Vent: Customer told me his engine noise was just 'normal Chevy sounds'

Had a guy roll into my shop in Denver last Tuesday with a 2014 Silverado that sounded like a coffee can full of rocks. I popped the hood and right away I could hear the lifters ticking hard, like really bad. He insisted it was fine because his buddy had the same truck and they all sound like that. I showed him the metal flakes in the oil and he still argued with me for ten minutes. Finally I told him to take it somewhere else if he didn't trust my diagnosis. He drove off and I got a call two days later from a tow truck driver saying the engine seized on I-70. Has anyone else had a customer swear their truck is fine when it's clearly about to blow?

3 comments

3 Comments

paige861mo ago

Ugh, that's the worst. It's like people have this weird denial about their stuff breaking down. I see it all the time at the grocery store, people ignoring the check engine light on their dash for weeks. They just keep driving and hoping it goes away.

kim8191mo agoMost Upvoted

Right, because ignoring a flashing warning light on your dashboard is basically the same as crossing your fingers and hoping your car fixes itself overnight. I'm sure that magic check engine light fairy is real busy out there, huh. Maybe we should all just start putting our phones in rice when they get a little sluggish, too.

the_tessa1mo ago

Gotta be honest, check engine lights can actually turn off on their own sometimes though.