2012 Acadia Problems

m.mcmillen

Original poster
Member
Apr 29, 2016
554
Wisconsin
I bought a 2012 GMC Acadia this summer with 112,000 miles. I really like the vehicle, it drives nice and has plenty of power. The second day that we had it, we decided to go for a family night out and as we were leaving town, I asked my wife "Have you ever floored this thing? It really goes!" Of course she says "no". So I floor it...I hear some thumping and look in the mirror and see debris flying out the back. The serpentine belt jumped off. I call a tow truck and have it towed back to the dealership I bought it from. They put a new belt and alternator on. I guess the decoupler in the alternator went bad and made the belt jump off.

Fast forward a few weeks...We go on vacation down to Mammoth Cave in Kentucky (the caves are awesome!). On the way down, it starts to run a little hot when we're not moving. I pulled over and didn't really see or smell anything but noticed that there was no pressure in the cooling system. I stopped and bought a radiator cap and drove the rest of the way down (about 3 hours). We stayed down in Kentucky for about a week, the day before we left, I checked the coolant and it was pretty low so I started looking and saw that the water pump was leaking. I changed the water pump at the campground that we were staying at. Of course it is really hot but I got it done.

About 3 weeks ago, I started getting a P0017 code which is cam/crank correlation code for exhaust cam bank 1. It would come up on a cold start only. I heard that GM will sometimes pay to have the chains done so I take it to the dealer. They of course say that it doesn't need a chain that it only needs a cam solenoid. I tell them ok and they change it. Nope, doesn't fix it so back to the dealer it goes. They called me yesterday and say that it does need a chain and that it will cost $3200. I told them that the only reason I brought it over was because I was told that GM might pay for part of fixing it. Long story short, the service manager called GM and they're going to pitch in $1,000 toward the repair.

I'm hoping that once the chain is fixed, I can really start enjoying this vehicle. If it has another major repair, it might disappear from my driveway!

Hopefully the info on the chain might help someone in the future. I'm not sure what the service manager said when he called. I do buy a lot parts from this particular dealership through my job (we have about 25 GM cars/vans) so I don't know if that had anything to do with them helping me out or not.
 
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Ilikemy3s

Member
Dec 3, 2011
367
Does your ride have the I4 or the V6 engine ? I was thinking on getting one for my wife but was advised to get a 2013 or newer and get the V6 in it.
 

m.mcmillen

Original poster
Member
Apr 29, 2016
554
Wisconsin
Mine has the V6. I think the I4 didn’t start until 2017 but I’m not 100% sure.

I think in 2013 the engine V6 was updated. It is still a 3.6 but has a higher horsepower rating and some issues were addressed.
 

m.mcmillen

Original poster
Member
Apr 29, 2016
554
Wisconsin
I picked up the Acadia from the dealership on Tuesday. There isn't really any noticeable difference in the way it runs. We travelled 2 hours from home for Thanksgiving and the fuel mileage is considerably higher. it was getting 16 MPG. Now, I'm getting 22 MPG. I'm thinking the timing must have been off a bit due to the stretched timing chains and it wasn't running as efficiently as it should have been. I'm sure it still has the original spark plugs in it. I'll probably change those soon and see what happens with the mileage.
 

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