[Zoomon43]

It is a long story but I had an injector failure that caused a hole in a piston and blowing oil out the rear main. The engine had to be totally replaced. They came back and blamed the Tune as to the failure. I don't want to get into that because I am now doing some research to find out if anyone else has had or knows of this type of failures. Here is what I know.

There was one other person that had the exact same thing happen a couple months before mine. The mileage was similar (36k) the injector failed and caused a hole. GM replaced the motor under warranty.

Mine happened at 22k in the same manner. Loss of power, shaking and oil pouring out. They came back and told me the computer said failure of #3 injector. They denied the warranty claim due to the tune. I had to pay the 15,000 to replace. The part that makes me pissed (all of it really) is that it took 3 months to get the truck back because, and this comes from the service advisor, they were waiting for the new injectors. He got a memo that GM was not only changing the injectors they were changing MFG of the injectors and there were none available anywhere. This tells me that there is a major problem with the old injector MFG and the injectors.

I need to know if anyone else knows or has had an issue.

 

[Rockcrawlerdude]

Can you just tow it home and put a piston, rear main seal and a set of injectors in it?

 

[mstrat]

I get what you're saying. I do. But... you absolutely knew (or if you didn't you did zero research) that a tune voids your warranty. It just does. You screwed with the programming. That's it.

 

[CleverUserName]

It is a long story but I had an injector failure that caused a hole in a piston and blowing oil out the rear main. The engine had to be totally replaced. They came back and blamed the Tune as to the failure. I don't want to get into that because I am now doing some research to find out if anyone else has had or knows of this type of failures. Here is what I know.

There was one other person that had the exact same thing happen a couple months before mine. The mileage was similar (36k) the injector failed and caused a hole. GM replaced the motor under warranty.

Mine happened at 22k in the same manner. Loss of power, shaking and oil pouring out. They came back and told me the computer said failure of #3 injector. They denied the warranty claim due to the tune. I had to pay the 15,000 to replace. The part that makes me pissed (all of it really) is that it took 3 months to get the truck back because, and this comes from the service advisor, they were waiting for the new injectors. He got a memo that GM was not only changing the injectors they were changing MFG of the injectors and there were none available anywhere. This tells me that there is a major problem with the old injector MFG and the injectors.

I need to know if anyone else knows or has had an issue.

I said it on the other forum too...

FYI...The thing about dealers, and their service writers is they are liars.

A long block 2.8 Duramax is about $5k dollars. You probably could have gotten an engine swapped for 1/2 the cost of what the dealer charged you.

Furthermore, OEM fuel injectors are readily available at Rockauto.com. And always have been in stock.

Do you like getting bent over? Cause that’s what happened to you...

 

[bigoilbob]

Echo. Our diesel Colorado's are what they are. One of the things they are, is a combo of fairly well matched drive train components. If, before your crater, the imaginary guy in the sky had come along and said, "I'll give you $15K to keep your truck stock as a rock, and you'll have to shift down and slow down when climbing up mountains with a GCVW of 10,000#", would you have taken it? Me, yes. You, knowing what you now know, ?.

 

[adamuise]

So, does anyone know what manufacture the fuel system is made by? Bosch, Denso..? I found that it is a HPCR but would be curious to know the details if anyone has any?

 

[CleverUserName]

So, does anyone know what manufacture the fuel system is made by? Bosch, Denso..? I found that it is a HPCR but would be curious to know the details if anyone has any?

The injectors are branded ACDelco however I believe the whole HPCR system in manufactured by Denso.

 

[cthomas]

The injectors are made by Denso(as is the whole fuel system) and have to be programmed into ECM when replaced.

 

[radman]

It is a long story but I had an injector failure that caused a hole in a piston and blowing oil out the rear main. The engine had to be totally replaced. They came back and blamed the Tune as to the failure. I don't want to get into that because I am now doing some research to find out if anyone else has had or knows of this type of failures. Here is what I know.

There was one other person that had the exact same thing happen a couple months before mine. The mileage was similar (36k) the injector failed and caused a hole. GM replaced the motor under warranty.

Mine happened at 22k in the same manner. Loss of power, shaking and oil pouring out. They came back and told me the computer said failure of #3 injector. They denied the warranty claim due to the tune. I had to pay the 15,000 to replace. The part that makes me pissed (all of it really) is that it took 3 months to get the truck back because, and this comes from the service advisor, they were waiting for the new injectors. He got a memo that GM was not only changing the injectors they were changing MFG of the injectors and there were none available anywhere. This tells me that there is a major problem with the old injector MFG and the injectors.

I need to know if anyone else knows or has had an issue.

Right, so here is my situation with a 2016 Colorado diesel. Roughly two months ago, I got a noticeable valve knock in the engine. It sounded like the #4 cyl. The knock got progressively worse, although not very noticeable at idle, just under acceleration load. I took the truck in to have the dealer take a look and listen. They drove the truck and told me that it was normal and not to worry about it. This was following numerous exhaust sensor failures and replacements. I am an amateur mechanic although I did not want to start digging around in the truck with only 41k miles and obviously under warranty. I knew from experience that the engine wasn’t right, but the dealer asked me who my “tuner” was. The only service on the truck was performed at the dealership. I only did my oil changes and used only the Dexos 2 AC Delco synthetic oil and AC Delco filter. Always purchased at the dealer. I felt the dealer was attempting to insinuate that service was performed on the vehicle outside the prevue of the authorized service. Nothing like that occurred and I asked the dealer to provide every instance where and when the OBD was accessed. Of course the outcome was clear - only the dealer accessed the system. I maintained that the motor was wrong and suspended a bad valve spring or retainer. Nothing was done and I was sent away. Ten days ago I was at 75mph in a downshift under braking from 5th to 4th when I heard the valve float. I shifted into neutral just in time for the valve to get sucked into the combustion chamber and grenade the motor. The engine suffered a catastrophic failure cracked the block and blew the connecting rods all over the highway. The wait on a new engine is 4-6 weeks coming out of South Korea. I’m in line behind another 2.8 diesel that cracked a crank. Anyone else out here experience any sort of engine failure in these trucks? I’m glad my wife wasn’t in it with our kids when the motor locked. Dealer is very apologetic and is of course replacing everything under warranty. Hmmmm...

 

[CleverUserName]

Right, so here is my situation with a 2016 Colorado diesel. Roughly two months ago, I got a noticeable valve knock in the engine. It sounded like the #4 cyl. The knock got progressively worse, although not very noticeable at idle, just under acceleration load. I took the truck in to have the dealer take a look and listen. They drove the truck and told me that it was normal and not to worry about it. This was following numerous exhaust sensor failures and replacements. I am an amateur mechanic although I did not want to start digging around in the truck with only 41k miles and obviously under warranty. I knew from experience that the engine wasn’t right, but the dealer asked me who my “tuner” was. The only service on the truck was performed at the dealership. I only did my oil changes and used only the Dexos 2 AC Delco synthetic oil and AC Delco filter. Always purchased at the dealer. I felt the dealer was attempting to insinuate that service was performed on the vehicle outside the prevue of the authorized service. Nothing like that occurred and I asked the dealer to provide every instance where and when the OBD was accessed. Of course the outcome was clear - only the dealer accessed the system. I maintained that the motor was wrong and suspended a bad valve spring or retainer. Nothing was done and I was sent away. Ten days ago I was at 75mph in a downshift under braking from 5th to 4th when I heard the valve float. I shifted into neutral just in time for the valve to get sucked into the combustion chamber and grenade the motor. The engine suffered a catastrophic failure cracked the block and blew the connecting rods all over the highway. The wait on a new engine is 4-6 weeks coming out of South Korea. I’m in line behind another 2.8 diesel that cracked a crank. Anyone else out here experience any sort of engine failure in these trucks? I’m glad my wife wasn’t in it with our kids when the motor locked. Dealer is very apologetic and is of course replacing everything under warranty. Hmmmm...

These engines aren’t made in South Korea. I’m not sure why they would tell you that. Another member received a “fishy” story about why his motor took 2 months to be replaced. If your getting free replacement and a rental I supposed there is nothing to complain about....

I’d call another dealer and inquire about cost and availability of getting another long block.

As far as reliability, I haven’t heard anything but a handful of engine failures from stock trucks. One other crank failure and a couple injector induced failures. Nothing head or valve related. I’d say it’s pretty rare and probably just bad luck.

 

[Burgess159]

I have to agree with CleverUserName. Between reading what is on this site, the ColoradoFans site and the 2 Facebook groups, there haven't been many that have failed stock. There have been a few that have failed tuned but that was generally to the effect of poor tuning or driver abuse of the truck.

Sorry to hear about your loss. At least they are covering it all for you and taking care of you.

 

[MiniMaxInferno]

I had the #4 wrist pin give out at 52,000. Block was replaced. Then between 52,000 and 63,000
#1 injector, Ecm, #4 injector, Ecm again. Now finally #2 injecor. Is anyone else having injector failures?

 

[Duken4evr]

I do think it is pretty critical to use an additive in the fuel that improves lubricity. The most common failure mode seems to be "stuck" injectors. I think that is caused by "dry" low sulfur diesel fuel in the US that varies in quality and sometimes is not adequate to protect the fuel system. Been using Optilube XPD since day one here. Mine is tuned (GDE), I view the additive it as cheap insurance.

Both stock and tuned trucks have failed. GM is happy to deny warranty on tuned trucks and I get that, but the bottom line is the the reason for failures is either bad fuel causing the injectors to stick, or faulty metallurgy, which I suspect caused MiniMaxInferno's wrist pin failure. MiniMaxInferno's failure is a textbook defective piston/pin failure, which typically takes around 60K miles to surface, typically just out of power train warranty, naturally...

Over on the Colorado Fans board, Green Diesel Engineering did a report on an engine with a failed piston/pin which included metallurgical analysis, they stopped short of coming out and providing us a copy of the report, which I found to be frustratingly curious. It was like GDE was ordered to shut up about it, perhaps under threat of litigation. The info that did come out was the older VM designed 2.8s had Federal Mogul manufactured piston and pin sets, while the current GM tweaked 2.8 power train uses Mahle piston and pin sets. I would happily take a set of the older 2.8's FM pistons, as they never failed in this way from what I can see.

It does all seem like a game of Russian Roulette. Most trucks should have good pistons and their engines should last a long time, but a few get bogus pistons and blow up. All one can do to maximize their chance of long and failure free service is use 5/40 oil, fuel additive that improves lubricity, keep on top of the fuel filters, buy from high volume stations, run a tune that turns off EGR, and pray. I am doing all those things.

Knock on wood, my truck has been flawless to date, save for the usual "Chevy Lean" which I am too lazy to do anything about, but it only has 37K on it. I will breathe easy once it crosses 100K. Then I will know for sure she is good to go the distance. She runs amazing so far, pulling like a moose and averaging 27.5 MPG. That is just awesome.

 

[yeeunit]

It is a long story but I had an injector failure that caused a hole in a piston and blowing oil out the rear main. The engine had to be totally replaced. They came back and blamed the Tune as to the failure. I don't want to get into that because I am now doing some research to find out if anyone else has had or knows of this type of failures. Here is what I know.

There was one other person that had the exact same thing happen a couple months before mine. The mileage was similar (36k) the injector failed and caused a hole. GM replaced the motor under warranty.

Mine happened at 22k in the same manner. Loss of power, shaking and oil pouring out. They came back and told me the computer said failure of #3 injector. They denied the warranty claim due to the tune. I had to pay the 15,000 to replace. The part that makes me pissed (all of it really) is that it took 3 months to get the truck back because, and this comes from the service advisor, they were waiting for the new injectors. He got a memo that GM was not only changing the injectors they were changing MFG of the injectors and there were none available anywhere. This tells me that there is a major problem with the old injector MFG and the injectors.

I need to know if anyone else knows or has had an issue.

I just had the exact same thing happen to my truck, do you have any other information about the injectors they replaced and why? I'm currently dealing with this issue with the dealer and it's me no where. Looking for advice from others that have dealt with this same issue.

 

[Coloradorob]

My truck is stock and so far so good 25,000 miles.
i do notice it’s getting noisy with age and I do get some rattling around 2500 rpm.
I believe an additive is essential as today’s low sulfer diesel has little lubricity.
change your oil well before the DIC says too.
Change the fuel filters well before the DIC say to also.....

Rob

 

[oak1971]

I wonder if there are better injectors out there. I have 58k so far and the stock units are holding up. However, if they fail out of my extended warranty, no way in hell will I put the same junk back in if I have a better option.

 

[Duken4evr]

I wonder if there are better injectors out there. I have 58k so far and the stock units are holding up. However, if they fail out of my extended warranty, no way in hell will I put the same junk back in if I have a better option.

We have Denso solenoid injectors. They are about as boring and garden variety as it gets, usually a good thing when it comes to Japanese stuff like this. I really doubt the issues we have seen is with the injectors themselves - I suspect contamination getting to the injectors, perhaps swarf from the high pressure fuel pump due to sh%tty uneven quality American diesel fuel with inadequate lubricity for high pressure common rail fuel systems, or water getting past our filter/separator box. Water, under 30K PSI, will literally destroy the injector in no time at all, and any kind of solid contaminants will jack them up as well.

The upside of the precise high tech computer controlled injection (including several pilot injections per power stroke) is our engines are accurately fueled, and run smoothly without the heavy rattling/knocking of old school diesels. The downside is the modern systems are not tolerant to poor fuel and/or crud in the fuel stream.

I have found a high volume diesel station near me, have completed 2 fuel filter changes now at 20K intervals, the filters looked really good (better that a lot of photos I have seen from others at similar mileage) and the early change was a waste, not so much as a droplet of water seen in the filter box drain off (using a clear receptacle). I am gonna stick with that station as much as possible.

I think the quality (fresh, free of dirt/water) of the fuel we feed these things and adding some lubricity additive with each fill up matters immensely on how our fuel systems will hold up over the long term.

 

[oak1971]

I use the highest cetane I can find (45) and have been filling up at the Kwik Trip near the Interstate hwy. They seem to have a good turn around. Lots of construction in the area, so plenty of contractor trucks filling up.