New Camaro, New Noises - Page 3

Sindri · 01-06-2021, 08:54 AM

Got a message from the dealer a little bit ago, engine is in and they are buttoning up the car. They are going to take it for a test drive to make sure everything is good and it should be ready to pickup later today.

I've been very happy with my dealer, both on the sales side and service side thus far. I'm generally a DIYer and will probably continue to do some basic stuff like oil changes, but I'll definitely give them some business when I don't want the hassle or frustration of a particular task. Besides, that gives me more time to focus on my janky project car - a 1987 Volvo 240 wagon that will be getting a V8 swap.

Sindri · 01-07-2021, 09:49 AM

I picked the car up yesterday evening from the dealership and ended up driving it about 100 miles last night. Everything seems to be good so far, I will post if anything else comes up with it.

Silent_H_ · 01-09-2021, 09:41 AM

Glad they took care of you! Things like this are exactly why we have warranties. Sometimes things are defective despite quality controls. Stinks that you had to be without it for a while though.

Enjoy your car!

3.8TransAM · 01-09-2021, 04:46 PM

So clutch?pressure plate? valve spring?internal engine? Heard about 15 different things that were supposedly wrong.

Sindri · 01-12-2021, 08:19 AM

Update - Car is back in the shop. Yesterday as I was leaving work and merging onto the highway, it suddenly lit up with a bunch of error messages on the DIC and the CEL started flashing. It was running rough (bad miss) and I also caught a bit of a sniff of burning plastic. My work is only a couple miles from the dealership so I drove it directly there. I suspect, based on the symptoms, that it's something like a faulty plug wire (if one popped off it might have burned on the exhaust manifold, which would explain the miss and the smell).

@3.8TransAM The dealership initially replaced the entire clutch assembly (flywheel, clutch, pressure plate, throw-out bearing, etc.) but that didn't fix the problem. Next they dropped the oil pan, found metal shavings in it, and then argued back and forth with GM about doing a full engine tear down. Eventually GM relented and sent them a whole new engine, and my old engine got sent back to GM for them to investigate. I asked my service advisor yesterday but he said that there's basically no chance they will ever hear back from GM regarding the problem. So it may forever remain a mystery.

NotFast · 01-12-2021, 09:52 AM

Interesting stuff. Thanks for the update.

Sindri · 01-13-2021, 05:56 AM

Well guess what? It wasn't something so simple as a plug wire... it was a valve spring. They sent me a brand new replacement engine with a bad valve spring. Ugh. I want to love this car but this is frustrating.

Speak99 · 01-13-2021, 07:24 AM

Seriously....right? I hope they get it fixed for you. For sure you should be enjoying this car. Not all experiences are the same as yours.

arpad_m · 01-13-2021, 06:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sindri

Well guess what? It wasn't something so simple as a plug wire... it was a valve spring. They sent me a brand new replacement engine with a bad valve spring. Ugh. I want to love this car but this is frustrating.

You will love the car once this issue is in the rearview mirror

You will probably not love GM, however. The 6th gen Camaro seems to be an exception rather than the rule with 21st century GM, unfortunately.

Ademarco · 01-13-2021, 08:46 PM

Man I feel sorry for you. GM sent you a brand new motor with the valve spring issue. I met an owner of a 2018 Raptor and he had some cam phaser issues that led to 6 motors and then Ford bought it back from him. After the second motor I think I would have requested a whole new car/truck. Hope all your problems are resolved after the fix as my SS 1LE is such a great car and tons of fun.

Sindri · 01-20-2021, 08:01 AM

Thanks all. I really want to love this car but I'm just so undecided. If it were up to my wife we would have already contacted a lemon law attorney and been pushing GM to buy it back. I told her I'm onboard but only if I can buy a Corvette. I mean, I'm gonna need something to drive, right? She eased up on that.

The thing is, and I don't know if I mentioned this anywhere else on here, but I'm a mechanical engineer. My original focus was automotive engineering (although I don't currently work in that field). But I get how complex these cars are and occasionally things don't go right. I was willing to give them a mulligan on the first engine - it probably got an out of spec bearing or something, who knows.

But to then send me a replacement engine with a known problem that there is a TSB out for? That seems unacceptable to me. I even brought this issue up with my service advisor, and he reached back to GM and they assured him that the replacement motor wasn't affected by the valve spring issue.

*sigh*

Anyways, it's back home. I'm currently in Japan for work, so I'm getting everything second hand from my wife, but they arranged to concierge it home since she doesn't drive stick. It actually broke the day before I left and almost caused me to miss my pre-travel COVID test that was required for entry into the country. But that's neither here nor there.

I'm currently in the middle of a 14 day arrival quarantine (standard procedure for everyone coming into Japan, even though I had a negative COVID test) so I've got a lot of time to think about stuff.

Am I out of line in being worried about the cars value? I know long term it wouldn't matter much, and I am planning to keep the car for a looong time, but in the short term, say something comes up and I am forced to sell the car, I now have to explain why my fancy Camaro sports car had to have a new engine put in it at 430 miles. I know if I were looking to buy a car and saw that, my very first assumption is that the owner was driving it like an asshole.

Also, has there been any long term reports from valve spring replacements? I'd be highly concerned that if it broke a valve there's a big potential for damage to the valve itself, the valve seat, and the piston crown. Has anyone had subsequent problems?

Am I out of line in asking GM for some kind of compensation for lost value, potential long term problems, and generally having to deal with this bullshit? On one hand I think this is exactly what the warranty is for, but on the other I can't help but think I shouldn't have to be putting up with this crap on a car I've had for less than 2 months.

JSH · 01-20-2021, 10:11 AM

Put a set of long tubes on it as I did, so you won't be distracted by such noises

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sindri

I have a brand new 2021 1SS 1LE that I picked up Nov. 30th and I'm already having an issue. I've been driving the car every day since I got it, and am doing my best to follow the GM break in procedures - not dogging it or thrashing, varying RPM, keeping it under 4,000, etc. I mostly drive it in Sport mode, but have used it in Touring a few times. I feel like I've got a pretty good handle on how the car feels and the noises it should be making.

Well last night I was turning into my neighborhood and I heard a very sharp, distinct noise, like a sudden bang/pop, and then the car was louder. The only way I can describe it is like a hole suddenly appeared in my firewall and I was hearing more wind/road/engine noise coming from that area.

Today I took a look under the hood, my first thought was the sound tube became damaged/disconnected, but it seemed fine. I also looked under the car for anything that was damaged/dragging but didn't see anything.

I took it out for another drive today, and the noise is still there, and seems like it's getting worse. I usually run in Sport but switched to Touring and it's even more apparent. I've also noticed that there's some more vibration in the clutch/shifter and in the bottom of my seat. I also am detecting a sort of clicking/grinding noise that seems to be proportional to engine RPM. I'm familiar with clutch chatter in multi-plate setups but this seems somehow different/worse.

My first thought is something transmission related owing to the vibration in the shifter/clutch area. The other thing I'm thinking is something exhaust related, maybe a leak up near the header or cat? It's obviously still under warranty, so I'll end up taking it to the dealer and letting them address it, but I always like to do my homework before turning my car over to someone.

I'm just curious if anyone has experienced something like this. I find it helpful to be able to show up to the dealer with a list of symptoms and possible explanations.

Puddin · 01-20-2021, 11:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sindri

Thanks all. I really want to love this car but I'm just so undecided. If it were up to my wife we would have already contacted a lemon law attorney and been pushing GM to buy it back. I told her I'm onboard but only if I can buy a Corvette. I mean, I'm gonna need something to drive, right? She eased up on that.

The thing is, and I don't know if I mentioned this anywhere else on here, but I'm a mechanical engineer. My original focus was automotive engineering (although I don't currently work in that field). But I get how complex these cars are and occasionally things don't go right. I was willing to give them a mulligan on the first engine - it probably got an out of spec bearing or something, who knows.

But to then send me a replacement engine with a known problem that there is a TSB out for? That seems unacceptable to me. I even brought this issue up with my service advisor, and he reached back to GM and they assured him that the replacement motor wasn't affected by the valve spring issue.

*sigh*

Anyways, it's back home. I'm currently in Japan for work, so I'm getting everything second hand from my wife, but they arranged to concierge it home since she doesn't drive stick. It actually broke the day before I left and almost caused me to miss my pre-travel COVID test that was required for entry into the country. But that's neither here nor there.

I'm currently in the middle of a 14 day arrival quarantine (standard procedure for everyone coming into Japan, even though I had a negative COVID test) so I've got a lot of time to think about stuff.

Am I out of line in being worried about the cars value? I know long term it wouldn't matter much, and I am planning to keep the car for a looong time, but in the short term, say something comes up and I am forced to sell the car, I now have to explain why my fancy Camaro sports car had to have a new engine put in it at 430 miles. I know if I were looking to buy a car and saw that, my very first assumption is that the owner was driving it like an asshole.

Also, has there been any long term reports from valve spring replacements? I'd be highly concerned that if it broke a valve there's a big potential for damage to the valve itself, the valve seat, and the piston crown. Has anyone had subsequent problems?

Am I out of line in asking GM for some kind of compensation for lost value, potential long term problems, and generally having to deal with this bullshit? On one hand I think this is exactly what the warranty is for, but on the other I can't help but think I shouldn't have to be putting up with this crap on a car I've had for less than 2 months.

I don't know what your state's lemon laws are but I would've pursued that route and bought something other than a Chevy at least untill they get there valve spring issue out of the way. I would have been livid to receive a new engine and it go out faster than the first one. Ive been through this kind of situation with the 15 Mustang GT I had so I've pretty much lost all patience with issues like your having.

Chutzpah · 01-20-2021, 07:27 PM

You seem to be cool and collected. Honestly, I probably would have asked (nicely as possible), for a new car. As I’m sure you know, when you start pulling stuff apart and putting it back together, things can get missed, torqued to non spec, rerouted incorrectly, tabs for harnesses get broken. It’s almost unavoidable...especially on a second go round.

I wish you the best of luck. Seriously, I thought I had bad luck until I read this post. I’m definitely not trying to make you feel bad .... my opinion: at a minimum, you should thoroughly inspect that car, underside, inside, paint, harnesses and tabs etc. BEFORE you take possession of it.

01-06-2021, 08:54 AM	#29
Sindri Drives: 2022 Camaro 2SS 1LE Join Date: Sep 2018 Location: VA Posts: 100	Got a message from the dealer a little bit ago, engine is in and they are buttoning up the car. They are going to take it for a test drive to make sure everything is good and it should be ready to pickup later today. I've been very happy with my dealer, both on the sales side and service side thus far. I'm generally a DIYer and will probably continue to do some basic stuff like oil changes, but I'll definitely give them some business when I don't want the hassle or frustration of a particular task. Besides, that gives me more time to focus on my janky project car - a 1987 Volvo 240 wagon that will be getting a V8 swap.

01-07-2021, 09:49 AM	#30
Sindri Drives: 2022 Camaro 2SS 1LE Join Date: Sep 2018 Location: VA Posts: 100	I picked the car up yesterday evening from the dealership and ended up driving it about 100 miles last night. Everything seems to be good so far, I will post if anything else comes up with it.

01-09-2021, 09:41 AM	#31
Silent_H_ Drives: '21 V6 1LE Join Date: Jul 2020 Location: NE Posts: 263	Glad they took care of you! Things like this are exactly why we have warranties. Sometimes things are defective despite quality controls. Stinks that you had to be without it for a while though. Enjoy your car!

01-09-2021, 04:46 PM	#32
3.8TransAM Drives: SS 1LE, 89 TTA, 91 GTA, 91 Formula Join Date: Jul 2019 Location: NW IN Posts: 600	So clutch?pressure plate? valve spring?internal engine? Heard about 15 different things that were supposedly wrong.

01-12-2021, 08:19 AM	#33
Sindri Drives: 2022 Camaro 2SS 1LE Join Date: Sep 2018 Location: VA Posts: 100	Update - Car is back in the shop. Yesterday as I was leaving work and merging onto the highway, it suddenly lit up with a bunch of error messages on the DIC and the CEL started flashing. It was running rough (bad miss) and I also caught a bit of a sniff of burning plastic. My work is only a couple miles from the dealership so I drove it directly there. I suspect, based on the symptoms, that it's something like a faulty plug wire (if one popped off it might have burned on the exhaust manifold, which would explain the miss and the smell). @3.8TransAM The dealership initially replaced the entire clutch assembly (flywheel, clutch, pressure plate, throw-out bearing, etc.) but that didn't fix the problem. Next they dropped the oil pan, found metal shavings in it, and then argued back and forth with GM about doing a full engine tear down. Eventually GM relented and sent them a whole new engine, and my old engine got sent back to GM for them to investigate. I asked my service advisor yesterday but he said that there's basically no chance they will ever hear back from GM regarding the problem. So it may forever remain a mystery.

01-12-2021, 09:52 AM	#34
NotFast Drives: 2021 LT1 Join Date: Aug 2020 Location: Chicago area Posts: 286	Interesting stuff. Thanks for the update.

01-13-2021, 05:56 AM	#35
Sindri Drives: 2022 Camaro 2SS 1LE Join Date: Sep 2018 Location: VA Posts: 100	Well guess what? It wasn't something so simple as a plug wire... it was a valve spring. They sent me a brand new replacement engine with a bad valve spring. Ugh. I want to love this car but this is frustrating.

01-13-2021, 07:24 AM	#36
Speak99 Drives: Camaro 2020 2SS VERT Join Date: Dec 2020 Location: Ontario Posts: 223	Seriously....right? I hope they get it fixed for you. For sure you should be enjoying this car. Not all experiences are the same as yours.

01-13-2021, 08:46 PM	#38
Ademarco Drives: 18 Ford Raptor, 21 2SS 1LE M6 Join Date: Dec 2020 Location: SoCal Posts: 127	Man I feel sorry for you. GM sent you a brand new motor with the valve spring issue. I met an owner of a 2018 Raptor and he had some cam phaser issues that led to 6 motors and then Ford bought it back from him. After the second motor I think I would have requested a whole new car/truck. Hope all your problems are resolved after the fix as my SS 1LE is such a great car and tons of fun.

01-20-2021, 08:01 AM	#39
Sindri Drives: 2022 Camaro 2SS 1LE Join Date: Sep 2018 Location: VA Posts: 100	Thanks all. I really want to love this car but I'm just so undecided. If it were up to my wife we would have already contacted a lemon law attorney and been pushing GM to buy it back. I told her I'm onboard but only if I can buy a Corvette. I mean, I'm gonna need something to drive, right? She eased up on that. The thing is, and I don't know if I mentioned this anywhere else on here, but I'm a mechanical engineer. My original focus was automotive engineering (although I don't currently work in that field). But I get how complex these cars are and occasionally things don't go right. I was willing to give them a mulligan on the first engine - it probably got an out of spec bearing or something, who knows. But to then send me a replacement engine with a known problem that there is a TSB out for? That seems unacceptable to me. I even brought this issue up with my service advisor, and he reached back to GM and they assured him that the replacement motor wasn't affected by the valve spring issue. sigh Anyways, it's back home. I'm currently in Japan for work, so I'm getting everything second hand from my wife, but they arranged to concierge it home since she doesn't drive stick. It actually broke the day before I left and almost caused me to miss my pre-travel COVID test that was required for entry into the country. But that's neither here nor there. I'm currently in the middle of a 14 day arrival quarantine (standard procedure for everyone coming into Japan, even though I had a negative COVID test) so I've got a lot of time to think about stuff. Am I out of line in being worried about the cars value? I know long term it wouldn't matter much, and I am planning to keep the car for a looong time, but in the short term, say something comes up and I am forced to sell the car, I now have to explain why my fancy Camaro sports car had to have a new engine put in it at 430 miles. I know if I were looking to buy a car and saw that, my very first assumption is that the owner was driving it like an asshole. Also, has there been any long term reports from valve spring replacements? I'd be highly concerned that if it broke a valve there's a big potential for damage to the valve itself, the valve seat, and the piston crown. Has anyone had subsequent problems? Am I out of line in asking GM for some kind of compensation for lost value, potential long term problems, and generally having to deal with this bullshit? On one hand I think this is exactly what the warranty is for, but on the other I can't help but think I shouldn't have to be putting up with this crap on a car I've had for less than 2 months.

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01-20-2021, 07:27 PM	#42
Chutzpah Drives: Wild Cherry LT1 Join Date: Dec 2016 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 1,925	You seem to be cool and collected. Honestly, I probably would have asked (nicely as possible), for a new car. As I’m sure you know, when you start pulling stuff apart and putting it back together, things can get missed, torqued to non spec, rerouted incorrectly, tabs for harnesses get broken. It’s almost unavoidable...especially on a second go round. I wish you the best of luck. Seriously, I thought I had bad luck until I read this post. I’m definitely not trying to make you feel bad .... my opinion: at a minimum, you should thoroughly inspect that car, underside, inside, paint, harnesses and tabs etc. BEFORE you take possession of it.