1999 Chevrolet S10

IT'S A 99 S-10 V6 / 4.3LITER RARELY DRIVEN, 62,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE. NO REAL EVENT LEADING TO THE PROBLEM. RIGHT NOW IT IS LEAKING RADIATOR FLUID FROM THE FRONT OF THE ENGINE BLOCK. I CANNOT SEE WHERE THE LEAK IS DIRECTLY AS IT PICKS AND CHOOSES DAYS TO LEAK AND NOT LEAK. IT HASN'T OVERHEATED OR ANYTHING YET. IT STILL HAS THE ORIGINAL RADIATOR FLUID IN IT FROM WHEN I BOUGHT IT. I KEEP TELLING MY MECHANIC WE NEED TO FLUSH OR JUST CHANGE THE FLUID. FOR OVER 6 MONTHS HE KEEPS SAYING ITS FINE. IT DRIPS ONTO THE SKID PLATE UNDER THE ENGINE AND DRIPS FROM THERE. NEVER A HUGE PUDDLE JUST ENOUGH TO MAKE A 2 FOOT DIAMETER WET SPOT. NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE YET. MECHANIC SAYS TO PUT KARS RADIATOR STOP LEAK IN IT. I HAVE A LONG ROAD TRIP COMING UP IN 2 WEEKS AND AFRAID TO TAKE IT OUT OF TOWN. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 CHEVROLET S-10. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, THE CONTACT NOTICED THICK RUST DRIPPING FROM THE ENGINE OF THE VEHICLE. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A SERVICE MECHANIC AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE INTAKE MANIFOLDS WERE RUSTED OUT, AS WELL AS THE WATER PUMP, RADIATOR, AND ALL OF THE HOSES. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN SERVICED FOR THE FAILURES AND HAS NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALER. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 104,636 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 63,000.

TSB #030601024A -- RATTLE NOISE IN ENGINE. *TT (NHTSA ID #10004301, MARCH 01 2004) #6 ROD CAP STRETCHED, CAUSING BEARING TO FAIL. ALSO OTHER BEARINGS BEGAN TO FAIL. POSSIBLY DUE TO COOLANT LEAK FROM INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET OR JUST VERY DEFECTIVE PART - MECHANIC UNSURE THIS OF A VEHICLE THAT IS PROPERLY (SOMETIMES OVERLY) MAINTAINED. HAVE ALL SERVICE RECORDS TO PROVE IT. EVEN MECHANICS COMMENTED ON UPKEEP OF VEHICLE. SERVICE FACILITY REFUSES TO MAKE REPAIRS - TRYING TO FORCE COMPLETE ENGINE REPLACEMENT EVEN THOUGH CRANK JOURNALS CAN BE POLISHED, NEW BEARINGS CAN BE PUT IN AND ROD CAN BE REPLACED. BASICALLY THEY AND GM ARE LOOKING FOR A BIG PAYDAY - THEY ARE SADLY MISTAKEN. I HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS WITH THIS VEHICLE, WITH EACH REPAIR BECOMING MORE AND MORE EXPENSIVE. I NOW HAVE TO GET RID OF THE TRUCK AND HAVE FINANCIAL HARDSHIP DUE TO THE COSTLY REPAIRS. THE SAD PART ABOUT THIS IS GM DOES NOT STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCTS / SERVICES, A RECALL SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE FOR THIS PROBLEM AS IT IS VERY COMMON TO THEIR ENGINE FAMILIES, SIMILAR TO THE PISTON SLAP ISSUE WITH THE TRUCK LS-SERIES OF ENGINES. *JB

FOR THE SECOND TIME MY 1999 CHEVY S-10 PICKUP HAS BEEN TAKEN TO THE TRANSMISSION SHOP BECAUSE I HAVE LOST SECOND GEAR AND REVERSE. THIS IS A COSTLY REPAIR, THE FIRST TIME IT COST ME $1,600.00 TO REPLACE A $44.00 PART BECAUSE THE WHOLE TRANSMISSION HAD TO BE OVERHAULED. THE TRANSMISSION IN THE CHEVY IS MADE WITH INFERIOR PARTS AND SHOULD BE RECALLED TO HAVE ALL THE GEARS REPLACED. I HAVE ALSO HAD TO REPLACE BOTH FRONT WHEEL HUBS AND A MOTOR. THE S1-S OF THIS ERA NEED TO BE INVESTIGATED AND THE CONSUMER SHOULD BE PROTECTED!! *NM

ENGINE RATTLES DUE TO BALANCE SHAFT BETWEEN 1800 AND 2000 RPMS, REPLACE WITH TIMING TENSIONER KIT. GM HAS A FIX FOR THIS WITH A TSB NUMBER AND ALL, BUT WILL ONLY FIX VEHICLES WITH ORIGINAL 3 YEAR 36,000 MILE WARRANTY. THEY LITERALLY INVENTED A PART TO INSTALL THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN INSTALLED FROM THE FACTORY DUE TO OVERWHELMING COMPLAINTS. I WAS UNDER MY GM 5 YEAR 75,000 MILE WARRANTY AND THEY EVEN HAD MY ENGINE APART REBUILDING UNDER WARRANTY AND WOULD NOT INSTALL THE NEW TIMING CHAINTENSIONER TO ELIMINATE RATTLE. THE RATTLE INDICATES METEAL ON METAL CONTACT, AND EVENTUAL WEAR. I HAD A WARRANTY, AND THEY WOULD NOT FIX IT. VERY FRUSTRATING. WE ENDED UP BUYING A TOYOTA TACOMA FOR MY WIFE, THUS ENDING ANY FUTURE PURCHASES WITH GM. I STILL HAVE TRUCK, AND MAY PURSUE THIS IN COURT. IT BASICALY AFFECTS EVERY 4.3L EQIPPED GM VEHICLE, SO THEY ONLY PICK AND CHOOSE WHO TO FIX. IT IS HOT OR MISS AT SOME DEALERS ACCORDING TO OTHER OWNERS. *AK

WHILE DRIVING 30-35 MPH, A FIRE STARTED IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED. *AK THE ENGINE HAD ALREADY STOPPED AND VEHICLE WAS COASTING WHEN THE FIRE BECAME EVIDENT. THE BRAKES WERE NON-FUNTIONAL, CONSUMER STOPPED THE VEHICLE BY MEANS OF EMERGENCY BRAKE. TRUCK WAS CONSUMED AND TOTALLY ENGULFED IN ABOUT FIVE MINUTES. TOTAL LOSS. *SCC