Anyone with over 50k + miles @ no valve problems

Wondering if anyone has say 50,000 or more miles and never had a valve or head problem. Trying to gauge if this is a problem we will all have once the mileage is up there.

And why would the Colorado/Canyon trucks with the same engine not have this problem ?

I have over 20k, early model without out any problems. Well not really, rear window washer switch went bad, jack recall that the dealer hasn't fix in 2 months. No engine problems though, I'm with you on this, just waiting for a problem. I had planned to buy it after the lease was up but now I'm not too sure.
Wayne

7500 miles here..

But looking back to day 1, when the first H3's hit the dealer's lots back last May 05...think about how damn many of these beasties are still rolling down the road almost problem free, leastways with no engine problems and I venture to say that they have well over 30,000 miles on them by a vast majority..The reason most folks don't hear about all the good ones is just that, they have nothing to complain about and remain to be a silent majority...and most folks don't do internet forums either.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Dennis
The reason most folks don't hear about all the good ones is just that, they have nothing to complain about and remain to be a silent majority...and most folks don't do internet forums either.

How true. There are how many H3s out there now? Fifty or sixty thousand? A thousand new owners a week? And how many registered H3 forum members...hundreds maybe?? Just one disgruntled owner in the H3 forums can make a low incidence problem sound like a plague. Its the same on any auto forum. Still, negative reports on the H3 are rare.

8,500 trouble-free miles (including trail use) here.

and you are specualting that the tens of thousands of h3 owners that ARE NOT on internet forums are having no problems with theirs. Who's to say that there aren't 25,000 h3's rolling around out there that ARE having problems? You can't, and neither can I.

Fact is there is a problem, a big enough one that GM has redesigned the part affected, big enough one that almost any dealership you call has seen the problem and repaired a few before. I know Dennis' dealership has never heard of the problem but I can tell you for a fact that EVERY dealership I called locally in NJ, PA has heard of and repaired the problem on multiple trucks.

Seriously I don't understand how any h3 owner can sit at their computer and downplay the problem, and can actually be foolish enough to believe that it's not a problem but rather a few disgruntled owners causing a stink....get a clue guys!!! I have talked to an engineer at GM and they are aware of the problem, so it's not a made up issue, as a hummer tech posted, GM even has a vin# range for the trucks that could be affected.
Keep believeing that it a rare problem blown out of porportion....till you get the code and engine light....then you'll be reading all these "disgruntled" threads trying to get info that you can use.

You're right Mike and I don't get me wrong, I'm not down playing this problem in the least...I believe also it is a valid and high priorty issue with these I5s and GM...I just think there is fewer with the problem than there is not...I'm just crunching the numbers and the precentage is low for having the valve issue vs the number of units out there...If you are the unfortunate one to have it, then it really does seem to be a major issue, and that I can understand too.

I agree that the percent of affected units out there MAY be low.
but in reality..... when compared to the entire population, the percentage of people in the world with cancer is also low...doesn't make it any less of an epidemic.

Maybe it is bad Karma for wanting to kill all those imports.

Perhaps you should make a list like Earl....



I have not had a bit of trouble out of mine..nothing (knock wood)

regularly get 15 or 16 in the city and 18 or 19 on the road

except for my crappy MPG I haven't had any trouble out of mine either, just one check engine light that came out of the blue...that I just found out was an engine misfire code which is the first symptom of the valve issue.

We are looking at a some bad parts that got into the production line. Heads with soft valve guides. What we need to know is what VINs and build dates are affected. Miles is only a nice to know thing and may have no bearing on if a problem may surface.

Percentages are only percentages. You can't tell from a small sampling of forum members what is actually hapening. The only ones that do know are GM, and they arnt saying yet.

I can bet that they have traced down the supplier and know very close where the affected trucks fall in the production line. I sure want to know.

quote:

ORIGINAL: cnynctry

We are looking at a some bad parts that got into the production line. Heads with soft valve guides. What we need to know is what VINs and build dates are affected. Miles is only a nice to know thing and may have no bearing on if a problem may surface.

Percentages are only percentages. You can't tell from a small sampling of forum members what is actually hapening. The only ones that do know are GM, and they arnt saying yet.

I can bet that they have traced down the supplier and know very close where the affected trucks fall in the production line. I sure want to know.

Steve (H3X442) POSTED THIS ON THE OTHER THREAD;

I would like to add on this cylinder head issue. I am a shop forman at a Cadillac Hummer dealer and we have ony replaced the head on 2 trucks so far. We have sold a lot of 06 H3's with only 2 being effected so far. The PI lists trucks with a vin number before 68287591 (last eight of vin) might be effected. I hope this helps a little on this subject. Steve

quote:

ORIGINAL: importkiller

and you are specualting that the tens of thousands of h3 owners that ARE NOT on internet forums are having no problems with theirs. Who's to say that there aren't 25,000 h3's rolling around out there that ARE having problems? You can't, and neither can I.

Sure I can. If the head problem wasn't rare, these forums would be overwhelmed with rightfully pissed-off H3 (and Colorado) owners and Hummer employees. I've been watching the reliable H3 forums since I bought mine in Oct 05, and have only seen a handful of posts from people with this problem. I'm not downplaying your problem, but there's no evidence that this is anything but a limited run of bad parts, not an engine design problem on all early H3s as some of the affected owners seem to think. Spend time on any automotive forum and there will always be serious problems reported by a few, especially on first model year vehicles.

actually I'm guessing you don't read the forum all that much, because as stated by a hummer tech there has been a PI issued from GM stating that all h3's with the last 8 of the vin before 68287591 could be affected....still think GM would put out such a PI for something that is "rare"? Now a PI from GM with a specific VIN number run IS EVIDENCE that this has/will effect many h3's on the road today....check your VIN...Bet your one of the ones that may run into problems.

[

quote:

ORIGINAL: importkiller
actually I'm guessing you don't read the forum all that much, because as stated by a hummer tech there has been a PI issued from GM stating that all h3's with the last 8 of the vin before 68287591 could be affected....still think GM would put out such a PI for something that is "rare"? Now a PI from GM with a specific VIN number run IS EVIDENCE that this has/will effect many h3's on the road today....check your VIN...Bet your one of the ones that may run into problems.

GM absolutely would put out an order; to go on the record with monitoring and corrective action as a defense against potential class action suits for problems not acted on. If the problem had a significant occurance probability, owners of all potentially affected vehicles would be notified to take it to the dealer for inspection, if not to schedule head replacement. After the BMW paint case, car makers know better than to play games on warranty issues. Too many lawyers ready to pounce. Trolling for victims to enroll in class actions is also pretty common on auto forums. Not even GM is that dumb (I hope). I don't know what "the last 8 of the VIN" means; eight digits covers 100 million VINs.

Don't get me wrong, I niether defending GM or downplaying the problem for those affected. If I do have cylinder head problems I will be pissed. But you and others seem to be making a case that GM is doing something devious or stonewalling, and I see little basis for that.

quote:

ORIGINAL: SedonaBoundH3
But you and others seem to be making a case that GM is doing something devious or stonewalling, and I see little basis for that.

Im with you Sedona, I have yet to see a case where GM looks shady in this situation. They have made attempts to fix problems and they have honored their warranty..which is why there is a warranty...to cover situations like that. They stand by what they make to the point that if it fails, they will do what they can to fix it. Now some have failed and they have done what they can to fix it. Now if there was a problem and Hummer was saying there was not at all or they were forcing customers to pay for massive parts and labor, then I would say its time to bring in the lawyers but from what I have seen, they have done just as promised when you agreed to buy.
Now yes, its easy for us who have not had a problem to say things like this but again, the meaning of a warranty is not that it will never ever break. It means that if it does, it will be fixed and to me thats what it looks like GM is doing.

About the VIN, I checked mine and I fall in the group but I did some investigating and only the last 6 digits are the serial number.
The code: 68287591
The first digit (6) means its a 2006 and the second digit (8) means assembly plant #8 which is the Shreveport, LA plant.
so the S/N's affected is 287591 but the first vehicle off the line is S/N 100001 so 187,591 H3's could possibly be effected.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Ghostrider

About the VIN, I checked mine and I fall in the group but I did some investigating and only the last 6 digits are the serial number.
The code: 68287591
The first digit (6) means its a 2006 and the second digit (8) means assembly plant #8 which is the Shreveport, LA plant.
so the S/N's affected is 287591 but the first vehicle off the line is S/N 100001 so 187,591 H3's could possibly be effected.

Anyone know when GM plans to hit 180,000 H3s produced? 2008 maybe?

quote:

ORIGINAL: SedonaBoundH3


[

quote:

ORIGINAL: importkiller
actually I'm guessing you don't read the forum all that much, because as stated by a hummer tech there has been a PI issued from GM stating that all h3's with the last 8 of the vin before 68287591 could be affected....still think GM would put out such a PI for something that is "rare"? Now a PI from GM with a specific VIN number run IS EVIDENCE that this has/will effect many h3's on the road today....check your VIN...Bet your one of the ones that may run into problems.

GM absolutely would put out an order; to go on the record with monitoring and corrective action as a defense against potential class action suits for problems not acted on. If the problem had a significant occurance probability, owners of all potentially affected vehicles would be notified to take it to the dealer for inspection, if not to schedule head replacement. After the BMW paint case, car makers know better than to play games on warranty issues. Too many lawyers ready to pounce. Trolling for victims to enroll in class actions is also pretty common on auto forums. Not even GM is that dumb (I hope). I don't know what "the last 8 of the VIN" means; eight digits covers 100 million VINs.

Don't get me wrong, I niether defending GM or downplaying the problem for those affected. If I do have cylinder head problems I will be pissed. But you and others seem to be making a case that GM is doing something devious or stonewalling, and I see little basis for that.

I have never said anything to the effect that I feel GM is doing something devious...I think you have me confused with someone else. I actually posted the exact opposite thing in other threads, I feel GM found their error and has made the proper corrections in making harder valve guide castings. Some have made the whole gm conspiracy theory...I am not one of them.

quote:

ORIGINAL: importkiller
I have never said anything to the effect that I feel GM is doing something devious...I think you have me confused with someone else. I actually posted the exact opposite thing in other threads, I feel GM found their error and has made the proper corrections in making harder valve guide castings. Some have made the whole gm conspiracy theory...I am not one of them.

Sorry if I read more into your post than you intended.

does anyone know how many of I5 vortec engines has been produced 200,000. 300,000.. more??. since 2004. They are in use in the COLORADO and in the CANYON and... in the H3

I don't believe for a second that there is a flaw in the design of this engine.

the problem might have an external reason... let's try to find out the common factor linking together all the forum members having the problem.

quote:

ORIGINAL: JM


does anyone know how many of I5 vortec engines has been produced 200,000. 300,000.. more??. since 2004. They are in use in the COLORADO and in the CANYON and... in the H3

I don't believe for a second that there is a flaw in the design of this engine.

the problem might have an external reason... let's try to find out the common factor linking together all the forum members having the problem.

HUH????? there IS a flaw...gm knows there was a bad batch of heads and are now casting the heads differently. I guess you can believe what you like, but the bad heads that where put on some of the h3's is a FACT that gm is correcting.

quote:

ORIGINAL: importkiller

quote:

ORIGINAL: JM


does anyone know how many of I5 vortec engines has been produced 200,000. 300,000.. more??. since 2004. They are in use in the COLORADO and in the CANYON and... in the H3

I don't believe for a second that there is a flaw in the design of this engine.

the problem might have an external reason... let's try to find out the common factor linking together all the forum members having the problem.

HUH????? there IS a flaw...gm knows there was a bad batch of heads and are now casting the heads differently. I guess you can believe what you like, but the bad heads that where put on some of the h3's is a FACT that gm is correcting.

OK, I respect your opinion, but if THERE is a flaw some COLORADO/CANYON should have the same problem since they use the same engine.
do you think there is a way to find THAT out?

If I may internationally mediate here

These engines are in fact the same used in the Colorado and Canyon..very true..But as all car manufactures do, they sub out certain parts of the engine to be made out of house and I'm sure to the lowest bidder..The Heads are not a pure common componet on any engine and the H3 has had some (minor) design spec changes to accomodate the H3...The supplier of these heads is where the fault lies..But the basic BLOCK is still the same.

What exactly happens when they go bad??
A soft head and valve may be causing the problem but what IS the problem?

quote:

ORIGINAL: Dennis

If I may internationally mediate here

These engines are in fact the same used in the Colorado and Canyon..very true..But as all car manufactures do, they sub out certain parts of the engine to be made out of house and I'm sure to the lowest bidder..The Heads are not a pure common componet on any engine and the H3 has had some (minor) design spec changes to accomodate the H3...The supplier of these heads is where the fault lies..But the basic BLOCK is still the same.

Thanks Dennis, you beat me to it