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Chevy Tahoe Maintenance and Repair

1911131415

Comments

  • dkcreechdkcreech Member Posts: 4
    Yes, they say a pressure test was done. I cant argue with them.
    But my truck never got hot. Not even once,now I have a new
    w/p as well as new pads and new rotors on the rear. I've heard
    that if you get 83k miles out of your brakes, you should be
    happy but today a guy told me he didn't need them until he
    had 143k miles. I do a lot of city driving and I understand
    the demand that puts on a truck. My wallet is a lot lighter too!
    thanks for your advice Shark, I apprec it.
  • 73shark73shark Member Posts: 325
    Did they say what was wrong w/ the rotors?
  • dkcreechdkcreech Member Posts: 4
    They said they were just worn down to the point that they couldn't be turned. I asked (based on my experience from the cars I had when I was a kid) then
    why didnt it shake & shimmy. Their response was because they were only
    worn down, not warped. This shop has a rep for being honest but several years
    ago they were bought by some larger company and maybe the "neighborhood
    shop" mentality is gone. BTW could the w/p seep fluid for a long time before
    finally failing or is it a sudden death event?
    thnks again./dc
  • 73shark73shark Member Posts: 325
    Not sure why they would need to be replaced if they weren't warped. I really doubt if they'd never been turned before that they'd be too thin to use. That really should have been the first pad replacement for the rears unless there was hardly any hwy miles.
    FYI: for future reference, the min. thickness is stamped in the rotor. But that's just so someone doesn't turn them below that and make them too thin.

    Usually seeping is a sign of impending failure in my experience. When the seal goes, then you lose coolant fast.
  • suzydallsuzydall Member Posts: 1
    Hi guys,
    I am a newbie and need all the help I can get. I have a 2001 Chevy Tahoe LS with 143,000 miles on it. Yesterday morning when I got in it there was an awful ticking noise and it was running bad. The oil pressure is usually great, if anything it runs a little high. Yesterday, it was running around 30. I took it directly to my brother. The ticking sounded like it was coming from the valve cover on the drivers side. He pulled it off and it was thick with milky looking oil. We cleaned them up and replaced the gaskets. When I drove home last night the ticking was gone. I got up this morning the ticking is back the oil pressure is down again and now the low coolant light is on and the temperature is down slightly. Am I in real trouble here? What kind of problem am I looking at? Any suggestions would be appreciated. I am not a big money girl and my car isn't throwing any codes. I don't want to keep driving and do any damage. :sick:

    Thanks in advance!
    Susie
  • kiawahkiawah Member Posts: 3,666
    Well the milky looking oil means the water from the radiator has gotten into your engine. That could be from a blown headgasket, or a worse internal engine problem. The head gasket is between the engine block and the heads (which have the valves that you undoubtedly saw when you took the valve covers off).

    Since your coolant light is also on, you have a definite problem. Do not drive it.
  • nkturnlnkturnl Member Posts: 2
    my tahoe stalls when im turning at a slow idle. thats the only time it does it. also my ac doesnt blow cold air in my middle or back seats. the front blows great. i just changed my brakes and my abs and break idiot lights came on. does anyone know why.
  • kiawahkiawah Member Posts: 3,666
    Check to see that the wheel sensors were put back in place, or one may have been damaged. Check also to see that you have enough brake fluid in the master cylinder.

    Regarding your rear AC, is the symptom that the fan speed does not adjust and blow higher volumes of air? or is the symptom that the air flow is correct, but it's not cold enough?
  • nkturnlnkturnl Member Posts: 2
    thanks it was on for a few min. now i have driven it alot more it hasnt come on at all. fluid is fine and thr sensers looked ok. abiut the ac it blows fine in the back it just doesnt blow cold at all. the front is perfect. any idea why the tahoe is stalling when i take a turn at a very slow speed.it fires right back up when it stalls.and it does it at all diff levels of fuel. that has been bugging me for years.i took it into the dealership and they charged me 800 buck and didnt fix it.its really starting to worry me cuz my daughter is starting to drive now.
  • heldstabheldstab Member Posts: 1
    are aftermarket catalytic converters as good as factory converters for the 2002 tahoe
  • mike123mike123 Member Posts: 10
    Hello,

    These lights come on together and stay on at various times. Can anyone provide a diagnosis?

    Thank You
  • mike123mike123 Member Posts: 10
    Can you buy the little silver strips that go inside the black door strips on all 4 door?

    Thanks
  • kiawahkiawah Member Posts: 3,666
    Take it and have any error codes read out of the computer, many auto parts chains will do it for free.

    Brake Warning indicator is set by:
    - BCM body control module detects park brake is engaged
    - BCM detects low brake fluid condition
    - IPC performs bulb check
    - EBCM detects ABS disablilng malfunction

    ABS indicator is set by:
    - EBCM detects an ABS disabling malfunction
    - IPC performs bulb check
    - IPC detects a loss of serial data communication w/EBCM
    - a DTC is set during previous ignition cycle
  • mike123mike123 Member Posts: 10
    Thank You,

    When they come on, they come on together.
  • dangerhoedangerhoe Member Posts: 2
    Hi everyone and thanks in advance for your input. I have a 95 tahoe. The 4 wheel drive has worked without fail for as long as i have had it (6 years). Just recently the 4 wheel drive would not engage althought the lights indicate that it had engaged. After about 3 days of this the indicator light stopped coming on and now i am without 4 wheel drive. Its not too big of an issue right now as the snow has melted but i would like to trouble shoot this in the cheapest way possible. ie forum advice. Thanks again.
  • suburban04suburban04 Member Posts: 1
    I have the same problem with an 04 Suburban. I put in some "liquid glass" and drove it for about an hour. It seems to have slowed the leak, but I am still using too much coolant. What radiator sealer did you use and is it still holding? As you know, GM is not going to help.
  • kiawahkiawah Member Posts: 3,666
    Bars Leak is the best I've ever found over the years.

    Jar of black juice w/what looks like little black turds in it.
  • people_h8trpeople_h8tr Member Posts: 3
    Had the same clunking noise in the steering in my 2001 Tahoe. I took it in in 2004 to be looked at by the dealership, only to be told they could not duplicate the problem. My husband, at the time, was far too timid to speak up to them. They kept making me feel like I was just another stupid woman who doesn't know anything. I finally stormed down there and spoke to the Service Manager (who had recently taken over for the last moron). He said he WAS familiar with the noise issues that the Tahoe was having, and all they did was tighten the lower crossmember to the lower control arms and did a front suspension replace. Has been just fine up until recently. Since Chevy keeps stating that they are aware of this issue, but that it poses no safety threat. I have to take it in for a tune-up anyway, so I plan to have them take another look at the crossmember to make sure that it doesn't need tightening again. We shall see.
  • people_h8trpeople_h8tr Member Posts: 3
    I have an '01 Tahoe. It is governed at approx. 98 - 100 mph. I learned this the hard way, and lost that race. Not sure about the '02 limit, but I would imagine it would not be much different.

    Hope this helps. You should be able to find something in writing, somewhere
    on-line, that backs this up.
  • 73shark73shark Member Posts: 325
    You may have lost the race but not your life. There's a reason it's limited to ~100 mph.
  • dustie1dustie1 Member Posts: 17
    Could someone tell me what would cause the Service Engine Soon light to come on, my truck runs fine. What do I need to check to repair this issue Any Ideas. I don't know where to start looking for a problem and don't have the $$ to take it to shop.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    That's what engine lights are for, so that you will plug in a scanning tool and find out the trouble code. This is your cue to do that.

    Long shots might be a) a loose gas cap or b) some kind of vacuum leak, loose hose, etc.
  • dustie1dustie1 Member Posts: 17
    We tried the loose gas cap thing and the light went out but Sunday evening it came back on. I don't have the money to take it to a shop though. But thanks for the information.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Well you'll spend more money guessing blindly in the dark than you will paying someone to read the codes. I'm not sure I understand your resistance to this. Possibly you can get someplace like Autozone read the code for free for you.

    If the light went out briefly when you fiddled with the cap, you might have a vacuum leak or other problem with the evaporative emissions system. The code would tell you this.
  • dustie1dustie1 Member Posts: 17
    I forgot about AutoZone thank you for reminding me I will do that, husband thinks I need a new gas cap so if the codes say there is a emission vacuum leak then we don't have to replace the cap. Thank you kindly. :)
  • craigj2craigj2 Member Posts: 2
    well iv had that problem with mine before and it was the the number 1 plug wire but it could be anything. like an O2 sensor. what i did was when i came on took it to autozone or any parts store like that and had them hook up the code reader to it and that would give you a pretty good area to look at and best of all its free. you just have to make sure the light is on when you take it.
  • dustie1dustie1 Member Posts: 17
    Yeah, I plan on doing the AutoZone thing as soon as the light comes back on again. Thank you for the input. :)
  • dustie1dustie1 Member Posts: 17
    How much would an air cond condensor cost? I hit a deer in Nov and the antler went through the air condensor and I have no air. Any answers will be helpful.
  • kiawahkiawah Member Posts: 3,666
    call pepboys or autozone
  • rockman59rockman59 Member Posts: 250
    Online parts suppliers are selling the Tahoe condensers for around $225.00.
  • arriearrie Member Posts: 312
    Take it to AutoZone or other parts store where they will read the codes for you to find out why the SES light is on.

    Arrie
  • 73shark73shark Member Posts: 325
    I hope you had the condensor lines capped off to prevent the rest of the system from becoming contaminated. :cry: Otherwise other components may be damaged. :sick:
  • dustie1dustie1 Member Posts: 17
    Nope didn't know that. Maybe that's why the service engine light comes on. Wow thank you.
  • azujhonazujhon Member Posts: 1
    i have a 1998 tahoe w/20" wheels. I have too much play in steering wheel & the vehicle is always pulling left or right. I have went to several repair shops in the last few years w/no success. I was also told to seek out a front end specialist. Can someone tell me how to fix this problem? I live in the New York area. If I should go to a front end specialist, does anyone know one? Help!!!
  • tahoess2004tahoess2004 Member Posts: 9
    06/15/2009

    Whitall,
    Did you ever find out what the knocking noise was. I have an '04 Tahoe and I'm experiencing the same situation. Your post was 03/05/2008, so you probably don't have the same Tahoe. If you were able to get it diagnosed, I would be very interested to know what you found out.
  • bummedoutbummedout Member Posts: 5
    Hi there, my name is Tina, I am in Wyoming. I have a 2002 Tahoe, and it feels like my tranny is slipping. It revs up but does not really catch right away. It almost feels like a fuel injection problem and by the way we just put in a fuel pump last month and did it ourself. Could you give me an opinion please I was stranded in Ft. Collins, CO. and decided to turn back home to Wyoming just in case something was very wrong. I am pregnant and have 3 kids with me and I am in a panic. I have done the obvious like check the fluid and added some. It marked full. I checked the fluid in neutral, I think that is the right way. ???? Could it just be the Torque converter?
  • jcb4greenjcb4green Member Posts: 6
    My 1996 Tahoe was having terrible problems starting and running correctly. The initial diagnosis was the crankshaft position switch was malfunctioning. After almost $2000 dollars of replacing the sensor, engine tune-up, fuel filter and fuel pump I was still having the same problems, but not all the time. I had a local mechanic due the work and he said take it to Chevy and have them diagnose the problem, which they determined was still the crankshaft position switch was malfunctioning. Since my mechanic had done the original work I took the Tahoe back to him with the Chevy diagnosis problem. He crawled under the truck with it running and saw the sensor moving around while it was running. He took the sensor out and discovered that one of the mounting bolts screws into a brass fitting inside the plastic timing chain cover. The brass fitting was loose and just needed a screw driver inserted into it to spread it to increase the tension on the plastic cover. My mechanic put it back together and it resolved all my problems, meaning most of the $2000 dollars I had spent trying to fix a problem that ended up being caused by maybe a 25 cent brass fitting in a plastic cover. Live and Learn. By the way my 1996 Tahoe has almost 154000 miles on it with the original engine and transmission.
  • doc15doc15 Member Posts: 37
    How much trouble is it to change out the AC fan blower switch on the dash panel on the Tahoe. Mine just lost the three lower fan speeds. Can it be done without taking the dash apart? Thanks Doc.
  • kiawahkiawah Member Posts: 3,666
    check the blower resistor bank, in the air plenum, by the squirrel cage.
  • whitallwhitall Member Posts: 190
    Still have the truck, and the noise. My husband said something about some door or flap or something. I don't know if he knows for sure. It sure seems related to the a/c system. If he moves the temperature lever a little off cold or hot it seems to not do it as much. It does it with heat or a/c I think. I'm not sure exactly what he was told, and I don't think it was ever officially checked out, but no real prblems with anything at this point. Did you get yours diagnosed?
  • tahoess2004tahoess2004 Member Posts: 9
    08/30/2009
    The knocking noise that I experienced seemed to go away when I started using the A/C only. It occurred most often when the heater was running. I haven't got a complete diagnosis of the problem yet.
  • jcb4greenjcb4green Member Posts: 6
    Doc,
    Check the fuses in the fuse box under the hood on the right side and make sure they are still working. If you still need to pull the dash apart to replace the switch, it does pry loose relatively easy with a flat screw driver, just be careful. All the dash switches are in unplugable panels. Where does it come apart? Right around the front edge of the dash cover is a seam. Try you hands at first pulling on it and if it pops loose then you know you are on the right track. Just take your time and be careful. Make sure you can get the replacement switch first from an auto parts place. :(
  • doc15doc15 Member Posts: 37
    If the fuse is blown would the fan blower work at all? I have some power to the switch because I have three of the six speeds. The top three fan speeds seem to work ok, just the three lower speeds are what is not working. Doc.
  • kiawahkiawah Member Posts: 3,666
    As I said before you need to check the resistor bank (Blower Control Module) that is in the air plenum, at the output of the squirrel cage exhaust.

    The blower motor is a dc motor, and you adjust speed of a dc motor by putting a resistance in series with the motor to drop voltage. That gets hot when using, which is why it's put in the duct work to keep cooled.

    This is pretty common across most all vehicles, which have some sort of resistor bank or control module, This is what goes bad 99% of the time, not the switch.
  • arriearrie Member Posts: 312
    doc15,

    kiawah speaks facts. I personally had the same problem with a Pontiac Grand AM. I lost lowest 3 speeds.

    Resistors are mounted in the side of the duct work at the blower to cool them down and the resistors for the lowest fan speed always burn first as they get least amount cooling with lowest fan speeds, of course, and because the voltage drop, i.e. resistor heating is the biggest on them.

    Arrie
  • doc15doc15 Member Posts: 37
    Thanks for the info guys, I will be checking that out tomorrow.
  • dangerhoedangerhoe Member Posts: 2
    where is this sensor? My 1995 Tahoe recetly started running a bit rough when idling. It has about 190000 miles on all the original equipment and I dont feel like dumping a bunch of money into it.
  • 73shark73shark Member Posts: 325
    Unless you do this on a regular basis, I would suggest running two bottles of Techron thru it.
  • smiley48smiley48 Member Posts: 1
    I have the same problem with my 2002 Tahoe and I don't think it's the fuel pump, could be electrical but don't know where. I have taken it to numerous places and paid countless dollars for them to not diagnose anything. It's frustrating no one can find my problem. Did you get anything figured out?
  • kiawahkiawah Member Posts: 3,666
    Smiley, you are replying to a post that is 3 years old.

    What kind of places have you been taking it to? You need to find a competent service dept.
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