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RIP Sly GXP 5MT Coupe #802 :(

13K views 53 replies 23 participants last post by  boardkat 
#1 · (Edited)
Many of you are aware of the issues I've been having with my Coupe since the day I picked it up from a fellow forum member down in SoCal back in November of 2010. For those that don't, here's a detailed rundown of the ordeal to date.

There was a significant hesitation @ WOT that I noticed the minute I pulled onto the freeway to merge into traffic. Having recently sold an '07 GXP, I knew this wasn't normal behavior. Having an extra ECU on hand, I swapped it in to see if it made a difference - nope. Babying it the rest of the 1200 mile ride back home to Oregon, I spent some time in my garage going over all of the wiring/sensors, checking plugs, etc to see if it was something loose/missing/broken. The GMPP tune was installed, and the wires were crimped, so I felt confident that was the issue. Wasn't interested in keeping it, so I spent some time finding the stock 2.7bar sensors, flashed the ECU back to stock, and eventually soldered them on. Nada, still hesitating. Never a code thrown this whole time, either, making it more difficult to isolate. Finally took the car into the dealership in January, and told them what was happening and what I'd done to try and diagnose/fix. The tech hooked a Tech-II up on the road test and it was obvious what was going on - misfire in cylinder two. Left the keys with them confident the issue would be fixed. A week passes, and after going through all of the documented procedures to diagnose, still no resolution. Techline advised them to open a TAC case so that they could get involved and try to diagnose. Months later, no resolution. They pulled the head, saw some scoring on the rockers, replaced them along with the cams, valve springs, and the head itself. Along with virtually every sensor on the entire engine. And injectors. Everything but the bottom end basically. To no avail. After all of this, everybody was left scratching their heads. I decided to get customer service involved because it was becoming obvious to me that no well-defined path to resolution existed. Kudos to GM, I got a call the next morning from the district manager who laid out my options - continue to try fixing, or possibly buy the car back. Techline had one last-ditch effort in mind, so I gave them a shot. They ran redundant wiring to every sensor to try and isolate what they believed was an electrical issue. A few weeks later, the bad news came: couldn't isolate, and several sensors/connectors they needed to replace could not be sourced and no ETA on when they'd be available.

Which is where I find myself today. I just got off the phone with the district manager, and the path to resolution has been confirmed: they are buying #802 back from me :(

I asked earlier in the week about the possibility of getting me into another local GXP 5MT Coupe sitting on a dealer lot with 30 miles. The DM thought it was a great idea, but corporate balked, since it's been titled already and their policy prevents them from pursuing that option in this situation. Which I can completely understand, knowing it was a short in the dark to begin with.

So friends, the dream that quickly turned into a nightmare is finally coming to an end. I've had a great time around these parts over the years and am going to miss you all. It seems the Kappa platform and me just don't mix, so it's time to move on - I won't be getting another one. I'll have a part-out thread posted shortly - it will be epic. I've picked up a lot of odds and ends over time!!

Take care, happy trails, and remember to keep the shiny side up :thumbs:

Edit: for completeness and future reference, here's the original thread I started about the problems I had - http://www.solsticeforum.com/forum/f59/possible-engine-issue-66587/
 
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#2 ·
dude, this really sucks. . . I'm sorry you aren't looking into another one. . It's nice to be part of a elite club with only 1200 cars out there.

I'm sad to see someone give up on such a beautiful car. . . but the hassle is not worth it in the end.
 
#4 ·
dude, this really sucks. . . I'm sorry you aren't looking into another one. . It's nice to be part of a elite club with only 1200 cars out there.

I'm sad to see someone give up on such a beautiful car. . . but the hassle is not worth it in the end.
^this
i need a fun and reliable DD. after seeing first hand what can go wrong, not only with the car itself, but with diagnosis and parts availability, there's no way i'm getting another one. i think i'm just gonna save up the cash i take out of this car and the parts for now.
 
#5 ·
Bummer, you have to get rid of your car. Hopefully most of the other coupes out here stay healthy!
I was looking forward to seeing you at the PNWR Meet in August. Guess not now!
Good Luck in finding a replacement DD.
Sorry to hear your Kappa experiences were what they were. Wish the rest of us luck and good fortune!
Have a great summer anyways.
________________________
'09 Pontiac Solstice GXP Coupe - (man.) Mysterious / Black - (NIICE) Vin: 000116
'09 Saturn Sky Redline - (auto.) Ltd. Ed. Hydro Blue - (COOOL) 1 of 49
 
#6 ·
Bummer, you have to get rid of your car. Hopefully most of the other coupes out here stay healthy!
I was looking forward to seeing you at the PNWR Meet in August. Guess not now!
Good Luck in finding a replacement DD.
Sorry to hear your Kappa experiences were what they were. Wish the rest of us luck and good fortune!
Have a great summer anyways.
i was really looking forward to a weekend away up in beautiful british columbia, with sun, wine, twisties and good people! :(
yeah, you know, it's funny how the kappa seems to work. i've heard of many people not ever having a problem - heck, i compete with another guy that had one of the first GXP's ever made, and he's been chasing cones in it for years without any major problems. then there's others like me that can't seem to keep it on the road. i was really hoping i'd be part of the reliable crowd with the coupe, but it wasn't meant to be.
 
#7 ·
Actually would've been a great candidate for a V8 swap...
 
#10 ·
That sucks man... Makes me wonder if the fun in our car is borrowed time. :(
 
#12 ·
Sorry to hear about #802!

You are the only other Oregon coupe I know of - bummer! If you are selling stuff do you happen to have the soft top and if so would you be willing to sell it? I would be interested and am coming through Beaverton this Friday May 13th on my way to Seaside and returning the following Friday. Drop me an email and we could figure something out. I just recently joined the forum but have been reading it for over a year.
Any chance you might get another coupe? I kind of feel like the Lone Ranger here in the Beaver State!
My home is Grants Pass. Hope to hear from you... Tim
 
#13 ·
You are the only other Oregon coupe I know of - bummer! If you are selling stuff do you happen to have the soft top and if so would you be willing to sell it? I would be interested and am coming through Beaverton this Friday May 13th on my way to Seaside and returning the following Friday. Drop me an email and we could figure something out. I just recently joined the forum but have been reading it for over a year.
Any chance you might get another coupe? I kind of feel like the Lone Ranger here in the Beaver State!
My home is Grants Pass. Hope to hear from you... Tim
Welcome to the forum, Tim. :thumbs:

Sorry I didn't see this one earlier. I haven't been on-line in the last few days.

Maybe boardkat will have some parts still available.

Again, welcome to the forum. :cool:
 
#15 ·
I guess I can see why you sold it back to them, especially if it is your only car.

I think I'd have just sourced the needed parts from a wrecked car and got it back on the street myself. Of course the dealer can't do that, they have to wait for new parts to be manufactured, presumably in the months ahead. but at least I'd have still had the car, even if I had to pay for the repair myself.
 
#16 ·
I guess I can see why you sold it back to them, especially if it is your only car.

I think I'd have just sourced the needed parts from a wrecked car and got it back on the street myself. Of course the dealer can't do that, they have to wait for new parts to be manufactured, presumably in the months ahead. but at least I'd have still had the car, even if I had to pay for the repair myself.
there was no guarantee that the needed parts were going to fix the misfire. if only you'd seen what kind of state the car was in (engine in pieces, redundant wiring run everywhere), then i think you'd understand why i wasn't interested in keeping the car any longer. there's no way i was going to try and diagnose/fix this issue on my own, when the most likely culprit was electrical. worst case scenario: new drivetrain AND complete re-wire (throughout - the whole car). at that point, i may as well just go down the LS3/T56 route. and as i mentioned before, i'm not in the financial position to do that.

trust me bill, it wasn't for lack of patience on my side or trying on GM's :(
in the end, this is a sub-30k car, not some rare exotic that requires organ donation to obtain. if i ever get the itch again, i'll find one :)
 
#17 ·
I understand. Damn!

Any chance you might find another one? I wouldn't be put off the model because of one car with a problem.
 
#18 ·
I understand. Damn!

Any chance you might find another one? I wouldn't be put off the model because of one car with a problem.
this was the second problem child GXP i've owned. i actually had a fellow competitor ask me to run down the list of problems i've had the other day, so i'll c&p it here:

-----
'07 GXP (22k miles):
Undiagnosed braking issue in competition (fronts would lock, rears barely did any work), replaced fluid multiple times, tried different pads/staggers/rear rotor cut (to build/maintain heat), replaced Master Cylinder/Vaccum Assist pump, swapped BCM, all for naught - this was the main reason I sold the 'vert
Passenger Front Hub Bolts backed out @ Wendover Tour, sheared ABS wiring and separated ABS sensor off hub (my own fault, forgot to loctite the front ones)
Diff Carriage Bolts backed out @ Pro Finale, cracked the carriage (at least the JB Weld held through Nats and the 1,600 mile journey back)
Driveshaft bolts were backing out (caught this when diagnosing the diff carriage issues)
Radiator Fan exploded, punched holes in the radiator
Engine overheating issue, due to air trapped in the system (check valves were expensive then and I was out of warranty so I just kept an eye on the temp and manually purged the air the old fashioned way - by squeezing the upper rad hose)
EVAP Purge Valve broke (stuck open), flooded engine with fumes resulting in hard/no starts and stumbling on the highway when gas was low
PCV Inlet nipple broke off Air Intake Elbow when changing filter (poor/fragile design, but my own fault for not being more careful)
Stock Shocks leaking/blown after 40k miles (DA shocks I was having built were never completed, but surprised the stock ones couldn't handle even a season of AutoX)
Differential rear pinion seal leak (TSB covered this - think only the '07's had this problem)
Convertible top rubbed when stowed and left two nice scuff marks over time that wouldn't buff out, also ripped at seams and wouldn't seal when closed (had to flip little rubber seals on each side)
Center console cup holder broke
Driver's Door Handle broke off

'09 GXP Coupe (1k miles):
Subwoofer plastic lining separated from casing, horrible vibration
Rear defog didn't always work
Engine overheating issue, as described earlier
Oil leaking out of head & misfire in cylinder 2, four months of downtime and multiple GM techs from the TAC flew out to try and diagnose (replaced head/valve springs/rockers/cams/sensors/wiring/ECU/MAF/basically everything but the bottom end), this is the reason I'm selling everything, since GM is buying my car back from me
-----

NOW do you see why i'm a little leery of giving it another go? :)
that said, there's a very good chance i'll buy another GXP in the future - when they've fully depreciated and don't mind throwing money at it to keep it on the road. but at this stage in my life (engaged/paying for a wedding, no shop/lift/tools/etc), i just need something that's fun and reliable.

i will miss my coupe. it was my non-reaching dream car of the moment. enjoy yours!!
 
#19 ·
Wow! That sort of history might make even a stubborn guy like me say 'Fuggedaboutit' (or in short form, 'Fug it!)

I guess I've been lucky with mine. The only thing I've had to take back to the dealer for work has been the overheating problem and when I managed to get them to install the valves in the heater hoses, that cured it.

I am still going to have to deal with a noise issue on the top, but that's about it so far.

Crossing my fingers in BC.....

Come on up to the meet anyway and bring whatever, and we can commiserate with you!
 
#21 ·
yep, i'm pretty stubborn too but even i know when it's time to cut my losses and move on!!
i'm not surprised to hear your car has been fine - i know of many that have run perfectly from day one, despite being flogged around cones/tracks/etc. just wish i could have found one of those builds too!!
i made plans for the BC meet before getting engaged. kinda hard to sell a marque meetup when i'm not even an owner any more to my future wife!! another year. i love the okanagan valley!
 
#20 ·
I am wondering if this might be a manufacturing problem. GS-1 chased an intermittent electrical problem for over a year before a field engineer actually took apart the ECM box and discovered that the cabling coming into the bottom of the ECM box had been improperly assembled at the factory. The end result was the car was experiencing problems that were a result of an unalowable condition so it could not be diagnosed using any of the normal methods. Until they physically took the ECM cable bundle apart they did not find the problem.

Where is the car going to end up? Do you know?
 
#22 ·
one of the parts they were looking to replace was the wiring and connector to the ECU - also happened to be the critical component with no availability/ETA on manufacture.
not sure where it's gonna end up. i will try and find out and keep everybody posted.
 
#24 ·
really? i drove by recently and it was still there (about two weeks ago) - and was using it as a possible option for GM to pursue rather than a buyback up until last week. sounds like another ploy by the dealership IMO. i'll swing by @ lunch today and confirm in any case. but if it's true, i'm happy - and i hope the new owner was a shrewd negotiator and didn't pay what they were asking!!
 
#30 ·
found out what's likely happening to my vehicle:

GM Sponsored Auctions

it will be classified as RVDC (Reacquired Vehicle Disclosure Center), signifying a Customer Dissatisfaction Buyback Vehicle, and made available to any GM dealer at an upcoming GM-sponsored closed auction. may this thread serve as warning to anybody that sees it show up at a dealer near you!!
 
#31 ·
Hopefully it will just sit on the back lot until the parts are made and they can fix it. Anyone that wants to buy it could probably make a pretty good deal right now, put down a deposit and complete in a few weeks or months, or maybe even source the used parts and hand them to the dealer to install on their dime.
 
#32 ·
ever the optimist you are, eh bill! :)
good luck to whoever ends up with it, i did my "time" in this car waiting months on parts that needed to be made and were thrown at the car, to no avail. i've already moved on. i just hope it's fixed or disclosed as dysfunctional if not.
 
#33 ·
They better. It would be nice if the car got fixed and lived on.

 
#36 ·
yes, you chose wisely. i *also* had a choice b/w 802 and a black gxp 5mt 400 mile coupe that the original buyer also had in storage. but i dislike black. wish i could flash back to november and learned to unlove the sly shade of gray so much :(
 
#37 · (Edited)
and it's official... signed all the buyback paperwork today and got the check. service manager isn't 100% sure of it's fate but mentioned that the district manager *didn't* think it was going to gm internal auction. a donation to the auto shop @ local community college is an avenue the DM is strongly pursuing, otherwise it's heading to arizona to be crushed. chances of it seeing the road again in the near future are slim to none, in any case.

i took a few final pics before heading on my way. would you believe i didn't have *any* prior to today? fitting, since i never really felt like it was mine anyway. excuse the dirt, it hasn't seen a lot of love in the past 5 months:





engine bay carnage. they still can't put it back together due to sensors/harnesses on backorder, and a lot of the redundant wiring they ran is still there:



me with a brave face on. i forgot how much i loved this damn car:


and here's how my fiancee feels about the whole ordeal:


so i guess that's about it. i hope *nobody* has to go through what i've suffered first with the 'vert, and then the coupe. my advice to anybody out there still in their warranty and babying their cars: don't. if there's a weak spot, you WANT to get to the bottom of it while it's on GM's tab, not yours. and for those committed long term, start stocking up on parts. and kudos to guys like dave@ddmworks for providing the aftermarket support, he's an asset to the community. i'll still check in from time to time, and who knows, when i've got some spare cash down the road, i may even get my butt back into a 'vert. i just can't seem to get far enough away from the kappa platform :)
 
#38 ·
Sorry about your car, but it would be a great parts car. I would love to get the wheels.
 
#39 ·
Man, sorry you had to go through so much with that car. Seems like for some of these, beauty comes at a very high price.

It would seem so weird to me to have to walk away from a car that is it seemingly perfect condition. But hey, you put up with quite a lot to this point and nothing worked. Good on you for cutting your losses.

By the way, what DSLR did you use for these photos? I tried looking at the metadata, but it didn't say. They look really good.
 
#40 ·
Man, sorry you had to go through so much with that car. Seems like for some of these, beauty comes at a very high price.

It would seem so weird to me to have to walk away from a car that is it seemingly perfect condition. But hey, you put up with quite a lot to this point and nothing worked. Good on you for cutting your losses.
yep, exactly. a price (and pain) i was no longer willing to bear.

By the way, what DSLR did you use for these photos? I tried looking at the metadata, but it didn't say. They look really good.
yeah, i have 'em directing to the flickr storage farm permalinks, no exif data in those :(
it's a Canon 5D Mark II w/ a 35L f/1.4 in those pics. i actually just picked that lens up today. shot a 10D for years and recently upgraded. all my old lenses looked so soft and useless with the 5D. i picked up a 70-200L IS f/2.8, beautiful lens, but for regular use it just isn't practical. so i justified the expense with the check i got from GM, lol.
 
#41 ·
Wow, that's some really nice gear you got there. I've just started getting into photography; bought myself a Sony a33 a few weeks ago. Yeah, it doesn't have the popularity or name that Canon or Nikon has, but I got it for a decent price and got it mostly for its 7fps continuous shooting mode. I can't wait to take it to the racetrack and get some cool shots with it.
 
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