Mathew Kirsch

Just got off the phone with the mechanic. He was wrong. It was not a fuel injector. It was a lifter on #3 again. This time he's looking to replace the "VLOM" which nobody has mentioned thus far in any of the threads I've posted on this. Apparently the current recommendation from GM is to replace this along with the lifters now. He was not aware of this, and he had done many such repairs when he worked for the GM dealer. Replacing the VLOM was apparently not a thing before 2019. Apparently it wasn't a thing in 2020 either as the dealer didn't even suggest it the first time it happened. Unfortunately, no VLOMs to be had right now, so it sits in the shop all tore apart. He says, "Don't worry it's safe and sound in my shop." I said if someone were to steal it right now I wouldn't feel the least bit bad. If and when he fixes it, and this happens again, I am driving it until the rods are sticking out the side of the block. Oh yeah, and I'll be da*ned if I'm going to disassemble the truck to hose out in between the body panels once a month. That's a design flaw. Shame on GM.

Interesting. In all my tribulations and posts on here about stuck lifters nobody mentioned the VLOM. I listed what was being done, and nobody said, "Did he change the VLOM?" I just got off the phone with the mechanic who is working on my truck, and he just learned about the VLOM himself. The GM repair procedure he was going by didn't mention the VLOM but when it failed in <500 miles, he did a little more digging and found out about the VLOM. Unfortunately there are no VLOMs to be had right now. That's also why there are no pictures. It's been tore apart in his shop since July 5th. Glad I have other vehicles to drive.

Patience. It's still at the mechanic's shop 60 miles away from where I am. The only recent picture I have is of the initial bubbling of paint around the rear fender wells. That was back in the winter. It has gotten much worse. Paint is gone around the wheel well, and the under-rim is rusted completely away. This isn't something you can just DA and hit with a rattle can. By the way when I bought this truck I signed up for the unlimited car wash program and had the truck washed at least once a week year around since I bought it new in February of 2015. Oh and by modern standards, this truck should be just getting broken in. It should in no way be "used up."

Every 6000 miles, at a GM dealer. I would assume they use factory oil and filters. You guys aren't going to be happy until you've made this completely my fault. I didn't design the lifters. There is a well-known history of failed lifters, regardless of how the owner cared for the vehicle. Up until this point there has been ZERO information provided to me by either GM or the dealer as to any special "care and feeding" required to prevent lifter failure, even after the dealer repaired the lifters the first time. They said, "You're doing everything right. This is the way they are. You should be good to go for at least another 100k."

Eh, no. This just happened. Unless the engine is burning the exact same amount of oil as it was "making," and running acceptably for 140,000 miles with a stuck injector. It really does the shake rattle and roll with a misfiring injector.

The mechanic had good news for me. Valve train is OK. Cam is OK. #1 fuel injector is either stuck open or not firing at all. He thinks stuck open because the #1 plug was "washed clean." This is the second time the #1 injector has failed. Happened very early on when the truck only had a couple thousand miles on it.

What isn't there to get? "Has anyone LS swapped a 2015 Silverado?" I have access to a 2000 6.0L engine, and I'm having repeated troubles with a 2015 5.3L DOD/AFM/whatever engine seizing lifters. I thought it would be an interesting thought exercise at the very least and who knows, maybe someone has done it and I'd strike gold. The rest of this came from the "Fix it at any cost regardless of the value of the vehicle" crowd such as yourself. I am simply reporting what I've been told it will cost to have X Y and Z performed by the professionals available to me. You may have "good buddies" that will do it cheaper, or for a case of beers, or maybe your dealers aren't out to shaft everyone where you live. That's not the case here. As this has totally gone off the rails and is now getting antagonistic, I am done with this thread and with you.

If this was the first time, and I knew then what I know now, it probably would have been worth the money. That time, the only "advice" I got was, "If you're satisfied with the repair..." What should I have done? Crickets. At this stage, I'm $5000+ into repairs, and STILL don't have a running truck. Another $5000-$7500 in repairs that I absolutely should NOT be needing to make, is just too much for what the truck is worth. $10,000-$12,500 in repairs on a truck that appraises at $14000 on KBB and cars.com, and even then I'll STILL be driving a ticking time bomb. Before you go into how the online appraisal sites are "fixed" by the dealers association to give unrealistically low values... I know. It's the value the dealer is going to offer. It's what a private party is going to offer. I can stomp my feet and hold my breath, insisting its worth more, but nobody is going to agree with me, and it still leaves me stuck with this lemon.

Y'all are telling me to use genuine GM parts... Was quoted $2500 just for the cam, in a cardboard box, by the GM dealer in 2020. Using the labor is 2X the cost of parts formula that's $7500 to put in a cam. Looks like I can get aftermarket for a few hundred dollars, but y'all said not to use junk aftermarket parts.

What fool dealer is that? I couldn't get an offer over $14K with it running good. Someone wants to give me 20K trade in on this rusty lemon, I'll trade today.

It happened Saturday. I didn't get home until 7PM. Sunday was Sunday. Yesterday was a holiday. Hopefully he's able to take a look at it today.

"Improper operation?" Push on the long skinny pedal on the right to go. Push on the short fat pedal on the left to stop. Not sure how I could be operating the truck "improperly." I should be able to mash the gas pedal to the floor and hold it there, not have to tip-toe around it lest it seize a lifter. My normal driving habits are more on the gentle side, and this was no exception. First time around the repair was done at the dealer. Second time was done by a mechanic that used to work at that same dealer, is GM certified on the 2014-2018 Silverados, and someone I've known for years and came highly recommended. Of course typical troubleshooting was done. It was pretty obvious what happened when they pulled the valve cover and found the loose/bent/broken pushrod in each case. First time around the dealer took shortcuts, only replaced the lifters in the one cylinder. It lasted 40K miles. This time the mechanic did what GM recommended, used GM parts (because he could not get aftermarket parts). The jury is still out on event #3, but I know what it feels and sounds like all too well. Computer says #1 is misfiring. We'll find out soon enough.

Just paid to have all 16 lifters replaced in my 2015 Silverado 1500 5.3L with 141,000miles, because one seized in the #3 cylinder. This happened the first time back at around 103,000 give or take. Got it back, ran mint. For about 500 miles. Last Saturday I was 150 miles from home, and had just gotten up to highway speed on the expressway when something caught my eye. The traction control light was on, then I saw the check engine light blinking. Sure enough when I got into it even a little, it would start shaking and squeaking. The mechanic who fixed it came over yesterday and scanned it. Says it's misfiring on #1. So maybe not another seized lifter? Sure feels like one though... 'Bout ready to send the truck to the crusher, and swear off GM products for life.

Yes, I would. I've priced the cam and what it's going to cost to have it installed. It's half what the truck is worth, running. Fortunately it did not need a cam. Unfortunately the repair lasted all of 500 miles before it did it again!

I'd junk the truck if it needed a cam. Not worth fixing if much more is wrong with it. As I stated in my other thread, the body is just about ready to rust through, after only 7 years, and being washed 1-2 times a week year around. This was mostly a thought exercise.