V6; One of 3 timing chains stretched??

[Michigan SRX4]

I have owned a 2007 Cadillac SRX4 V6 for almost 6 months. I have had to bring it in for service 4 times now. The latest is for a "Powertrain Module Error". Dealer first told me the engine waas bad and would need to be replaced. Then after my slight tirade with the service manager, they tell me one of the 3 timing chains has stretched and they are waiting for parts. They have had the car for 6 going on 7 business days now not including weekends. I am an engineer who has built more than a few engines in my life. Has anyone else ever heard of this or had it happen to them? I find it hard to believe I have the only one that this has happened to. 3.6L VVT motor is available in all the sedan platforms, dealer has not ever seen this problem before. What really irkes me, is I bought this one, NEW. It has less than 6,000 miles on it. Anyone, any opinions?? I do love this vehicle, but now it feels tainted.

[dkozloski]

Drive chains don't stretch. They wear at the pins and get longer. This is easy to check by seeing how far you can flex the chain, 90deg. to the normal direction. It's inconceivable the chain could wear in 6000 miles. It sounds to me like they don't have any idea what's really wrong.

[donjumpsuit]

Good luck if your car is a lemon,
GM would rather spend 3 times as much as the car costs to fix, rather than issue you a new one, or buy it back. All the while you wait around paying for a car, you do not have the ability to use, and they don't issue rentals often.

[Michigan SRX4]

I know chains don't stretch, and if you take them off you should change them all. Car runs Mobil One so I figure wear should not be an issue either. THought hard about the lemon thing, I will wait to see what they say today. Car is supposed to be ready. Mechanics are definately not mechanics anymore. Just part changers. Dealer is good though. Free loaner everytime. I know the issues are not there fault, and they are left to deal with what GM dumps on the market and the people who buy. With the rebates, incetives and GMS cert I used from a freinds father, I did get what I, and most felt was a deal of a lifetime. But whatever price this is upsetting. Any other insights would be greatly appreciated. I will post what the findings were as soon as I know. I did specify in writing to the service manager, general manager and the service rep that I want to see the parts that came off.

[TSS]

Who is your dealer?

[b4z]

This is a little different, but I had a bad camshaft on my '04.
They replaced both, and the retainers.
Car had 1200 miles on it at the time.
Made kind of a whirring sound because the camshafts weren't machined properly.

[Michigan SRX4]

O.K. Picked the car up Friday night from the dealer. Dealer showed me all 3 chains. Don't know if they were the actual chains or not because I am new to this engine, but they all looked excellent. Had a few misc. gaskets also, but without taking them back to the office and putting them on a comparator, they looked great, no sign of wear anywhere. Dealer said the supplier sent the wrong chains to GM when the engine was built. Customers were complaining of noise, so GM has Cadillac dealers change the chains when customers bring the car in. Funny, my engine purrs with no strange noises. I took the car in with a solid check engine light, and a Powertrain Module error code. So my opinion is the dealer has no idea what the problem is. I will view this as strike 1 to the 3 strikes on the lemon law. I am disappointed because I do really love this vehicle.

[Michigan SRX4]

Sorry dealer is Massey Cadillac.

[robhersch]

Originally Posted by Michigan SRX4

O.K. Picked the car up Friday night from the dealer. Dealer showed me all 3 chains. ..... Dealer said the supplier sent the wrong chains to GM when the engine was built. ............. I took the car in with a solid check engine light, and a Powertrain Module error code. So my opinion is the dealer has no idea what the problem is. I will view this as strike 1 to the 3 strikes on the lemon law. I am disappointed because I do really love this vehicle.

Sorry to hear about your problem, but stranger things have happened in today's world of hi-tech engines and sub-contract outsourcing. Suggest that you keep an eye on your diagnostics (also maybe track details with a "ScanGuage" or other analysis tool) and maintain regular service with your dealer to ensure all else is OK for next several months before enacting lemon; and your dealer sounds like a jewel!! Hope this is only an anomaly!! Good luck

[Homeart studios]

Michigan SRX4, Have you had to bring your SRX back since its repair in April? I purchased a certified pre-owned 2007 SRX LAST WEEK, and recieved a check engine light shortly after. The dealer says its the timing chain, and they have to wait for the parts. Gives me a bad feeling about this car.

[airbalancer]

Originally Posted by donjumpsuit

Good luck if your car is a lemon,
GM would rather spend 3 times as much as the car costs to fix, rather than issue you a new one, or buy it back. All the while you wait around paying for a car, you do not have the ability to use, and they don't issue rentals often.

Dont the give you a loaner for over night service

"Alternate Transportation provides you with shuttle transportation for daily service and an alternate car (or reimbursement for rental or other transportation expenses) for overnight service, whenever your Cadillac requires scheduled maintenance or repairs covered under the Warranty Coverage Period. See your dealer for details. "

[donhenry@aeiwireless]

We took our new (03/02/07) 07 SRX in 5 weeks ago for Warranty Work- Dead Battery and Third Seat would not retract and Check Engine symbol was present-(7500 miles). Dealer could not clear engine symbol and learned from GM tech that several 07 SRX V6 motors have defective timing chains in them and have worn out of tolerance, and have to be replaced. Bad news is that there is a/will be a demand for the new chains. We have been waiting for 5 weeks and still no promise. The dealer gave us a 2008 DTS to drive. Since car will not run, Battery/Seat problems still unresolved.
Anyone else with this problem?
Gas mileage dropped for 19 avg to 16.8 avg and had lack of power.

I just got back from dealer who now has the new redesigned chains for my SRX. His parts contact at GM said first order out of vendor was for 200 + and GM had provided wrong replacement PN. So the new chains had been available all along if you request the right PN. LOL.
He expects GM may issue a recall?

[AJxtcman]

Originally Posted by donjumpsuit

Good luck if your car is a lemon,
GM would rather spend 3 times as much as the car costs to fix, rather than issue you a new one, or buy it back. All the while you wait around paying for a car, you do not have the ability to use, and they don't issue rentals often.

Originally Posted by Michigan SRX4

I know chains don't stretch, and if you take them off you should change them all. Car runs Mobil One so I figure wear should not be an issue either. THought hard about the lemon thing, I will wait to see what they say today. Car is supposed to be ready. Mechanics are definately not mechanics anymore. Just part changers. Dealer is good though. Free loaner everytime. I know the issues are not there fault, and they are left to deal with what GM dumps on the market and the people who buy. With the rebates, incetives and GMS cert I used from a freinds father, I did get what I, and most felt was a deal of a lifetime. But whatever price this is upsetting. Any other insights would be greatly appreciated. I will post what the findings were as soon as I know. I did specify in writing to the service manager, general manager and the service rep that I want to see the parts that came off.

Originally Posted by donhenry@aeiwireless

We took our new (03/02/07) 07 SRX in 5 weeks ago for Warranty Work- Dead Battery and Third Seat would not retract and Check Engine symbol was present-(7500 miles). Dealer could not clear engine symbol and learned from GM tech that several 07 SRX V6 motors have defective timing chains in them and have worn out of tolerance, and have to be replaced. Bad news is that there is a/will be a demand for the new chains. We have been waiting for 5 weeks and still no promise. The dealer gave us a 2008 DTS to drive. Since car will not run, Battery/Seat problems still unresolved.
Anyone else with this problem?
Gas mileage dropped for 19 avg to 16.8 avg and had lack of power.

I just got back from dealer who now has the new redesigned chains for my SRX. His parts contact at GM said first order out of vendor was for 200 + and GM had provided wrong replacement PN. So the new chains had been available all along if you request the right PN. LOL.
He expects GM may issue a recall?

.
.
.
.
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Ok this is what I know.
04-05
First Design
all roller chains. Crank gear has rubber molded onto it. The rubber falls off.
Second Design
the lower/ primary chain switched to a Inverted Tooth and the upper chains same as first design

06-07
Third Design
• Timing chains are identical to second design.

• The camshaft position actuator sensors are a new design.

• The camshaft position actuators incorporate new sensor wheels that correspond with the new design of camshaft position actuator sensors.

Fourth Design
• New secondary timing drive chains, inverted tooth (IT) design.

• The camshaft position actuators incorporate new sprockets that correspond with the use of IT chains on the secondary timing drive system.

• The intake camshaft position actuators are different for the left and right sides.

• The left and right secondary timing drive guides are new due to the use of IT chains on the secondary timing drive system.

• The intermediate timing drive sprockets are new due to the use of IT chains on the secondary timing drive system.

• New intake camshafts.

• New fourth design IT primary timing drive chain.

• New fourth design IT crankshaft sprocket.

• Fourth design IT primary chain is not interchangeable with second and third design.

The problem is with the fourth Desing only the first ???. The chains were not hardened. They strech a lot. A whole lot. Not that big of a fix. It does not take to much time to do.

[AJxtcman]

Originally Posted by dkozloski

Drive chains don't stretch. They wear at the pins and get longer. This is easy to check by seeing how far you can flex the chain, 90deg. to the normal direction. It's inconceivable the chain could wear in 6000 miles. It sounds to me like they don't have any idea what's really wrong.

Would you like to recant?

[donhenry@aeiwireless]

Originally Posted by AJxtcman

.
.
.
.
.
Ok this is what I know.
04-05
First Design
all roller chains. Crank gear has rubber molded onto it. The rubber falls off.
Second Design
the lower/ primary chain switched to a Inverted Tooth and the upper chains same as first design

06-07
Third Design
• Timing chains are identical to second design.

• The camshaft position actuator sensors are a new design.

• The camshaft position actuators incorporate new sensor wheels that correspond with the new design of camshaft position actuator sensors.

Fourth Design
• New secondary timing drive chains, inverted tooth (IT) design.

• The camshaft position actuators incorporate new sprockets that correspond with the use of IT chains on the secondary timing drive system.

• The intake camshaft position actuators are different for the left and right sides.

• The left and right secondary timing drive guides are new due to the use of IT chains on the secondary timing drive system.

• The intermediate timing drive sprockets are new due to the use of IT chains on the secondary timing drive system.

• New intake camshafts.

• New fourth design IT primary timing drive chain.

• New fourth design IT crankshaft sprocket.

• Fourth design IT primary chain is not interchangeable with second and third design.

The problem is with the fourth Design only the first ???. The chains were not hardened. They stretch a lot. A whole lot. Not that big of a fix. It does not take to much time to do.

Thanks for history.
We picked up our 07 SRX from dealer lat night. Our paper work shows that TSB J0820 was accomplished which included installing (2) 12589011 chains, (2) 12616608 chains and (1) 12616609 chain. Car runs good.
Don