PDA

View Full Version : Ouch, that's gonna hurt!



DickWells
05-26-2010, 18:25
The Sierra's been puffing white smoke at idle for the last 3 weeks or so. But day-before-yesterday, coming E on NY 86, and climbing up the highest pioint (2100 ft), things got bad, fast! Start blowing black, and then making real mechanical noises that caused my heart to sink and my gut to go into extreme agitation. Eased down off the freeway, into Hornell, and parked overnight in an abandoned Price Chopper parking lot. No SES light!
In the morning, I checked for codes, and there were none. She started right up, and idled without missing, but with lots of white smoke. Oh, it hadn't been making any oil, I had checked it at every fill-up.
Good Sam sent a tow service and we got the trailer towed to a camp ground, and the truck dropped off at Simmonds Rockwell in Bath, NY. Got a call this morning. Yup, she needs injectors. The bad news? They want $6300 to put them in! Their Rep. is telling them that since the latest injectors and cups were put in in 07, at 76 K miles that another set is up to me. There are 121 K on it now, and it's an early 04 with an LB7, so it's supposed to be covered.
I called GM about the Special Coverage #04039C, and they sound like I should be covered, but the case was passed up the line, and I'm to hear from them withing 24 hours from this past noon. I also called my dealer at home, and he says that it sounds like I should be covered. He even called me back this afternoon, to check on things and I gave him the case/file number.
We're a little over 400 Mi. from home, so there's a possibility of renting a car and driving up and getting my son's 3500 Dually DM and putting the old Suburban on a transporter and towing that down here, then towing the trailer home with the Silverado, and the Sierra on the transport trailer with the Burb. There's also the fact that there's a diesel Gurro, in Hornell, who is pretty good with these things, but it'll cost me right at 4 Grand to have him do the job.
Sooo. The only thing that I'm sure of, ad I sit here stranded in an RV park in nowhere, NY, is that I ain't payin no $6300 to Simmonds Rockwell, to do something that should be covered. The country wanted change, and we sure got it, under Obama! Gvmt. Motors, indeed! In 07, I stopped by Stirling GMC, in Longview, WA, and they checked the Sierra's smoking at idle, and said I needed new injectors, since I had 3 that were pouring too much fuel. Not a red penny, out of pocket, and assurance that the rest of the 7 year 200 K Mi. was golden. And, I just dis-connected the Edge, and left the leads dangling, no problem. Stirling didn't care, one way or the other. Now, I get the impression that since S-R can't access the computer, they aren't inclined to want to give me any kind of break. I didn't lie to them, they know it's had a tuner in there.
I'll keep you posted. Wish me luck. God bless the Diesel Page.
Dick

Mark Rinker
05-26-2010, 18:58
Good luck, Dick.

You've certainly done everything that any reasonable person could do to 1) preserve the engine from damage, and 2) set the stage to allow GM to do the right thing.

My fingers are crossed for ya! :D

More Power
06-01-2010, 10:12
Since the engine received injectors not that long ago, I'd be inclined to check balance rates and such to determine if the problem is with just one injector - if the warranty doesn't cover it.

Jim

DieselDavy
06-01-2010, 12:13
HI Dick,
Do you have an update yet?
We're all pulling for you!
Dave

DickWells
06-01-2010, 18:42
Update: Yup, had it yanked out of Simmonds Rockwell on Friday and hauled over to Niche, in Hornell, the town that it quit in. Turns out S-R has a BAD rep for service, especially diesels. The report that they came up with left much to be desired as far as support for the customer. They say that #8 injector was stuck open, and 3 more were suspect, but that they couldn't communicate with the PCM. Kept telling me that the injectors are only good for 50K miles, max, now that we have ULSD. Said that the DM needs an additive. Well, after I told them that there's never been a tank of fuel through mine without additive since I owned it, they shut up about that. I gave up in disgust and got away from there ASAP. My dealer back home got GM to agree to go 1/3, but that still didn't get me down to the $4K that I can get them replaced for, at a place that I trust.
My customer report for my experience at S-R is NOT going to be complimentary!
Niche started today, and I should be out of here by Thurs -Fri.
Still love that truck, but OH, how I hate to put any trust in anything electronic.