Important! My engine is being overhauled....as if the.key fob issue was not enough....

[XFireXLR]

My engine is being overhauled....as if the key fob issue was not enough....

The key fob issue could not be replicated, and all of my fobs are working correctly. No on to the new saga, had the car at the dealer for a vacuum leak. The rubber coupling between the air intake and the plennum had to be replaced due to a split on the underside. The tech made the needed repair and put everything back together and then proceeded to start the car and expressed that he heard a weird sound. The car immediately shut off, he then proceeded to check his work by removing all the parts that were previously taken off. After reinstalling all that was removed, he again started the car and again heard a weird sound only now louder.

The lead/head technician thinks that something may have fallen into the heads while the plennum was off. They used a fiber optic camera to look into the heads to see what they could find, but found nothing other than two stuck valves. So at this moment my engine is being removed for futher investigation. The shop manager calculated that it will take 26 man hours to remove the engine and investigate what happened. All work will be covered under warranty and if the damage is significant they will replace the engine with a new one. I will not know until next week what damage was done.

 

[05 GRAND DADDY]

The key fob issue could not be replicated, and all of my fobs are working correctly. No on to the new saga, had the car at the dealer for a vacuum leak. The rubber coupling between the air intake and the plennum had to be replaced due to a split on the underside. The tech made the needed repair and put everything back together and then proceeded to start the car and expressed that he heard a weird sound. The car immediately shut off, he then proceeded to check his work by removing all the parts that were previously taken off. After reinstalling all that was removed, he again started the car and again heard a weird sound only now louder.

The lead/head technician thinks that something may have fallen into the heads while the plennum was off. They used a fiber optic camera to look into the heads to see what they could find, but found nothing other than two stuck valves. So at this moment my engine is being removed for futher investigation. The shop manager calculated that it will take 26 man hours to remove the engine and investigate what happened. All work will be covered under warranty and if the damage is significant they will replace the engine with a new one. I will not know until next week what damage was done.

I bet your happy it's still under warranty!!!!...........
Caddyman Dan

 

[XFireXLR]

@Caddyman....yes that is a relief, my worry lies in the experience of the tech that will be doing the removal and reinstallation. My car was in perfect running order other than the vacuum leak. Will my car be returned to me with more "gremlins" than what it went in with? I have full faith in the dealership, they have treated me great with warranty issues. I guess its like going in for surgery, you have full faith in the surgeon until the day of the surgery.....and then you start second guessing thier ability.

 

[05 GRAND DADDY]

@Caddyman....yes that is a relief, my worry lies in the experience of the tech that will be doing the removal and reinstallation. My car was in perfect running order other than the vacuum leak. Will my car be returned to me with more "gremlins" than what it went in with? I have full faith in the dealership, they have treated me great with warranty issues. I guess its like going in for surgery, you have full faith in the surgeon until the day of the surgery.....and then you start second guessing thier ability.

I understand your feeling of fear! It's kinda like taking something apart to fix it and you end breaking other things that was broken when you started the repair! Hope it all turns up good for you in the end!!!!
Caddyman Dan

 

[Stella]

OMG I would have gotten escorted by the cops in shackles. If not I would have been driving out of the dealer in their new cts-v rental! I would think that their tech left something IN YOUR INTAKE that got sucked through and bent your valves. Like you said you had a vacuum leak not knocking. Your a better man than me I would be!!! Good luck hope you get a brand spankin new crate motor. I would demand it!

 

[XFireXLR]

OMG I would have gotten escorted by the cops in shackles. If not I would have been driving out of the dealer in their new cts-v rental! I would think that their tech left something IN YOUR INTAKE that got sucked through and bent your valves. Like you said you had a vacuum leak not knocking. Your a better man than me I would be!!! Good luck hope you get a brand spankin new crate motor. I would demand it!

@Stella.....I have found out through the years that getting upset, yelling and screaming will only make your doctor richer and it will not solve the issue. The dealership that I go to treats me like a king when I bring my car in, and they have never denied me a warranty repair. Only one tech is allowed to work on my car, and I am allowed to be in the shop while he is making repairs. Now here is the rub.....its a GM/GMC Truck/Buick dealership, every Cadillac dealership in my immediate area has treated me and my XLR like a second rate citizen. I have no reason not to trust them thus far, and the proof will be in the return of my XLR, hopefully in better shape than when it went in. I have written many letters to GMPP Warranty in regards to my treatment at the local Cadillac dealers in my area. And also in regards to the "free" loaners, here in Virginia dealers do not give out loaners but instead have agreements with various car rental companies. Now my loaner is no longer free, due to the fact that I have to pay the daily insurance cost. This is something that I need to take up with GM and GMPP. Right now if it takes the dealership 7 days to fix my car, my loaner will cost me approximately $210.00 + tax.......that is not free to me. This particular rental company that the dealership uses does not have any luxury cars. The best I can get is an, Impala, Malibu, Terrain or a pick up truck. With that said, I would rather have quality work and a less than desirable loaner than vice versa.

 

[05 GRAND DADDY]

OMG I would have gotten escorted by the cops in shackles. If not I would have been driving out of the dealer in their new cts-v rental! I would think that their tech left something IN YOUR INTAKE that got sucked through and bent your valves. Like you said you had a vacuum leak not knocking. Your a better man than me I would be!!! Good luck hope you get a brand spankin new crate motor. I would demand it!

Stella I was thinking the same thing! But not much more than halfa$$ backyard machanic myself. But it sure did cross my mind!!!!
I'm with Stella on this one XFireXLR you should fight this to the end get a brand new motor don't let them talk you into to repairing it or your end up with all kind of other problems in the future! Hope it turns out good for you!
Are letting you use a rental???
Caddyman Dan

 

[Stella]

I know you can't get mad at the dealer. At least until you get your keys back. But it sounds like the problem is all caused by the "tech". I would definitely b there when they pull the heads off to see the screw or whatever? Either way their at fault and making you suffer for it. Virginia, Malibu, impala what. They just wrecked the engine in your caddy. I would get a new lucerine or what ever that car is or tell them to check their used lot for something of your preference. I would also be pretty impressed if they get that car back to you in seven days. Like said before good luck and demand the world!

 

[XFireXLR]

I have already told the service manager that I would like to be present when the heads are removed. The dealership is only 7.6 miles from my home. I am retired so my time....is just that....my time, I make periodic surprise visits several times a day, and I will continue to do so. I may seem a bit reserved, but at the slightest hint of them becoming non disclosing they will see the other side of me......and it will not be pleasant.

 

[graytoad]

It always breaks my heart when I hear something catastrophic involving someones beloved XLR, it would kill me if it were my car (knock wood )

My best wishes are with you XFire.

 

[Lola's Mom]

There IS a person on this forum whose user name is CadillacCustomerService. Her name is Caron .... she works in Detroit and has helped other XLR members out voluntarily .... if I were you, I'd start with her. Good Luck.

BTW, if this was my car I would be

 

[XFireXLR]

Got the verdict today, they found a nut in the 4th left valve and a bolt in the 3rd left valve. The nut and bolt that were found had nothing to do with the initial repair. This is the puzzling part, all nuts, bolts and washers from the initial repair are accounted for. So they are rebuilding the top half of the engine. Two new heads, new valves, fuel rails and coil packs. There was no damage to the pistons or block. Here are some pictures from GM ICU............

 

[XLRATING]

Wow - just scary to see your car gutted. Do they have any idea where the nuts etc. came from? That would be interesting to know.

 

[Stella]

HOLY SH-- and they can't account for the bolt. You sure it ain't a nut and bolt that fell out of the "techs" melon! Honestly I hope they take care of you and make you happy. But after they fix it to your standards put that car in drive let the motor see five grand and NEVER go back there. Doesn't look like the cleanliness of shops. What is that a sandblast cabinet behind the car? Why are your heads just sitting on the ground is that the best place to inspect them? They have your battery just sitting on the ground? NO NO! Your pistons were going in the upward position when they slammed a nut and bolt into the valves. They bent the valves and I bet rocked the piston which if didn't knick the piston. You don't known what life is taken from the wrist pins,bearings,etc. Hey it's your car if they make you happy that's what matters. For what it's worth the calipers look good. Good luck.

 

[XFireXLR]

Wow - just scary to see your car gutted. Do they have any idea where the nuts etc. came from? That would be interesting to know.

I can only hope at this point that all will be OK when they are done. They are a standup dealership and I have never had a problem with thier work. They have no idea were the nut and bolt came from. I am starting to think "sabotage" at this point. The tech is a very stand up young man, as was extremely upset with himself and apologetic. He is the only tech that is allowed to work on XLR's, and there are three that come into the dealership regularly and they have not had any issues with his work. I am sure that they will make sure that the car is fixed correctly and that I am satisfied.

 

[Crimson Pearl]

Thanks for posting this thread about your experience.

I have to admit, the pictures of the drivetrain removed from the car will give me nightmares for weeks!

Please continue to keep us updated as this evolves.

 

[XFireXLR]

HOLY SH-- and they can't account for the bolt. You sure it ain't a nut and bolt that fell out of the "techs" melon! Honestly I hope they take care of you and make you happy. But after they fix it to your standards put that car in drive let the motor see five grand and NEVER go back there. Doesn't look like the cleanliness of shops. What is that a sandblast cabinet behind the car? Why are your heads just sitting on the ground is that the best place to inspect them? They have your battery just sitting on the ground? NO NO! Your pistons were going in the upward position when they slammed a nut and bolt into the valves. They bent the valves and I bet rocked the piston which if didn't knick the piston. You don't known what life is taken from the wrist pins,bearings,etc. Hey it's your car if they make you happy that's what matters. For what it's worth the calipers look good. Good luck.

Thanks for the compliment on the calipers. I have already let the service manager, general manager and dealership owner know that I am going to stay on top of this. I am trying to keep this non - adversarial, and you can trust that I will get satisfaction one way or another. My car was in perfect running condition the day I brought it in for the vacuum leak repair. From my understanding which I am going to verify with the service manager this coming Monday, that the entire top of the engine will be rebuilt. This means new heads, valves, fuel rails and coil packs on both sides and will include a new plennum. The heads are supposed to be in on Monday, I will be there and I want to inspect the tops of the pistons. They will fix my car to my satisfaction and I am not settling for anything less. If it means that they need to drop a new engine in....then so be it. I am not a mechanic and my knowledge is limited, but I will have someone there with me who is knowledgable and unbiased.

 

[1BADXLR]

can you get some more pictures of the engine compartment, w/o the engine. and maybe some other shots of the car with the drivetrain ripped out? I think now is a good time to step up to an ls motor, while everything is out, haha. good luck buddy! Im sure they'll do a great job, the dealership in fl did for me!

 

[Anthony Cundari]

question

I hate to ask this question but I will: why did they need to drop the engine and drivetrain to get to the top of the engine? I feel your pain on seeing your XLR in pieces. I also agree with Stella on the handling of and what appears to be a lack of basic care for the removed engine and body parts.

 

[BusaMan]

Half-Fast Repair...

I have to agree w/ Stella here. If this had been one of our motorcycles that suffered this way, it would have been an automatic, no questions asked, crank-up rebuild -- no discussion. The rod is like bent; the crank is LIKELY torqued/twisted out of time and balance; the cylinder has to be mic'ed and inspected. The pistons (plural) should be replaced, to ensure balance. Is the cam damaged? The metal pieces from the steel/aluminum encounters have to be all found and cleaned out, etc., ... One thing I learned the hard way is that they can't isolate the repair solely to the affected cylinder. Metal (especially steel) doesn't compress well, at all. When Mr. Piston tried to jam Mr. Nut N. Bolt into the head (remembering that the engine RAN this way long enough to make a strange sound (duh), it not only wreaked havoc on the exhaust valves, but it jammed the valve stems straight up into the cam. There were no rocker arms, to help absorb the shock, on any DOHC engine I've ever seen. Maybe NorthStars are different. Thank God I've never had to go into mine.

I second Lola's Mom's recommendation that you contact Caron, and give her a shot to ensure that this repair is done RIGHT. IMO, that entails a complete rebuild, at the very least, or (preferably) a new crate engine.

Tim

HOLY SH-- and they can't account for the bolt. You sure it ain't a nut and bolt that fell out of the "techs" melon! Honestly I hope they take care of you and make you happy. But after they fix it to your standards put that car in drive let the motor see five grand and NEVER go back there. Doesn't look like the cleanliness of shops. What is that a sandblast cabinet behind the car? Why are your heads just sitting on the ground is that the best place to inspect them? They have your battery just sitting on the ground? NO NO! Your pistons were going in the upward position when they slammed a nut and bolt into the valves. They bent the valves and I bet rocked the piston which if didn't knick the piston. You don't known what life is taken from the wrist pins,bearings,etc. Hey it's your car if they make you happy that's what matters. For what it's worth the calipers look good. Good luck.