Anyone encounter this issue?

[Lisa Harris]

I have a 2008 Chevy Silverado SS with 208000 miles on it and 21000 miles ago I had to have the lifters and cam shaft replaced. This morning while going to my land to feed cattle everything was going as normal then suddenly the bells started ringing and the stabilitrac light came on with messages that said service stabilitrac and service traction control within 3 miles the check engine light came on and the truck started clattering like a diesel tractor. Incline power is definitely not good and the sound is not like a lifter ticking but a loud hollow knocking. Of course it’s Saturday and no mechanics are open to figure out what the heck is going on. Any ideas? 

[Doug_Scott]

With it being 21,000 miles since cam and lifters being changed it is not likely in them.  What is the oil pressure gauge ready @ idle? I am too far removed from the trade to know what it sounds like when a lifter implodes, maybe someone reading knows. 

[Lisa Harris]

To Doug, the oil pressure at idle is between 20 and 40 just as it always has been. I change the oil every 3000 miles and check the oil once a week without fail because my dad taught me how to work on engines when I was growing up, however with everything gone computerized I’m at a basic loss. The mechanic who did the lifters and cam 21000 miles ago is coming this afternoon to get it on a trailer so I’m nervously awaiting his arrival. I am praying for it not to be a complete new engine needed but a this point I’ve got a bad feeling. I’m just not sure what the stabilitrac and traction control services have to do with the check engine light and the clatter but they happened within moments of each other so I feel as if it all connected somehow because I simply don’t believe in coincidences . I may be wrong but it just strikes me as odd. 

[Jsdirt]

Usually with ANY code (check engine light on), those 2 features are automatically disabled. Those 2 messages usually send DIY'ers down the wrong path.

[Jsdirt]

Sad reality of today, Doug - whenever a problem comes into any shop, the very first thing that's suspect are any new parts. 9 times out of 10, they end up being the problem. There's a running joke now that goes, "NEW means 'Never Ever Worked' (yet)" .

 

The problem with these LS engine's crap top ends from '07-up is,  you repair one problem, and another could pop up at any point - only way to really nip it in the bud is to replace EVERYTHING in the top end in one shot - cam, lifters, valve springs ( also highly recommend doing an AFM delete) HUGE one when you're paying labor. Just taking the heads off, if I remember right, is 20 PLUS HOURS - it's ridiculous. Yeah, the LS makes great power ... but WTF is that?!? Costs a fortune to keep them going every 100k miles, unless you get rid of that AFM crap ... or dump the whole unit for a non-AFM long block.  

[Doug_Scott]

Those are the same two messages you get if you manually disable traction control and stabilitrak.  With the engine already in a "limp home" mode the pcm is unable to reduce power the way it would normally do.  I can understand how they can send someone in the wrong direction though, unless they recognize the text being displayed in English as being wrong for trouble codes.  Trouble codes are never given in English.

[Jsdirt]

Wow,  you were super lucky to get that kind of miles before any valve repairs - most fail not much after 100k.

 

As to your problem, it doesn't sound good from where I'm sitting. I would contact the garage that did the repairs and have them take a look - if they just did the repair not that long ago, it could be on them to make it right.

 

Also, could be yet another, separate failure in the valve train. Usually most garages will just sell you a long block rather than rebuild these, especially at that mileage, for this very reason - lots of garages end up eating the labor. These engines have burned many techs when the '07-up engines started to fail.