So...taking her in for warranty service...I hate this...

[NJScorpio]

because I always expect the worst.

I have to drop my Camaro off, for an appointment tomorrow morning. As they put it, it's a "drivability issue". (For more details, check out my topic describing the mystery problem)

My fear is that I'll get a call tomorrow afternoon saying, "We couldn't find a problem. Come pick your car up."

Any suggestions?

If they feed me that line, my first thought would be to insist they keep it till they do, though I don't know how that would fly.

Being with them for a test drive won't be an option, at least not until Thursday, even then, that is pretty iffy. I wanted to get my Camaro off the road as soon as possible to have this issue looked at.

[Melkor]

Dude... this has been my life since I purchased my 1le. The only bit of advice I have for you is, if you're not getting what you want out of dealership A, contact Chevy and they can help you find dealership B.

That sort of worked for me. At least at first. I got pretty damn tired of everyone at dealership A telling me I was crazy or "that's just what it's supposed to do." Luckily dealership B heard what I heard and said, "no, that's not right."

[NJScorpio]

Originally Posted by Melkor

Dude... this has been my life since I purchased my 1le. The only bit of advice I have for you is, if you're not getting what you want out of dealership A, contact Chevy and they can help you find dealership B.

That sort of worked for me. At least at first. I got pretty damn tired of everyone at dealership A telling me I was crazy or "that's just what it's supposed to do." Luckily dealership B heard what I heard and said, "no, that's not right."

Ouch.

This Chevy dealer has gotten some great reviews online, but most seem to be related to initial purchases, not service. I've dealt with their sister Hyundai dealer, which I've had mixed feelings about. I brought my 2010 Elantra in saying I was having issues similar to what I'm experiencing with my Camaro. I was told they found nothing wrong. Okay. So next time I'm in for my free oil change, I bring up the issue again. Now, not being a car driving as hard as my Camaro, the issue was pronounced but far more mild. Anyway, it wasn't much different than the first time they looked, but that time they gave me a new transmission (which helped).


So, let's say they don't find anything, I don't screw myself over by signing and picking it up...or do I?

[PalmerGA]

Does your car have an automatic transmission? It sure sounds like classic symptoms of a bad torque converter...

"Shuddering – If you start to feel shudders when driving about 30 to 45 MPH, this could mean that you have torque converter problems on your hand. It will often feel like running over rough road or bumps and you will definitely notice it when it happens. Shuddering comes and goes without warning, so once you feel it the first time you should get your transmission checked out as soon as possible. Don’t wait for it to happen again."

http://www.ehow.com/about_5611225_to...-problems.html

Of course, if yours is a manual... never mind.

[Melkor]

Originally Posted by NJScorpio

Ouch.

This Chevy dealer has gotten some great reviews online, but most seem to be related to initial purchases, not service. I've dealt with their sister Hyundai dealer, which I've had mixed feelings about. I brought my 2010 Elantra in saying I was having issues similar to what I'm experiencing with my Camaro. I was told they found nothing wrong. Okay. So next time I'm in for my free oil change, I bring up the issue again. Now, not being a car driving as hard as my Camaro, the issue was pronounced but far more mild. Anyway, it wasn't much different than the first time they looked, but that time they gave me a new transmission (which helped).


So, let's say they don't find anything, I don't screw myself over by signing and picking it up...or do I?

I'm not a lawyer but I don't think so. All you're signing is something saying "We looked and didn't find anything." If you're still concerned you should take it elsewhere.

This is the rough part of owning a new performance car. Warranties are great things for the most part, BUT Diagnosing shit like this would be easy if I could take it to a mechanic who could pull things apart to try and diagnose (I understand this isn't always the first choice, but...), but having to take it to dealerships means a slow down AND they have to protect themselves, which doesn't help the owner of the car.

There are also things that, having grown up rebuilding cars, I hear and know what they are, but can't convince others of that. There's a lot of "We have another Camaro on the lot that makes that same noise". It's frustrating sometimes.

[Demon War Horse]

I bet it is the TC moving in and out of lockup and shuddering. I would have them start there and have them inspect that first.

[NJScorpio]

Originally Posted by PalmerGA

Does your car have an automatic transmission? It sure sounds like classic symptoms of a bad torque converter...

"Shuddering – If you start to feel shudders when driving about 30 to 45 MPH, this could mean that you have torque converter problems on your hand. It will often feel like running over rough road or bumps and you will definitely notice it when it happens. Shuddering comes and goes without warning, so once you feel it the first time you should get your transmission checked out as soon as possible. Don’t wait for it to happen again."

http://www.ehow.com/about_5611225_to...-problems.html

Of course, if yours is a manual... never mind.

Yep, auto, and it sounds like that issue. Now, the shudder is less of an issue, but a lack of power below 2,200RMP is noticeable (over 35mph).

I have a tendency to wear out automatic transmissions...then again, I bought it with 12k miles on it (certified preowned). It could have been a preexisting condition.

Originally Posted by Melkor

There's a lot of "We have another Camaro on the lot that makes that same noise". It's frustrating sometimes.

Yeah, this issue seems to be discussed online, but not to a degree for a service bulletin. At least this dealership moves MANY Camaros, and always has a bunch of new ones throughout their lot. I'd imagine the techs have driven enough of them to be able to feel something is off with mine.

Originally Posted by Demon War Horse

I bet it is the TC moving in and out of lockup and shuddering. I would have them start there and have them inspect that first.

I've tried disabling my TC, and it still happens. What seems to help (though I'm not 100% sure) is setting my 2LS "Manual" to 4th, so that it doesn't move up to any over drive gears. Driving with gears capped at 4th, there doesn't seem to be a problem (though in that scenario cursing at 35mph my RPMs are above 2k...above the problem area).

[Evergreen6]

For most issues, I've found that simply letting the issue go until something actually fails or the car becomes inoperable is sometimes the best bet (so long as it's in your warranty period). Seems like every dealer tries to brush off small problems or say the issue can't be reproduced, or, it can be reproduced, but is normal and isn't affecting operation.

Anyway, good luck!

[Melkor]

Originally Posted by Evergreen6

For most issues, I've found that simply letting the issue go until something actually fails or the car becomes inoperable is sometimes the best bet (so long as it's in your warranty period). Seems like every dealer tries to brush off small problems or say the issue can't be reproduced, or, it can be reproduced, but is normal and isn't affecting operation.

Anyway, good luck!

I tend to agree. It's freaky, but what are you supposed to do?

[NJScorpio]

Originally Posted by Melkor

I tend to agree. It's freaky, but what are you supposed to do?

I guess thrash the hell out of my A6 until I break something.

[PalmerGA]

Originally Posted by NJScorpio

Yep, auto, and it sounds like that issue. Now, the shudder is less of an issue, but a lack of power below 2,200RMP is noticeable (over 35mph).

I had a 2012 1LT automatic that had the textbook definition I supplied earlier and it was indeed the Torque Converter. I would almost guarantee this is your problem.

Originally Posted by NJScorpio

I've tried disabling my TC, and it still happens. What seems to help (though I'm not 100% sure) is setting my 2LS "Manual" to 4th, so that it doesn't move up to any over drive gears. Driving with gears capped at 4th, there doesn't seem to be a problem (though in that scenario cursing at 35mph my RPMs are above 2k...above the problem area).

I assume when you say "TC", you are referring to Traction Control, since you speak of disabling it. I'm pretty sure Demon War Horse was referring to the Torque Converter when he wrote "TC".

[PalmerGA]

Originally Posted by Evergreen6

For most issues, I've found that simply letting the issue go until something actually fails or the car becomes inoperable is sometimes the best bet (so long as it's in your warranty period). Seems like every dealer tries to brush off small problems or say the issue can't be reproduced, or, it can be reproduced, but is normal and isn't affecting operation.

But a failing Torque Converter is not a "small problem" and can cause additional problems if left unaddressed. Plus, it's almost a guarantee that it will fail at the worst possible time for the OP.

[Evergreen6]

Originally Posted by NJScorpio

I guess thrash the hell out of my A6 until I break something.

I don't know that I'd go that route. Abuse/neglect are pretty obvious when it comes to transmissions, so most likely they'd just deny your warranty claim. See what the dealer says--they might be in agreement that something is up, or they might brush it off. It's hard to say. Point was, minor things sometimes get swept aside if they're hard to reproduce or if they're not affecting driveability.

End of the day, you should see your dealer, it would be great if they fixed it, but dealers can sometimes be a BIG headache and a big waste of time. Just be prepared for that.

[NJScorpio]

Originally Posted by PalmerGA

I had a 2012 1LT automatic that had the textbook definition I supplied earlier and it was indeed the Torque Converter. I would almost guarantee this is your problem.


I assume when you say "TC", you are referring to Traction Control, since you speak of disabling it. I'm pretty sure Demon War Horse was referring to the Torque Converter when he wrote "TC".

I guess that an optimist can look at it that the dealership must have run into this issue by now, so they are more likely to identify it and resolve it.