TSB PIP 4138P - looking for help and advice

[carjockey71@gmail.com]

I had posted most of these issues looking for help with a misfiring problem with my 2012 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible SS2, which first came up with P0300 and then P0306, which are P0300 random misfire and P0306 is misfire cylinder 6.

Right now the car is up at the shop (not a dealer) and they are quoting me $4500.00 to repair the car, claiming that this issue is listed in GM TSB PIP 4138P after there diagnosis they believe this is causing the breakdown, I’m still making payments on the car and I’m driving a rental - this is my main source of transportation.

I have a ‘extended warranty’ but quite frankly I’m not holding out much hope for them after I tried to find out if I had towing. Quite frankly it seems like the have already tried to kill the claim before they even got it.

Currently they are demanding a full set of maintenance records since we purchase the car 40 months ago and 31K which I can appreciate that but there is no doubt it was all done, it proving it was done to their satisfaction is a completely different story and because I am having a issue proving it was done because most off my personal,financial, birth certificates including bills got destroyed over the course of 2 hurricanes (Irene and Erma) in 2017 and I don’t have full documentation so I can’t prove it, I can prove some of it as done but running around getting reprints, but you don’t get reprints for cash and now after I have payed diagnostics the warranty company now is claiming they’re IF the are going to pay anything (after I provide all my maintenance records which I haven’t finished they now decided they want me to authorize more dismantling of the engine on my dollar, which until the approve my claim or even consider it they want the lifters off, rods out, and head off to make sure the car was not overheated, driver damaged, abused, neglected etc., easily adding another $700 - $1000 to my $400 bill, if they spent as much time looking at the car as they did trying to dismantle my claim and not blowing through every loop and hoop they can create and quite frankly I never had this issue with GMPP or a manufacturer warranty it’s only since I started buying second hand cars and third party warranties this is the the way it has gone, but never this bad.

I am surprised that everything is gearing to cylinder 6,and while the compression wasn’t great it was 125 psi, my best compression was cyclinder 1 at 190 psi, however the compression on cylinder 8 was 90 psi, which is redline failure, but the shop doesn’t believe that the cylinder 8 is the issue, apparently they have the TSB which states the probems it is causing, I haven’t be able to look up the TSB but it’s my I understanding that it has a worn spot on the cam and cam and lifters need to be replaced because the push rod isn’t oiling or rolling the cam and it wearing out my cam.

They are requiring every stitch of maintenance paperwork since we bought the car August 15,2015 which 31K, and 40 months later is has 62K or 7500 a month, I’m still paying on it and it is still my daily driver.

Why are these people putting up roadblocks before I ask questions, the company, VSI - WARRANTY SOLUTIONS I would not rate at this moment with the nonsense the are giving me at this point. I appreciate what want but there has to be equal ground for use to work with, I was in the car industry for 25 years and as a ‘used car manager’ I could tell in 5 minutes whether a owner takes care of their car, it’s not rocket science.

So I am have a some serious problems, which quite frankly I didn’t even think of as manager at the garage asked him 3 questions before they talked to about for about 3 minutes asked for full maintenance documentation, he commented to me that my warranty company was already being very difficult, wanting to know if the car was modified, if there tires brands matched, if they were bald and did the car look abused ??

What he also mentioned was (if I can get them to pay, not holding my breath) they may just try to cheap out and replace cylinder 6 parts and not do the entire job the way it should be done and replace everything on both cyclinders. I did have ‘spotty’ compression which a new cam that would solve that issue along with complete set of rods, lifters, etc., that would normally go with a new cam installation and give me equal compression and not the highs and lows on both cylinders that I’m looking at, my ranger on the left bank 1,3,5,7 range from 190 psi to 135, and I understand there is a .25 reduction rule used but why would I want to tear it apart and just do it again in a another month or even a year, it was my plan to keep the car but if I don’t about that right now, nevermind if it not torn down the right way those plans might go out the window. As of right now right now there doesn’t seem to be anyother damage to the engine but they did not do a leak down test either to check the pistons, his equipment and technician are pointing him to the top end, which is good - I guess if there not wrong.

So here’s my thinking and I would love people to chim it, because I am turning over on this.

I could do the repair myself, it would definitely take a look longer, I think he quoted me 26 hours and I live a in deed restricted community and I will catch hell but even if the fine me for the infractions. It would still be cheaper then having someone else do it, and $4500 is a lot of money right now it might as well be $45,000, obtainable it will hurt and frankly if I was doing it I would put bigger cam and lifter set in and not the factory set, maybe.GM Performance Cam and definitely beef it up right to headers and nice Borla A-Tek system -might as well because the warranty is useless so I don’t have to worry about the car being ‘modified’ but everything I see about increasing am size says that I need to have the car ‘retuned’ after putting in a bigger cam, etc and I’m not sure what that means or how to do that. I haven’t touched stuff like this is 25 years.

If I trade the car in right now I will get 1/2 of low book and won’t even come close to what I own, I could only fix the broken parts myself and regretfully trade the car in (I really don’t want to get rid of it), I can have the garage fix it or I can fix it, those appear to be my only options, but I only have 2 of those because can’t do anything with a car that doesn’t run.

So I guess those are my choices, I might have missed something I would appreciate any input, and if anyone can find the TSB I am referring to I would really appreciate that, of course I like to read myself.

I hope everyone had Happy Holidays and I wish everyone the best for a Healthy, Happy and Prosperous New Year.

Best

Paul

[Wizard1183]

https://www.hellopeter.com/warranty-solutions

A simple google search will explain how shitty that “warranty” really is. Granted I’ve purchased an “extended warranty” from a place other than dealer for $3000 120k mi warranty and they supposedly only fix lubricated parts. So electronics are out. Cost me 800 to replace 2 coil packs and spark plugs on my 2014 GMC Sierra at dealership. Next time it happens? I’m going to do it myself. However I’m thinking of buying the $3k kit to eliminate The Displacement on Demand crap that 5.3L engines seem to have probs with.

[carjockey71@gmail.com]

Wizard1183 -

Your right there are crummy company, but I had other problems with the car and never turned it for warranty service, micro switches in the seat locking up the forward action, and the $500 in parts I put into before I put into the shop going through the plugs, coils packs, wires, new battery, etc are all on me and that fine because this is where most people get upset because NO ONE every covers maintenance, and the way it sold is bumper to bumper but nothing it bumper to bumper. Quite frankly I didn’t even remember my wife purchasing it, I have a limited attention span, she remembered and dug the paperwork- unfortunately I wasn’t smart enough to have her hold one to what we have left for paperwork after the hurricane, I generally don’t keep recipients especially on 7 quarts of Mobil 1 and a oil filter, apparently doing your own maintenance is a criminal to them.

This is also another reason we bought a standard, no AFM (Advance Fuel Management) and I have heard of all these cars and trucks that are switching cylinder after reaching driving speed having all sorts of issues, I owned a 1983 Cadillac Elderado that had the 4/6/8 computer that at that time was supposed the best ‘AFM’ on the market and I had nothing but issues, I learned that lesson - most car do have overriding kits and I would not think twice about when I purchase another car.

I have contacted the GM hotline and since it not a GM dealer the don’t really care, never mind it my 37th GM CAR (Family First) I guess this is another lesson about buying new and used, I had issues with my Yukon that I purchased new and GMPP ate everything and every did more after the warranty expired, I did of course asked them if I have it towed to a GM dealer with the honor the TSB on 62K mile car, they havent gotten back to me, and I may had shot myself in the foot for $40 for every hour in labor, maybe not but most luckly I’m really good at that too.



So at this point I can cancel this mess after they terminate my claim officially and raise hell with my lawyer, the will fall back on the excuse that they never had the chance for inspection so I can make sure the shop keeps notes, another reason for me not to do the work, and when I cancel it I will get about .25 on the dollar which will roll into my finance contract and come out when the car is paid, or it would be like being a couple payment ahead, which is most likely the way I will go, however I will dig out all the reciepts for all my cars and try to prove to them that I take care of my automobiles and see what happens- once again, definitely NOT holding my breath.

As much as I know about warranties that’s also as much as I don’t know - go figure, I guess I am someone who believes that the a company will do the correct thing, not try and cheat you, not to mention it’s little tough when your better half is telling you she thinks is a good idea. Not to get too far off topic but a different third party warranty paid over $1500 for my 2011 Cadillac SRX AWD headlight assemblies which are expensive as hell and rotate while turning which is what I doing right now - so go figure.

I have been up looking for a $500 - $1000 just to bring my kids to school and get to work until I get this square, and just resell it afterward, I am putting my magic pencil to everything right now trying to figure the complete cost of this mess and paying $173 a week to rent a Chevrolet Spark I leaning towards having them do a drip test, pay the extra hour, and long as the bottom end is not destroyed having it towed back to my house while catching hell from my neighborhood association and make sure it’s just the top end and pull over the left head, recam, lifters, rods, have the head mangaflux and she what that will run me to do myself. I have to get a Mitchells or another online subscription and see exactly what the recall is and what GM states to fix the problem correctly, and other TSB with similar issues as I still am concerned that the cylinder 8 only have 90 psi, which is redline failure and that is not the what is technically causing the misfire, it’s cylinder 6 with a 125 psi ?

If the GM TSB thinks pulling apart cylinder 6 and just replacing those parts then maybe that what I will do, most likely not. I not much for doing a half job even if f I was getting rid of it - I haven’t sleep in 3 day since ‘ Besty’ went in for surgery, I appreciated the input - any futhur thoughts ??

Best

Paul