Went from driving home to grenaded engine 2 nights ago with no warning - C'mon Chevy!

[Welker2]

From the files of conspiracy theorists: Car makers got together back in the mid 60s to design & build the perfect engines. After years of trial and error, in the late 70's they were finally successful. The engines they developed, with few exceptions, would be reliable and require little to no repairs through at least 101K miles, yet suffer some sort of catastrophic failure thereafter. Why is this the perfect engine?

Dealerships talk buyers into purchasing extended warranties that are good through 100k that are rarely used. Shortly after the vehicle is out of warranty, the engine fails requiring the owner to either replace the engine or buy a new vehicle; given the cost of replacing the engine & age of the vehicle when this happens, many will opt for the latter. This makes it a win-win situation for the entire automotive industry ...



OP, on a serious note, sorry about the failure and glad you're getting it fixed. Hope the dealership does right by you.

[Moto-Mojo]

Jesus H. Christo! I missed the V6 thing. I think I’ll Just resume more Sat night beer. Not that an LFX shouldn’t do better but...

[Wizard1183]

Originally Posted by Welker2

From the files of conspiracy theorists: Car makers got together back in the mid 60s to design & build the perfect engines. After years of trial and error, in the late 70's they were finally successful. The engines they developed, with few exceptions, would be reliable and require little to no repairs through at least 101K, yet suffer some sort of catastrophic failure thereafter. Why is this the perfect engine?

Dealerships talk buyers into purchasing extended warranties that are good through 100k that are rarely used. Shortly after the vehicle is out of warranty, the engine fails requiring the owner to either replace the engine or buy a new vehicle; given the cost of replacing the engine & age of the vehicle when this happens, many will opt for the latter. This makes it a win-win situation for both the entire automotive industry ...



OP, on a serious note, sorry about the failure and glad you're getting it fixed. Hope the dealership does right by you.

You’re good!!! You got me me convinced. Where’s my tin foil hat?

[christianchevell]

I would suspect timing failure due to broken chain or belt for higher mileage cars that may not have had maintenance done right..... You cannot make a timing belt or chain only designed for so long last forever due to their inherent weakness, upgrading is money well spent for a engine with a timing chain/belt IMO.

Search around and you should be able to like the last poster find a reasonable used engine online to do a r/r most likely the best option if you don't feel like rebuilding yours. On tear down you should be able to find whats up but timing chain has been a issue with the v-6 on here over the years IMO more to worry about. Good Luck.

Its all on the damage done if its just a skip in timing to like none...break..... with a minor smack of the valves and stop.....well that's all TBD the bottom end and its health, or if its a spun bearing that's a whole other ball game. And the amount of $$$ the all important $$$

[TooManyProjects]

Originally Posted by captaincog

As far as tires and brakes I use this car to commute to various locations all over SoCal and it being a 6 speed I do not need to be on the brakes.

lol WUT

Transmission has to do with brakes? Other than being at a stop... which isnt putting any moving force on them.

I lived in SoCal about 5 years ago... with that traffic it don't matter what kind of transmission you have... You're always on your brakes.

I live in a tiny little town in New Mexico... and I can guarantee mine wont make it past 75k WITH A 6 SPEED

[xstuntman]

So what was the diagnosis? I'm doubting chain issues.

The only way i could think it would be from a timing chain failure is if a broken off piece of a valve post-piston contact got between the piston and plug. My wife had an interference-engine-pile-of-crap-Kia years ago that broke the timing belt and it bent valves but no issues with the spark plug.

The original 3.6 motors had timing chain issues but it was supposed to be fixed when the LFX came out (and yet GM kept putting the non LFX motors in other vehicles thru 2015 knowing it was a weak chain ).

[captaincog]

Originally Posted by TooManyProjects

lol WUT

Transmission has to do with brakes? Other than being at a stop... which isnt putting any moving force on them.

I lived in SoCal about 5 years ago... with that traffic it don't matter what kind of transmission you have... You're always on your brakes.

I live in a tiny little town in New Mexico... and I can guarantee mine wont make it past 75k WITH A 6 SPEED

Easy to do for me when my majority is open freeway and highway driving due to my work territory. 340 to 500 miles in one day happens several times a month.

Yes, I could install a replacement engine but I just do not have the time to do so and I like having a 3 yr 100k mile warranty from the dealer. I am still disappointed it did not go further since I thought these engines were good for 200k. Oh well. I guess being my wife's patient advocate with her breast cancer coming back after 12 years has really changed me. Now it is the cost factor that I did not want to spend but since I cannot get the same kind of car for the $7500 estimate as my son pointed out I just do it and enjoy it once it is finished. Clutch replacement a good idea while they are in there.

[Royal Tiger]

$7500??? For a V-6? Yikes!!!

[CamaroFred]

Originally Posted by TooManyProjects

lol WUT

Transmission has to do with brakes? Other than being at a stop... which isnt putting any moving force on them.

I lived in SoCal about 5 years ago... with that traffic it don't matter what kind of transmission you have... You're always on your brakes.

I live in a tiny little town in New Mexico... and I can guarantee mine wont make it past 75k WITH A 6 SPEED

Any mechanic will testify that a manual transmission vehicle will have longer brake life than an automatic.

A manual trans always has engine braking, even without downshifting. An automatic will coast unless downshifted.

[radar1972]

Captain, don't dwell on the car any more than necessary. R&R the engine and move on. Your focus really needs to be 100% on your wife... she is what really matters. BTDT

[captaincog]

Originally Posted by radar1972

Captain, don't dwell on the car any more than necessary. R&R the engine and move on. Your focus really needs to be 100% on your wife... she is what really matters. BTDT

You are right and thank you!

[TooManyProjects]

Originally Posted by CamaroFred

Any mechanic will testify that a manual transmission vehicle will have longer brake life than an automatic.

A manual trans always has engine braking, even without downshifting. An automatic will coast unless downshifted.

No mechanic will say go over 110k on stock brakes....

[BandRcAMARO]

I would try and find a used motor, can prob find one for $1500, if you arent mechanically inclined, then have a shop swap it out which should cost maybe $800? My buddy paid a shop to pull his motor out and put the new one in for $1000 in a jeep commander. It sucks though, my 08 equinox with the similar 3.6L motor jumped timing bc of the shit GM timing chains that were warrantied out twice.....

[tstodii]

Originally Posted by TooManyProjects

No mechanic will say go over 110k on stock brakes....

No good mechanic will tell you to replace the brakes if the pad material and rotors are in spec and show no signs of mechanical wear/failure...

I know with my driving habits I'd never get to 100k on factory brakes but power on OP if that's true!