VF Series II LS3 Harmonic Balancer

[Harvs82]

Hi All,

I have a 2016 VF series II SSV Redline Ute, obviously with the LS3 engine, I had a routine 54 month / 90k service done this week, and the dealer service people advised me that my harmonic balancer was coming apart and needed to be replaced. I had reported a noisy drive belt on cold starts, and evidently this was the cause. I've only travelled 54000km since I bought the car new, and am pretty disappointed that such an integral engine part has failed at such low mileage. I ended up having it replaced for around $470, but is this a common issue on this engine?

 

[Ron Burgundy]

Hi All,

I have a 2016 VF series II SSV Redline Ute, obviously with the LS3 engine, I had a routine 54 month / 90k service done this week, and the dealer service people advised me that my harmonic balancer was coming apart and needed to be replaced. I had reported a noisy drive belt on cold starts, and evidently this was the cause. I've only travelled 54000km since I bought the car new, and am pretty disappointed that such an integral engine part has failed at such low mileage. I ended up having it replaced for around $470, but is this a common issue on this engine?

Yes. This is fairly common. Mine was replaced under warranty

 

[07GTS]

just put a powerbond on there and u wont have any more issues

 

[Redline457]

Definitely go with the Powerbond unit

 

[HarryHoudini]

90,000 K's doesn't seem fair,surely Dealer should replace it under implied warranty.
Major Holden Dealers in the 1990's used to replace HB and Power Steer pressure hose at the 150,000 K service on Vn/Vp's which is a bit more palatable.

 

[Harvs82]

90,000 K's doesn't seem fair,surely Dealer should replace it under implied warranty.
Major Holden Dealers in the 1990's used to replace HB and Power Steer pressure hose at the 150,000 K service on Vn/Vp's which is a bit more palatable.

Just 54000km.... I am out of factory warranty by 18 months. They threw in a dealer warranty for free when I bought it, but of course its not covered. Neither are the rocker gaskets that have been done 4 times... luckily they failed under factory warranty and then each time a new set was installed they were warranted by Holden.

 

[Skylarking]

@Harvs82, the HB should last much much longer than 54,000 kms as it’s supposedly a life of engine component, something a Powerbond HB indicates if comments are to be believed.

The fact the HB failed outside factory warranty is irrelevant to Australian Consumer Law which provides a statutory warranty for all consumer stuff sold in Australia. And this statutory warranty doesn’t have a duration specified in law so it comes down to what an average consumer would expect is reasonable. I think I’m average and I’d reasonably expect a HB to last 100’s of 1000’s of kms or decades….

According to ACL, all products sold down under must be durable and a HB failing @ 54k kms clearly shows it’s not durable. I’d be speaking to HCC and the dealer and asking why this wasn’t handled according to your statutory warranty rights as defined in law and as agreed by Holden and dealers in their now expired ACCC court undertaking not to be such dushbag. This repair should have been done gratis by Holden.

Just keep in mind the normal chain of ACL claims is to the selling dealer who must fix the defect at their cost (even if Holden denies warranty claim). The dealer can then make an ACL claim against Holden. But dealers consider this too much effort and not enough reward whereas billing a customer is preferred by all (except the vehicle owner)…

Ask for a full refund on this. Hopefully the service dealer is the selling dealer as it’s simpler this way. But if the dealer/Holden won’t capitulate, take them to small claims court or tribunal (in Victoria that’s VCAT). Worst outcome is $67 VCAT claim and present your case to a judge and he’ll rule… 1/2 a day of your time (if it gets that far) and you learn a little about law along the way…

PS: wanna know more about ACL, read the many links I’ve posted within the Sudden loss of Power Steering (sticky) thread in the VF forum

 

[struggo]

Mine delaminated last year,

https://forums.justcommodores.com.au/threads/harmonic-balancer-ls3.287806/