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Chevy Silverado
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I read alot of negative comments. What are the positive comments about the 2003 Sierra 4x4, 5.3 V8? Has anyone had both vehicles and can compare. I really need your input, advice, and experiences. Many thanks-John
our mailman who is a good friend just went from a middle 90s dodge 2wd to an 03 4wd tundra. He likes it alot but he does wish the back seat was bigger. If you are going to use the backseat for passengers and you really want the tundra id consider waiting until the crewcab version comes out.
-David
-David
As far as mileage, on the highway at 73 mph I get around 18.6 mpg. I pure city driving at 35 mph I get around 15.5 mpg.
With regards to Tundra as "bullet-proof", well some of them may be that way and some won't be that way, just like GM products. I'm sure there are forums out there that discuss the problems some Tundra owners have been experiencing.
You probably won't go wrong with either choice.
My drive from home to work is only 4 miles at 35 mph.
Heck, my engine hardly gets warm before I shut it off for 8 hours.
I've checked it a few times lately with just driving to work & around town (30 or 35 mph also) for 3/4 of a tank of gas. It consistently gets around 15.5 mpg.
Must be that regular Mobile oil I use in it. It's been good to me and has always given me great gas mileage for 23 years, no matter what vehicle I'm driving.
The wife and I (and kids) have been looking at getting a 24' cabin cruiser boat.
Wonder what my gas mileage will be when towing that!!!
Certainly any increase in mileage would only be on a 1/10ths of MPG scale, and never provide enough return to pay for the cost of the modification.
The best way to improve your mileage while towing is to slow down. For example when my dad towed his 30' fifth wheel at 65-70mph he got about 7 mpg. He tried at 55-60 and his mileage went to a little over 8 mpg. That may not sound like a big deal but in reality its about a 15 percent improvement.
You won't see that degree of a benefit because your boat is much lighter and more aerodynamic, but going a little slower will help.
Though, once a year I'll need to tow it about 50 miles in order to get a little closer to the San Juan islands and to Vancouver Island in Canada before I put it in the water.
Truck Towing Boat: 65 mph @ 8 mpg.
Boat Pushing Water: 30 mph @ 2 mpg.
If I'm traveling in a boat doing 30 mph and I use 15 gph, isn't that the same as getting 2 mpg?
If I'm traveling in my truck doing 72 mph and I'm getting 18 mpg, isn't that the same as getting 4 gph?
Land yachts get buffeted by the wind or water currents, but aren't affected unless traction is lost.
We took it in once and they "fixed" something and it still doesnt work very well. I live in Southern California and the temperature does get in to the hundreds quite often but that is what it is supposed to be for! I have had several different people comment in my car about the A/C, so I am not crazy. Has anyone had this problem?
Also according to the auto press I have heard only raves about the GM AC systems in their trucks. I don't have the link, but Motor Trend did a comprehensive 4WD comparo in Death Valley last year, and I remember part of the article commented that The GM's were very popular driving choices for their "beer cooler cold AC".
A couple of questions. Does your a/c blow sub par all the time or only at idle at a stop light. In very high temps, A/c systems have a hard time keeping up at times when there is very little air blowing thru the condenser. I would take it back to the dealer and have them check the temperature that your AC is blowing, should be less than 40 degrees.
BTW, I'm on my second A/C fan motor. The first one self-destructed just before a trip to Florida. Apparently, a couple of the tabs that hold the fan motor in it's housing had broken. The fan dropped down and started rubbing the vent housing.
Phil
When you have outside air selected the AC system only has one chance to cool the air. Even the best system will only be able to change the air temp by about 20 degrees. If the outside temp is 95 degrees you will get 75 degree air. If you select recirc it keeps running the same air through the system, each time it lowers it by 15-20 degrees, until of course it reaches the temp of your evaporator.
If this does not solve your problem - then you have something wrong with your system.
Phil
-David
in drive train.
Tom
Info - Driveline Clunk #99-04-20-002A
Driveline Clunk
2002 and Prior Light Duty Truck Models
This bulletin is being revised to add model years. Please discard Corporate Bulletin Number 99-04-20-002 (Section 04 -- Driveline/Axle).
Important
The condition described in this bulletin should not be confused with Driveline Stop Clunk, described in Corporate Bulletin Number 964101R (Chevrolet 92-265-7A, GMC Truck 91-4A-77, Oldsmobile 47-71-20A, GM of Canada 93-4A-100) or Bump/Clunk Upon Acceleration, described in Corporate Bulletin Number 99-04-21-004.
Some owners of light duty trucks equipped with automatic transmissions may comment that the vehicle exhibits a clunk noise when shifting between Park and Drive, Park and Reverse, or Drive and Reverse.
Similarly, owners of vehicles equipped with automatic or manual transmissions may comment that the vehicle exhibits a clunk noise while driving when the accelerator is quickly depressed and then released.
Whenever there are two or more gears interacting with one another, there must be a certain amount of clearance between those gears in order for the gears to operate properly. This clearance or freeplay (also known as lash) can translate into a clunk noise whenever the gear is loaded and unloaded quickly, or whenever the direction of rotation is reversed. The more gears you have in a system, the more freeplay the total system will have.
The clunk noise that owners sometimes hear may be the result of a buildup of freeplay (lash) between the components in the driveline.
For example, the potential for a driveline clunk would be greater in a 4-wheel drive or all-wheel drive vehicle than a 2-wheel drive vehicle. This is because in addition to the freeplay from the rear axle gears, the universal joints, and the transmission (common to both vehicles), the 4-wheel drive transfer case gears (and their associated clearances) add additional freeplay to the driveline.
In service, dealers are discouraged from attempting to repair driveline clunk conditions for the following reasons:
Comments of driveline clunk are almost never the result of one individual component with excessive lash, but rather the result of the added affect of freeplay (or lash) present in all of the driveline components. Because all of the components in the driveline have a certain amount of lash by design, changing driveline components may not result in a satisfactory lash reduction.
While some owners may find the clunk noise objectionable, this will not adversely affect durability or performance.
© Copyright General Motors Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
Does any one out there with a new 8100 engine (under 10,000 miles) burn 1 quart of oil every 1000 miles?
GM is now telling me they will extend the engine component warranty to 6yr/100,000. The problem I see with this is that the wording makes engine failure because you ran out of oil not covered! Also this oil burn fouls the plugs out after about 800 miles and you start to get takeoff hesitation!
Does any one know how long it will take this kind of oil usage to mess up the emissions system?
What can I expect my oil consumption to be at 50,000 miles? (2 Quarts per 1000 miles?)
How long will I be able to continue passing state emissions test?
Do I need to even bother changing the oil with it burning this amount of oil?
Wether you are having a problem or not with the 8100 I would go back to GM and get the "free" 6yr 100,000 file component warranty on this engine.
Call your dealer and ask about the sensor that plugs into the canister off the passenger side fire wall in the engine compartment.
My tranny also clunks. I was told not to worry about it.
Im frazzled about the tranny because I traded in my 99 Ford F150 Lariat w/ 5.4 Liter after the dealer told me tranny number 6 was going in at 55K miles.
I dumped it and became a Chevy man.
That was your first mistake.. muhahahhahaha
But fouling the plugs?.....Hmmmmmm...............
The wheels were balanced but the shop supervisor says the frequency is faster than wheel speed. I say drive shaft he says he has no clue. I think the frame is setting up a harmonic. A friend has the same truck it does not shake... So much for the smooth ride suspension as printed on the window sticker!! Do any of you have this problem?? Dealer also said it is not the engine, nor is it the recalled chrome steel wheels.
noise,dealer called back and said my a/c comp
was comming apart. anyone else having same problem
occurs when I have the AC on the lowest setting.
I am pretty confident that my noise is a AC on
lowest setting noise I hear.
On a side note: Anybody with a '03 hear
squeaky noises from pedal when pressing accelerator pedal when driving ???
occurs when I have the AC on the lowest setting.
I am pretty confident that my noise is a AC on
lowest setting noise I hear.
On a side note: Anybody with a '03 hear
squeaky noises from pedal when pressing accelerator pedal when driving ???
I also have the hard shifting problem [noticed it when test driving it} from 1st to 2nd gear. It is only getting worse. If anyone has found a solution to this problem PLEASE let me know because the BtoB warranty runs out Jan. 1 of 2004.
The update is that the dealer determined that the tire is the problem with the left pull. So they have ordered (under warranty) a new one and will call when it is in. I’ll let you know how that goes. The hard shift for the transmission was solved via a computer update. It DID solve the problem. It did it hot or cold so now I need to test it and see how long the fix lasts. Nice and smooth now.
On another note; I have the Z71 w/towing package. What size trailer in tonnage is to much for this truck. The wife wants me to get us a camper but am a little dumb on just how to figure the GVW and stuff like that. I pull a small U-Haul box trailer once in a while but she is talking about a BIG boy now.
Any feedback would be welcomed.
I have heard that the Silverado is one of the easiest trucks to steal. Does anyone know if Chevrolet has done anything to improve its theft deterrence? I am looking at trucks again and I just keep coming back to the Silverado when I compare them side-by-side. I want another Silverado but if they are that easy to steal, I may have to reconsider.
Regarding onstar, a halfway knowledgeable thief will break off the antenna first thing - disabling the reception - so I would not feel too bad about not renewing this expensive, seldom used, service. Lojak might be a better investment for this purpose. However, my neighbor recently had his new Ford S Crew stolen and it had Lojak - ended up in Mexico (I live in AZ) and the police won't pursue a stolen vehicle down there. The best anti-theft device I have heard of is an old technology kill switch in a location only you know. I recently bought a new Sierra and the dealership said they installed a higher tech form of kill switch on all of their vehcicles and none have been stolen since.
Any vehicle is easy to steal if you really want to steal it, so buy the truck you like and get a kill switch - check with local police and aftermarket alarm shops to get the best info on current anti-theft devices. IMHO, if someone wants to steal my truck I would rather have them steal it than deal with the damages they would leave behind in trying to steal it. Let us know how you make out. Good luck.
if x-cab or reg cab and rear gear ratio tho!
Look in glove box for RPO code sticker
G-80 is locker....Ratio should start with G too.
I own an older '93 2500 Silverado 4x4, that I recently purchased used. I've noticed that when I go at low speed that there are two black relays (I'm asuming they are relays) taped back to back under the drivers side dashboard that constantly click rapidly and intermitantly at low speeds. It seems to subside when I pick up speed and maintain a constant speed.
My door locks also keep locking and unlocking, but not at the same frequency of these relays. Does anyone know if these relays are related to the auto door locks. Are the doors supposed to lock automatically when the truck is put in drive, or just when I push on the lock button?
Any help in what the problem might be would be appreciated.