Customers Knock GM on Noisy Engines

Detroit Free Press ^ | November 14, 2003 | Jocelyn Parker

[At _War_With_Liberals]

Engines made in Mexico???

[B4Ranch]

Never, ever make a threat that you can't follow through with 'cause that's a good way to get your butt stomped, learn the life in a hospital and probably cost you a lot of money.

Dad told me that a please and a thank you get more done than a threat does. You know what? He was right! The older I get the more I see what he knew. LOL

[glock rocks]

Dad told me that a please and a thank you get more done than a threat does.

yep, as my gramma, bless her heart, used to say... honey attracts more flies than vinegar.

[tubebender]

I talked to my young tech friend this evening about this problem. He is a Team leader with 5 techs under him at a large dealership. He said the knocks they are seeing in the 5.3s is caused by carbon buildup on the valves and pistons and is seveve on startup and a carbon cleaner injected into the system cleans it out. He has not seen any engines with consistent rattle.

I had a 89 Chev with the 350 that had a piston slap-wrist pin rattle because of the short skirt. I sold it to my daughter and son in law in 99 and it runs fine at 60,000 miles...

GR. The history channel had a feature on Pickup Trucks this evening that was interestin. They closed with some soon to be released PUs. They showed a F350 that was very kool. It looked like a Hum Vee in a way but way better...

[glock rocks]

I missed the history channel show.

monster garage is on discovery right now... they're building the ultimate tailgating truck, with bar, bbq, large screen tv and sound system. wild!

[toddst]

I talked to my young tech friend this evening about this problem. He is a Team leader with 5 techs under him at a large dealership. He said the knocks they are seeing in the 5.3s is caused by carbon buildup on the valves and pistons and is seveve on startup and a carbon cleaner injected into the system cleans it out. He has not seen any engines with consistent rattle.

Carbon buildup is likely the problem in most engines with a "knock." A few are probably the result of improper assembly and will require replacement of the engine or short-block.

This is not new or unexpected (regardless of manufacturer) esp. in engines that are a recently introduced design or have been re-engineered. Some get through with problems. My experience with GM is they do correct what is their responsibility. The problem I see here is primarily the result of overly aggressive "lemon law" attorneys who hype the problem to increase their fees and volume of business (are we surprised?)

[BMiles2112]

Thanks for the tip. I'll try the Molybdenum Disulfide also to see if that works. I love the fact that I can get good engine advice on a conservative news forum! BTW, mine's a '96, but it's basically the same engine, likely with a few PCM changes.

[webstersII]

?All of the newer diesel trucks I have
seen are ridiculously LOUD.?

We have one in our neighborhood, too. You?re right, they are loud.

Of course, that truck is about as loud as the loser teenagers in their rice rockets with the loud mufflers.

[webstersII]

"Try to locate a wholesale
distributer, the guy who sells used cars to dealers, for fantastic savings."

How do you do this if you are not a dealer?

[webstersII]

"Around here there's getting to be more and more large gas-engined pickups with very loud tubular
exhausts. And then there's the ricers that troll up and down my street with the fart-cans on their Civics
moaning away. And the neighbour who parks his International tow truck in his driveway and idles it for 15
min before he leaves in the morning. And then there's the idiot up the street with the Harley with rather loud
pipes - wakes me up everytime if he decided to ride to work at 6:00 am while I'm still sleeping, and that's just
from him idling in his driveway. When he finally takes off, usually at full throttle, it sounds like the end of the
world. "

This sounds like where I live. I can relate.

[B4Ranch]

Wholesale distributers are licensed to sell cars to the general public also, in most states.

[webstersII]

In my state they have auctions for dealers only, so no one without a dealers license can get in. Other than knowing someone who is a dealer who will cut you a deal(which I don't), I haven't found any avenues for getting a wholesale deal but I would really like to.