Well this has been a nightmare. Ill try and make it short but don't think I can.
Bought a Hummer H3 Alpha 97,000 miles on it. Drove back from Mississippi to Utah. Pushed, it average but sreep stead climg up the Rocky Mountains, discovered a massive oil leak around Laramie. Blow back everywhere underneath, back window, covered with oily film. Oil didn't register on the dipstick. Had a oil place check for lose oil filter or plug, didn't find anything obvious. Filled back up, drove the rest of the way to Utah easier. Checked oil, no oil loss. Friend check rear seal inspection cap, didn't think it was the rear seal. Might be oil sending unit. Drove it occasionally around town for the next few months, no oil loss, very small drip around inspection cap.
Finally took it in to the dealer in April to have a multi point inspection. Told them about the oil loss, thought it might be OSU. They came back said rear main seal, OSU fine. We bit the bullet had that done. Didn't drive it much for a few weeks, maybe 300 miles.
Leveled it, took it to the tire shop for alignment and new bump stops, they said it needed front end work, upper control arms, lower ball joints, rack and pinion steering replaced. Told them we would keep an eye on tire wear but had to recover from last repair.
Noticed oil had been leaking on the floor, checked underneath and now a lot more oil in more places than before the rear seal work had been done. Took it back to the dealer, they said inspection cap area dry, stated it was now the oil pan. Not happy with their answer or believing them choose not to have them do it since we were needing to have front in work done elsewhere. We decide to have the tire shop do the oil pan at the same time as the front end work not to pay twice to have the steering unit removed and replaced plus they were less $500 or so less than the dealer. Had the tire shop do all needed front end work and oil pan done.
Picked it up, drove less then 10 miles home, pulled in the garage, looked underneath, oil leaking just as much as before and in the same places but now a bit running down the oil filter as well. Took it back the next day to the tire shop to see why. They said it's not coming from the oil pan but the rear seal. Told them we just had the rear seal done a month ago. They checked it again said they are 98% sure it's the rear seal. Told them we would take it to a third place for another opinion before going back to the dealer.
Took it to another highly rated shop just telling them we had a leak no detail. They were to steam clean the underneath and do the dye test. A couple hours later said they found the problem without the dye test just by a visual inspection, determined that it was probably the oil pan, if that didn't fix it then suggested the rear seal. We then proceed to fill them in everything that had already been done and that we needed them to do a full inspection with the dye test to see if they can more accurately determine where the oil is leaking from. Waiting to hear back tomorrow.
So now we are going to get in the middle of which repair wasn't done correctly and who is responsible to warrant it. In the meantime do you guys have any suggestions of what could have been done wrong or could it be something totally different that was misdiagnosed? We are at our witts end.
Bought a Hummer H3 Alpha 97,000 miles on it. Drove back from Mississippi to Utah. Pushed, it average but sreep stead climg up the Rocky Mountains, discovered a massive oil leak around Laramie. Blow back everywhere underneath, back window, covered with oily film. Oil didn't register on the dipstick. Had a oil place check for lose oil filter or plug, didn't find anything obvious. Filled back up, drove the rest of the way to Utah easier. Checked oil, no oil loss. Friend check rear seal inspection cap, didn't think it was the rear seal. Might be oil sending unit. Drove it occasionally around town for the next few months, no oil loss, very small drip around inspection cap.
Finally took it in to the dealer in April to have a multi point inspection. Told them about the oil loss, thought it might be OSU. They came back said rear main seal, OSU fine. We bit the bullet had that done. Didn't drive it much for a few weeks, maybe 300 miles.
Leveled it, took it to the tire shop for alignment and new bump stops, they said it needed front end work, upper control arms, lower ball joints, rack and pinion steering replaced. Told them we would keep an eye on tire wear but had to recover from last repair.
Noticed oil had been leaking on the floor, checked underneath and now a lot more oil in more places than before the rear seal work had been done. Took it back to the dealer, they said inspection cap area dry, stated it was now the oil pan. Not happy with their answer or believing them choose not to have them do it since we were needing to have front in work done elsewhere. We decide to have the tire shop do the oil pan at the same time as the front end work not to pay twice to have the steering unit removed and replaced plus they were less $500 or so less than the dealer. Had the tire shop do all needed front end work and oil pan done.
Picked it up, drove less then 10 miles home, pulled in the garage, looked underneath, oil leaking just as much as before and in the same places but now a bit running down the oil filter as well. Took it back the next day to the tire shop to see why. They said it's not coming from the oil pan but the rear seal. Told them we just had the rear seal done a month ago. They checked it again said they are 98% sure it's the rear seal. Told them we would take it to a third place for another opinion before going back to the dealer.
Took it to another highly rated shop just telling them we had a leak no detail. They were to steam clean the underneath and do the dye test. A couple hours later said they found the problem without the dye test just by a visual inspection, determined that it was probably the oil pan, if that didn't fix it then suggested the rear seal. We then proceed to fill them in everything that had already been done and that we needed them to do a full inspection with the dye test to see if they can more accurately determine where the oil is leaking from. Waiting to hear back tomorrow.
So now we are going to get in the middle of which repair wasn't done correctly and who is responsible to warrant it. In the meantime do you guys have any suggestions of what could have been done wrong or could it be something totally different that was misdiagnosed? We are at our witts end.
