Last time we checked in on the reportedly fussy Corvette Z06 engine, it was leaking vital fluids after Fox News reporter Gary Gastelu took it to the track.
Now it appears that Chevrolet has a fix for at least one of the Z06’s reported engine problems: change the oil, stat.
According to a General Motors spokesman, the catastrophic engine failures all seem to have three things in common: early production builds, oil contamination and low miles (under 2,000).
(Maybe that explains the one that bought the farm at 891 miles.)
According to Chevrolet, contaminants in the oil can cycle through the engine during break-in, causing all sorts of fun for owners. (We haven’t heard official word from some owners as to what exactly went wrong, but we’re efforting.)
On its own, Chevrolet said that it was upgrading its manufacturing process to minimize the risk of contaminating the oil. The cause could be thread shavings for the oil filter which may have made their way into the oil pan when the threads were tapped.
As a result, Chevrolet is asking owners to ditch the break-in oil quickly.
“We now encourage all owners to change their oil at 500 miles to remove possible contaminants created during the engine break-in process. And, as always, we encourage the use of Mobil 1 synthetic oil – which is a factory fill for all Z06 models, and Stingray Z51 models – and encourage owners to follow the engine break-in process detailed in the owner’s manual,” stated Monte Doran, spokesman for Chevrolet.
Owners are still reporting heat soak issues and intermittent power steering problems.
Chevrolet says less than one percent of the 9,000 Z06 models on the road have had engine troubles.
Um, yeah.
And how is an owner supposed to have confidence that a smaller, not engine-destroying, particle hasn’t scored the bearings, pistons, cams, lifters, hydraulic tensioners, etc? That sort of thing will cause problems years from now, not necessarily today.
And Chevy can always blame the owner for poor maintenance or engine abuse.
This was my thinking after reading this. They will avoid the black eye of having brand new engines failing at 2000 miles and pass on the blame of any damage done covered up by a 500 mile oil change before anything grenades down the line hopefully beyond the warranty period. Brilliant money savings! Screw the customer!
To be fair they probably don’t really know where the “contaminants” are coming from yet and this is the stop-gap for now. But I would be worried if I were about to sign on the dotted line and found out I needed to get an oil change in 500 miles just in case. That’s not reassuring.
Go read about the early E46 M3s and the S54 engines, a.k.a. the Engine of Damocles). Many (hundreds?) early cars grenaded engines and BMW blamed the driver, usually for over reving allegedly logged in the ECU. It go so bad that at least one BMWCCA chapter publicly discussed banning E46 M3s from the driving schools due to the frequency of connecting rod ejection and track oiling.
When SMG cars started blowing with the same false over rev codes, BMW had to fess up to poor industrial hygiene leaving debris in the block. I believe they started replacing oil pumps and cam bearings in all cars after that. They also refunded many engine replacements paid out of pocket by owners. Of course, BMW screwed MZ3 owners when they claimed the Z3’s lower red line meant their engines were fine and were not eligible for the warranty service/replacement.
““We now encourage all owners to change their oil at 500 miles to remove possible contaminants created during the engine break-in process. And, as always, we encourage the use of Mobil 1 synthetic oil – which is a factory fill for all Z06 models, and Stingray Z51 models – and encourage owners to follow the engine break-in process detailed in the owner’s manual,” stated Monte Doran, spokesman for Chevrolet.”
Wtf did they do to the Gen V LT1 (or is the LT4 to blame)? GM screws up the small block V8 and the days will literally be numbered.
If I had to guess, I’d say it’s likely in the pursuit of high-performance and reduced weight that they erred too far on the side of lightness and the new engine design is a touch underbuilt.
General Motors – “Mark Of Excellence”
Quality is Job #1,854th
Vehicles being recalled
Ignition switch recalls:
2005-2007 Chevrolet Cobalt
2007 Pontiac G5
2008-2010 Chevrolet Cobalt
2006-2011 Chevrolet HHR
2006-2010 Pontiac Solstice
2008-10 Pontiac G5
2003-2007 Saturn Ion
2007-2010 Saturn Sky
2010-14 Chevrolet Camaros
2005-2009 Buick Lacrosse
2006-2014 Chevrolet Impala
2000–2005 Cadillac Deville
2004–2011 Cadillac DTS
2006–2011 Buick Lucerne
2004–2005 Buick Regal LS & GS MY
2006–2008 Chevy Monte Carlo
1997-2005 Chevrolet Malibu
1998-2002 Oldsmobile Intrigue
1999-2004 Oldsmobile Alero
1999-2005 Pontiac Grand Am
2000-05 Chevrolet Impala and Monte Carlo
2004-08 Pontiac Grand Prix
2003-14 Cadillac CTS
2004-06 Cadillac SRX
Power steering recalls:
2004, 2005, 2008, 2009, and some 2006 Chevrolet Malibu
2004, 2005, and some 2006 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx
Some 2009 and 2010 Chevrolet HHR (non-turbo)
Some 2010 Chevrolet Cobalt
Some 2008 and 2009 Saturn Aura
2004 to 2007 Saturn Ion
2005, 2008, 2009, and some 2006 Pontiac G6
2015 Chevrolet Silverado 2500/3500 HD
2015 GMC Sierra 2500/3500 GMC Sierra HD
Right front axle shaft recalls:
Some 2013-2014 Chevrolet Cruze cars with 1.4L turbo gas engines
Transmission oil cooler line recalls:
2014 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
2014 GMC Sierra 1500
2015 Chevrolet Suburban and Tahoe with a six-speed transmission
2014 GMC Yukon and Yukon XL with a six-speed transmission
Sounds suspicious to me – I don’t recall its predecessor, the 638 H.P. LS-9, being plagued with this problem. If it is an early build matter, then what is different between the early production and the later production – seems to me it should be easy to identify.
As for changing the oil at 500 miles, if that is now essential, I wonder why the motor would get that contaminated so quickly. I would think it would take more like 2,000 to 2,500 miles to completely break-in the engine – at least that is what the professional who has done engine building work on high performance engines for me has claimed.
Also wonder if any of the LT1’s with the dry sump option have failed? That is where I would look.
Sounds like they’re trying to minimize engine damage and/or warranty claims.
The ‘contamination’ isn’t a matter of time or mileage; it’s a factory defect (metal chips). This debris is above the oil filter, and therefore free to destroy the engine at any time.
This really ought to be a recall and engine replacement campaign – not an oil change.
Would you want Joe Sixpack at your local Chevy dealer removing the existing engine and replacing it with a new one of the same design complete with the same defect and a new round of metal shavings? Imagine all the new problems that the dealer mechanic can cause doing major surgery plus how long is your car going to be in the shop? I’d want a free extended warranty and a cash settlement for decreased trade-in value instead.
George B,
Are we truly at the point where it’s not considered cost-effective to REPAIR an EIGHTY THOUSAND DOLLAR car?
If modern cars are going to be disposable and designed-for-assembly-but-not-service, so be it.
Just let the price reflect that reality.
OneAlpha, you miss the point. I doubt GM engineers have had enough time to both determine the sources of the engine failures and test the solution. Why rush out to replace currently running engines before endurance has been verified? Better to immediately change the oil and later replace engines as needed once the new ones are known to be good.
The second point is that the engine work will be done by mechanics working for independent car dealers outside of GM quality control processes. It’s like letting students grade their own tests. All the incentives will be for fast and cheap work, not good work. What other subtle problems will they introduce in reassembly?
Major surgery? It’s an engine swap. The only issue that would arise would be GM being cheap on the warranty hours thus leading to techs finding ways to beat an unfair time. Yes its a Corvette, but an engine swap is an engine swap no matter what vehicle. You should see techs lifting bodies off of Ford F-series to work on diesels or modular motors. Looks scary to the uninitiated, but its the easiest route for repair, provides all the access you could possibly need which leads to a much cleaner repair.
Take a peek:
I would hope Chevrolet would offer a complimentary early oil change if they are encouraging owners to perform one.
This. I believe they get 2/24 coverage on oil changes anyway but I think the limit is 4 a year – so you’re striking one off early.
Come on, they can’t afford that! That might create goodwill toward the brand or something. GM logic says that it’s better to make customers pay for however many quarts of Mobil 1 at 500 miles and have them buy from another manufacturer.
Let’s try some facts here. You get 4 included oil changes with Mobil 1. Because GM decided to require Z51 models to get a change at 500 miles (which is not a new mandate; its about a year old) you now get 5 included changes. I guess now the Z06 does as well.
Funny that even though you get the M1 as factory fill and for the included changes, my dry sump fill cap say “dexos” on it…..
http://www.mobil.ca/canada-english-lcw/carengineoils_dexos-1-approved-mobil-synthetic-lubricants.aspx
5W30 Mobil 1 is dexos compliant.
I can’t say all but most of the guys that I know who build hi-po engines 9cars, motorcycles, boats) etc. change the oil more frequently than what Chevy recommends.
I believe most metal shavings will show up within the first 50 miles. This is when I’d change, and again at 250 and again at 500.
Chevy doesn’t know why its happening but it reinforces the old adage to wait 18-24 months to purchase a new design. Allows the bugs to be worked out.
For any new vehicle I’ve purchased, car or bike, I’ve followed a hard break-in, followed by an oil and filter change within the first hundred miles. Get that crap out of there.
If you do that, and look at the used oil, it’s pretty crazy what you’ll find.
I always follow with another oil and filter change at 500 and then 1000.
Aaron’s writeup says the metal is likely from a manufacturing defect – i.e., they didn’t clean out all the chips while tapping/chasing the oil filter threads.
So this is NOT a matter of wear and tear, and it is NOT a debate over oil change intervals or break-in periods.
These chips could begin destroying the engine on the first revolution. Chevy ought to be replacing these engines – period.
In your engineering lexicon does “likely” equate to cause? I’m not an engineer. Don’t play one on TV, nor on the radio but I’d hazard a guess that as an engineer you’d want a more definitive answer than “likely”.
In your engineering position, if a subordinate came to you with a “likely” cause, would that be enough for you to issue a fix or would you want the matter investigated further to determine the true cause?
All things are possible, a subset of things are probable based upon the displayed symptoms, a smaller subset of things have data suggesting they happen based on analysis, and one of them will have the greatest amount of data suggesting it could be the culprit. However, volume of data does not necessarily equate to certainty and does not rule out multiple independent causal factors resulting in superficially similar symptoms. If the engine nuked hard enough, there might not be all that much left to really tell what happened too.
Plus, if they say that it’s 100% THIS PARTICULAR cause, and there’s another identical engine failure in a new engine that’s supposedly good, their legal liability goes through the roof.
More investigation is called for, certainly. But the specificity of the probable cause (poor cleanup after threading, now improved) tells me they already know the answer.
Chevy isn’t dealing with a mfg issue as much as a legal one at this point. I think they’re trying to contain a potential wildfire on their flagship product.
I can’t help but wonder: are we entering a new automotive “Malaise Era”?
Based on what?
… based on the fact that high performance engines are lunching themselves and the manufacturer does not know why.
Plus, I wonder how long these new-fangled high performance 4 cylinder turbo motors in various other makes and models are going to last before their constantly-overstressed innards give up.
The standard 4s, turbo or not, wouldn’t make it into the bread and butter volume models of makes selling on reliability reputations until the tech was pretty well sorted. It’s in the low volume exotics, early adopters are most likely to be beta testers.
Ya, that’s it – we are in a new malaise era.
I mean the average family truckster today can “only” get to 60 in around 7 seconds, horsepower of 300 under the hood is so what, safety has never been higher, and the average car you buy today should solider on to 200K miles with minimal intervention (some exceptions to that). Fleet fuel economy is near record high levels. Highway deaths are at post-World War II levels.
We have 80K mile tires, 100K mile coolant and tranny fluid, the average disc brake if not abused will go 40K to 60K miles before needing service,
Yup – malaise era two is here!
Yes, at least as far as engine oils go…All the good additives have been removed in the name of “emission control” Thank you Barry Obama, your libtards once again ruining our lives, and our vehicles…
Dear Nutcase,
The SAE keeps making engine oil industry performance standards tougher and tougher with each succeeding generation. Oils are now so durable and protective that a maker of performance engines as highlyl stressed as BMW’s is now telling owners that going as far as 15,000 miles between oil changes won’t void the warranty. A thread on this site recently posed the rhetorical question: Does ANYBODY experience engine failure anymore because of the failure of their motor oil?
And yet, you cite a deterioration in motor oil performance that shows absolutely no evidence of existing, and then blame it on…the President!
(Insert snappy retort here. I’m tired.)
I like when people like Nutcase make false claims without any knowledge of the current automotive engineering landscape. Oils couldn’t be better at this moment because of better understanding of Tribology thanks to new technologies (such as simulation tools). Even though emissions are sometimes a pain, I like the libtard agenda because it creates jobs for engineers and keeps my emissions research relevant/important.
“We haven’t heard official word from some owners as to what exactly went wrong, but we’re efforting.”
“Efforting”? Did you have asks for the owners? Will you feedback us with their answers?
Such language deserves to be mocked–mercilessly.
Well, all languages morph over time and I’d guess it’s usually initiated by illiterate in-group drones parroting whatever mutations those who could promote them are using.
But every in-group casts its own peculiar stink that remains attached to the newspeak for a while.
Like the use of “swap in” “swap out” “me and him” and the overuse of words like “premium” “cheap” and “bespoke”.
And don’t forget the over-used “price point”. The price IS the point. Sort of like saying “I, myself”.
Ima cut a little slack for “bespoke”. Real British People really use it right now and it’s got such a marvelous Jeevesian crispness about it.
It’s a thoroughly woody word, nothing tinny about it!
I’m sure you mean that such languaging deserves mocks, without any mercying.
Well parsed, da bot’a yas.
+1 you’re trying to be a writer, put a little effort into stringing a couple words together to convey an idea, eh?
I think all this short hand texting is turning everyone into illiterate morons.
I appreciate being feedbacked on my comment…
Maybe its just morons who are short hand texting.
“Verbing weirds language!” — Bill Watterson (via Calvin)
“Efforting”: One of the symptoms of chronic constipation.
^This. A polite new euphemism for pinching a loaf:
“Pardon my lateness but I was on the throne, efforting…”.
How about second thing, send off some samples for oil analysis. In fact, maybe save all the drained oil for a while to see what settles out and send that in for analysis, too. Let’s see if Chevy does better here than Porsche did with the early 986 engines with the IMS bearing issue.
The C7 marks Chevrolet getting really serious about competing with Porsche.
Performance -wise, maybe. Quality, I don’t they’re close yet…
Porsche’s are nice. Very nice. I consider them well built but I’d wonder if you’d describe what you mean by “quality”.
In this context, I’m guessing reliability and robustness of parts and solid construction.
Porsche’s GT3, developed by the vaunted GT division, had its own share of issues as well as the IMS issues of the previous Cayman, Boxters, and 911s.
I’d be great if every car could enter the market with nary a problem but these are complex machines. Higher performance versions require even tighter tolerances.
After spending a good portion of my adult life in military and civilian aviation I’ve discovered that how the defect happened is important but more so is the response and the fix.
A 911 is certainly built better than my C7 LT3. It should be; I spent $75k which will not get you in a 911. However, the C7 is very well engineered and is made with quality materials. In fact, considering you can get one for a bit more than 60K is frankly amazing. If there is anything that holds back the Vette is the choice of the SMC body panels. Steel has a better finish, greater dimensional stability and is easier to assemble with consistency. However, the Vette weighs in at 3300 plus. Engineering is a set of compromises. Any IMHO GM and Tadge did a fantastic job.
I was mainly referring to their Porschesque indifference to customers in the face of catastrophic engine failures.
Early builds?
1. Someone or some machine was either ill-trained or out of spec.
2. Bad parts.
An oil sample would at least tell them were to look.
Surely this problem should have been apparent AND remedied before a single vehicle was sold. Chevrolet, la plus ca change, la plus ca meme chose!
Pray tell, how? A run of defective oil filters that I doubt are made by GM, so unless the supplier sees it, you’re expecting an assembler to inspect each oil filter prior to installation on the engine? How exactly? Shyte happens. The manufacturer’s response is what matters here.
Why is it when it’s the camaro or corvette news its Chevy but when its any other “Chevy” its gm?
The Corvette has always been unique to Chevy and with Pontiac gone and Firebirds gone, Camaro is also unique to Chevy. Also Chevy’s last two rear wheel drive 8 cylinder mandatory (Corvette) and 8 cylinder optional (Camaro; ergo special mention as a Chevy. With heartfelt apologies to other Chevy car owners, the rest of mish-mash is in the FWD wars with the toyonadas. A war GM is valiantly fighting. However, one of my neighbors has a Candy Apple Red Malibu that’s looking awful sweet.
Sounds like a deburring process was shoddy or completely skipped. I doubt changing the oil at 500 miles will eliminate all potential metal particles swimming in and out of critical parts will solve the issue. I’d hate to own a car knowing sooner or later my engine just may blow. Ownership anxiety…
in the old days, you were told to change the original oil as soon as the break-in period was over, seems like the more things change, the more they stay the same.
I was thinking that.
Last new car I bought was 2009 – changed the oil at 1K miles – done it on every car I’ve owned since 1987. Made a difference? No idea – but I’ve never had an oiled engine component failure in my life on any vehicle.
Of course now that I’ve written that the Subbie or the Saturn will explode in a fireball tonight.
While I was at Ford, break in was a relic that died in the last days of carburetors.
APa: First oil change @ 1600 miles, then 3000 on the Saturn ONION, 1300, then 3000 on a new 99 Cavalier and 600 miles on a rebuilt long block 225 in my 63 Valiant.
It’s my money at stake, not the company that built it and I keep cars for years after they’ve been paid off. All get an “extreme service” schedule and preventive maintenance [hoses, belts ].
I’d rather spend the money on my schedule than in panic because I was stranded on the side of the road.
“In the old days, you were told to change the original oil as soon as the break-in period was over, seems like the more things change, the more they stay the same.”
True, but this is a little different than changing (or not) the break-in oil.
Also, in the old days guys on the production line also wiped things down and cleaned up metal shavings before they put your engine together ;)
Every time one of these articles comes up, I just think PeterMJs vitriol is probably somewhat right. The car just isn’t living up to its hype from reliability to paint to overheating. But I do love the styling.
Hopefully the additional price headroom and clean sheet design of the Zora will let them get it right.
For what it is worth, CR gave it an average reliability rating which is not a shabby grade today. Every mag gushed over it. Even the American car hating Top Gear gave it high marks. Yes the paint could be better. And with track use the thermal management needs work. But that’s about it.
PeterMJ says LT4s grenade because if their inability to shed heat. According to him, the same can be said for transmissions and power steering units.
He prescribes keeping your warranty intact and limiting ownership to “car and coffee competitions.”
Solution: Hellcat.
No offense to the mighty HELLCAT and BTSR, but straight line aside, there is no comparison. PeterMJ is not an automotive engineer, he is a keyboard cowboy – and has an axe to grind for whatever reason. There is certainly a thermal management issue under track use, and for the “most track ready Vette” it is inexcusable but “coffee competitions”? I pound on mine and have no thermal issues, or any failures to date. Just a recall….I suspect mr. MJ has not had sex in a long time. For him I prescribe a prostitute.
Lol!
In all seriousness, you own the base? Do you track yours? If so, what sort of ECT readings are you getting post lap? Paint aside, have you had any other defects or issues?
I realize it is a small sample size but the evidence Peter points to is empirical. I have not seen any evidence to the contrary, that is, people who hot lap the most track capable flagship ever and fail to experience heatsoak / limp mode.
It would be great to read evidence to the contrary, if you could point me in that direction, it would be much appreciated.
No, I have a Z51, manual car with the 3LT trim level. No, I do not track the car, but the thermal track issues are pretty well documented on Corvette Forum. I do get on my car, but obviously on public roads sustained high output operation is not possible, or wise. But since GM touted the track worthiness of the machine, this is a big problem and I will not deny that.
Regarding problems, I have had no warranty work done on the car. Highest coolant temp I have observed is 232 degrees. I keep the pocket gauge set for trans temp; that number has risen to a tad over 200 degrees in a four hour traffic jam. Frankly, for non track use there are no thermal problems, though the footwell does get too warm in my opinion. As for the paint, the real problem is that there is a bit too much orange peel. The coverage and paint quality itself looks fine. Then again, when you sit in traffic and look at the cars around you, it seems orange peel is a problem on most vehicles. I’m very fussy about fit and finish and am very pleased with the overall assembly. If you really look close, the gap on the passenger door is a tiny bit larger than the driver. Most would not even notice it. All and all I am very satisfied.
First you “pound on your car”, then below you “get on it”–so which is it?
The thermal management issue is a SERIOUS design flaw regardless of how you wish to spin it. The ancient Viper V-10 doesn’t suffer from overheating.
We get it—you’re a proud happy new owner, but to call out people for being a “keyboard cowboy” when you’re acting like a pissy fanboi yourself.
I’d demand a new Corvette replacement, not just the engine. Even without apparent damage. We’re not talking a Sonic or some sh!t.
It’s possible that some of the people that buy Corvettes are thinking about the market value when the car is a family heirloom, at which point a numbers-matching engine is important.
GM recognizes this. They do have an option of rebuilding your engine – if it is possible – instead of replacing it. On the Forum they had the documents from Chevy. Only the Vette had such an option; all others it was a fresh engine only. Not so sure it really matters. So many of these are made I doubt that many will really become collectible. But then again, look at what some cars go for at B-J or Mecum…
Corvettes can never be truly valuable, despite low volume. Too many get restored, hoarded and kept in bubble wrap. But as long as there’s documentation, a warranty replacement engine won’t affect the car’s “collectible” status or future value.
I’d still be p!ssed though and demand a new Corvette, even if there’s no signs of damage.
Nope. Simply an oil quality problem. Nothing wrong with the engines. Trust me
OK, got it, Nutcase. This is sarcasm. I’ll have my batteries checked immediately.
So changing the oil will fix the overheating issues too?
My neighbor has a yellow Z06 just like the one pictured above, haven’t seen it for about 2 weeks now, beginning to wonder if the engine had blown up on it.
This is just a complete failure to observe basic good machining practices. Isn’t a thorough pre-cleaning basic engine building 101? This would be inexcusable on a Cruze motor; on the flagship powerplant it is unforgivable.
At least GM isn’t alone; recall the Ford fiasco wherein they slapped heads on top of chip-covered decks for years. We have manufacturers with 21st century technology in billion dollar facilities overlooking procedures that a guy in his driveway wouldn’t miss.
The thing looks like some rednecks bolted a plastic Ferrari-esque body kit onto a Camaro, but couldn’t help themselves by adding garish scoops and vents everywhere.
Oh well, as long as the driver’s seat can fit a 250 pound middle aged ass in comfort and the passenger seat can accomodate an imaginary 20 year old who finds beer bellies and early cirrhosis sexually attractive, they’ll sell as many as they build.
This does seem like it’s visited the CAR ACCESSORIES aisle at Pep-Boys. Like the last iteration Formula Firebird, GM seems utterly determined that a high end sports car should look and feel like the circa 1990’s Batmobile. I’m surprised there’s not a jet-fire! exhaust on this thing.
Ha Ha, I can’t disagree with you there. Like I said above one of my neighbors has a yellow one like this and it does kind of look like a design disaster in that color. However one of my buddies just got a black Z06 last week and it looks light years better in black. Black fixes everything on this car including that afterthought back end. The values for black C7s in the future are going to be significantly higher than non-black ones, mark my words.
“…In Tonawanda, in the western part of New York, it will mean the creation of hundreds of jobs at the town’s General Motors engine assembly plant.
Officials announced this week that the Tonawanda plant will be the site where the C7 Corvette’s state-of-the-art LT1 V8 engine will be built starting early in 2013.
“We have done pretty much bread and butter engines for a while,” said Mary Ann Brown, plant communications manager. “We haven’t done a Corvette engine in a long, long time. We are very excited.”
Even more excited now, I’d guess.
http://www.corvetteblogger.com/2012/10/29/tonawanda-engine-plant-excited-to-build-the-lt1-for-the-2014-c7-corvette/
How could any properly vetted assembly process allow this to happen? I’ll tell you: Budgets and timetables, beancounters and understaffing. Managers who are pressured to say the equivalent of “I can name that tune in ONE note”.
This engine-failure problem with the Corvette is only newsworthy because it’s so unusual.
Say what you want about the Corvette’s interior, but one indisputable fact is that compared to exotics and luxury cars, they’re mechanically indestructible.
They. Don’t. Break.
You never hear about Vette transaxles exploding, springs sagging, sensors mysteriously dying for no reason, valvetrain components shearing off or PCMs giving up the ghost for the hell of it.
And that’s the ONLY reason we’re hearing about this engine debacle – because the Corvette has established a reputation for mechanical reliability that no other sports car but the Miata can match.
If this were any other car of this performance class, a random engine failure would be seen as no big deal – maybe even fobbed off with a faint suggestion that such a problem is “simply a mark of cutting-edge performance and pushing the technological envelope.”
Don’t believe me? That’s exactly how Audi, BMW and Mercedes handwave their repeated technology failures and consequent reputation for poor long-term reliability.
Love, it’s what makes a Corvette a Corvette.
So if M3s, R8s or C63 AMGs were grenading engine right out of the chute, we never would hear about it? Not news worthy?? Did you really think that through???
Yeah Corvettes have great reliability, but no better than the Silverado.
So damn right this is a big deal. It’s not like bad high pressure fuel pump. The engine is the heart and soul of a car. Especially one that’s so collected.
GM needs to buy back all Corvettes with the specific batch of engines, and not wait for them to have issues. Or at least give owners the option. I wouldn’t accept anything less. Even if it was a Silverado.
“Yeah Corvettes have great reliability, but no better than the Silverado.”
“and if you take cranberries and stew them like applesauce, they taste much more like prunes than rhubarb does.” -Groucho/Animal Crackers
Yep. Point is, it’s a Chevy. That’s good and bad, depending on what you’re looking at. Yes, insane reliability compared to German and Italian sports cars, but that doesn’t make this OK. Just replacing the engine doesn’t exactly make things ‘right’. As an owner of a new Z06, I wouldn’t feel I was ‘made whole’ with anything less than a buyback.
“and if you take cranberries and stew them like applesauce, they taste much more like prunes than rhubarb does.” -Groucho/Animal Crackers”
THAT should be the number one definition of “Marxism”.
I thought oil filters took care of particles in the oil.
It’s a pacifier. GM figures most Corvette owners are too dumb when it comes to things like this. Yes the oil change will do absolutely nothing.
The oil filter only catches particles that enter it in one direction, but in this case, the particles are BEHIND the filter, left inside the engine during manufacturing.
These particles get swept into the bearing surfaces upon the first engine start. There they can score or jam any lubricated surface. With the clearances of bearing journals being say, 0.0005″, a particle even 0.0010″ is twice too big to fit. So it has the ability to either badly scratch the bearing, or literally push the bearing out of the way so it can get through. This is called ‘spinning’ a bearing. Once this happens, the bearing journal’s oil passage rotates out of position, loses oil flow, and locks up, leading to engine detonation.
Changing the oil after the particles have begun moving – no matter how soon – is almost pointless.
Ironically, very large particles (visible to the eye) might not be so bad, because they have no chance of passing into a bearing gap. It’s the smaller ones which could be immensely destructive. To illustrate, imagine trying to open a door past a baseball lying on the floor – can’t do it. But now imagine opening the same door over a small marble. The marble will jam underneath the door. Forcing the door to move will dent both the door and floor surface, and will possibly act like a wedge, preventing any motion at all. The particles in question are doing the same thing as the marble in this example.
Scored bearings and journals can immediately eat each other, except that process could take months for a total meltdown or grinding to a halt. Especially if it’s not daily driven or tracked. Years, if it’s a Sunday driver and it’s sunny, dry and the mood strikes.
Large metal shavings/turnings may be rejected by bearing close tolerances, but can also taper at the ends down to zero. And what about timing gear?
The larger particles could fully or partially clog oil passages though, causing starvation at the bearing. An owner could only hope the blockage would be severe enough to destroy the engine quickly, while still under warranty.
@DenverMike, rpn453: Agreed on your points. Hopefully the owners won’t roll over for this one.