GMC Sierra: Problems & Solutions

jlflemmons · January 2001

on my truck it sounds like the drivers side is the bad one

Jim

obyone · January 2001

99-08-48-001A. Seems like they may have done it already if one side doesn't leak.

brians5 · January 2001

Hello there!

I have just experience a rather unusual occurrence with my 1997 GMC K2500. When pulling about a 3200lbs trailer down hill at about 55mph in 3rd gear, the tranny (four speed auto, coupled to the 454cid gas) came out of gear on its own and the tranny emitted grinding-gear sound, like the sound heard when putting a vehicle in park whilst still underway.

It did this three times. Each time I put it in neutral and the sound diminished immediately until going away. (Within seconds)

Any ideas?

-Brian

obyone · January 2001

How many miles? and when was the last time you serviced the trans? Checked the fluid if it looks burnt?

rrjung · January 2001

I have a 2000 Ex Cab (4dr) 1500 Long Bed, 5.3 and towing package. On certain freeways, the truck bounces (not vibrates) between roughly 65-74 mph. When I put a bed cover on, it reduced the bounce by almost 50%. The dealer wants me to carry 200 pounds of stuff in the bed (maybe he can sit there all the time). I tried Edelbrock shocks, but they didn't improve anything. I'm going to return them today (30 day money back guarantee). Early ABS activation has improved in time (I have about 10k miles on it now). The rear window defogger takes 15 minutes to work (instead of 3-5 like regular cars). Otherwise, love my truck. ANY IDEAS ???

obyone · January 2001

Why don't you try these:

http://velvet-ride.com/index.html

obyone · January 2001

made of concrete?

ot1sierra · January 2001

I have a 01 x-cab and at higher speeds sometimes I hear a noise as thought the windshield is rubbing against metal. I notice it in passenger side dash area. It isn't constant nor does it do it all the time, yet it is annoying. My rear doors don't shut in cold weather eaither but I have already read there may be a GM fix for that.

mblrds · January 2001

I had a creaking noise in the dash/windshield very much like you described. It first reared it's ugly head in a particular curve on my way to work. It got so it was happening more and more often. Took it to the dealer and they in turn had a auto-glass guy come out and recaulked/resealed the windshield. I haven't had a recurrence since.
M.

'00 GMC Sierra SLT Ext cab Z71 w/5.3

reichartj · January 2001

I have a 2000 Sierra ext cab sb 4x4 with the 4800. I've got the same problem with the rear doors not closing in the cold weather. Dealer is going to try to fix it for the third time now.
Also, after two visits, the dealer finally admitted that the tapping in the column was the intermediate shaft. Part is now on order.
I've noticed that the inside door seal on the drivers side is coming loose and sags quite a bit after opening and closing the door a few times. Dealer has, as usual, not heard of this problem yet.
This is my first 4x4 and this may just be a dumb question, but when my truck is in 4 wheel drive, the front end groans quite a bit while turning. Is this normal, or should I bring this to the dealers attention as well?
The Lund Interceptor DOES cause windshield noise. I've had one for about 12000 miles now, and around 60-65 I hear the flapping. I've kinda gotten used to it though, doesn't bother me as much anymore. Thanks for all the help, I hope this info helps someone else.

buckmaster1 · January 2001

Vehicle description;2001sierra 4x4 xcab 5.3liter auto trans autotransfercase 3.73 rear. Transmission had harsh shift from day one,changed from p245 wrangler ST tires to 265 wrangler RFA tires cured problem.It seems as though the extra effort required by the driveline to turn the larger tires absorbed a great deal of the transmissions harsh shifting characteristics(similar to placing a load on the driveline).I have noticed that most 99 and a few 2000 owners seem to have the most complaints(obviously there are less 01 sierras out as of yet),however I think that GM has corrected most of the serious flaws that have arose from the new model.Keep in mind that if you owned a Ford or Chrysler product you would be unaware of any GM problems because you would deal with the ones that are inherent to those brands.These new GM trucks are fine,they just had some big shoes to fill as the olderC/K pickups were a super all around truck.Drive one of the older bodystyles in case you forgot that they did not handle or accellerate or stop nearly as well as these new ones do and they were around 30 grand also.The new bodystyle also looks really trick and tough.

salesrep · January 2001

Regarding your doors not shutting in cold weather.
Go to your dealer and ask him to read TSB # 00-08-64-016 (door problems in cold weather) You will get new latches and strikers per this TSB.
Latch # is 15057687 & 15057688. Striker # is 15063698.

It took me 4 visits and 5 calls to GM to get the problem even addressed with a fix.

Good Luck!!!

reichartj · January 2001

I appreciate the response very much. I have an appointment at the dealer to look at this problem on Wednesday (third time in). I will definitely show this to him. Thank You.

reichartj · January 2001

Is there a website or someplace to call to find out the TSB info, or is it just inside dealer info?

obyone · January 2001

Regarding TSB's....

You can go to alldata.com and get the listings of all the TSBs for any given make/model. Another site to check for recalls, TSB's and complaints is nhtsa.com. Alldata will sell the complete tsb's but they are lagging three years and only have up to year 1998. NHTSA has all of the tsb's and you can request them by fax. And remember you're dealing with a federal agency so it's questionable at best if you get a response.

Helm's also sells the TSB's by quarters with four quarters making a year. It sells for $25. If I'm not mistaken, Helm's will give you the complete tsb for all makes of GM vehicles and leave you to sort through them.

Hope this answers your question.

erikheiker · January 2001

When you make a sharp turn in 4WD all that groaning you hear is the drive train protesting the lack of slippage. In other words, don't do it on dry pavement. Even wet pavement is not enough. You'll hear a bit when it's icy or there is snow on the ground. If you have AutoTrac, use that when there isn't much snow and ice. Otherwise, use 2WD unless the streets are pure ice or totally covered with snow.

Erik

bartz1 · January 2001

A friend told me he has seen some posts here about brake wear problems on GMC an Chewy pick-ups.
I have 24,000 on a '98 GMC ext.cab 1/2 ton.
I noticed a mild "thumping" in the peddle at 18,000. It occurred with wheel ram. My dealer, who is actually very accomadating, found nothing wrong then. 2 visits later, my front rotors are warped and rear drums are out of round.
Of course, this is caused by heat. But, I dot hot rod it. I dot ride the brakes and I dot have any stop--go commute. So, why???
I have a friend who owns his own shop. He has heard of these complaints. He has suggested 3 possible causes: 1) Wrong type shoes and pads. Not allowing for quick heat disapation; 2) Wrong steel allow in rotors and drums; and most likely, 3) An AS malfunfunction.

So, what I need is a response from all others who have experienced this problem. Why? Because I am taking this as high as I need to go in GM to get them to fix the problem. I will not let this slide. I refuse to turn and/or replace my rotors and drums every 18,000 because they screwed up. If need be, I am willing to take charge in filing a class action.
Please email me, ( bartfart@pacbell.net), if you have had the same problems. Make it very brief. And, if you want a response, give me a week or two. I only turn the computer on once a week.

salesrep · January 2001

I just had the rear doors fixed per the TSB for the cold weather shutting problems. It sat outside all day after the fix in 20F temps. The doors shut great. Also the road and wind noise seemed better. Hope it holds up. The dealer was pleased with the fix too.

Also I had a clunk in the driveline on take off. They drained, flushed and refilled the case 2x times with a lube called "blue". This was done to a current TSB. Clunk is gone!!!

Good Luck!!!!

obyone · January 2001

A cheaper, more efficient way to resolve this is through the BBB. Go to their website and file a complaint. Don't know how or not sure? check this website out for invaluable info that will help your case:

http://agmlemon.freeservers.com/

Looks like you might want to hurry as you're running out of time.

reichartj · January 2001

I had my truck in last Thursday, the intermediate shaft was finally replaced, and the new latches for the rear doors were ordered. When I picked it up that night, the interior light no longer came on when the doors were opened, but it did work via the switch. It seems like nothing ever gets fixed without breaking something else.

That clunk you mentioned, is that on takeoff from dead stop? Because I have a clunk that happens mostly in second gear. If I accelerate to around 15-20, coast and let the rpms drop, then hit the gas again, there is a clunk almost as if there is slack in the drive line. If this is similar to your problem, let me know. Dealer says the truck shifts to specs and couldn't replicate this problem.

Thanks again for the info on the doors.

jkeefe1 · January 2001

I have some questions for shiftless. I have a 2000 Silverado with the same problems you experienced, except for the defective steering shaft. You had mention that the shop replaced your power steering box because the power assist valves are not balanced which causes pulling to the right. My question to you is, how did the shop determine this, were they guessing? Is there a service bulliten on the steering box and if there is one, what is it?

mnllehti · January 2001

Thanks for the Part Numbers regarding the new Latches and Strikers, you will definitely save me a lot of time with the dealership. I can call them with an answer! I'm going to give them a call tomorrow, and I'll also make sure the interior light works properly (reicharti) once they replace them.

shiftless · January 2001

jkeefe1 Item 72

This is the sequence of events and the results from my GMC Service Dept.

1. I brought my 2K, Sierra, Short Box, Regular Cab, 4WD, in to correct an obvious front wheel misalignment .

The Service Manager told me that the published wheel alignment specifications from the factory on this 2K model was in error and the potential for uneven tire wear allowed him to replace both front tires. At that time he informed me of the intermediate steering shaft replacement because of rattles that show up at around 8K miles or so. He ordered tires and intermediate steering shaft.

2. After replacing tires and the steering shaft he said he was not satisfied because of a slight pull to the right. He informed me that many steering boxes were defective and he probably should order several to be sure we get a good one.

3. After the new steering box was replaced there was no pulling to either direction. However I was not satisfied because the system appeared to have some free play, not in the mechanical parts of the steering box or the tie-rod/drag link connections but someplace in-between. This points to the power assist valves in the steering box. The steering appears to be fairly tight but irregular road surfaces cause a slight drift which requires very slight steering wheel correction. High crosswinds also cause more drift than should be with this type of vehicle.

The factory Tech. for this dealership has just changed within the last few days so it will take a while to get communications going with him. I feel that the Service Manager has a lot of good automotive experience and good mechanical understanding. I am now waiting for their next move to correct the problem. Probably another steering box!

I will try to get the Tech. Bulletin numbers on my next visit.

Ed

themailman1 · February 2001

I didn't have the pulling[have the exact same truck] but I had the shaft replaced and five new tires put on and I still have a vibration at 60-70 mph. I am currently waiting for the BBB results for a trade in. It has been a big pain because the BBB seems to side on GMC's side. I'll post the results sometime next week.

dmk99 · February 2001

I have a 1999 Sierra 1500 ex cab, 2WD. I have the chrome bumpers, and hats where the problem is. They started busting in Feb. 99 - 2 months after I picked the truck up. Finally, GM replaced both bumpers last Fall. They (the dealer) had to go through the whole denial process - clean off the rust, polish, and repeat, before it was too severe to rub off with a finger. Well guess what? Last week I noticed the brand new front bumper is showing a haze of rust. We have had a bad winter so far, and there has been lots and lots of salt spread, but I have never had chrome go bad this soon (except possibly my '74 MOB) Does anyone know of a similar problem? or is this my curse for buying American after 20 years of imports?
Thanks, Don

hahart · February 2001

I have a 2000 GMC sierra short box regular cab 4x4 with a 4.8 liter V-8. When I crank it up in the morning, it has a knock in it, and it goes away after about 30 seconds. Any idea on what this is. I brought it to the dealer, and they said that GM had a bulletin they were coming out with on it. Is this bull? Don't know what to do, have taken it to several different dealers with no help. Also, the engine is supposed to have 270 HP. It has no power!!!! the valves rattle when I accelerate also! Please, any help would be greatly appreciated!!

obyone · February 2001

GM has come out with a temporary fix using engine top cleaner to remove carbon deposits. Unfortunately, it is a symptom and not the solution. The solution is to change the main bearings or change the motor as there is excess bearing clearance. Good luck with getting any help from the dealer except for the top cleaner.

jkeefe1 · February 2001

Don, I have a 2000 Silverado which probably has similar front/rear bumpers. I also live where there is a lot of moisture and salt and previous vehicles ended up looking like rust buckets in about 10 years. My rear bumper has a plastic step guard on the top surface and a lot of sand, salt and moisture gets trapped between the metal and the plastic step. I know that this design will not last in this environment. I will probably end up getting an after market stainless steel front/rear bumpers later on.

xbbuster · February 2001

It seems to me that sooner or later most of these problem trucks are going to wind up on the used car lot. Does GM maintain a database showing dealer repair attempts on a specific truck by VIN?

dansa2 · February 2001

2000 gmc sierra x-cab 2wd. once in a while stearing wheel will shake 50-70 mph. vehicle has 10,000 miles on it. dealer says i havent rotated tires at the recomended 6,000 mile mark and front tires show uneven tread wear. also said rear tires are cupping and would be replaced under goodyear warrenty. dealer will order tires for rear.suggested that i purchase two new ones for front since they are ordering new ones that are under warrenty. tires were rotated. new ones are on order. i still get a shake once in a while. called dealer they say when warrenty tires come in then they will address the problem. is it possible for two tires to be bad? on the rear yet. i did not order the other two tires but now im wondering if when it is time to rotate again i may have problem in front. could this be something else?

obyone · February 2001

There are two issues at question here. The first being the quality of Goodyear tires. Not the highest in the industry. The second is tire rotation. 10,000 miles is a bit long. I would also get a 4 wheel alignment.

On the vibrations....some of the '00 model silverado and sierra 2wd qualify for replacement of the rack and pinion and lower control arms to cure the high speed vibration. It is determined by VIN number.

gmc4x4dude · February 2001

My front bumper on my 00 GMC 4x4 is starting to rust as well. I used some MAAS chrome polish then waxed it. I will keep an eye on it.

nucelarice · February 2001

I have a 2000 Sierra 1500 Z71 and just had the front bumper replaced, no questions asked. I had it in for a few minor problems, while it was in for a oil change. They didn't even flinch. Just put a new bumper on...

Rick

toad14 · February 2001

Well, it's Sunday the 11th @ 3:20pm. By this time tomorrow I should be picking up my new Sierra. I bought a 2001 1500 SLT Long Bed with a 5.3 engine
and a 4:10 rear. It's got all the toys.
Any tip on break-in? Also, any common problems I should expect?
It has On-Star. Has anyone had to use it and were you satisfied with the service?

truckchic · February 2001

Anyone have any problem with the security system that comes standard on the 2001 GMC Sierra 4WD 4door? I've been having a problem with my security light coming on while I'm driving and staying on for the drive. Then after I stop and shut the engine down, sometimes it happens again when I start it up again and sometimes it doesn't. I've had it into my dealer 3 times in 5 days! And they can't seem to find it - or it's a big job to fix and they keep putting a bandaid on it. The last time I took it in, it had the light on and I showed them it was on that I wasn't going crazy. Now, I took it to another dealer this am. Anyone have any ideas or had the same situation?

Thanks
Truckchic

99gmlemon · February 2001

I have a 1999 gmc sierra regular cab stepside with a 4.3 V6 with 20,000 miles. Engine makes a rattle noise between 1500-2500 rpm ONLY when the engine is warm. Sounds like a metallic growl when I accelerate. Wait it gets better...if you let go of the gas pedal at a high speed the valves start clicking and knocking as you begin to decelarate. Be warned GM has a service bulletin (document ID # 757603) for this problem and will not fix it. The bulletin states that GM engineering has not found a solution for the problem and the rattle does not present any durability risks to the engine or its components.....Yeah thats why I get 12 mpg on a V6. I have been told by the dealership and GM they cannot do anything and to just live with the noise...

Buying my first truck at 19 and putting $9,000 down on a Generic Made Car will be my last..

I'm currently filing a complaint with the BBB and hope to settle this mess...... Check out the GM Truck Lemon Center at http://agmlemon.freeservers.com/index.html

If anyone else has this problem please respond to hear what you are doing about it....Thanks...

obyone · February 2001

why can't they replace the motor or are they (the dealer) waiting for their last chance to do it?

ldugan · February 2001

I have a 97' GMC ext. cab short box p/u, runnin great so far. anyway i noticed the ext. cab window latches were very loose, doesn't really shut tight. there is some wind noise back there because of this. do they have after market latches out there, ones that are a little stronger? Looks like GMC got pretty cheap on this aspect of the truck. Any comments would be helpful.

brutus35 · February 2001

I owed a 99 Seirra extended cab.. and it was horrible.. two transmissions.. and lots of other problems.. i chalked it up to a new model and body style and all that mess. I have traded it in on a 2001 same model. Here is the question, I had a bug shield on the front of my old one and took it off but couldn't get the little clips that went in the 5 holes to hold it on out. Does anyone know of where I could get those clips from?? I have the screws and the shield..but no clips so the screws can go in the hood?
Please also reply to my e-mail
tbruton@mindspring.com

xbbuster · February 2001

Were they for a Lund bug deflector?

z71bill · February 2001

When the yellow light in the message center stays on "Security" while driving it means you have a problem with the pass lock system. Your truck will run fine - it just means your truck is not protected by pass lock - that is the system that only allows your truck to be started with a key (no hot wires). I had this problem once - I rolled the window down, locked the truck - then reached in and opened the door - this sets the alarm off and reset the system. I have not had the situation since.

paintdude · February 2001

You can get those clips at most any auto body shop or auto paint supply store..Check the dealer where you bought the truck..

paintdude · February 2001

I have just bought a 2000 GMC SLT Z71..5.3 engine.Traded my 98 Z71..I like this truck much better...I am leaving in about 10 days for Daytona with it and my enclosed 12` tandem trailer..I have just under 1000 miles on the truck..I have already changed the oil at 500 miles with Gm Oil and filter...We did a short trip with the truck and trailer the other day and I noticed that the Tow/haul is the best way to pull the trailer..Is there anything else I should check or need to know? The trip will be 2200 miles round trip..Trailer will be around 4000lbs loaded ,I would guess..It is a low hauler..7 ft high..

Thanks...

themailman1 · February 2001

Just got the results from the arbitrator. They have to replace my 2000 Sierra with a new one . The arbitrator said, if he was buying my truck, "He wouldn't" I have to pay $1776 for usage, but I am also going to fight that too. I still might persue it with the lemon law.

ed_b · February 2001

I have a 99 GMC Sierra SLE reg cab short bed with a 4.8 liter engine. I was wondering if there is a device that overrides the automatic light turn on. I would like to have full control of my driving lights. I have heard of a device that did this, but have lost the location of it on the internet. Any ideas????

obyone · February 2001

I would post the link to the product but edmund's software doesn't allow more that 100 characters in a string. Anyway, here's the link to the site. I'm sure you'll find what you're looking for.

http://www.truckautoaccessories.com/

dave00c5 · February 2001

Just had my 2000 Sierra Z71 ex cab. aligned for the 5th time in less than 10,000 miles. After finding this site and reading I see I'm not alone as the dealership wants me to believe! Is their a TB out for the bad centering valve in the power steering gearbox?

doomie · February 2001

Truckchic,
I had the exact same problem with my Sierra. It did it for about 2 days on and off, and on the 3rd day it killed the fuel pump and the truck would no longer start. The dealer had it towed to their shop from my driveway, went to start it and it fired right up!!! They had it for 5 days and no problems until the last day it failed for them. They replaced the ignition module because it was reading a valid code but not the code that matched the truck (???) Problem went away until about a month after that, it came back again! Took it in, but they couldn't get it to come back on. Drove another couple weeks and it came on in the morning on my way to work, so I pulled into the garage with it on so they could see it. Again, they couldn't re-produce the problem. That was in November and it hasn't happened since. It does have me concerned since the problem was never really solved, so if you get any more info on it, please let me know!

itsbish · March 2001

I have a 2000 ST 5.3 4.10 truck with 32K and when I changed the front axle gear oil it had a lot of metal in it. When I took the truck to the shop to have the throttle body replaced due to sticking the service manager said I would have to have them service the transfer case first. I said it should be warranty but then let them do it. They changed the fluid and after driving the truck for the recommend 200 miles the problem was still there. When the truck was returned to the dealer a different mechanic said it was binding more then it should. They would not refund the $165 they charged to change to two quarts of fluid though. Has anyone else had a problem with 4X4. The truck has not been driven much in 4WD.

gmcrap · March 2001

I have a 1998 4.3 litre 5 spd.ext cab sierra. 66000 miles. For the third time , including original parts, the clutch master cylinder and the slave cylinder have been replaced. noticed the problem when the clutch pedal started to squeek. This has happened almost systematically at the 30000 mile mark. The majority of my driving is on the highway. I do tow a boat, but only occasionally and under the 2500 lb. tow limit. Dealer & gm looking into the problem. Any thoughts out there / I would hate to think I need to replace this stuff evey 30000 miles at a cost of $750.00 each time. Also the clutch appears to have worn out at 66000 miles. Been driving std. shifts for 30 years never had one go out this soon!

GMC Sierra: Problems & Solutions

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GMC Sierra: Problems &amp; Solutions

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GMC Sierra: Problems & Solutions