Chevy help?? (long)
 

My wife has a 2001 Tahoe w/12,000 miles. The exhaust just started rattling about 500 miles ago and only does it when the car is idling. I took it to the Chevy place and after three days of investigation some guy at the engineering dept. tells them to take it to a muffler shop and cut out a section and weld in a flexible exhaust pipe. Just before the guy gets ready to take it he calls and tells me this. I'm kind of a hot head so you can imagine my response. No way in hell!!! I asked him why he thought I would let them chop up the exhaust on my new car and weld in some rigged up concocktion. Thats not what I paid for. I asked him about leaks and it rusting off in a couple of years. He said I'm just doing what the eng. dept. reccomended. So I called customer service and basically got the run around and told me that my complaint was on file. After that I called the service manager back and had it out with him. Needless to say I didnt let them chop up the exhaust. Anyway I need some suggestions on how to get this taken care of.:mad: :mad: :mad:

due a search i think there is a site that talks strictly about chevy trucks and might have some info on a recall or update. sounds like your dealer is jerking you around.

Don't you just love good service. Hey check the heat shield around the catalitic converter they will rattle sometimes.

There's no engineering dept. located w/in an actual dealership. IF that's the case-call headquarters. Or if they "supposedly" did talk to the engineer-get the name & # & call them yourself. The dealership will never recommend you to take your car somewhere else to get fixed unless it's aftermarket equipment they did not add-or did but no longer deal w/ theat vendor. OR-they are not "qualified" to deal w/ this kind of problem. Therefore, yes put up a fight. Ask to speak to the General Manager of the dealership-not service. If no go, then speak to the owner-not always the GM. Then proceed to headquarters. I think it needs to be replaced.

Is this a fairly new dealership? Try one that's been open for awhile-more qualified techs. There's also a site re: recalls I can't remember the name, but I think Consumer Guide might have a link to it. Not NADA, but something like National Hiway Assoc?

Wait-I got something from Chevy like 2 weeks ago. I'll try & find it & post what I got. B/w us-if it weren't for the boat thing-I'd stick to my imports. Have a 2001 Chevy Z71 4x4 Suburban-just got towed from my garage today. That's like the 15th time it won't start. WOn't even turn over!!!! UGHHHH.

Somebody already said it but... I went through the heat shield problem on a GMC dualy, Had a hell of a time finding it. It didnt feel loose when i shook on it,but it was loose enough to rattle!!!

The engineering department they "may" be referring to is the GM service tech support. That could come in the the form of a TSB (technical service bulletin) or an actual phone call to a person who looks at an interactive database and answers questions. The database is developed by service engineering, a technical group within GM.

One way to determine if it is bull is to check what is being put on new Tahoe's. There may have been a change to the design as a result of customer complaints like yours.

Having said all of that, if the new Tahoe's are no different than yours and the service manager cannot produce the TSB or verify that he called his factory tech support guy, ask for the area service rep (from GM) to call you or set up an appointment with you the next time they are in town. If the service manager balks at this, go up the ladder, if necessary all the way to the general manager of the dealership or owner until you get the meeting. They will usually work with you to arrive at an equitable solution.

Sounds like the heat shield over the converter, or possibly somewhere else. There is probably a heat shield over the starter and the muffler, so check those too. Jam a screwdriver or something between the shield, and the floor board, and see if it stops rattling. Be careful it if is the heat shield around the starter, as the hot terminal to the battery is closeby. I have had this rattle problem on a few GMs in the past. It may even be the actual case of the converter.

I have a 2001 Chevy van I use as work vehicle, The exhaust was rattling on the cross member, I brought it in and they asked me what I hit !!! I said um it's brand new and done it since I picked it up !!! They wanted to send it to an exhaust shop and bend pipes,,, being a " hothead " myself,,, I said a few choice words brought it home and crawled under it, I found a hanger for the exhaust was letting it hand to low, I removed it straighted the FACTORY bend some, rehung, and guess what,,,it clears the crossmember now. Just something for you to look at. The Silverado has been fine, thank god, cuz ain't none of them hacks touching that vehicle !!! ( no offence to any QUALITY GM techs here ) It's just once I own it,, I don't want it touched by foreign hands,,,, same thing with the boat,,, I'd rather do it myself,,, work out a deal to get the parts from the dealer.

Thanks for the help. Its not a heat sheild. But after several lengthy conversations and a threat of getting an attorney involved, a phone call to the consumer protection agency, and a few cuss words, they are getting an engineer for this area from GM to look at it. Seriously considering that BMW thing!!!! If it werent for my Ford F350 being so good to me, I wouldnt own another American car. And I truly hate to say that.

Sounds like a broken muffler baffle to me. You will never get someone from the Technical Assistance Center (also known as dial-a-prayer) to talk to you if you don't work for a dealer. It doesn't sound like a recommendation from TAC, but anythings possible. If the exact problem can't be determined, but its definately exhaust, make them replace the entire system. Enough calls to the 1-800-***** line will get them to give you it just to make you leave them alone. By the way, I only buy GM, I'm a mechanic, won't even consider an import. In most cases they're really not that well built. And when its time for maintenance or repairs just bend over and hand over your wallet, cause it will cost more than a domestic. Theres no such thing as an auto that doesn't break. Why do you think every dealer has a service dept? Theyre doing a lot more than LOF's no matter what the salesman says. Sorry for getting off on a tangent, but I can't stand to have domestics bashed. Imports were far better than domestics in the 80's, but that changed in the 90's. Buy American!!!:D