Dealers=scam Artists

dblj1500 · April 7, 2011

Well i dropped my 07 silverado GMT-900 today at the local dealership to get my waterpump seal replaced. Well it turns out that it was the waterpump itself that was leaking, not the seal like i thought. So at 37k the powertrain warrenty took care of it. Well i get a call at work saying that the belt needs to be replaced because there was coolant on it and wanna charge me $80. So i said that the belt should be replaced for free because, But for the fact of the waterpump leaking, the belt would be dry. Well then i get the run a round about how the belt is worn and they won't cover maintenance items. So I asked how a 100k item gets worn by 37k? Well need less to say that i got nothing from them and I'm going back tomorrow after work to talk to the service manager because he was in a meeting. So incase this doesnt go good for me does anyone know what lenght these belts are? I wanna get a gatorback if i have to buy my own and found one on summit but it said it was 87.5 inches. Is that the correct lenght? Is there a better place to buy one? Anyone know a part number? Sorry for the rant but this kills me..................Justin

dewfpo · April 7, 2011

Coolant is considered a wear item as well but if it's replaced as part of a repair, it is covered.

Ford dealer changed out the oil when they replaced the head gasket and got coolant into the oil pan. It was covered.

Seems logical that if the belt got wet as a direct result of the repair and IF it truly "needed to be replaced", then it would be covered. That being said, I don't believe the belt needs to be replaced just because it got water soluble coolant on it. Wash it off and it's good to go in my book. Of course the belt has wear on it ..... it should have about 37% wear if it's a 100K item at 37,000 miles.

DEWFPO

DaveH71 · April 7, 2011

autozone, advanceauto, and napa all have gatorbacks for around 20$ - 30$. 80$ for a serp. belt is insane.

dblj1500 · April 7, 2011

Yeah, I checked all the local shops and for some reason, everyone stopped carrying them. Now everyone sells "Gates" i think they said.

Silverado4x4 · April 7, 2011

There is nothing wrong with the other belt, tell them to put the old belt on and just because it got coolant on it doesnt mean its bad.

jro909 · April 7, 2011

it dosen't make them scam artists, you know how many hoops they have to jump threw just to get payed for warranty work? 80 bucks probably covers the labor also...i think when i got both of my belts replaced it was right around 80 bones...i have no beef with dealers, and if you go in their beating your chest like hulk your going to be disapointed

05GMCZ71 · April 7, 2011

actually you will want to replace the belt. coolant causes the belt to break down faster and will also cause squeal and attracts dirt. The nice part is that the belt is SUPER DANG easy to change on the 4.8/5.3/6.0 and I would imagine the 6.2. Nothing wrong with the Gates belt either, Gates has been around a LONG time and they make good belts and hoses. I got the belt for my truck at NAPA for $25.00

txab · April 7, 2011

105 amp alternator uses 4060922 according to charts.

Just buy a Gates belt locally, put it on yourself. You'll be just as pleased if not more. That's all we ever use

tonygxp · April 7, 2011

newer belts are gauged by "depth" of the ridges. if the belt is shallower than xx.xx then it requires replacement. otherwise it can be cleaned with soap and water and a brush. if it's not worn take it off clean it and put it back on, unless you're anal then just replace it lol.

dblj1500 · April 7, 2011

@ jro909, how they get payed or what they charge really doesn't have anything to do with this. Its the point that my belt didn't squeek before bringing it in and now it does because they got coolant on my belt and now are trying to say its worn to try and avoid replacing it. I looked at the belt and had our 3 mechanics at my work look at it and all said that its nowhere near being worn.

@05GMCZ71, I think i might just do that. I can't take this noise.

clemsonblozz · April 7, 2011

It's called an upsale..

Now, not sure about GM, but as for the truck engine company I work for,, We have progressive damage guidelines that we have to stick to... There are some items no matter what that aren't covered.. Even if the engine has a 2 or 3 year warranty, belts and hoses are only covered for the first year.. They are considered wear items, and they're not gonna cover it..

6 or 7 outta 10 people are gonna be like,,, "sure, replace the belt".. The art of upselling!

az'03Silverado · April 8, 2011

First of all, I have never had a serpentine belt go 100,000 miles. They just don't. I usually get 50,000 out of them tops. 37,000 miles is nothing to complain about.

Then, the dealership has liability issues to deal with that you may not know about. If they put the contaminated belt back on, then it breaks and you loose your power steering and crash for some reason, they can be held at least partially liable for the accident. It's called C.Y.A.

MikeNH · April 8, 2011

Yeah, I checked all the local shops and for some reason, everyone stopped carrying them. Now everyone sells "Gates" i think they said.

Gates is an excellent brand and probably better than the GatorBack, which can be noisy. Gates is an OE supplier for dozens of manufacturers.

dblj1500 · April 8, 2011

Yeah, I read a little about gates and they do seem to be reputable. I've only used a gatorback once and it was on my 95 Z28 when i had it and liked it alot. If the dealer doesn't work with me on this when i talk to the service manager tomorrow, I will buy a gates just because i can't stand the noise it's making.

redjewel2ss · April 8, 2011

i wouldn't waste my time fighting with the dealership over a $30 part that can easily be replaced with a socket wrench at home in 10 minutes. the AC Delco belt that is on the truck from the factory is about $30 online at rockauto.com and i would go with an OE replacement over anything else.

i'm pretty sure the AC Delco part number is 6K935