Attention Valve Spring Failures/Concerns
Race Director
Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 12,759
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From: Prosper TX/Austin TX
2020 C6 of the Year Winner - Modified
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2020
Posts: 6,380
Likes: 3,294
Race Director
Joined: Aug 2019
Posts: 12,351
Likes: 14,185
From: Central Illinois
This is correct, and just think about it, say you bought your new car and got a job transfer half way across the country 6 months later. Do honestly think your new local dealer is going to refuse warranty work and tell you to haul it 1,500 miles back to where you bought it???? Not how it works.
Safety Car
Joined: Oct 2015
Posts: 4,128
Likes: 616
From: St Louis Area IL
And the service department is a separate cost center. They aren't going to turn down work or care where you bought your vehicle. And if they did ask if you bought your vehicle there, just say yes.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 867
Likes: 148
From: N CA
Race Director
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 11,127
Likes: 3,222
From: Sunny Florida
I guess there's no chance that a valve smacks a piston ??? I know it's not like an interference engine problem but do we know ? I guess the key is to shut the engine down as soon as the CEL comes on or do you hear it ticking or clacking ?
Safety Car
Joined: Oct 2015
Posts: 4,128
Likes: 616
From: St Louis Area IL
At least one person here reported he had a valve hit the piston when his spring broke.
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Michael S. Palmer
E-Ray, 3LZ, ZER, LIFT
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 35,045
Likes: 12,412
From: NE South Carolina
A visual inspection isn't going to identify a valve spring prone to sudden breakage. That would require removal of all springs and eddy current testing equipment dealers aren't equipped with.
The problem here is sudden breakage. The springs look and perform just fine until breakage.
The problem here is sudden breakage. The springs look and perform just fine until breakage.
But difficult and expensive to identify metallurgical defects with any certainty on an already formed spring! Can and often is done automatically when drawing rod to make the high quality spring wire.Once made, far cheaper and best just to replace them with statistically high probability good new ones! That can be done without removing the heads. But with the engine location a PIA!
PS: Just checked and a set of 16 high performance Comp Cams small block Beehive valve springs for a small block Chevy are only $161 at Jegs! No question in the quantities GM buys them, the standard LT2 springs are much lower cost to them! Just the labor to check valve springs with questionably assurance of them being defect free would be far more!
Last edited by JerryU; Oct 2, 2020 at 10:53 AM.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2016
Posts: 2,876
Likes: 2,506
The topic of dealers must do warranty work comes up on this forum on a regular basis and is sorta akin to whistling past the graveyard. The Sales and Service Agreement every GM dealer must sign does contain a clause pertaining to doing warranty repairs on cars sold at any dealership. While as a dealer you agree to service these cars, you do not agree to when! You also do not agree to a finish time or a priority time compared to other vehicles.
I have personally turned down warranty repairs and have been questioned by GM as to why. It has always been for reasons of the actions and attitude of the owner presenting the vehicle. While I could care less, I would advise folks to be cautious about being demanding and thinking they are entitled. The higher the quality of the dealer involved, the less likely GM will push the issue and will most likely tell you to find another or direct you to another dealer.
I have personally turned down warranty repairs and have been questioned by GM as to why. It has always been for reasons of the actions and attitude of the owner presenting the vehicle. While I could care less, I would advise folks to be cautious about being demanding and thinking they are entitled. The higher the quality of the dealer involved, the less likely GM will push the issue and will most likely tell you to find another or direct you to another dealer.
Safety Car
Joined: Oct 2015
Posts: 4,128
Likes: 616
From: St Louis Area IL
The topic of dealers must do warranty work comes up on this forum on a regular basis and is sorta akin to whistling past the graveyard. The Sales and Service Agreement every GM dealer must sign does contain a clause pertaining to doing warranty repairs on cars sold at any dealership. While as a dealer you agree to service these cars, you do not agree to when! You also do not agree to a finish time or a priority time compared to other vehicles.
I have personally turned down warranty repairs and have been questioned by GM as to why. It has always been for reasons of the actions and attitude of the owner presenting the vehicle. While I could care less, I would advise folks to be cautious about being demanding and thinking they are entitled. The higher the quality of the dealer involved, the less likely GM will push the issue and will most likely tell you to find another or direct you to another dealer.
I have personally turned down warranty repairs and have been questioned by GM as to why. It has always been for reasons of the actions and attitude of the owner presenting the vehicle. While I could care less, I would advise folks to be cautious about being demanding and thinking they are entitled. The higher the quality of the dealer involved, the less likely GM will push the issue and will most likely tell you to find another or direct you to another dealer.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2017
Posts: 5,363
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From: New England
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2020
Posts: 6,380
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No, but I can tell you on the East Coast some dealers will give priority to owners who did buy the car at the dealership over someone who did not. Whenever I take my cars that are under warranty in for service one of the first questions I get asked is if I bought the vehicle there. Everytime. And not just Chevy, we have a Jeep and a Honda and I am always asked this question.
Now if you are talking about repairing an RV, it's 100% true. If you didn't purchase from them, good luck getting anything, even parts.
Last edited by C8J; Oct 2, 2020 at 10:19 AM.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 5,184
Likes: 174
This is correct, and just think about it, say you bought your new car and got a job transfer half way across the country 6 months later. Do honestly think your new local dealer is going to refuse warranty work and tell you to haul it 1,500 miles back to where you bought it???? Not how it works.
Safety Car
Joined: Oct 2015
Posts: 4,128
Likes: 616
From: St Louis Area IL
No, but I can tell you on the East Coast some dealers will give priority to owners who did buy the car at the dealership over someone who did not. Whenever I take my cars that are under warranty in for service one of the first questions I get asked is if I bought the vehicle there. Everytime. And not just Chevy, we have a Jeep and a Honda and I am always asked this question.
Pro
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 515
Likes: 245
From: CT
I've had to take my mother in laws Jeep she bought out of State last November to the local shop for check engine lights in January and June. No one asked me if I bought it there. We bought a new 2013 and new 2014 Ford at a dealership where I got a better deal, but take it to the closest dealer for service. They also never asked me where I bought them. If they did, I would just say yeah, I bought it from you.
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 25,583
Likes: 16,942
Since dealers are independent franchises, policies on this matter no doubt vary. However, the vast majority couldn't care less where a car was purchased. I have NOT EVER had a problem with over 60 new vehicles, and having lived in 6 different states.
Clearly, politeness is the key. No one wants to deal with a jerk.
Clearly, politeness is the key. No one wants to deal with a jerk.
Last edited by Foosh; Oct 2, 2020 at 11:25 AM.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 976
Likes: 1,081
I've had to take my mother in laws Jeep she bought out of State last November to the local shop for check engine lights in January and June. No one asked me if I bought it there. We bought a new 2013 and new 2014 Ford at a dealership where I got a better deal, but take it to the closest dealer for service. They also never asked me where I bought them. If they did, I would just say yeah, I bought it from you.
The folks that state dealership service departments don't want to do warranty work are delusional.
I am in the car business and my Collision Centers contract with 8 local dealerships.
We do extensive amounts of warranty work and transportation damage including in those dealership is a Chevrolet store.
The fixed operations are critical to tthe dealership bottom line and warranty work make up a large percentage of work performed in service department.
Most dealership try to have 100% absorption in fixed ops to cover dealership overhead and then sales of new and used profit fall to bottom line.
Fixed ops are vital to a successful dealership operation.
The retired dealership owner here on the forum can easily support these statements as true.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 6,591
Likes: 2,649
From: Lancaster, PA
Does GM pass on the cost of spring replacement to its supplier? I know GM is very cost conscious of suppliers pricing and wonder how it plays out when issues like this surface. Do the suppliers warranty their product to GM or GM assumes all liability (in return for basement pricing) for these parts?