2011 5.3 AFM lifter tick? Looking for help dealing with the dealer

Michael_92 · February 2, 2016

Hey, I am posting this on a few forums so I can be armed for Wednesday. I just want as many opinions as possible..sorry if you have seen it before and also sorry for the wall of text..Not sure how I can condense it down.

2011 Ext Cab Silvy LTZ with the 5.3 AFM engine 57k miles bone stock...literally everything is stock and under warranty for like 3 more months.

Sometime recently, I'm not really sure when, my truck developed a tick. I bought it last March with 32k on it and it sounded, looked, and drove like brand new. Now this noise is present hot or cold. It comes from both sides of the engines but it's HORRIBLE on the passenger back side. I promise the truck has not seen 5k RPM more than a handful of times. I do not beat on my engine or truck...There aren't even any scratches or dents. I have changed the oil with the mobile 1 synthetic 5w30. I was under the impression this is a good consumer oil. I run only Shell 87 and NOTHING else. Not one time has the truck had a different gas in my possession.

Now I already took it to the dealer today but they didn't look at as their schedule was full. I was just getting opinions. We listened to a 2013 5.3 with AFM and it was dead silent compared to mine. Now the guy I was talking to came over and tried to say it was the belt or alt...Being in a mood to not argue and the fact it COULD have been the belt or alt I went home. Took the belt off and fired it up..noise was still there louder than ever without everything else covering it up. So the only thing it could be is..exhaust leak or a lifter.

Maybe this will help..it sounds like a diesel. What would cause that?

Also the truck has a clunk in the rear end. I took it to them previously and they said it was normal. Well now it is much worse. Sometimes the truck will clunk every single time you go from brake to gas or turn. My 2000 and 2001 did this too and it was the ring and pinion. The difference is those trucks were beat into the ground so it made sense. 99.9% of the miles I've put on this are hwy miles.

Anyways so I had to agree to pay $138 for them to look at it if they tell me "it's normal" which I KNOW they will do. Just so this can all be documented the dealer is Williams in Traverse City MI, 49686. I have already contacted GM and have a case number but...

The real reason of this topic is I do not want to have to fight and argue to get this fixed. If anyone has ever had to deal with this how did you convince them the problem exists? Especially the rear end thing...it's just annoying at this point. I just want to be armed with as much information as possible.

BlackZ71Silverado · February 2, 2016

That "clunk" you mention is normal. It the slip yoke going in and out. There is a nickle plated updated part but not sure a dealership will just replace it because you don't like the clunk, good luck though.

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Michael_92 · February 2, 2016

Is there a reason it only makes the clunk only sometimes? I mean it's like a judder..everyone in the truck can hear and feel it. When it's messing up you just touch the brake then touch the gas and the truck makes a fairly loud clunk. It shakes the rear end a good bit and you can feel it in the wheel slightly. It's only sometimes though. For example on my way to the dealership the clunk was going on every time you touched the brake..then on the way home nothing. Not once. I notice it the most on right turns.

GLSierra13 · February 3, 2016

My '00 did it and so does my '13 if the conditions are just right.

48fleetline65 · February 3, 2016

I had an 07 Silverado and had the "clunk" noise. I took the driveshaft out and greased the slip yoke and noise went away

Michael_92 · February 3, 2016

Okay. I am going to pop out the Driveshaft and lube it up. Maybe it's just really dry.

What kinda grease do people suggest?

Also I took it to the dealer about the tick. "We had our master mechanic who teaches classes look at it and he says it's normal"

AHHHHHHH. I love this truck but...I mean cmon.

48fleetline65 · February 3, 2016

Here is the thread I found what grease to use

6354089http://www.gm-trucks.com/forums/topic/121671-lubricating-yoke-splines/

Michael_92 · February 5, 2016

Took it to the dealership. Was told the noise is normal. Don't you guys know? You should be able to hear the engine tick at 10ft away with the hood closed. I recorded the entire conversation..the guy admitted there is lifter tick. It is that it isn't loud enough for them to care. Despite the FACT it didn't make said noise until a few months ago.

Gurrzt · February 7, 2016

Depending on the miles it COULD be a sticking lifter.

Michael_92 · February 8, 2016

Well it doesn't really matter anymore. The tick is getting obnoxiously loud. You can hear the engine 15-20ft away now. When I got it you couldn't hear it period.

BlackZ71Silverado · February 8, 2016

That's the chance you take when buying a used vehicle. It may have had heavier oil in it when you bought it, a crooked dealership trick to keep it quiet.

Do you personally know the previous owner that you insist the truck has never been over 5,000RPM? If the factory warranty expires soon, you should take it to a different dealership and see if they can help.

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Michael_92 · February 11, 2016

No I do not personally know if owner beat on it or not. All I can say is that it had 0 scratches. Stock tires, The receiver on the hitch was never used. The tow hooks in front were never used. The trip meter was never reset. The radio never had presets done. The engine didn't make a peep for 8 months. The entire underside of the truck looks brand new. No scratches or dents anywhere, all the stickers on shocks and everything intact.

That is why I bought the vehicle. It showed absolutely 0 signs of actually being used. It looked brand new inside and out and sounded brand new as well. It also Black with painted bumpers and had the black leather inside and had a sunroof

That's why I got this truck. I get comments on it all the time which I find hilarious considering it's just a truck but I have had people come up to me and go "nice truck" and "how do you like it" hahaha.

I am going to try a different dealer tomorrow. Instead of telling them it's under warranty I am going to tell them I want the engine replaced and to get a work order and estimate wrote up.

I've changed a few things since the pics. I buffed it at a friends paint shop. You can't see swirls..period. You can take a paint light to the truck and see basically nothing but the very fine light scratches from the paint. Much deeper black and 3x as shiner. Also got rid of all the emblems and stupid 4X4 logo. I love the truck, that is why I am kinda really upset about the engine.

canman · February 13, 2016

If it's the lifter you will want to take it back in! I have a couple friends with 2011 Sierras who had to take theirs in and have their motors rebuilt. How is the oil consumption?

I have a 2009 and we noticed we were going through more oil than normal. We finally took it in with 69k miles on it and they wanted to do some studies on it.. so we had to have our oil changed with them and drive it 500 miles. We were just about to 500 miles when our engine started with the ticking... so we just took it in. It was already down a quart & 1/2, but per the dealer.. that's normal! Um.... I don't think so. Because of the ticking noise we were to keep it there as they were going to look into the problem with that.

Well... about a week later we get a phone call saying we have to replace our motor! The motor is totally shot. (We were good at changing the oil every 3k miles and while we did pull our boat 2-3 times a year to go fishing, my wife is the one that drives it and just takes the kids to school, grocery shopping and visiting her parents 15 minutes away. So it's not as if we beat ours either.

Because we are past 5 yrs it's our fault (even though GM knows they have an issue). It's just sad that you spend 30k+ on a truck, take good care of it to have to replace a motor after 69k miles.

Long story short... have another dealer look at it and if it is the lifters have them replace them all... not just 1/2 of them like they did on my friends truck. Beware... they will know you are close to having your warranty up and will try to prolong the process so by the time it needs fixed... your warranty is up.

Please keep us posted as to what happens. (I'm from GR, but had bought our truck up in TC)

Michael_92 · February 28, 2016

Yeah I took it to two more dealerships and they both said it was normal. I asked the first one to bring another truck around but..that truck made the same noise so I had NO ground to stand on.

It sounds like an exhaust leak tick tbh. The guy at the one dealership did say it had a lifter tick but until it was loud...

Honestly I don't know who to believe.

Daryl LBZ · February 28, 2016

My parents have a 2007 Monte Carlo SS with the LS4 5.3L, and a 2007 Silverado with the 5.3L. Both vehicles make lifter noise. The car has around 60k miles on it and the truck has 130k miles.