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Simple oil and coolant change

3K views 26 replies 17 participants last post by  xoxoxoBruce 
#1 ·
Every bad story starts with “I was in a hurry “ so it went to take 5 oil change and had the service while I sat in the car , they forgot to put the new coolant in and I didn’t notice until I drove off and the car over heated in one mile , I costed back shop and and tried to get them to help me cool the car down , finally the assistant Mananger came over and opened the coolant cap and nothing came out , not steam not coolant . Nothing ,,, the temperature gaguge was pegged.
They put the coolant in the car and the temp went down while at a idle but all the gauges quit working and the dash lights came on , they said “ you are good to go sir “ and I said umm No ! I want this car fixed and they called a Mananger who said “ he was to busy to help me “

Finally after 3 hr in the 100+ temp a mechanic from another store showed up and said he wails have it towed , and they did but they wouldn’t tell me where they took it , i found it about 40 miles away at a mom and pop shop where the owner / mechanic was very nice but admitted he has never worked on a ssr

I called there cs and left 9 voice mails ,, 4 days later I still haven’t heard from and of them ,
I started sending emails to any cs email I could find and a guy named Todd sent me a email saying he was in a meeting all day and he would get back to me ,,,, man I’m upset at this point , this is my supercharged custom painted baby ,

Anyway so the cs mananager says he has to go thought the gm who says he’s not paying for the damage because there is no way overheating the motor will make the computer go bad , but they haven’t even checked the motor or even changed the oil after it was 270+ deg


I digress .... they are now saying that they will not pay for the repairs and I need to go work it out with the shop that can’t fix the car

I’m telling this story for 2 Reasons

1 do not go to take 5 oil change !! They don’t know what they are doing and they will mess your car up and tell you it’s your fault ( it’s my fault they didn’t put coolant in the car wtf?)

And 2 if there is a attorney in our group I would love to talk to you

Also one last thing , if anybody has a list of things I need to have checked out on this car after it was over 270deg ( the gauge pegged at 260 ) pleas email text or pm me , my cell number is(352) 427-1158
 
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#2 ·
Happened to my wife at a GMC dealership on our Toyota...guy.. didn't tighten the coolant cap and after a day it over heated ..as it happens she was only about a mile from the Toyota dealership...towed it..saw the missing cap..re did the fluids and pressure tested everything including the head... GMC dealership didn't bat a eye..paid for everything and fired the tech... apparently wasn't his first mistake...
And something similar to your situation happened at the fast place in town...he closed up in 24 hours locked the door and went out of business rather than pay for a engine
 
#3 ·
Have you attempted to start the vehicle since the overheat and pull codes or reset the electrical system by pulling the battery cable off for a few minutes? The truck should have gone into "limp mode" (low power mode) when it sensed the overheat condition and threw some codes. Now that things are cooled and settled down it would help to know what the current state is. Still runs rough, making odd noise, has codes, etc..... Every motor overheat event is different, maybe no problem or maybe a mess.

I would change the engine oil and make sure the coolant is topped off, do a coolant pressure check and start it up.
 
#4 ·
They have been starting it over and over it runs fine at a idle but no one has driven it to see what it does , they didn’t even change the oil after it over heated but the bigger problem is the gauges don’t work ( none of them ) and they are saying it’s not because it got hot , but they worked before I pulled in the shop
 
#5 ·
OK ... Why in the " H " would you take an SSR to one these or those 10 minute Oi Change places in the first place ??? 98% don't even know what an SSR is and probably don't even know what kind of Filter to put on it or how to install it.

Just another cause for a family business like Bud's Tire or Todd's Complete Auto Care to do your maintenance. Don't you Guys or Gals have a trust worthy "Mom & Pop" business in your area that you can trust ??? I can't believe "things" like this happen, especially to SSR owner's !!! Bud or Todd would have corrected their mistake immediately. I saw Bud put in a new motor in a Lexus, even went to Atlanta and got it and when the guy picked it up there was a 100 Dollar Bill layin' on the front seat !!! Just my opinion and I'm stickin' to it !!! I'm just shakin' my head in disbelief !!! tennesseecozydog :yellow:
 
#6 ·
Bob,
I gotta agree with the "why would you take it there?" but in answer to the "Don't you Guys an gals have" I must say that many of us do not live in a small town like you do. A small Mom & Pop shop like you are talking about is a long ago memory in my community so I am relegated to a GMC Dealer I have dealt with for 45 years and did not trust for the first 15 of that. Now the old timers there are retiring and I am begnning to train the new guys to my way of thinking. The management has been brought up properly by the employees who were there when the place changed hands. Now we just have to get the kids on board. Fingers crossed!!
 
#8 ·
Well I know that was coming !!

I have taken this car to 3 certified dealer shops and none of them could fix my ssr ! But we are taking about a oil and coolant change !! Not any mechanical work , take to old fluid out put new in . But I think you are missing the point and I did say at the top” in a hurry “

And to answer your question, I have not found a mechanic in Ocala that was any good , there is a 80/20 rule here . 80% of the job will get done 20-% of the time or visa versa
 
#10 ·
I think I have figured out that we are talking about the 05 and I have to ask, since you have two, why did you take the highly modified truck to the "quickie shop" instead of just driving the 04 and taking care of the oil change and coolant when you were not in a rush? You have made it clear that you have no trust in any of the shops in your area so I am going out on a limb and guessing that you normally do this work yourself. I am sorry to hear that all of this has happened but you have asked for some ideas and there have been several presented. We try to help out, but you have to pay attention to the suggestions as well.


Plus did any of you see the second or third post ? It happens at gm dealerships and mom and pop shops just the same

Anyway it will be nice if I get to drive her again
I did see that another member in another area mentioned a GM dealer who messed up a Toyota. Is that the comment you are pointing to?

Good luck and I really hope you will be back and driving the 05 again soon. Do not be discouraged. Just take it a step at a time. At least you still have one running.
 
#11 ·
I had an overheating problem but it was my fault. I changed a radiator hose an inadvertently unplugged my fan. Once I figured out that the fan was the issue with the help of Dicktator and replacing the coolant I still had five codes and was in limp mode. He told me to drive it home let it cool down and then start it 5 times and then tell him what codes were left only 2 remained and he cleared 1 with his tech two the other was the wrench and it was cleared by an oil change.
Mine did explode and blew coolant all over everything and with the amount of chrome that I have it was quite a mess to clean up.
 
#12 ·
I plan on doing every single thing that has been posted on here! And I must have misspoke at some point , I had a 04 I sold it and got this 05

The thing I’m most worried about is the computer , I have no gauges so I can’t drive it and take 5 has just informed me they will not pay for repairs

I do most of my own work on this car for the reasons mentioned above but I don’t know anything about the computer system

I understand the mechanical side but as you all know the symptom isn’t always the problem (ie. The ignition switch )

I appreciate all the help , this is my hot rod so I’m just a little upset is all , but I will build it again
 
#13 ·
Don't know where you live in Florida but there are tons of guys very knowledgeable that live if Florida that could possibly help you out. Good luck.
 
#14 ·
sorry to hear what happened. I have blown a hose on my 05 and got it hot but not as bad as yours. I was able to refill it and get it home with a couple of stops to refill and run.

What all gauges aren't working now? My first thought was maybe coolant sprayed under the hood and has shorted something out but you said nothing came out when they removed the cap. Is it possible the temp sensor in the drivers side head shorted out or maybe the plug came off and melted the wire causing it to short out? Doesn't seem likely as you said it did show a reading after they filled it. Grasping at straws here to just think what might be the problem.

I would scan it and see what if any codes come up. I would next look at fuses, fuse #24 under the hood is the Instrument panel cluster and Drivers Information Center. Also on the under hood fuse panel is #52 at the very front that is labeled for Instrument Panel Battery.

Check these and let us know. I always try to start at the simple stuff first and eliminate them first. We have some really good electrical people here so don't worry they will be along shortly and give great advise.

Lastly these LS engines can take a lot of abuse so chances are in your favor that nothing happened to the engine.
Good Luck I will check this thread to follow along with the updates.
 
#15 ·
I don't know... I use jiffy lube for my oil changes. Never had any issues. And they're big enough to stand behind their work. I mean, after all, it's a standard Chevy engine. I see Vette's, Porches's and Mercedes in their all the time so I figure they can handle a 15 year old Chevy.

That said, screw ups can happen anywhere, any time. Hope you get your issues resolved.
 
#17 ·
:smile2:

Me too. My local oil chg. shop is just like jiffy lube. It's a drive around to the back entrance and they pull it in and you exit out the front. My lowering job meant they had to go back around to the front and (back in) my SSR for (clearance issues). I'm right out there while the job is getting done to be sure all is well.

I do most all of my own mechanical work if I can, but I stopped changing my own oil probably more than 30 years ago. Could never get the job done without spilling some oil on the driveway somehow or another. Real pain in the azz.

Now I go for the deal at Costco on cases of Mobil One.:|
 
#16 ·
My $.02
First - Sometimes my wife will do a thing that I call "Throwing Rocks" when I do something stupid. Happens more often than I would like to admit.
Second - Take it to a dealer that has a reputation on working on a Trailblazer or an SSR.
Third - If you have been running Mobil 1 motor oil, you are probably ok but change the oil anyway. Watch for leaks, have the compression checked and listen to the engine. Listen for pings and knocks.
Fourth - Drain all the coolant from the radiator and ENGINE. No water in the motor. Then install EVANS Waterless Coolant. Has a very high boiling point and low freezing point.
Fifth - Get @Autoprof involved from the forum about your electrical issues. He is fair, honest, knowledgable and non-judgemental.
Good luck my friend!
 
#18 ·
I can't image the stress yo must be feeling at this point.

However because it is electrical there is no way to tell for sure if it was caused by the overheat until the problem is determined.

I agree with the others that have stated some of the following

Yes, first place to check is ALL fuses (for example #23 provides power to check engine light in Run and start) and grounds (G103 in particular) for IPC.

Then it is important to test ALL modules for codes - not just a code reader.
Then clear codes and see which ones reset

Afterwards more information would be needed.

What codes were found and in what modules?

You say all lights are on, please be more specific as others that have had IPC failures only noted some of the lights. Most are controlled from the class 2 network as are most gauges. The Check Engine light is controlled by the ECM on a dedicated circuit and the Tach and Speedo are also not on the class 2 network. Do they work? It is possible that although the other gauges do no operate the speedometer may.

During the self test (occurs as you move the key from run towards start) do the gauges perform a sweep, does the DIC illuminate all bars in the display?

More information here - although this person never responded with the solution.
Also a reference to another thread in which an IPC from an Envoy was used as a test and a link to a IPC re builder that perform more than just stepper motor replacement.

https://www.ssrfanatic.com/forum/f5/help-electrical-mysteries-245207/

Best of luck in getting this resolved. Keep us posted there are many knowledgeable people on this site willing to try and assist you.
 
#24 ·
A little update ,,, the car is still in the shop the mechanic assured me he will be able to fix it .
As of now the motor seems ok and all the dash lights are off but the gauges do not sweep or work at all and it idles at 200 deg but it hasn’t gone down the road yet and take 5 is saying they will not pay for the repairs are of now
 
#26 ·
I take a case of Mobil 1 to the Valvoline quick oil change place not too far from home and the first thing I tell them, is don't touch the hood, I'll open it and I brought my own oil. Then I tell them do not do anything except change the oil and filter, double check that the oil plug is tight, the filter is tight, I'll close the hood and then I'm done. This has worked well on all of my cars for several years now. I took my Chevy crew cab dually to Jiffy Lube way back when and they did everything right except they didn't tighten the drain plug and it leaked oil and it sprayed all over the underside of my truck. The oil on the exhaust smoked and smelled for weeks. I never went back. My best friend took his Crew cab into the very same Jiffy Lube and they did everything right except they forgot to refill the coolant and the engine seized up as he was trying to exit the freeway, so he managed to coast into a gas station where he tried to fill it with water but the damage was done.
$ 6000.00 dollars later with a new 454 in it and of course Jiffy would not take responsibility for their mistake. I'll never go to their shop, no matter what they offer. I have the Valvoline guys almost trained. I tell them don't touch the coolant or the Trans don't check the tires, I know what the pressure is and I run Nitrogen in them and they only have regular air. Kock on wood I have not had a problem when I make the rules with them and ok with that because they want the business, the goodwill and it lessens their responsibility for something going wrong.
 
#27 ·
I took my Chevy crew cab dually to Jiffy Lube way back when and they did everything right except they didn't tighten the drain plug and it leaked oil and it sprayed all over the underside of my truck. The oil on the exhaust smoked and smelled for weeks.
You get a FREE chassis anti-rust treatment, AND a FREE insect/rodent fumigation but your still not happy. There's just no pleasing some people. :lol
 
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