect.com/oem-parts/gm-camera-84079952

3. Wire this camera as an extra while I have my camper installed. Maybe put it so I can see the trailer hitch for a boat etc. Gonna be tie wrapped till I decide.

The above OEM camera is 1/4 the cost of this Camerasource camera: https://camera-source.com/automotive-cams/gm-oe-fit/2019-gm-1500-w-360-view-relocation-kit-with-camera-included.html which would also work.

4. Now, if I could just find that $15 fix for the blinky LEDs!

Matt_88,

Please keep us posted. I'm trying to do a suitable workaround to this problem too. Not sure how you modify the connector in #1 above, but any guidance would be welcome. Mine is a 2020 Silverado HD LT Diesel. Love the truck, but the tailgate camera issue is crazy. Having to climb under the truck to unhook the cables is stupid. Especially needing to remove the spare tire first to do so. Why couldn't Chevy rig something behind the license plate? I mean, duh! Come on. Don't they know that people take tailgates off for campers and 5th wheels?

Thanks, and stay safe!

CitySlickerRancher · July 19, 2021

This is definitely a huge pain. GM now has a service bulletin on this. Google bulletin 20-NA-105. Here's a direct link to the pdf: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2020/MC-10178269-9999.pdf