"Piston Slap" lawsuit?

[ejlewis51]

I just found out my 2002 Suburban has the dreaded "piston slap" or "cold start knock" problem. Unfortunately for me, it now happens at any temperature at almost any time (mostly upon accelleration) although it is not a continuous knock. It is extremely annoying and embarrassing and should definitely *not* be happening on a 1 year old $40k vehicle. GM gave me a 100k engine warranty, but that's not enough.

 

Is there an organized campaign to file a class action lawsuit against GM on this issue? If not, there should be and I will be first in line.

 

This garbage that the noise is "normal" or "to be expected" is ridiculous and insulting.

 

I'd like to hear from like-minded individuals interested in pursuing results by any means necessary.

 

email me at: [email protected]

 

thanks,

 

=Eric

[Dihappy]

Good Luck and keep us posted.

 

Try a different dealer, i know in the past some people have gotten their engines replaced.

[RyanbabZ71]

may I ask have you or anyone else experience any problems other than the noise? (decrease in performance or failure)

 

I know in 37K miles i havent. GM gave me a 5 yr 100K warranty on the engine

[sgiangregorio]

I don't see what good a new engine will do if changes have not been made. It will still do it eventually in the new one.

[WEFs99]

How do you get these extra warranty's?

[asepgrad98]

now happens at any temperature at almost any time (mostly upon accelleration)

 

That is NOT cold start knock. It is called spark knock.

 

It should be able to be fixed under warranty and is not considered normal. CSk only happens for the first 30 secs or so after you start the truck, any longer and it is no longer "normal".

[lrymal]

Could someone record this piston noise? I have never heard it.

 

Secondly, and I can't qualify this, I'm certain a redesign of the 5.3 motors (and maybe the others???) for the 2003 year was done which removed the noise. I would think any replacement engines would incorporate this design.

 

I'm speculating about all of this, unfortunately. But, I do know that my 5.3 with over 10k miles is very smooth and quiet.

[ace3166]

It is not "spark knock" as someone reffered to.

 

A friend of mines truck had it only on cold starts at the beginning ,now it is has gotten progressively worse and does it all the time.

 

The knock is from the new Hi-performance piston design which were used in the newer engines.

 

 

All the info on GM piston slap can be found here including sound.

 

www.pistonslap.com

[2k3TahoeZ]

I've got 12k on my 2003 5.3. I have had the CSK for a while. It is really quick to go away though, so it doesn't bother me. It's not that loud either. I can only hear it when I am outside and my wife starts it. With that though, I would say that it's probably just a rumor that they fixed it.

 

My LS1's CSK is a lot louder. Both vehicles were purchased with 75k warranties so I have a long time before I have to worry. Still better than driving a ford.

[lrymal]

All the info on GM piston slap can be found here including sound.

 

www.pistonslap.com

Actually, this is a pretty good site. The references and quote resources are better than the authors' own comments and the FAQ, but it is a good site.

 

My '03 Silverado with the 5.3, is smooth, steady, and quiet. Over 10,000 miles. No oil consumption. The only noisy item on it is the fan.

 

From this site, I learned that one of our very old Grand AMs that has 135,000 miles on it honestly has very loud audible piston slap. It would always clear up as it warmed up, but the motor has always been well-oiled, well maintained, coolant flushed. This is a 3.4 motor and it has never failed. Going by one of the quote sources at that site, I pulled three of the plugs and did the fan rotation test. Yup, the slap is there. This motor has been noisy since about 30,000 miles and I just thought it was the oil pressure building up at cold start. Going by the site, I'm certain it is audible, knocking slap.

 

Our newer '99 GrandAm with 90,000 miles on it is quiet. Also with a 3.4. This motor has been smooth and quiet since new.

 

I dunno... this is a tough call. The noise byte at the web site defitely has a sound like a diesel. I don't think I have ever heard a V-8 that sounded that way except for one that lost oil pressure---the sound I heard reminded me of that.

[bigtruck21]

I don't see what good a new engine will do if changes have not been made. It will still do it eventually in the new one.

the 03's have teflon coated pistons....but it's subject to wearing out, breaking off, and other damage.

[jhm]

My 2001 Silverado with the 4.8l does NOT have cold start knock, but it does have piston slap while accelerating, especially if the engine is under any extra load, even running the air conditioner. They gave me the 100k warranty to shut me up. This slap did not start until 16k. It is quiet as a mouse on start up and even if I rev it up in park or neutral. When I was at the dealer last week to get my tranny checked (it is still there, 4 days now "too many trannys, only 1 tranny guy") I was looking at the '03 SS in the lot. The shark comes out and does the usual "that trucks a beauty etc" I ask him if they fixed the piston slap issue and he say's "oh yea! They put in all new pistons and rings and a new connecting rod made outta some special metal, no problems now!" So I said, if they figured out the problem, are they gonna fix all the others out there with the problem? He smiles and says "have a good holiday". I dont believe him, I have read truck magazines and they talk about the teflon coating and that GM says it is not a reliability issue. BTW, the guy who owned that piston slap website barred me after I questioned why he wanted everybodys vin number, yet he was staying totally anonymous, I suggested that he was using the info for his own war with GM to get compensated +++ for his own engine problem. The next day I could not get in, kinda funny.

[bowtiepatroit]

This is stupid as heck. Sure these motors make noise. Have any of them failed. NO.NO NO They run good and last a long time!! I am so tired of hearing people whine about a noise that is unproven to cause ANY problems. I have seen numerous of the 6.0, 5.3, 8.1 with 200,000+ miles. Yes they make a noise, but they are still running and running great. That is all the world needs is another attorney involved in something that is not needed. Just drive the dang truck or trade it in.

[ejlewis51]

Bowtiepatriot:

 

I didn't pay $40k for my suburban to have it sound like a $1,500 piece of crap. This is not "normal" and it should not be happening. I also find it hard to believe that such a drastic noise could be occuring without damage being done to the engine.

 

I respect your opinion, but definitely disagree.

 

GM is copping out on this one and that's wrong. They continue to sell trucks with engines that they *know* will do this and that's wrong. They will not properly compensate owners with trucks that have this problem and that's wrong. I will not be able to realize the normal value of my truck in resale or trade-in due to this noise at each start-up and that's wrong.

 

This whole issue would be a non-issue if GM would have 1) fixed the problem in new engines and 2) replaced the problematic engines with new engines like the other manufacturers have done.

 

-Eric

[bowtiepatroit]

I am not getting into a pi$$er over this. Facts show these motors last a very long time and run VERY good! I have to stand with Chevy on this issue, it is not anything other than a noise and is NOT hurting a thing!

 

So here is the situation and choices you have. Drive the truck and be happy. Or complain and worry and get all in an up roar over NOTHING.

 

I do not see what if any good will come from a lawsuit. My buddy was involved in a muliti million dollar lawsuit, lawyers made millions he got a check for 6.38$. The only thing a lawsuit will do is raise the cost of the trucks and get some slimball attorney some more money in his pocket. Your motor, my motor and any other's is not going to be replaced. If it was a problem doi you really think that Chevy would put failing motors in all their trucks? And if they were so bad you would see them scattered all along the roadways. They are not failing!

 

You come into a gm site where most guys here have a feeling of love for Chevy or GM. No matter what the GenIIs are great, poven and probably the very best push rod motors built. This subject has been around since 1997 or earlier, if you did not know about the motors than you did not research your purchase. It is very common and it is not a secret.