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Old 05-01-2013, 06:38 PM   #1
RayYork
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LS3 Engine oddities

OK, I need your input on this issues as it has even my dealer stymied. I will give the timeline of events below but the net result is that the performance of my engine varies noticeably from run to run (drive to drive, cycle to cycle, etc). It will run smooth and as expected one time and then the next it will start with a miss (my perception) and then the power will feel very flat. It never feels underpowered but a strong pull in 3rd gear from 2k (RPM) to 5k just feels labored. When this is happening my exhaust note is noticeably different as well. The exhaust note goes from the rich throaty note to something much raspier and almost has a rattle sound to it (it's hard to quantify these things....). This is a 2011 2SS/RS M6 with 56,000 miles on it. I took it into the dealership and the tech said that he agreed that it was running poorly but all systems were within GM spec so the computer thinks that all is well. He started it up today (after holding it overnight and getting a cold start) and it is running great and all systems are within spec. He cycled it again this afternoon (warm start) and it is running well and all systems are within spec. They are giving me the car back to drive for a few days and see what I think and then test it again.

OK, that's where we are today, here's what lead to this point. In February, my motor lost the oil pump check valve (I found more than one thread on this issue here so it's somewhat common). I noticed the issues right away but it did starve the engine enough that the lifters did tap at idle for a matter of seconds. After a very long and frustrating process (no need to go into here but suffice it to say that I was not working with my regular dealer and it was a mess), the pump was replaced and I was back on the road. About a week after getting my car back I was heading out to work and my DIC went nuts and my car was running like crap. the CEL was flashing so I pulled back into my driveway and had the tow truck come and pick it up and take it to my regular dealer. They discovered that when the other dealership reinstalled my water pump, they pinched some wires between the pump and block and those wires eventually shorted out and sent my motor into a tizzy. It dumped so much fuel into the #1 cylinder that it washed past my rings and into my crankcase. I just had the oil changed and 2 days later had it changed again. My dealer repaired the wiring. I cannot say for sure if it was running poorly between dealer #1 replacing the oil pump and my dealer fixing the wiring but this all started with the fateful oil pump check valve failing.

If you have any similar experiences or advice, I would appreciate it. This one has me and my dealer confused.
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Old 05-01-2013, 07:24 PM   #2
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The dealer needs to give you another engine!

It's been washed down with fuel, lack of oil has starved the engine. You gotta tell then that they need to inspect the motor cause of all those noises and poor performance and not take NO for an answer.
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Old 05-01-2013, 07:28 PM   #3
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Gonna throw this out there because of 56k miles...Have they looked at the clutch/tranny? The first half of your story kind of rung a bell, because something similar happened with my last ride and progressively got worse just before the clutch and some of the internals needed replacement.
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Old 05-01-2013, 07:33 PM   #4
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Originally Posted by litle88 View Post
The dealer needs to give you another engine!

It's been washed down with fuel, lack of oil has starved the engine. You gotta tell then that they need to inspect the motor cause of all those noises and poor performance and not take NO for an answer.

I can see a tear-down / inspection at some point down the road but dealer #1 is not going to pony up for a new engine without a major fight. If that was the cause, it would not be covered under warranty.
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Old 05-01-2013, 07:33 PM   #5
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Originally Posted by litle88 View Post
The dealer needs to give you another engine!

It's been washed down with fuel, lack of oil has starved the engine. You gotta tell then that they need to inspect the motor cause of all those noises and poor performance and not take NO for an answer.
This. That engine is FUBAR.
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Old 05-01-2013, 07:33 PM   #6
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Originally Posted by BubbaSS View Post
Gonna throw this out there because of 56k miles...Have they looked at the clutch/tranny? The first half of your story kind of rung a bell, because something similar happened with my last ride and progressively got worse just before the clutch and some of the internals needed replacement.
No, clutch and tranny have not been a consideration to this point. Can you expand on your experience?
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Old 05-01-2013, 07:42 PM   #7
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Sure...Would have days when the truck would feel strong and days when it had niticeably less pull. Eventually I started to have a difficult time putting it in to gear and more frequent weak pulls. After replacing the clutch, repairing the tranny and replacing bushings my truck felt great again.
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Old 05-01-2013, 07:45 PM   #8
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Sure...Would have days when the truck would feel strong and days when it had niticeably less pull. Eventually I started to have a difficult time putting it in to gear and more frequent weak pulls. After replacing the clutch, repairing the tranny and replacing bushings my truck felt great again.

Interesting; thank you. I will run this past my dealer.
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Old 05-01-2013, 07:56 PM   #9
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This. That engine is FUBAR.
If the wash down was the issue, it would be a bearing issue and those are not subtle. I will say that I am quick with the kill switch when there is an issue so as soon as the computer went nuts, I shut it off. My sense of what the motor and car, in general, are up to is keener than most, you might even say that I am hypersensitive to what my car is telling me at all times. I have lost a motor or two due to spun bearings (60's era big blocks) and there was never an on again off again feeling to it. Granted, those motors were not computer controlled............
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Old 05-02-2013, 11:16 AM   #10
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Originally Posted by RayYork View Post
OK, I need your input on this issues as it has even my dealer stymied. I will give the timeline of events below but the net result is that the performance of my engine varies noticeably from run to run (drive to drive, cycle to cycle, etc). It will run smooth and as expected one time and then the next it will start with a miss (my perception) and then the power will feel very flat. It never feels underpowered but a strong pull in 3rd gear from 2k (RPM) to 5k just feels labored. When this is happening my exhaust note is noticeably different as well. The exhaust note goes from the rich throaty note to something much raspier and almost has a rattle sound to it (it's hard to quantify these things....). This is a 2011 2SS/RS M6 with 56,000 miles on it. I took it into the dealership and the tech said that he agreed that it was running poorly but all systems were within GM spec so the computer thinks that all is well. He started it up today (after holding it overnight and getting a cold start) and it is running great and all systems are within spec. He cycled it again this afternoon (warm start) and it is running well and all systems are within spec. They are giving me the car back to drive for a few days and see what I think and then test it again.

OK, that's where we are today, here's what lead to this point. In February, my motor lost the oil pump check valve (I found more than one thread on this issue here so it's somewhat common). I noticed the issues right away but it did starve the engine enough that the lifters did tap at idle for a matter of seconds. After a very long and frustrating process (no need to go into here but suffice it to say that I was not working with my regular dealer and it was a mess), the pump was replaced and I was back on the road. About a week after getting my car back I was heading out to work and my DIC went nuts and my car was running like crap. the CEL was flashing so I pulled back into my driveway and had the tow truck come and pick it up and take it to my regular dealer. They discovered that when the other dealership reinstalled my water pump, they pinched some wires between the pump and block and those wires eventually shorted out and sent my motor into a tizzy. It dumped so much fuel into the #1 cylinder that it washed past my rings and into my crankcase. I just had the oil changed and 2 days later had it changed again. My dealer repaired the wiring. I cannot say for sure if it was running poorly between dealer #1 replacing the oil pump and my dealer fixing the wiring but this all started with the fateful oil pump check valve failing.

If you have any similar experiences or advice, I would appreciate it. This one has me and my dealer confused.
RayYork,

Sincerest apologies for the concerns you outlined. I know how frustrating that can be for you. I would like to look into these matters further, so could you private message me the name of the dealership you're working with and VIN/mileage?

William R.
Chevrolet Customer Care
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Old 05-02-2013, 02:29 PM   #11
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RayYork,

Sincerest apologies for the concerns you outlined. I know how frustrating that can be for you. I would like to look into these matters further, so could you private message me the name of the dealership you're working with and VIN/mileage?

William R.
Chevrolet Customer Care
Thank you William! How cool is it that a representative from a company as large as GM would personally investigate an issues like this?! Further justification for why I'll be a bow tie boy for life!
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Old 05-02-2013, 03:51 PM   #12
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Thank you William! How cool is it that a representative from a company as large as GM would personally investigate an issues like this?! Further justification for why I'll be a bow tie boy for life!
Anytime Ray,

We look forward to assisting proud Camaro owners and enthusiasts like yourself. This is a reminder to all to feel free to contact me or Reggie B. via private message anytime with an inquiry. We're here to help as much as we can.

Regards,

William R.
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Old 05-03-2013, 12:10 AM   #13
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Good luck!
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Old 05-03-2013, 09:53 AM   #14
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Maybe the cats are coming apart?
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