If I live a thousand years I'll never understand how anyone could design, engineer and produce a vehicle - any vehicle, where a component like the harmonic balancer is capable of failure.

It's not unexpected that a 13-14 year old car will have a couple issues here and there, heck, it's part of why I'm here reading and learning about this car. But something like an HB - simple as a screwdriver, shouldn't have post after post/thread after thread dedicated to its existence.

There ... I feel better now.

Update: Car is back home in return for some of the kids' inheritance. The dealer agreed to use the Gator (Continental) replacement belts I had on the shelf as well as the ACC. belt tensioner pulley. Much appreciated. No issues with the dealer, again, it's just the idea of a $140 part causing a $750 repair being tolerated by the manufacturer. Reminds me of our (last and only) Toyota Camry that needed a timing belt replacement at 50-60,000 (?) miles as part of planned maintenance. Did I mention last Toyota?

When buying an Italian exotic, a British gentleman's GT or about anything German, one does so knowing cost of ownership is the status symbol - not the car. You expect a certain level of reliability and operating costs. Ongoing issues like this HB not being addressed by Chevy is a bit of finger raising toward your customers.

End rant.

 

 

Welcome to the club. Just grin and bear it from a newly installed HB vette owner.

 

Also a club member.

I've been driving for almost 30 years, owned enough vehicles I can't even begin to guess how many, never had to replace a balancer.. in less than 6 months I had the harmonic balancers fail on my '99 and my Cooper S. Turns out it's a "common" problem with both.

 

I just mentioned the issues with the balancers to my wife the other day. It used to be if you had a problem with a balancer it was a fluke but now commonplace. You would think with better technology and materials they would last forever but instead it seems the opposite. Hmmm.

 

And how did that go?

 

Corvette is and has been one of the best bangs for the performance buck ever found. It competes with cars that cost tens of thousands of dollars more. Trade-offs are made to keep the price as affordable as it is. A balancer shouldn't break the bank of most that can afford a Corvette. Balancers are also common failures on many performance cars including Mustangs. If you want to play - you have to pay!!

 

Ummm....Yugos didn't sling balancers....

 

Yugos don't make enough power to sling mud, much less balancers.

 

I hear ya, but, power is not what slings the C5 balancers. It's the inferior products used. Really hard to get more inferior than Yugo parts...there were none...

 

As a Lexus technician we had a recall on them on rx and Es models and I have seen them fail on old Ls400 also. It's more common than you think.

 

 

interesting

im not surprised about the RX's and the ES's but I didn't know the 1uz's in the LS/SC/GS-400's had any balancer issues.

Ive owned a few 1uz's and currently driving a 3uz and I think they are the best engines ever built in terms of reliability and longevity.

 

Don't see them often. Then again those cars have mostly gone to a demographic that cannot afford dealership service so we rarely see those cars to begin with.

 

I talked with a Chevrolet representative at the local Chevrolet dealer about a month ago about the balancer, fuel sensors and ebcm on the C5. He basically said that they warrantied the parts for the warranty period and they have fulfilled their obligation. He did admit that it is a problem about the electronics not being available from the aftermarket as the balancers and fuel sensors are but he suggested maybe its time to buy a newer Corvette. I agreed, but I also told him that a lot of people just cannot afford a New C7 and want to keep their older Corvettes in tip top shape. That was just about the end of the conversation which I did not expect much more from him. I felt a little better as I am also a member of the club as well being able to vent a little.

 

I don't mind so much that the HB goes bad... but, that they made it so damn difficult to replace it...bothers me a LOT!

 

Watch this do a google search on BWM problems and look haw many hits.

About 27,900,000 results (0.46 seconds)

Mercedes

About 29,300,000 results (0.49 seconds)

 

Yup, I got bit. Had to replace the HB and naturally it took out the tensioner too. GM went right on using the same design in the LS2 and LS3, not sure about the LT-1.

 

Ya beat me to it.......

 

You showed tremendous restraint in view of this guy's (apparent) arrogance. I find it unacceptable that anyone from Chevrolet would say such a thing ignoring the main reason why the Corvette has any following at all - brand equity!

If it weren't for brand equity, created by the culture promoted by both Chevrolet and buyers alike, no one would give a flying fink about their products!