chevy Silverado - Continued

26andrew1

torsion bar will not effect whether it pulls left or right. make sure car is level though

quadrunner500

On my Blazer, it would not stick idling either because there is not enough manifold vacuum (okay, low pressure) to "suck" the throttle plate hard against the worn part of the bushings. But when you chop the throttle closed at highway speeds, there is a lot of vacuum pulling it shut, and that area of the bushing becomes a wear point. Try and give it gas during that situation and you notice it stick.

quadrunner500

I have had the low fuel light come on, on a hill sometimes, and then go back off a while later. The most fuel I have had to put into my 34 gallon tank is 31.5. But remember, there is never any assurance the fuel pickup unit will actually be able to pump ALL the fuel out of your tank, especially if not level.

huntman

If I was a person who just put in a order, I would consider ordering a 2000 model now since GM has slated production of the 2000 model for June 15th to start. You could have your early release truck before the fourth of July with Maybe even four doors. Too late for me though since my SLT Sierra was purchased on Feb 27 after a wait since mid nov. Best of luck.

Huntman

page3

Just made a trip from Tucson to Alpine Az. towing about 4000 lbs. Up and down elavations from 2000 to 8000 ft. 6% grades air cond. on half the way. I averaged 11 mpg at 60-75 mph. I am very pleased with the 6.0 preformance.Passing on up hill grades was a piece of cake.I have use 454's 350's and 460's on this same trip and feel gm is on to something with these new vortec motors. Tran's gauge is nice to have,temps.never got over 190 but out side temp.was never over 90.The truck handles very well on mountain corners at hwy.speeds.

The third door has been nice but trying to get my kids trained on when to close or open the door has not been fun. I can see that nice pewter paint getting messed up by 2 passengers not communicating on when to close the doors. I am always reminding new passengers to make sure the rear door is closed before closing theirs.The rubber gasket at the top of the rear door already has been damaged by a near miss.I feel like an airline steward (please my sure that all kids are in their seats with the door closed before closing yours!)

No other problems or complaints.I drive this truck from home on a 6 mile unmaintained dirt road with lots of rock and holes.Still tight and quiet.

northernbasser

I called GM today was told that my target week is May 3 (ordered March 2), and that my truck is being built in Ft. Wayne, which makes a lot of sense when you consider I'm in Toronto, and Oshawa is about 40 minutes down the highway.

I haven't seen much 'talk' here about trucks from the Indiana plant...anyone...?

nuwo

I finally got my build date; it's going to be April 26th. Placed my order on Feb 24th, so over 8 weeks from order to build date. The wait's almost over!

tkabbes

Boy, was I disappointed in the base level version of the Silverado 4wd ext. cab. The interior seems to have been designed to accommodate the features found in the LS trim.
The gear shift rendered the cup holder unusable, yet they chose to install the cup holder anyway; that would irritate me every day . Also, the window cranks practically touch the seat if the seat is positioned forward. With each rotation of the crank, my hand was squished between the seat and the crank.
These ergonomic errors in a $22,000 vehicle are a bit disturbing. Sorry, I don't want to sound like I expect perfection but these were unexpected.

page3

northernbasser

Mine was built in Ind. I'm very satisfied with the quality in this truck. I waited 5 months for it!I think Ind. was one of the last plants to come on line.Most trucks I have seen built there seem to be 2500 models.Is that what you ordered? Good luck on your order.

markbuck

Cupholder on my reg cab base level manual shift is mounted to the center seat, works great- where is yours? Haven't noticed any problems with the window crank location, but I keep my vinyl seat back. Love the vinyl, got blood all over it last week after riding the bike, cleaned right up. Jump in sweaty after tennis or volleyball and don't worry about stinking up the seats. I clean the rubber floor and seats of doghair by rolling down the windows and driving 80.......

I love this new Silverado!

No problems other than a pinion seal failure the first day.
What I would like is another set of wheels for my 1/2 ton. Prefer the steel wheels with chrome plating - anybody wanna get rid of theirs? Gonna mount a set of studded tires on the stock painted steel wheels for next winter. Really like the dark tinted sliding rear window and the seperate cargo light control. Also like the automatic headlights.

Either I am lucky with no defects, or some of ya'll are too picky! Do cupholders really matter that much, or a power seat that rattles. Seems like any competent machinist could make something up for each of your problems for almos nothing.

northernbasser

I'm glad to hear that you're happy with your truck. Is it a safe guess that yours is a 2500?
Mine is a 1500 LS extended cab 4wd with the 5.3L & 3.73 rear. I'm also getting the Z71 (off road) and Z82 (trailer) packages, aluminum wheels and 265 tires and deep tint on the back windows. It's black with medium gray cloth (non power) buckets.

The excitement builds.......

mtrussel1

Please... I would like to know how long it took after the build date for your truck to arrive at the dealer. I just found out today that my truck (Silverado, Z71 ext. cab) was built on the 14th of April and I am getting super anxious! It was built in Oshawa, and I hope I have better luck than some of the experiences I read about in the earlier posts.

MikeT-Z71

knobby

The anxiety is over about my truck making the cut-off date for ordering. Just got a call from the dealer today. The salesman told me that my Sierra SLE now has a definite born on week of 5-3-99, with a delivery for sometime in the middle of May. Now the real sweating starts.

nuwo

If all goes well, I should be picking my truck up in a couple of weeks. I'd like to make a list of things to check while at the dealer. I've gleaned a few things from this topic that are specific to the Silverado. Anybody have any ideas of what to include on a checklist?

cookie1

Checklist #227,

Check everything!
I just sold my 99 Silverado LS EXT CAb Z71 that
was loaded for $600.00 less than what I paid for
it and drove it 6 months and 8,341 miles. Not
too bad. It will be someone else's problemS now.

Davydd

MikeT,

Rest easy. My Oshawa built Silverado is still 100% zero defects after 4,500 miles. You're going to hear about the lemons. You seldom hear from the satisfied with no ax to grind. I'm satisfied.

gojones

Just received my Silverado LT with the 5.3 and 3.42 with the locking differential. 500 miles put on it this week and no complaints. Nicest truck I have owned. Almost went with the Ford 150 Lariet but finally decided on Chevy. Really was a tough decision but I believe I made the right choice. Had a 150 old body style and really loved it. New Chevy seems to have raised the bar for others to shoot for. Will let you know what happens in future.

gwvinson

Has anyone had problems with the moldings on the right and left sides of the engine compartment coming loose? They are the ones that the hood closes down on. They appear to be installed with peel and stick tape.
Also on a 400 mile trip this weekend,my 5.3l 3.42
diff. extended cab got 17mpg average speed,75mph.

Gregg

lbutler

Have '99 Silverado LT, Z71 with 3100 miles. No
problems very impressed with the quality of
this truck. Average 15 mpg city and 16 to 17 on
the road with the 5.3 3.71. No rattles, knocks,
etc.. would recommend to anyone. Have a very
good dealer, Huffines, in Dallas, TX who
found this truck at another dealer so did not
have to order....came in with 8 miles on it.

gwvinson

I forgot to mention that after 60 miles into my trip this weekend, my low coolant message come on. I checked the temp. and it was around 200 degrees which I think was fine. Next I pulled over and checked the coolant level. The level was about 2 inches from the bottom of the of the container. I decided to continue on my trip and constantly monitor the temp., which remained the same. The low coolant light remained on the rest of the trip. The next time I started the vehicle the light was out and never come on the entire return trip. The manual says the level should be at the cold mark when the engine is cold. The level was about an inch below the cold mark the next morning. Its hard to believe that the sensor is that sensitive. Has anyone had similar experiences.

Gregg

markbuck

Pinion seal failed again one month later, 2,000 miles. Taking it in again today. One more failure after this and lemon law....

Gonna buy a travel trailer this week. Probably weigh around 5,000 lbs wet. Be interesting to see how the 4.8, 5speed, 4.11 does. Going in halves with by buddy with the Ford SD V10 CC. His should pull it easy. Any guesses who will get better fuel economy loaded. I'm betting similar or I'll be a little lower.

PBlackwell

hey whats up? well want 2 getta new truck, hopefully a Silverado..I want and need the "LT". But couldnt find an............ANYONE IN MIAMI AREA FOUND ANY>>>>>???????Well i like the light pewter, acually a silver. But Chevy needs 2 learn 2 match.
In the brochure and commercial it shows the silver pewter color with camel tan leather....yuck.Whats the price 4 a base LT with towing package(has std. leather, etc.)!Help!thanx

kathyr

Hi all,

After much test-driving & looking at spec-sheets, I'm going with the 1500 4x4, LS, ext.cab, sb, trailering pkg, & z85 (firm-ride suspension). I'll be using my truck for towing my horses. Anyway,I used www.carpoint.com to get a price, and got a price from a dealer pretty close by. He says he has a truck with "almost" everything I want. He says it has the trailering pkg, but not the z85??? As far as I can tell, I have to get z85 with a trailering pkg, so how did he get one? It makes me wonder if he really knows what he's talking about! What do you all think? Is this something that can get "added" on, since it's just shocks?

Also, I know this varies by person, but what kind of markup on the invoice price do you think is fair? I'm thinking 3%, but it always ends up more, because they still charge for options I don't really want, like cast aluminum wheels, and deep-tinted glass.... Is this 3% reasonable for a '99 in almost-May of '99, e.g. aren't the 2000 models coming out soon??

Thanks,
Kathy

nuwo

Thanks for the input. At least it looks like the truck has good resale value!

bobfox

my 99 1500 silverado (5.3 liter, 3.73 limited slip rearend) 4x4 went into Jiffy lube last saturday for an oil change. I have 1650 or so miles. Planning a road trip to CA this weekend to see the Nascar Races, so I wanted to get the original oil changed. They were concerned about the fluid level in the rearend. So they asked to see the owners manual (as to verify what the level should be.) But they were confused because there seems to be a tag on the rearend that says 15w40 fluid whereas the owners manual says 75w90. The service department was closed at Chevy, so they couldn't call. I called today (monday) and spoke to 4 separate people, all of which didn't know what REALLY belongs in it. So they transfered me to the Service Manager's secretary, who took my name and number. That was at 10 am this morning. I'm not surprised, he NEVER returned the call.


Anyone know what fluid is supposed to be in the 3.72 limited slip rearend, and what level it is supposed to be at?

26andrew1

bobfox, I would say the 75-90. 15-40 is VERY light to be in a rearend. But I do not know this for a fact.

markbuck,
As for the lemon law, I belive GM will replace the rearend before they give in and buy it back.

Axle seals and pinion are always being replaced in our shop on the C/K's.

I find it odd that yours started to leak so soon, I wonder if they over filled the rear. Or didn't put the seal in straight.

quadrunner500

bobfox,
I would not let Jiffy Lube within artillery range of my Silverado, but give them credit for asking to read your owners manual. I would rather have the dealer check the differential fluid. It ships with synthetic, so no need to change it now in any case.

kathyr,
You can also get the trailering package if you get the Z71 off-road package. I test drove both the Z85 and the Z71. Didn't find a lot of difference in the way either felt, but along with stiffer shocks on the Z71 you also get a stabilizer bar which makes it corner flatter...nice. Might also consider getting the 4.10 axle for slightly better towing capacity and feel. Sometimes hard to find though. By the way, 3% over invoice is beyond generous. Dealers around here advertise 2% over invoice, with no haggling. I think $300-600 over invoice is reasonable. Some have paid more, some less. Have fun shopping!

markbuck

A 20W-50 motor oil is very similar to a 80 Wt gear lube in terms of viscosity. They are tested to different specs. Use 75W-90 synthetic oil, GM sells it. The oil level in the rear diff is supposed to be down about an inch (think it says the exact amount in your owners manual).

Pinion seal replaced again. Gonna check the breather hose for the diff and the oil level. Agree with you, 26andrew1, kinda using the lemon law as a threat. Gonna write the sales mgr and service mgr about my concerns today, how the leak has been fixed twice, and if it fails again, they better do more than just pop a new seal in. They claim the yoke has no grooves in it so could be too much play in the bearing.....
Figure put it in writing so I have more leverage.

Not pissed about this, just want it fixed for good!

tungle

I like your cool and mature attitude! Hope they
will fix it one more time and for good. It kinda
bothers to have some problems on a new vehicle.
Tung

bobfox

The fluid level was a pint low (below the 1 inch mark)

What's funny about Jiffy Lube is the tag they saw on the rear end 'probably' meant 15x45 mm level from the fill hole. (It definately had mm on the tag)

So now all thats wrong with my 1700 mile Silverado is the leaking rear window and today the compass on the mirror went to "C" meaning calibrate. Tried driving the normal 50 miles to and back from work, then tried the drive in a circle less than 5mph trick. Neither worked. (I live in AZ, and it is set for zone 5)

RichinKs

Back to my favorite subject. While waiting in the dentist office to get a wisdom tooth pulled, I was reading a new issue of Business Week. An article about the popularity of pickups. They quoted a Chevy exec as saying Chevy will have a 4 door xtended cab soon. Now the question is what is Chevy's definition of "soon". I'm still guessing the very first yr 2000's won't have four doors, but hopefully by September. If September is the start of delivery, when would they start taking orders? ..... Rich

markbuck

Yep I climbed under mine last night and chuckled when I read the same sticker, 'fill to 15 to 45 mm below the filler hole. Bobfox, sure you didn't overfill? 45 mm below is 1 3/4" below. If you were down a little more than an inch, you were still within spec.

cornhusker1

My 99 Silverado came in today. WOW what a truck. Lets see from reading what everybody else has said, I should have the armrest to close, the power seats making noises, vibrating at 40 mph, leaking rear axle and steering that wants to pull to the right. WRONG! Nothing wrong. The most perfect truck I have ever owned. Everything is perfect. The thing even came with a small deep scratch in the drivers door about an inch long. The dealer took it out and I don't even see it at all. And it was very very deep. Amazing.

quadrunner500

Quite a vehicle, Fetz.

bobfox

No it was just "topped off" to 1 inch below the hole. But I guess the major point of it was they were confused by the tag telling them what the fluid level was supposed to be, confusing it with an oil weight!

I've got 1750+ miles on my truck, had the oil changed (didn't want to go 3000 miles on a new engine with original oil and filter) and can't wait till tomorrow after work. I'm driving to Fontana to see both the Busch and Nascar races at California Speedway!!!! Finally my new truck will see a Freeway. Can't wait to see the mpg. Last tank I got 14.8 (having a high of 16.5), but the last tank had occasional AC turned on. (And let me say the AC is WAY BETTER than my wife's '97 Monte Carlo!)

The only freeway miles my truck has seen is a 4 mile jot a day during the work week. The rest has been city driving. (Which seems to be the best for the break-in, never traveling the same speed, keep it under 55mph etc.)

jerryb2

Several times lately I have had to pull off a roadway at 20-30MPH and slowly break to a stop on the rough shoulder. During this action I get a "funny" noise and "feel" on the break ped. I have never felt breaks do this before. Could this be the anti lock system??? Otherwise breaking in this truck is wonderful--both in wet and dry weather.

mledtje

What you are feeling is the anti-lock brakes working. On the dirt shoulder the rear end probably bounces enough to get one tire unloaded and sliding. The anti-lock then reduces the braking force on that wheel. You feel the pedal pulsing.

A quick stop on pavement with an unloaded pickup will also produce the same feeling in the pedal.

shooz

Cornhusker: I concur with your experience. Smooth, quiet, comfortable and powerful. I had been predisposed to expect less also.
Faults? The design of the suicide door renders it about unusable when parked next to another vehicle. Not to pick on Chevy. I' talking about all third doors in a busy parking lot. Time you open the doors you can't access the cabin with a shopping cart to load it. Maybe sliding door on the entire passenger side, like in some vans, could be a better design to allow better access.
Comments?

26andrew1

It's a truck guys.

RichinKs

26andrew1's reply and previous comments reminded me of other comments in the newsweek article. Besides Chevy saying a 4th door on the extented cab is soon, they also said a truck will be out soon (didn'y say which manufacturer) on a automobie chassis. This is for those who never want it as a truck, just want the looks. The truck/auto could then give the ride of a car while looking like a truck. ..... But I think many do have need for a truck, but would like some attributes of a car. If I only used my truck for truck "things" it would only be used once a week. So then am I also supposed to also own a car for doing car "things"? I feel the new trucks do a pretty good job of mixing the two. Why should I not have a good stereo while driving my truck? But if I want to carry a load I expect a firm ride. Although one guy told me my 97 Z71 rides better than his 91 Grand Prix. But even if I never had need for a truck, I think I would still own one for the visibility while driving. The enviromentalist have turned all the auto's into mini little things that hurt my back to get into and out of. ..... Rich

huntman

As far as the not being able to load a truck in a parking lot because of the third door, two comments. Fold the front seats up like you used to have to. And two, open both doors on the passenger side, close the front one. Then you have access to the back to load stuff or people.

Huntman

shooz

Huntman: Shifting and folding the passenger front seat in a LT? You'll be there a while.
As far as opening the back door and closing the front one: You'd better backed up into the parking space or that open door will be a barricade in the way. Four doors? More of the same The club cabs are an improvement but they're even bigger...Why nor take design hint from the mini-vans and improve the utility of these awsome trucks? But I guess suicide doors are in vogue (Look at Saturn).

gcatron

Just an FYI from my special order experience:

Looked extensively at Ford and Dodge. Didn't consider Chevrolet. Everyone I know recommended Chevrolet. Dodge mechanic recommended Chevrolet. Drove Silverado - that nailed down the decision. More power, better mileage, much better handling and ride, 4 wheel ABS standard, etc.

Ordered LS 4.8 2WD Auto 3.42 on 2/18.
Dealer said it would take 8 weeks.
Dealer called on 3/30 with 4/4 build date.
Picked up from dealer on 4/15, the 8th Thursday after the Thursday I ordered it.

This truck is absolutely the best American vehicle I have ever seen or experienced. Smooth, powerful, quiet, 19-21 MPG mostly highway driving.
Build quality (Canadian plant) is excellent, paint is beautiful.

I found a small scratch on a tail-light lens, dealer ordered a replacement without any hassle.

Dealer wanted $1300 for 100,000/60mo Major Guard but matched www.gmwarrantycentral price of 975.00
*just for me* haha.

Can you tell I'm happy with THE TRUCK? Had it two weeks and 1400 miles - extremely satisfied.

It's worth the wait...don't know why anyone would drive anything else.

bdon

Well, now I'm waiting. I finally broke down and ordered one at the beginning of April. Got a tentative build date of 5/10. It's amazing how the days seem to inch by ever so slowly now that I've actually ordered. I'm hoping to be behind the wheel by the end of May.

cornhusker1

After getting the call from the dealer that my truck was in, my 89 Chevy Pickup after 209,000 miles with no problem at all for 10 years, decided at its last trip with me to have a bad starter and a bad fuel pump. Now I had to keep my trade in and have two trucks around. Well after I get my truck and see how nice of truck it is, I am glad I didn't trade it in because this is way to nice of truck to drive to work everyday.

knobby

To great experience: www.gmwarrantycentral is a bad link.

quadrunner500

Try this http://www.gmwarrantycentral.com

knobby

To quadrunner etal:
Since I live in the great state of Florida, this plan is unavailable here. Thanks anyway.

knobby

Update on the truck I have on order. Checked with the dealer yesterday and took a look at the dealers paperwork. I saw that my truck (Sierra SLE 1500 LB) is on the schedule for the week of 5-3-99. I am starting to get antsy now thinking that in about two/three weeks I will be driving my truck. I've already amassed a collection of STUFF to add on the truck, like Extang Black Max tonneau cover, GMC splash guards, Lund bug shield and grille bug shield (very important items when you live in Florida) and Ventvisors. I plan on tinting the side windows in titanium. Later I plan to put on some kind of running boards, I haven't made up my mind yet as to style and type. May be you guys can help?

jxyoung

I put Westin nerf bars on my truck.