2020 6.2L: misfires, lifter issues and engine replacement

[Fless]

If it helps, the 2020 owner's manual states to change the filter when changing the oil (at least once a year).

 

[persistent]

ok, so everyone shows up to tell me i'm an idiot for not changing the filter often enough. i will be changing the oil filter with the oil from now on. my wife put a lot of miles on this car, so the oil filter has been changed at least once a year, albeit not at every oil change.

what about what i actually posted about - the 14k quote for replacing the engine? i'm legit shocked that the solution to the first clear sign of a problem is to replace the entire engine, rather than replacing some components, e.g. lifters.

 

[persistent]

after having a look on youtube, i found a video that i think is pretty informative in the context of my current problem.

if a lifter fails or gets stuck, it can damage the corresponding lobe on the camshaft, which requires replacing the camshaft. the video works out the cost of the replacement parts and the labor required, as quoted by a dealership, as roughly 2k in parts and 5k in labor (30 hrs). i also see that it is common for dealerships to advise full engine replacement, presumably to avoid customers being angry that a partial fix did not work and to maximize profit for their shop.

the video is only 1 year old, and the comments are rich with content from people who have had the same problem. i see several accounts of similar quotes to what i got to replace the engine, 12-14k.

 

[the 18th letter]

ok, so everyone shows up to tell me i'm an idiot for not changing the filter often enough. i will be changing the oil filter with the oil from now on. my wife put a lot of miles on this car, so the oil filter has been changed at least once a year, albeit not at every oil change.

what about what i actually posted about - the 14k quote for replacing the engine? i'm legit shocked that the solution to the first clear sign of a problem is to replace the entire engine, rather than replacing some components, e.g. lifters.

It’s a board of mostly enthusiasts so the posts about the oil filter got everyone going. Coulda been less harsh on you lol but at least the point was made and you get it now. Moving on, the lifter can sometimes be unstuck using Marvel mystery oil and Italian tune up trick. You can search it on the board and hopefully someone more versed will chime in. 14k seems high In the end.

 

[15burban]

If it's not within warranty I would recommend finding a known good smaller shop. If you can't do the work yourself for a job costing this much I would get multiple quotes if of course you don't know of a shop that does great work.

 

[ReaperHWK]

Well the issue like you said is dealer labor. It’s $220 an hour at my location. I had the dealer recently reprogram my stabilization control module and blind spot modules that I replaced and it took them 15 min each(30 min total). They charged me $450 since each job is 1 hour labor on their charge guide. Wow. So replacing some engine internals would get up there with an engine replacement unfortunately. Now if I was you I would:

1) take it to a small shop mechanic, they may be able to do the rebuild at a lower cost that makes sense

2) if you have an extra car she can use, I’d do the job myself in the garage. You can’t F it up any more lol. Pull heads, replace lifter and other parts on the top end. Then pull the cam (not sure on a Tahoe but I know most cars can do that with the engine in the car). Probably $1000 in parts if you buy them from online discount sellers.

 

[B-train]

Listen to @the 18th letter this is a good, cheap, option. Aka: the Tennessee Tune-up as well. LOL

1. Change the oil and filter
2. Add approximately 1/2 quuart of Sea Foam, MMO, or ATF (Ratio is on the cans of Seafoam and MMO).
3. Let engine idle with new mixture until it gets warm
4. Run in neutral at rpms of about 1200 to 1800 (think massaging the mixture into the system)
5. Take the truck out and do some moderate pulls through the gears (not WOT).
6. Listen to the motor - is it quieter or noisier?
7. If it seems like improvement is being made, then give it some more rpm and longer pulls. Then coast for a bit and let the decell cycle pull oil up and around under vacuum.
8. Make a long run to Costco on the freeway. Buy more oil and filters
9. Let truck cool and sit overnight. Fire up in the morning and see if noise is gone. If gone, change oil and filter. If still slightly present, repeat the process and change the oil hot afterwards.
10. STOP using 0w-20 and go with 5w-30 Dexos.

This may or may not fix it depending on how bad the lifter issue is, but I'd be willing to bet it will work.

As far as the engine price, that's a major amount of suck, but seems common in this market. An independent shop may be a better option. They can still put in new GM engines with the warranty as well. 3yr/100k miles - done many over the years as an independent

 

[Foxy]

I would recommend getting a new Camshaft and lifters. My wife's Tahoe had the same issues and I just replaced the Camshaft with a TSP afm/dod delete stage 1 Camshaft and lifters. You'll need a tune from HP Tuners and new hi-flow oil pump, plus the dod delete kit and your tahoe will be good as new with a little extra power. Price should only cost you $10,000-15,000 for parts and Labor depending on your location. A lot cheaper than replacing the whole engine.

 

[persistent]

Listen to @the 18th letter this is a good, cheap, option. Aka: the Tennessee Tune-up as well. LOL

1. Change the oil and filter
2. Add approximately 1/2 quuart of Sea Foam, MMO, or ATF (Ratio is on the cans of Seafoam and MMO).
3. Let engine idle with new mixture until it gets warm
4. Run in neutral at rpms of about 1200 to 1800 (think massaging the mixture into the system)
5. Take the truck out and do some moderate pulls through the gears (not WOT).
6. Listen to the motor - is it quieter or noisier?
7. If it seems like improvement is being made, then give it some more rpm and longer pulls. Then coast for a bit and let the decell cycle pull oil up and around under vacuum.
8. Make a long run to Costco on the freeway. Buy more oil and filters
9. Let truck cool and sit overnight. Fire up in the morning and see if noise is gone. If gone, change oil and filter. If still slightly present, repeat the process and change the oil hot afterwards.
10. STOP using 0w-20 and go with 5w-30 Dexos.

This may or may not fix it depending on how bad the lifter issue is, but I'd be willing to bet it will work.

As far as the engine price, that's a major amount of suck, but seems common in this market. An independent shop may be a better option. They can still put in new GM engines with the warranty as well. 3yr/100k miles - done many over the years as an independent

just spoke to the service rep and was told that the 6.2 L engine is on backorder from GM, with no estimated lead time. he told me it would take about a week to swap the engine out once they had the engine, but it could be 1 week or a couple months until the engine was available. given that it has taken 9 business days to get to this point, i'm inclined to pick up the vehicle and try out your suggestions. there is no telling how long i would have to wait for the engine swap to occur, considering the sluggish response time from the dealership. it feels like it is being slow walked as a game to get me to trade it in and buy a new car.

 

[Greaser007]

How about a Reman long-block from AutoZone ?