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I finally looked up the actual failure rate for those plastic coolant elbows on older GM 3.8L engines
I was reading a technical service bulletin archive and found a stat that said in a sample of 500 warranty claims, over 60% were for that exact part cracking between 80k and 100k miles. I always knew they were bad, but seeing that number made it click. Now I just proactively tell customers with those cars to swap them out with metal ones around 75k. It's a cheap part and saves them a tow and a big repair bill later. Has anyone else started doing preemptive replacements on known weak points like this?
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the_emma5mo ago
Whoa, that's a solid find. Just be careful with that 75k mile rule though. I've seen plenty of those original plastic elbows go way past that without a problem. Maybe just suggest a visual check during service instead of a straight swap.
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harperr825mo ago
Got a list of those other common failure points? I've got a few I always check on older Toyotas and Hondas, like certain radiator caps and brittle vacuum lines. What are the top three things you replace before they leave someone stranded?
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