09 Saturn Vue XR

The Vehicle Information button is not responding. Other buttons of DIC seem to be operational. Do I reset? Easy fix? Recent auto repair on no engine startup, parking gear locked.

 

Don't know the vehicle well, but if that happened as an immediate and direct consequence of the repair work, I'd take it back.

Compliments of Google:

If your 2009 Saturn Vue's DIC (Driver Information Center) buttons, including the reset button, are not working, the most likely solution is to check the related fuse in the fuse box, usually labeled as "IPC" (Instrument Panel Cluster); remove the fuse, wait a few minutes, then reinsert it to potentially reset the system and restore functionality.
Here's what you can try:

• Check the owner's manual:
  Consult your Vue's owner's manual to identify the exact fuse location and label for the DIC function.
• Access the fuse box:
  Locate the fuse box, usually on the passenger side under the dashboard.
• Remove and reset the fuse:
  Carefully pull out the "IPC" fuse, wait for a minute or two, then put it back in.
• Test the DIC buttons:
  Start the car and try using the DIC buttons, including the reset button, to see if the issue is resolved.

 

Okay thx. But there is an update: The real dilemma, which I never mentioned was about six weeks ago the car wouldn't start. Previously, I had a few alerts on the dash, i.e. stabilitrak, abs, tire monitor and they had been coming on periodically for a couple years. I purchased tires for it 3 months ago. I drove it to a nearby Hobby Lobby and when I started to leave, it didn't turn. I called the same shop for help. Bat charge showed full and i saw him jam the stick shift forward, and the car started. More shopping, then went home. For two months it would turn on by jiggling and holding the shifter forward. (Going back several years, my 97 Nissan Altima kind of did the same thing. Gave that car to my youngest boy and warned him. He drove it to hell and back, no hitches, then traded.) Currently, when I called my oldest who works on his cars, told me that it happened to his Nissan Maxima and that he discovered he needed to replace a parking sensor. The shift locks or gets stuck in "Park" or doesn't go into "Park" and just rolls. 6 wks ago when the Vue died, it had a 1 yr old battery, lights came on but no turnover. Tried several things, checked several parts, all good. So, I called auto repair shop, asked if they worked on Vues and had it towed there and didn't get a response from 'master mechanic' (Yelp description) for 4 days. Got a ride there and the Vue was sitting in the parking lot. In the garage, I confronted the mechanic and walked to the vue. he jiggled under the dash, and pulled out a semi transparent plastic connector of sort. Then he had me press the brake while he looked at the rear brake lights and it was his "AHA" moment. "I know whats wrong, i'll have it done in the a.m.". A.M.: "I fixed your car", I replaced a cable from brake to brake lights, you need a new battery and you owe me $$$. So I traded warranted Walmart battery. The car started and was good, even the alerts were gone. In the meantime, I go out of the state annually for dental surgery and had a, hard to get, appt. This is when I contacted you about the VI button. I needed to know tire pressure and oil %. The last thing was an oil change and fillup. Got the car on lifts, finished the oil change and it didn't start. Felt the shift lock on park again. Sent 5 texts, a phone message (wasn't picking up) to him for immediate help. Two days later not 1 response. Missed the appt. Full tank of gas, new oil change, new tires, rear brakes and it still sits on the lifts. Called an GMC dealership and another mechanic with 5 stars and they both didn't want to touch it. No parts available. Options: Scrap metal! I don't know how the "master jigger' got it started, sent me to an associates location to connect the new battery and was given a receipt that didn't spell out anything. I did ask about warranty and he said if anything goes wrong come back and see me.
I think it can be fixed but am applying for an auto loan anyway. Beautiful Red Chili, 63K original, everything worked b4 i put it in the shop.

 

First of all, everything did not work before you took it to the shop. You spent 3 minutes above explaining intermittent warning lights and information for the previous 3 years.

When a vehicle will not start even though the shifter looks like it is in park, it is because the park neutral safety switch down by the shifter itself or at the transmission, incorrectly senses that the shifter is not in park and not in neutral. Sometimes they come loose, sometimes they wear out, sometimes they electronically go defective.

The other possibility is that the brake transmission interlock switch BTSI would not release the shifter from park, either because it is defective or misaligned.

There are usually trap doors somewhere near the shifter where you pop off a cover and there is some type of slot or button to push that will allow the shifter out of park in failure situations such as these. Same thing for the BTSI switch. I have no idea what they are on this vehicle, but I believe that's probably how he got the shifter into park and/or out of Park. Think of it as a momentary bypass of the park neutral switch.

The fact that he mentioned brake lights and a cable is a bit confusing. I can understand replacing the cable that operates the BTSI, but that should have nothing to do with the lights unless the brake switch on the pedal was all so bad.

As for stabilitrac and all the other goofy errors, they usually set codes stored in the computer. If you're not having the error messages on screen, chances are you're not tracking those down anytime soon. The logic in today's vehicles is sufficiently complicated that you cannot rule out the gear uncertainty of the vehicle from impacting traction systems that think the vehicle is not in park but it acts like it's in park. Don't know, lost cause until it happens again.

Anyway, do some internet research on how to properly bypass the BTSI and the park neutral safety switch in order to get the shifter out of park. Once you find you can do that reliably, then troubleshoot which of the two it is and see how people have fixed them and or replaced them.

Some parts are still available. You can search them online at parts houses by year model engine etc. eBay is another option. Wrecking yards are also a reasonable alternative if you can get the parts you need off of a freshly wrecked vehicle. At least that way you know it's working for the most part.

Mechanics won't work on them because in general there are very few new condition parts out there. The majority will not use used parts nor parts that you bring to them. Assumption is that there is then no parts price markup+ they will refuse to warranty used parts with an unknown history, which is entirely reasonable.

In the future, please include the entire story up front. Failure to do so reduces the chance of solving the current issue to near zero.

If the lifted negative cable off the battery and half an hour wait before attaching it back up and doing the passlock reset doesn't fix it, meaning the display, not sure what to tell you.