G8 GT is in the Shop DAY 1

[sweetair]

I will be updating this thread as info is given to me about this issue. Feel free to chime in if you like with thoughts.

I dropped her off yesterday morning and tried to explain all that was going on with her recently. I made this appointment last week when I was noticing that there was a flare in the shifting in Sport mode between 2-3 and 3-4. Well on Wednesday of last week, on my way into work (about 4 miles away) just as I was leaving the driveway all hell breaks loose as I start driving away. The dash is lit up all over the place. Check engine warning and chime, ABS failure warning light/symbol and chime, big red X call dealer warning and chime, the speedo is bouncing all over the place and the car is now in limp mode (stuck in 2nd gear). I need to get to work so off I go.

I try not to run her above 3K RPM as it just feels bad and the local speed limit of 35 needed to be watched. I don't even know what speed I am going because the speedo is bouncing all around. I drive her home and leave for Thanksgiving and don't drive her again until driving her yesterday to the dealer.

I have a OBDII reader and got a U0073 code I think(this is from memory now) and there was still the check engine light but the car shifted thru all gears. I got it to do the flare for the tech as well as the shudder at 48MPH. It is at the dealer and the thought so far is obviously transmission, but they are not sure where the issue is and if a repair can be made or a new one in installed. I vote for the new one. I really don't want to deal with this again in a few months, and feel any repair will lead to that.

I'll keep the group posted by up dating this thread.

[I12XLR8]

Wow. Sounds serious. I look forward to seeing with they discover.

[sweetair]

Well after 2 days the tech still isn't sure of the source of the noise and vibration. This is just a touch frustrating. I'd like to know what the issue is but I need to give them a little more time. What I do know is that all the noises and vibrations that I have been feeling, the tech and shop foreman have been feeling too, so I am happy about that. They have ruled out AFM for causing the rumble strip vibration. They will be replacing the motor mounts that there is a TSB for to help with that vibration. They are also looking into the prop shaft/driveshaft as the source. Not sure though. There are many codes the car is throwing right now. Many dealing with the transmission. This isn't going to be completed anytime soon as the shop foreman was explaining he needs a bunch more info and will need to talk to an engineer at GMC in order to get a prop shaft released for the car if that in fact is the issue.

In the meanwhile I have a rental, a white cargo van, LOL. Like only 2 seats in it no side windows that I am tooling around in. Think I will bring in my 33"wide Troy built mower for servicing while I have the van for ease of transporting, and not dirty my Expedition. Something good is coming out of this after all. While they have her they will be mounting 2 new tires up front and two rims and tires I bought a while back on this site on the rears. I just did the front brake pads and rotors myself, and bled the brakes as well. She will be like new soon enough, I hope.

Thanks for reading.

[sweetair]

Day 3 done.

What has been figured out is that the vibration at the 47-48 MPH speed was from the torque converter and a new one is going to be installed. I'll take it.
They are going to install new motor mounts to reduce the engine vibration that is detectable when the car is in AFM. I'll take that too.
Next up is the transmission. As per engineers at GMC, they want it out and taken apart. That will happen tomorrow. I'd really like a new updated transmission there too. Fingers are crossed on this one.

So far all is covered under the power-train warranty on the car. Psyched about that. Gotta love it when a car manufacturer/dealer is taking care of you.

[GM Customer Service]

Day 3 done.

What has been figured out is that the vibration at the 47-48 MPH speed was from the torque converter and a new one is going to be installed. I'll take it.
They are going to install new motor mounts to reduce the engine vibration that is detectable when the car is in AFM. I'll take that too.
Next up is the transmission. As per engineers at GMC, they want it out and taken apart. That will happen tomorrow. I'd really like a new updated transmission there too. Fingers are crossed on this one.

So far all is covered under the power-train warranty on the car. Psyched about that. Gotta love it when a car manufacturer/dealer is taking care of you.

This is definitely great to hear! The Powertrain warranty definitely gives peace of mind. Please let us know any further comments or questions you may have!

Brandon
GM Customer Service

[jspayne66]

Why cant all GM dealers be proactive like this, I swear the dealerships i have gone too have an excuse for everything.

[sweetair]

OK so here it is, the DIAGNOSIS!! I'm not really happy about it, and I am really irritated with myself, but it is what it is.

I got a call from the shop foreman on Friday afternoon to hear where we are with the car. After he dropped the pan, what he saw was water in the transmission oil. Humph, that's not good at all. How did water get there is the $3500 repair question for the new transmission and torque converter that is needed, as well as complete flush. He had a very simple explanation. He was also very certain that it was NOT coolant from the radiator cooler. That would be a frosty color which it was not.

On my G8 he noticed my transmission dipstick tube that I installed a while back. Almost 2 years ago or so. He is seeing that it is not sealed where it goes into the transmission. I remember seeing it having a rubber O ring on the bottom of the tube when I installed it, but hindsight is always 20/20, that little O ring isn't going to seal out much of anything. For the past almost two years, every time it has rained, it has hit the tube under the car as spray, run down the tube, and slowly leaked into the transmission, where water is a very bad thing.

What I have been doing everytime or so when I change the engine oil is to open the transmission plug, drain out about 2 quarts of transmission fluid, (measuring it so I would know how much to put back in) and then re-add the equal amount of Dextron VI down the transmission tube, it couldn't get much easier. The thought is to maintain this car as I love it and want it to last for quite a long time. What has been really happeneing is that I was slowly killing the transmission.

TAKE HOME POINT--------------IF YOU ARE USING THIS TYPE OF DIPSTICK TUBE, CANADIANEH WAS SELLING THEM, PLEASE DO YOURSELF A FAVOR. CHECK THE SEALING OF THE TUBE INTO THE TRANSMISSION AND ADD SOME SILICONE OR SOMETHING TO PREVENT WATER FROM LEAKING IN.

From here on out, I am going to be doing what the manual says. Every 50k or so, drop the pan, change the filter and re-add to the correct level.
Please also everyone here understand, I am not calling out anyone I am really just trying to help out fellow members not have the same issue I have and save some serious expense.

[I12XLR8]

so....I assume they are not honoring the warranty as the fault was yours? That really sucks. It is $3500 for a new one?

[zepcom]

whoa.... thats crazy.

[I12XLR8]

if this was my car there is no way that tube would go back into the new tranny...not worth the ease of checking for the potential risks.

[sweetair]

The tube is not going in at all. No worries there. They are going to help me out with the cost quite a bit, so I am very lucky there. They are calling it "good will" as they consider me a valued customer.

[I12XLR8]

Good for you. Good on GM for taking care of you. It's service like this that keeps me coming back to the General!

[Steve GT]

Glad to hear they are taking care of you, sounds like a great dealer!

[-Ray-]

Glad you have it sorted out and received help.

[sweetair]

Thanks for the kind thoughts guys. I'm hoping I get her back this week. With the brakes and rotors being done, brakes bled, new battery, new tires and coolant flush, she'll be as good as new. Just paid her off last month too.

[texn884]

GRRRR8 news and even better you have her paid off! Can I send you my payment book?

[sweetair]

lol..................it's just coincidental how these things happen (or just seem to happen) after the car is paid off or just out of warranty.
GRRRR8 news and even better you have her paid off! Can I send you my payment book?