Chevy Suburban Maintenance and Repair

70ss454_man · December 2006

i ran out and checked the oil earlier and it was tip-top full.
and as for not driving it, well thats just too bad, im going to have to today

70ss454_man · December 2006

well, it made it through today jsut fine, so i think it may be the sensor

thebean · December 2006

I found out some more information about this incident, which puts things in a different light. My nephew's wife actually hit the curb with the side of one of the rear wheels, which destroyed the tire and must have knocked the axle sideways. This apparently dislodged the bars that hold the axle in place, and then it fell out/off. This was not the story he initially gave me at first, and makes much more sense than what I was initially told - "the wheels and axle just fell off". Methinks his wife was distracted with their three kids, and wasn't paying close enough attention to the road, and hit a curb or side wall at 20-30 mph. Her story was that the truck jumped sideways and hit the curb on it's own.

I'm just not inclined to believe this. I believe she hit the curb and is probably in denial. At any point, I wanted to update the story and put Suburban owners minds at ease. I wish I had been given the full story up front.

tigerman · December 2006

Tom, I cancelled that appointment and am going to our local mechanic who works on my older cars. That mechanic said he could 'read' that diagnostice for me and at least tell me what the problem is - I didn't know he had that equipment. At any rate, that is happening Thur the 28th. Will let you know. Sorry for the delay, the car has been running a bit better now that I am parking it inside the garage - problem is still there, just not as noticeable.
George

dklein5 · December 2006

I have a 03 Suburban LT with power seats. Recently the switch to move the drivers seat forward/backward began to operate backwards. I noticed this becuase I had the "easy exit" feature enabled. What happend: I turned the vechicle off and normally the seat moved away from the steering wheel. However, instead of the seat moving away from the steering wheel it moved closer. I have since disabeled the easy exit feature. However, now if I want to adjust the seat forward I must push the button towards the rear .......... If I want to adjust the seat away from the steering wheel I must move the button forward. Both of these are opposite than the passanger seat and how it worked prior to the last few weeks.
Does anybody have any clues what happened or how to fix this?

jhart1 · December 2006

For the second time my friends 5.7 is leaking dex-cool. I agreed to install a new gasket for him and hope my job lasts longer. I am going to use Fel-Pro gasket set #ms98000T
as it has metal grommets instead of the plastic GM uses. They won't crush so easily and leak. I also will brush and clean the bolts with brake cleaner and use "blue" thread lock to install. I think the torque is only 11 ftlbs on these bolts. Not much. Most of the leaks were caused by over torque at the factory or during replacement. Also air leaking past bad radiator caps gets into the system and causes an acidic condition which eats up everything, apparently. My friend changes out his dex-cool every two years or less to no avail. I heard that some people have "super flushed" the system and used green anti-freeze. My Buick has done the same thing but was repaired under warranty. I hope it lasts longer than the 18000 miles I got out of it last time. (Car was new!) If anyone has experience with using green coolant or has any thing else to help me out I would appreciate your comments. I hope the intake is not warped. I may take it to a shop and have it jigged to make sure. I would think that GM would find a cure for this. People have spent millions on this problem, even with religious maintenance.
Again, thanks in advance!!

bkhamdiev · December 2006

Common problem in the older tahoes and suburbans. the dash lights start burning out one by one. The cause is age and bulbs that don't last! Expensive to replace at the dealer too. Good luck.

70ss454_man · December 2006

hi there, i was wondering if you got any info on your problem
as your problem lessered, mine became worse

~tom

tigerman · December 2006

Got it back yesterday. It was 2 things - fuel filter needed replacement - severely restricted fuel flow they told me $45 including labor.
Second thing was bad rheostat/fuel sensor. They got 4 different dianostics but it all came back to that rheostat which caused the other 3 diags. They replaced it and it works perfect now. It cost me $90 to put it on their diagnostice machine and $125 parts and labor on the rheostat
Tom - I have the invoice out in my car - will give you the exact wording they used.
Hope this helps.
George

70ss454_man · December 2006

yes, thank you. i will most likely have the saem thing done to mine here in a week or so, and see what they come up with.
once again, thanks
~tom

tigerman · December 2006

Tom, here is what the invoice says:
"Replaced T.P.S. and clear MAG meter."

He described it to me as a rheostat - must be GM jargon.

The T.P.S. part was $64 and labor was $60

Good luck.
George

kiawah · December 2006

TPS might be the Throttle Position Sensor

tigerman · December 2006

That's it - that's what he said!!
Thanks for clearing that up.

70ss454_man · December 2006

thank you george, i really appreciate this. mine must be shot, now, because it died 4 times trying to start it earlier today. i will try and find a reputable place to have this looked at, not the dealer.
thanks,
~tom

kiawah · December 2006

Just because your symptoms might appear similar, it does not mean that the problem or defective part is the same. Take it somewhere where they can read the error codes (or buy yourself a scangauge from www.scangauge.com - thanks to another poster on this board). There are other OBD readers as well, some cheaper that don't have all the features of ScanGauge if you google the internet you can find them. The error codes for each model vehicle, will point to specific parts that could be the problem. Much better to take a logical diagnostic approach to any problem, as opposed to throwing unnecessary parts at it.

70ss454_man · December 2006

my suburban isnt giving any error codes, of any sort. ive taken it into Autozone, and nothing.
and plus, with it being so old, i wouldnt mind replacing it anyways, to prevent it FROM breaking if it isnt the cause
~tom

70ss454_man · January 2007

ive diagnosed and fixed the problem. the automatic choke needed adjustment. a friend did that for me.
now, runs like a new car
~tom

tigerman · January 2007

Excellent Tom! I miss the days when we could work on and diagnose our own problems. I live in a cold weather climate, often park the car outside during winter and consequently seem to have lots of electrical problems the type which I cannot fix or determine what they are. From door locks and windows that freeze up to bad throttle position sensors it seems I am always having problems.
I have a 1976 BMW 2002 - a pure mechanical beast and it loves the cold weather (a little dicey driving on ice with rear wheel drive though) - when things break, I know it and can fix it.
George

kpzerr · January 2007

My son has a 96 Suburban K1500 4WD 5.7L. It does not want to shift to any gear till it reaches 3500 RPM. Any suggestions?

kiawah · January 2007

Have the same Suburban, and just had that exact problem (<90Kmiles). Lost 2nd (and reverse) so it winds out 1st till it can go to third.

Needed to have the transmission rebuilt. There is a small drum in there, which for the 96's was not a hardened steel and it breaks where it attaches to a shaft. When I described the symptoms to my local AAMCO, they predicted the problem as this is apparantely a very common failure for that model. You don't want to drive it until repair, as the metal pieces can float around and mess up the other gears. I drove it home about 10 miles after realizing that I lost 2nd gear, and then had it towed to the transmission shop. Had two other gears that chipped because of the pieces in that short 10 miles. I saw all of the pieces during the repair process.

I did not realize that reverse went out as well, until AAMCO suggested that I should check it as that drum makes both 2nd and reverse work.

You're looking at a 1500-2500 dollar repair, depending if there are additional pieces that need replaced.

breece · January 2007

can someone tell me where the MAP sensor is on my 1997 chevy suburban?

tigerman · January 2007

Figure out where it is? I have 97 Suburban too - it never died but was hesitating when I gave it gas. They replaced throttle sensor positioner and reset MAP sensor

red97tj · January 2007

Can anyone tell me for sure if my 04 suburban LT has a replaceable cabin air filter? I bought one, and I can not find where it is, nothing about it in the owners manual, and not under the dash like I have read elsewhere.

Thanks in advance.

plowpeddler · January 2007

Hello All:
New to the site. Wanted to see if any of you could help me with this one: Just purchased an 04 Suburban for my wife. Vehicle was previously owned by a retired comercial airline pilot. I suppose after 30 or so years of the flight tower knowing where he was all of the time, he decided that he did'nt want anyone knowing where he was in his vehicle, so he took a pair of side cutters and clipped the top of the On Star antena off (this part costs $35.00 in case your wondering). I replaced the antena and it still does not register with On Star, so I'm assuming that it's not getting power. Is On Star on its own fuse, or is it something deeper? Thanks in advance.

JP

mr_tinkerer · January 2007

Recently have developed a draft coming from under the passenger side of the dash on my 2000 Suburban. No issues on the drivers side. In freezing temps and at highway speeds the cold overrides the heat coming out the vents. The draft is almost enough to blow out a BIC lighter. Covering the gap below the glovebox and the lower dash trim allows the cabin to warm, but obviously is not a fix. Any idea how outside air may be entering?

kpzerr · January 2007

I do not believe we have the same problem. I have reverse. This transmission has been rebuilt about six months ago. The transmission people say they do not know what the problem is. I can not help but think this is a problem with a sensor or bad electrical connection but have not been able to find it.

70ss454_man · January 2007

hi again. i was just wondering if it is nomal for an 88 suburban to "slam" into reverse, or rather make a hard thump. it does this very time, and has been doing it since i got it, with no fade in slams. the rest of the gears are smooth as silk.
is this just what they do?

control3391 · January 2007

On two occassions vehicle has refused to start in the driveway. If I add fuel then it will start and run normal even though the vehicle definately was not out of fuel. Now vehicle will occassionally shut off while deaccelerating from high speed (I-95 type speed) and will eventually restart and run normally. No OBD codes. Fuel pump can be heard at ignition even in no start stage. Fuel filter changed w/out results. All symptoms occur when fuel tank is less than half full. Adding fuel definately eliminates the problem at least temporarily. Any ideas?

ostaters5 · January 2007

I have a 2000 Suburban. Just recently the sound that is made while the turn signal is on comes on randomly. The light work fine but the signal will often not turn off. I am not sure where to start. Help?

kiawah · January 2007

Well I think you know it isn't 'normal'.

Question is, is the problem worth the effort and cost to fix it.

70ss454_man · January 2007

you see, i dont know if it is "normal" or not. thats why i would like to hear from someone that owns this model year suburban to compare reverse shifting.
naturally, all vehicle transmissions shift differently. and while new transmissions shift smoothly and if it slams into gear, then it is un-doubtably a problem. older vehicles are different, much harder and less refined.
if this, however, isnt in fact normal, it will not be fixed. i wont fix it because it doesnt "need" it, the transmission shifts like silk in the forward gears and i have gotten used to it. like most of my feelings about this vehicle, if it breaks, it breaks. i wont drop a penny into a suspected problem until it actually does become a problem. or i might fix it, i dont know. but sometimes a good and capable hunting rig i can drive up and sleep in sounds nice.
~tom

70ss454_man · January 2007

earlier this morning, i got in the car with my kids and started my new 99 tahoe. it started flawlessly the first time, but my daughter wanted her ipod out of the house, so i had to shut it down. when i tried to start it again, all it did was crank and crank and crank. pumping the gas pedal did nothing. i did however, get it started by standing on the gas pedal, to the floor, while it cranked. it sputtered some then...RHOOOAAAARRR. now, it runs fine. it hasnt done it since. i will also mention that i live in washington, and here its about 27 degrees out and very snowy. i got this car about a week ago, and its already causing problems. very weird
any ideas?

mitzij · January 2007

Today I had a customer come in with a '07 Suburban. It has the heated washer fluid feature. The weather here is about 20 degrees. He fired up his truck and turned on the washer to clear the windshield. A lovely crack formed in the center of the glass. Unfortunately, he has a rock chip on the windshield (which the crack runs out from), so this is not a warrantable repair. GM would probably cover cracked windshields if this happens without a preexisting chip. (if still under 3/36 warranty, of course)

So be careful-if you have heated washer fluid, you could get a cracked windshield if you use it on a cold day.

rockman59 · January 2007

70ss454Man said: i got this car about a week ago, and its already causing problems. very weird
____________________________________________________________
Your '99 model is now 7 or more years old....it is not expected that a vehicle that old would not occaisionally have some problems. It sounds to me like somehow the engine was flooded and that caused the starting problem. By "standing" on the gas pedal enough air entered the system to get the engine going again.

kiawah · January 2007

Right, I was thinking the same thing. I wouldn't consider it weird, I would consider it 'expected' to have problems. Many reasons to get rid of older cars, and having a bunch of problems that you don't want to fix is one of them.

When I buy used, I've planned for the worst, and hope for the best.

70ss454_man · January 2007

Hmmmm. It did it again today, and I had to do the same thing to get it started. Could something be clogged?

navalavi8or · January 2007

I have a 2001 Chevy Suburban 2500, 2WD w/ 6.0L engine. We purchased it from a Chevy dealership back in 2002. It was a GM buy-back, for the same reasons it's now having.

Having a problem with stalling. It usually happens after backing out of parking areas when vehical returns to idle while shifting from reverse to drive. It then become difficult to restart. Also during this issue if vehical doesn't stall it starts exibiting erratic idle. The vehical also seems to idle low 550rpm down to 400 and lower on occasion.

I have attempted to locate the idle air valve but it doesn't seem to have one in the location in the manual (on throttle body by altinator). I can only find what I believe is the Throttle position sensor in that location.

Vehical doesn't do this all the time but nore times than not and seems to be more often during cool/cold weather.

Any help or idea would be gratly appreciated.

Curtis

catam · January 2007

I would suggest replacing your fuel filter. Its a quick easy item, that is probably due to be done, and it could certainly explain your problem.

pljwtahoe · January 2007

I seem to have a similar problem. I have a 99 Tahoe, with 130k miles. Recently, in under 30 degree weather, it would not start. Had spark and gas. Seemed as though engine was flooded. Poured gas down the throat, and it would not start that day, but the following day it started. However, the following morning it again did not start. I had the fuel pump, and fuel filter changed. It started fine for a few days. However, now it did not start again. Had mechanic friend make house call. Hooked it up and found no abnormal readings. Changed 4 spark plugs on driver side. Started great. The old plugs (not really old, changed in July) were wet. What is causing the flooding? One mechanic speculated the spider-something-or-another. Another speculated that all I need is Heat in the gas tank.

kiawah · January 2007

Problem could be on the fuel side, or on the spark side.

If the fuel mixture is not ignitable because it is too rich or lean (assuming a perfect ignition system), then the plugs will foul with excess gasoline and be flooded.

If the mixture was correct (assuming a perfect fuel system), but the ignition had a problem in not firing the plugs with enough voltage and/or at the right time.....then again the engine would be flooded.

You need to suspect and check both sides of the equation.....takes both to Tango.

70ss454_man · January 2007

Does a vehicle requiring the gas pedal to be put to the floor in order to start warrent worries of ignition problems?
~tom

jml430 · January 2007

Could you provide, or direct me, to instructions on how to replace the crankshaft sensor? I have an '02 1500 suburban 5.3 L.

Thanks,

jml430 · January 2007

I am having a similar problem with stalling as well. Is there a post or thread on instructions for replacing the crankshaft sensor?

Thanks, Joe.

ahoron · January 2007

disconnect neg. battery cable. Raise vehicle support with jackstands. Remove skid plate if equipped, remove starter. Disconnect electrical connector. Remove sensor mounting bolt. Reverse steps to reinstall.

ahoron · January 2007

It is located under the dash. To access it you have to remove 1 screw That is holding the cover in place it is l-shaped. It is just left the the wiring.

Mr_Shiftright · January 2007

thanks for posting that!

jml430 · January 2007

Thanks, I got as far as removing the 2 starter bolts. How hard can I pull down on the starter? Can't seem to get it to disengage and don't have enough room to slide it out sideways. I even removed the one bolt holding the plastic plate and tried pulling it down at an angle.

It seems like if I give a hard yank straight downward it might come, but I'm afraid I may break something?

ahoron · January 2007

There is a bolt on the engine under the starter that is for the bell housing cover. Move the starter towards the front then remove the cover.Then you should be able to lower the starter. You might have to disconnect the oil level sensor on the oil pan located under the starter.

mparker34 · February 2007

So here's my deal, I *FINALLY* had the starter replaced in my '94 suburban, the first time it was replaced it was a bad one, but now I've got a good one in and the starter itself hasn't been giving me any problems. However for a couple years now there's been a problem with the battery draining if I don't drive it a decent distance at least once every 24 hours. I had the battery replaced in July of 2005 and that was also a bad battery, so I again had it replaced in about March or April of 2006, and every time it's tested though in some instances it may be low, I'm told that it's still a good battery. For about 2-3 weeks in December I had left my car parked in an airport parking lot while I visited family over the holiday, the battery was dead when I returned. If I can drive it for about a half hour to an hour after it's been jumped it usually has a pretty decent charge, and typically I try to make sure I drive it enough so that it gets a really good charge, usually it dies right before I have to make a 150-200 mile drive (I live in one town, but the vast majority of friends are in another town so I make frequent weekend visits) so if I have it jumped before I leave and I drive that whole distance it can survive for days of not being driven and I can get back in and start it up without a problem. However lately it's been getting worse, I last drove my suburban yesterday afternoon (which happened to be a VERY slow start, and was worrying me then) however I went to start it this evening and didn't have enough of a charge to make it turn over.

Because it has been getting worse recently I made sure that the automatic dome light was off despite the fact that I have done several checks to make sure there isn't some light on somewhere in the vehicle. As I've said the battery does recharge if I'm driving and the engine is running, so I don't think it's an alternator problem, it just can't hold the charge when it's off.

Any ideas?

kiawah · February 2007

Something is either turned on that shouldn't be, or some device is defective and draining more power even though it should (for instance like an alarm system).

These will take a little electrical sleuthing to figure out which can be time consuming, but not too terribly difficult. What you (or somebody) needs to do, is to connect an amp meter to your battery, so that it shows the current being drawn thru it. It will undoubtedly show current flow, even though everything is supposed to be 'off'. Start unplugging all of the fuses (one by one), looking for the current flow to stop. For instance, you wouldn't expect any current flowing to your cigarrette lighters with nothing plugged into them, so if you pull the fuse and nothing changes, you know there is nothing on that circuit that is drawing power and it is not the problem. Put it back in. If you pull the fuse to the power seats and the current drops, then you have a suspect. Then you need to figure out whether it is supposed to have power, and if so is it drawing more than it should. Power seats obviously should not have power draw, so you would have found the problem circuit. Isolate it further, by unplugging devices on that circuit if possible to find the actual defective device. Leave the fuse out until you fix it.

If you can't find it with your initial sleuthing, I would take it to the dealer to troubleshoot, because it may be one of the computers defective and drawing too much power. I'd personally want the dealer replacing that as opposed to some independant shop, unless you knew the reputation of the shop.

Chevy Suburban Maintenance and Repair

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