ADVICE/OPINIONS

[Mr. Chevy]

My father has an issue with his 2008 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 series 4x4 truck with standard cab, 6 foot bed and 4.6 V6 motor. He purchased the truck brand new and it currently has 50,000 miles on it. The first problems he recently experienced with it was that the oil pressure light activated and the heater was blowing cold air. Long story short, he took it to a local Chevrolet dealership where he originally purchased the truck to have it repaired.

They advised him that the oil pressure sending unit went bad giving a false engine oil pressure reading as well as the thermostat which was causing the cold air when the heater was on. They repaired both and did an oil change/tire rotation. $600.00 later my father got the truck back and not even a full week went by and the truck was blowing cold air again through the heater.

My father took the truck back to the dealership and now the verdict was that he had a bad head gasket. So they went to replace this and upon doing so advised they needed to replace the valve cover gaskets and clean the engine out because the antifreeze got into the oil and "gummed" up the motor. Well after replacing the head gaskets, valve cover gaskets and "flushing the motor" of the antifreeze, they then advised my father that the motor was now bad and was not holding oil pressure because the antifreeze got into the motor and damaged it. So now they quoted him around 5 grand to replace the motor.

Well initially I smelled something fishy. Why is it coincidence that the head gasket went bad right after they changed the thermostat?? My father questioned the service department about the matter and their response was that when they initially checked the truck their computers said the oil sending unit and thermostat were bad and repaired same. Upon changing the oil during the first service/repairs the technician allegedly stated that there was no antifreeze in the oil.

This whole thing seems like BS to me but what do I know... Stranger things have happened..

Any ideas, thoughts or opinions on this mess????? Any advice for my Dad??? He most likely is going to trade in the truck and buy or lease a new one.. On a side note he is NOT hard on his vehicles and does regular service/oil changes on them...

Thanks Rich