The GM 6.2l L87 Disaster

[BingBong]

PSA: Rainman Ray just posted a video about this and some of you Merkin guys might be affected - there's a recall on any vehicle 2021-2024 with this engine. It's a crock, apparently.

One mechanic in California has just had a Cadillac with one of these in, 4 miles on the clock and it has blown. Any sales of unsold examples now prohibited. Replacement engines on forever back order.

Oops, GM.

 

[VDL_Piper]

But but but you must buy merican now

 

[BingBong]

But but but you must buy merican now

Tesla!

 

[Richmond B. Funkenhouser]

Many of the new cars are bad... It's a problem that will rear its ugly head more and more as we go.

Those who drive used cars will also be screwed, at the rate we're going.

 

[BingBong]

Many of the new cars are bad... It's a problem that will rear its ugly head more and more as we go.

Those who drive used cars will also be screwed, at the rate we're going.

What makes this worse is that, if you go to the dealer to get it checked and it comes up with a P0016 code, they impound the vehicle until the engine has been swapped for new, which could be months. This policy might end in ugly scenes.

 

[ssjones]

I've owned four Chevy Silverados and I was on several forums and facebook pages for that truck. Engine lifter issues with the 6.2L motor are epic. You'd have to be a fool to miss that this motor was a disaster. 5.3L motors were also effected, but you have better odds.

The issue is with Chevy's Active Fuel Management and the Start/Stop Idle programs.

I lucked out with our 2022 High Country 5.3L. It was a Covid truck, so missing several chips - including AFM and idle stop. I never had an issue with this one (same with my other 5.3L 1500's). We didn't tow anything, so the 5.3L was more than adequate. Plenty of issues with the turbo four as well (I can't imagine being happy with a turbo four in this giant ass truck).

My buddy bought a 2023 Denali 6.2L, despite my warnings. His motor failed after 16 months (lifters) and he waited over four months for a replacement.

I traded this truck for our 2025 Ridegline Black Edition. The sales team low-balled me on the trade-in, and showed me there were a lot of HC's available in their range. I said check the motors - they are all 6.2L trucks people are bailing on. Yep, I was right. Not a single 5.3L on the used market in our area. No long beds with no AFM either. I got a few more grand out of it (then got $2500 additional at the end of the deal). The sales manager bought the truck the next day.

My Ridgeline also has the Idle Stop, like nearly every vehicle on the market these days. It drives me nuts. You can turn it off, but must do so on every drive. I just ordered yesterday, an idle-stopper that locks it out. I don't need to save 0.8 ounces of gas on a typical drive.

 

[ziv]

I've owned four Chevy Silverados and I was on several forums and facebook pages for that truck. Engine lifter issues with the 6.2L motor are epic. You'd have to be a fool to miss that this motor was a disaster. 5.3L motors were also effected, but you have better odds.

The issue is with Chevy's Active Fuel Management and the Start/Stop Idle programs.

I lucked out with our 2022 High Country 5.3L. It was a Covid truck, so missing several chips - including AFM and idle stop. I never had an issue with this one (same with my other 5.3L 1500's). We didn't tow anything, so the 5.3L was more than adequate. Plenty of issues with the turbo four as well (I can't imagine being happy with a turbo four in this giant ass truck).

My buddy bought a 2023 Denali 6.2L, despite my warnings. His motor failed after 16 months (lifters) and he waited over four months for a replacement.

I traded this truck for our 2025 Ridegline Black Edition. The sales team low-balled me on the trade-in, and showed me there were a lot of HC's available in their range. I said check the motors - they are all 6.2L trucks people are bailing on. Yep, I was right. Not a single 5.3L on the used market in our area. No long beds with no AFM either. I got a few more grand out of it (then got $2500 additional at the end of the deal). The sales manager bought the truck the next day.

My Ridgeline also has the Idle Stop, like nearly every vehicle on the market these days. It drives me nuts. You can turn it off, but must do so on every drive. I just ordered yesterday, an idle-stopper that locks it out. I don't need to save 0.8 ounces of gas on a typical drive.

Active Fuel Management... a fancy name for cylinder deactivation. Another "brilliant" idea, a disaster waiting to happen.

 

[BingBong]

Active Fuel Management... a fancy name for cylinder deactivation. Another "brilliant" idea, a disaster waiting to happen.

Apparently, cylinder 3 suddenly deactivates. Permanently and catastrophically.

 

[Briar Lee]

General Motors had two catastrophically bad engines in my lifetime, the aluminum 2.4 liter Vega engine and the first aluminum Cadillac V-8. I owned two aluminum block Northstar Cadillacs and sold both before the head gaskets failed, so maybe that’s three aluminum bad motors General Motors made.

But how many really good push rod iron block V-8s has General Motors made since 1955?

They should be the master of traditional V-8.

As I understand the problem the crank in 21-24 6.2 engines has end shake that the pre 21s and the 25s do not have.

Using 0-40 oil is a band aid, and a bad one.

These new engines are all built for low viscosity oil.

 

[Richmond B. Funkenhouser]

General Motors had two catastrophically bad engines in my lifetime, the aluminum 2.4 liter Vega engine and the first aluminum Cadillac V-8. I owned two aluminum block Northstar Cadillacs and sold both before the head gaskets failed, so maybe that’s three aluminum bad motors General Motors made.

But how many really good push rod iron block V-8s has General Motors made since 1955?

They should be the master of traditional V-8.

As I understand the problem the crank in 21-24 6.2 engines has end shake that the pre 21s and the 25s do not have.

Using 0-40 oil is a band aid, and a bad one.

These new engines are all built for low viscosity oil.

It's a shame that those Northstar engines were bad... They put them into some beautiful Cadillacs.

 

[Dave760]

Using 0-40 oil is a band aid, and a bad one.

These new engines are all built for low viscosity oil.

I about choked when I read that they were recommending 0-40. This reeks of, "Keep the engines running long enough that they reach the end of their warranty before they blow up." Might as well throw in a few bottles of Motor Honey.

To have this problem on vehicles that cost $70-100,000 is a very bad look. I have no idea just how bad this will get for them, but this might be the beginning of the end for GM as we know it.

 

[Briar Lee]

It's a shame that those Northstar engines were bad... They put them into some beautiful Cadillacs.

While they were good they were wonderful!

In the owner’s manual there were instructions to use a special Cadillac Bars Leak tablet each antifreeze change.

I changed antifreeze yearly on my two, and used the Bars Leak.


I’ve read about a third of them (mostly pre 2005) would suffer head gasket failure but usually after 200,000 miles.

For a reason, we don’t know yet, GM made an intentional change on the assembly of the cranks of the 6.2 in 2021, then back in 2025.

If there’s another 2007-9 level recession in the middle of this recall it could bankrupt the company again like it did then.

A new engine is what, ten or fifteen grand?

And people will shy from the 5.3 engines because people are easily scared.

Did the dad blasted gubbermint force GM to this or was it truly voluntary?

 

[Waning Embers]

Never saw the point of a merkin.

 

[Waning Embers]

I've owned a little bit of everything. They're all junk.

 

[Briar Lee]

I about choked when I read that they were recommending 0-40. This reeks of, "Keep the engines running long enough that they reach the end of their warranty before they blow up." Might as well throw in a few bottles of Motor Honey.

To have this problem on vehicles that cost $70-100,000 is a very bad look. I have no idea just how bad this will get for them, but this might be the beginning of the end for GM as we know it.

Here’s the problem for GM, and Ford and Stellantis, as well,

The richest man who has ever lived (even after a disastrous three months) marketed an automobile and sold millions of them that:

1. Doesn’t need gasoline.

2. Is three times more energy efficient (cheaper to run).

3. Outruns sixties muscle cars.

4. Replaces a piston engine and conventional drive train with an electric motor much cheaper to build that is hooked to the axles.

5. Requires about 40% of assembly time and cost.

The bad news is range (about like sixties and seventies gas guzzlers) and recharge time and battery replacement cost, all improving steadily.

But the gasoline car, and even gasoline truck, are dead technology but are still the mainstay of the industry.

 

[Dave760]

.But the gasoline car, and even gasoline truck, are dead technology but are still the mainstay of the industry.

Electric cars are definitely the future, but despite their advantages they're still below 10% of US auto sales. Some of that is range anxiety, some of it's political, and some of it is due to low residual values. The technical problems will be solved.

Ford and GM have demonstrated that they can build compelling electric vehicles, but they tried to go too far too fast and have spent the last few years back-pedaling. Unsurprising given that large organizations have difficulty adjusting to changing markets.

For the moment big trucks and SUVs are the bread and butter for the US auto makers, and consumers show a preference for dead dinosaurs over electrons. Depending on just how damaging the 6.2l fiasco turns out to be, GM may not be in a good financial position when the market shifts to majority-electric sales.

(BTW, if you've not seen the reporting on it, look up the Slate vehicle that is supposed to come out late next year. It might be the kind of vehicle to get people seriously thinking about switching to electric.)

 

[fireground_piper]

there's a recall on any vehicle 2021-2024 with this engine.

This does not surprise me.

 

[ssjones]

In the late 1990s', GM used clay tablets in their cooling system, that product wreaked all kinds of cooling system havoc. (at least on the LT1's) The LT1 had the awful Opti-spark distributor, under the water pump - brilliant!. I had two LT1's but updated the cap and changed them frequently, so never had an issue. I always wanted the LS1 motor.

 

[Briar Lee]

Electric cars are definitely the future, but despite their advantages they're still below 10% of US auto sales. Some of that is range anxiety, some of it's political, and some of it is due to low residual values. The technical problems will be solved.

Ford and GM have demonstrated that they can build compelling electric vehicles, but they tried to go too far too fast and have spent the last few years back-pedaling. Unsurprising given that large organizations have difficulty adjusting to changing markets.

For the moment big trucks and SUVs are the bread and butter for the US auto makers, and consumers show a preference for dead dinosaurs over electrons. Depending on just how damaging the 6.2l fiasco turns out to be, GM may not be in a good financial position when the market shifts to majority-electric sales.

(BTW, if you've not seen the reporting on it, look up the Slate vehicle that is supposed to come out late next year. It might be the kind of vehicle to get people seriously thinking about switching to electric.)

The Slate looks like it’s an electric 1985 Chevy S10, which is good!

The auto makers first made bodies that would outlast the drivetrain in the middle 1930s.

The dad blasted gubbermint is always passing laws.

They should decree one battery size for 50, 75, 100, 125, 150 and 200 kWh batteries. Same idea as they do now for the tires.

Each battery must have a condition meter, same as odometers now.

In time the electrics will all look like our current SUVs.

Which isn’t far removed from a 1939 Chevy.

 

[Briar Lee]

In the late 1990s', GM used clay tablets in their cooling system, that product wreaked all kinds of cooling system havoc. (at least on the LT1's) The LT1 had the awful Opti-spark distributor, under the water pump - brilliant!. I had two LT1's but updated the cap and changed them frequently, so never had an issue. I always wanted the LS1 motor.

Maybe 35 or 40 years ago our local Ford dealership had up a sign that read the average new car had over 10,000 parts. And what a bargain they were at about a dollar a part.

—-

A typical modern car contains approximately 30,000 parts, including everything from major components like the engine and transmission to smaller items like screws and bolts. This number can vary slightly depending on the specific make and model of the car.

While 30,000 parts is a common estimate, it's worth noting that some sources suggest the number could be higher, potentially reaching 100,000 or even 70,000 - 90,000, especially when considering all the electronic and software components.

——-

The crankshaft is one of them there extremely important parts.

I want to live to hear my grandchildren ask me, what was a crankshaft?

I’m already older than light beer.

But I don’t think we’ll miss crankshafts as much as Falstaff, you know?