Getting new head

[2xtreme]

I posted a while back about my rig burning an excessive amount of oil. After the first attempt to fix the problem they have decided to order me a new redesigned head. They said a red flag came up when they ran my vin # concerning the head on my truck. I will get more details today when I pick it up, but it goes in Dec. 18 for the new head.

[H3.007]

Yes, please post the information. I would be interested to see what series of H3s this was related to....

[f5fstop]

Please obtain the bulletin number, because I believe the dealer has no idea what is wrong. The only bulletins in regard to oil consumption that I can find are in regard to using engine oil dye, the PCV baffle.
The only bulletin that red flags a cylinder head has no reference to engine oil consumption, so let's hope it was the cylinder head and not the engine; or you will be going back again. (I'm not saying it could not be the cylinder head, since it could be a head or a cylinder head gasket. I'm just saying I see no bulletins red-flagging the cylinder head for oil consumption.)


The bulletin I believe the dealer is referencing is #PIP3935 - (10/03/2006), and had to do with misfire and the elongating of the intake valve guide; usually on cylinder #1. The complaint was usually rough idle, with the Serice Engine Soon Light on and DTC P0300 - P0302. It affected vehicles built prior to 287591 (Last six digits of the VIN).

[Desert Dan]

So F5Fstop

my last digits of the VIN# are 275299

Should I just wait till it goes or what? What if it happens after my warrenty expires?

[Desert Dan]

Not the kind of Head Job I look forward too

[f5fstop]

I can't say, other than the dealer won't replace under warranty unless it is bad. to be honest, I have almost 20K and my VIN is 100695; one of the earliest made, and I have not had the problem. Warranty spiked, and then started to go down; partially due to the new cylinder heads being released, and partially due to not all engines will be affected.

[ChevyHighPerformance]

Originally Posted by 2xtreme

I posted a while back about my rig burning an excessive amount of oil. After the first attempt to fix the problem they have decided to order me a new redesigned head. They said a red flag came up when they ran my vin # concerning the head on my truck. I will get more details today when I pick it up, but it goes in Dec. 18 for the new head.

If you are burning oil, maybe you should push the dealer for a new exhaust manifold (internal pre-cat), a new main cat, and new pre and post cat O2 sensors. I don't know what all the burnt oil would do to the cats or O2's.

[HUMMJAY]

weve had five trucks come in to the dealership in the last few weeks, with the head problem. one poor guy has ben with out his truck for almost a month.

[f5fstop]

Originally Posted by HUMMJAY

weve had five trucks come in to the dealership in the last few weeks, with the head problem. one poor guy has ben with out his truck for almost a month.

Really, and which dealer is this? Was it for the P code, with a rough idle?
Reason I ask is I'm curious if a change in fuel, that comes between winter and summer in MI, could have something to do with this problem. Something I have been researching on my own. I have my ideas on why this is happening on the early built heads. I actually have seen some correlation between where there are a large number of head replacements versus areas where there are few head replacements.
Maybe it is time to do another monthly report on cylinder head warranty to help prove my theory.
Out of six people I work with that have H3s, only one, has had the cylinder head problem, and all are early H3s, and all have quite a few miles. (I will say that the one who had a problem happens to be the person in charge of this part, which I thought was appropriate.

[HummBebe]

Originally Posted by HUMMJAY

weve had five trucks come in to the dealership in the last few weeks, with the head problem. one poor guy has ben with out his truck for almost a month.

Why??? Why has he been without his truck for a month?????

Do tell.....

[HUMMJAY]

Originally Posted by HummBebe

Why??? Why has he been without his truck for a month?????

Do tell.....

The heads were on back order from GM,, off topic, love the videos you guys made! I'm way jealous, we have nothing like that out here.

[H3.007]

I soooooo wanted to say something smart about getting head in my earlier post but I was at my work terminal

Seriously though, what is considered an early H3? I want to pay particular attention to this issue if I have one.

F5 - something we have seen in the last few years in PA, typically during the winter months, is unusual failure of fuel gauges. Supposedly, this was being investigated, but I never heard of any official findings. Many suspected the gas. But if memory serves me correctly, a variable may have also been that the majority of these failures were in GM products...

[f5fstop]

Usually, sulfur kills the fuel sender unit. Different areas of the country have different amounts of sulfur during different times of the year; due to different requirements for fuel. Sulfur destroys the contacts on the sender unit. Usually, when it fails, the gauge will say Empty, even if the customer has just filled the vehicle. Prevents people from being stranded.

It is not just GM. My Jeep had a sender replaced at around 12-13K, and I have never had a sender replaced in a GM, but I know many who have. The fuel senders are not manufactured by GM, the supplier, supplies many car companies the same basic sender.

[H3.007]

Ahhhh - this would make sense. I'll pass on the word as I don't think anyone ever came up with a plausible explanation. I mispoke when I suggested it was solely a GM problem. My Mom has a Buick and it happened to her too.

[2xtreme]

The dealer didn't say anything about a bulletin #, just that there was "something" that came up. My last 6 numbers are 116976 and I have 13,780 miles on it now. I am now taking it on the 20th because he is changing out another head on the 18th. Just for the record last winter I did take it in for a rough sounding idle, and they adjusted a sensor of some sort.

[H3PAC]

Yup - Happened to our Suburban - along with the fuel pump which the knuckleheads installed inside the fuel tank. The mechanic mentioned the fuel formulation around here had something to do with it. Only $768.

[f5fstop]

Originally Posted by H3PAC

Yup - Happened to our Suburban - along with the fuel pump which the knuckleheads installed inside the fuel tank. The mechanic mentioned the fuel formulation around here had something to do with it. Only $768.

Most fuel pumps in this day and age are installed in the fuel tank, so I guess the auto industry is just riddled with knuckleheads. The day of the mechanical fuel pump went; except for the mechanical pump used on SIDI systems, but they have a main pump in the tank.

[H3PAC]

You really don't want me to respond to that, do you? You're too nice a guy for me to take advantage of an opportunity like that! I'm sure that placing the fuel pump inside the tank was brilliant, as long as it never needs to be replaced. They're probably very reliable though, and rarely need replacement. Just my luck that mine went bad. When I found out what was involved in replacing the pump, you can imagine my warm thoughts for the folks who determined its location. I paid mostly for labor. I guess the engineers can't always anticipate how fuel will be reformulated, especially when politicians get involved. Speaking of knuckleheads......

[lennyrebel]

Originally Posted by H3PAC

You really don't want me to respond to that, do you? You're too nice a guy for me to take advantage of an opportunity like that! I'm sure that placing the fuel pump inside the tank was brilliant, as long as it never needs to be replaced. They're probably very reliable though, and rarely need replacement. Just my luck that mine went bad. When I found out what was involved in replacing the pump, you can imagine my warm thoughts for the folks who determined its location. I paid mostly for labor. I guess the engineers can't always anticipate how fuel will be reformulated, especially when politicians get involved. Speaking of knuckleheads......

I think you have a very valid point about politicians and reformulating fuel. I think this ethanol business is causing tons of problems because of its affinity for water and water loves anything ferrous and next were walkin. Regards the Rebel

[H3 Alaska]

Originally Posted by f5fstop

Usually, sulfur kills the fuel sender unit. Different areas of the country have different amounts of sulfur during different times of the year; due to different requirements for fuel. Sulfur destroys the contacts on the sender unit. Usually, when it fails, the gauge will say Empty, even if the customer has just filled the vehicle. Prevents people from being stranded.

It is not just GM. My Jeep had a sender replaced at around 12-13K, and I have never had a sender replaced in a GM, but I know many who have. The fuel senders are not manufactured by GM, the supplier, supplies many car companies the same basic sender.

F5 I have no scientific data to back this up, but it?s interesting you mention it.
All 3 of ours (our 2 and the brother in law) had the misfire issue pop up right after ?winter fuel? was issued here in Anchorage.
Also, my first thought was that the change of moisture in the air was a contributing factor. We had mega rain in the fall, and it was constantly wet. I was wondering about this due to the way the intake of air is directed into the air filter housing.

Also if you remember me mentioning the issue seemed to happen on mine originally when the ?low fuel? light came on.
This points me (again, with no scientific data to back it up) to fuel tank/air/road moisture.
I constantly run my tank to the low fuel light while in town as a side note.

All of our fuel up here comes from AK crude produced in 2 or 3 refineries.
I?m using Chevron regular 95% of the time, the wife and brother in-law are random fillers at wherever they feel like it.

Mine is going back in again on Monday for another P300 code if they want to use it as a case study.
Feel free to contact me for dealer details/release/etc.

Dan