VIN specific?
Two meanings for VIN specific! Some dealers will tell you the shocks on my H3 are VIN specific, since if replaced under warranty, they will replace with the shocks ordered via my VIN number. In case of a non-adventure series, the shocks would be standard, in my case they would befor an adventure series vehicle. Prevents the dealer from ordering a set of adventure series shocks for a standard vehicle and GM paying for it. Can the dealer override the feature? Yes, but it could spark a look see by an auditor.
The switch would also be ordered via the VIN number. Saves the parts guy having to look it up, and prevents (hopefully) GM from sending out an incorrect part for a specific (VIN) vehicle.
I am not going to look at the wiring, but I would bet a lunch that you can install any switch into any vehicle.
However, if you install a switch assembly with a rear locker button into a vehicle that did not come with a rear locker (non-adventure series), the switch would be dead. The connector would fit, but it would do nothing (other than light up at night) since the module it needs to signal would not have the internal circuitry to lock a locker. (Now I say it won’t do anything, but I might be wrong since I have never tried this. I am going to guess that the wire from the switch to the TCCM is in place since it allowed GM to produce only one of these pigtails. And GM would figure that if the correct switch assembly was installed, there would be no input from the switch to the TCCM. So by installing a switch assembly with a locker button, and pushing that button, might send out a signal that the TCCM will not know how to handle. BUT, I also assume that the TCCM on a non-adventure series does not have the circuitry internal for a locker so it will not even know a signal from a switch was received.)
VIN specific in engineering relates to those items that are identified by the VIN programmed into them so that the main controller (the BCM in the H3) can identify that they are working properly. Off the top of my head that would be all the main modules (EBCM, SDM, PCM (or ECM and TCM), IPC, VCIM, TCCM, etc., including the radio. Might be a few more, don’t care to pull up the engineering data at this time.
As for getting 110K miles before having the switches start to stick; I find that amazing. I cannot go 10K miles on mine without having to switch out between the two sets I have. I posted a thread on how to clean these switches; takes about fifteen minutes after removing and most of that time is to blow the buttons and housing dry after washing. But I will agree, if installing a front locker switch, get a good one from an auto or electrical store that won’t jam after a few thousand miles.
Factory switches can be purchased from GM Parts Direct, believe they are about 30+ including shipping, but I got my spare assembly over a year ago.
For using this switch assembly, Steve1 is most likely correct. A locking relay should work. But again, why? I would still go with a GOOD switch.
As for the guy in LA with the switches. Hate to say it, he stole them. If GM writes off an item on their inventory to the IRS, that item has to be destroyed by FEDERAL LAW (IRS LAW THAT IS). I know, I helped oversee the destruction of thousands of Saturn Parts when we closed Saturn engineering in Spring Hill back in 2005. Had to be witnessed by a few people and all signed statements that the parts were destroyed. GM has signed astatements that the parts were destroyed and cannot be sold again. However, why would GM write off a few hundred switches that could easily be placed into parts inventory vs. having to make more switches in the future for parts inventory? (When we destroyed parts in Spring Hill, all parts that were new were put back into viable stock inventory, the items we destroyed were parts that were not new, but still held value if resold and they had to be destroyed if written off as a loss via the IRS, or sent to an approved re-seller if not being written off on taxes.)
No doubt, the dude in LA stole those parts and is reselling them on ebay.:whaa:
