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Chevy Silverado Problems
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Comments
congrats on the new truck, and i hope you don't have any problems with this one as well. nothing more aggravating than spending hard earned cash (or lotto bucks), and end up with a pain in the butt.
i've gotten 20.3 mpg with my 5.3/ 3.73 rear 2wd., but i drove a straight rode with about 10 miles of mountain, and never exceeded 55....BORING!
when driven at 70 plus on the same journey, i've seen as good as 18.6...........freeway.
16-17 on the highway havent got any higher than 18
this is in a 4wd
Do your cheeks hurt yet from smiling so much when you drive it?
Does your '02 Silverado with the 5.3.L have the 10 seconds of knocking at cold startup?
I consistently get 15.5 mpg in the city and 18.6 mpg on the highway with my '01 ext-cab, Z-71, 5.3L, 3.73 with 7,300 miles on it.
WOW, it's hard to believe that I've had my truck for 9 months now!! Time sure flies.
Still smiling,
-David
oh well i couldnt be happier with mine. I dont think i could get rid of it
Only 20,350 miles and not even broke in yet hehe
Ryan
Oh well colder air has come and the thing is running great. Seems to have more power and pickup and go.
Im very happy with it.
Got back from the trip about a week ago, but internet has been down due to viruses and I don't know what all.
Anyway, I wanted to thank you for giving me the websites on highway construction. It turned out to be very useful. Also, as you suggested, I stopped into Cabela's at Kearney and enjoyed it very much. Actually I had never heard of them before, so I am glad you mentioned it. It was night when I went past Ogallala, so didn't stop there. I did pickup some literature from them and thought if you wanted it, I would send it - need an address tho.
Put on about 4400 miles on the trip and averaged just under 12 miles per gallon which made me very happy. 2500HD, 2001 LT, long bed, extended cab, 4x4, 8.1L with Allison. On remote highways I was running about 90, on the interstates I ran between 10 to 15 over the speed limit trusting to my V1 to keep me out of trouble. Hit the speed limiter one time in Wyo. when I passed a car - The allison went into 4th gear and just as I was getting around the guy it started quitting on me. At first I couldn't figure out what was going on, then looked down and was doing 98, let up, it shifted into 5th. Did a lot of intown driving in various towns, out to several ranches on muddy roads, up to almost 11,000 feet on Beartooth pass. All in all very happy with 12 mpg. Burned 1 quart of Mobil 1 oil on the trip.
Did feel the bounce on cement highways that some people have mentioned. From Omaha, I had about 300+ pounds in the bed. That reduced the bounce. I think the 2500HD is meant to be loaded. I have been considering filling some feedsacks with sand and carrying them any time I go on a trip. I doubt that the extra wgt. would change the gas mileage much. Thanks again for the info.
cowboyjohn
so, went and looked at the Silverado 2002. Saw the changes in the suspension and chasis, and with new lifters susposed to have eliminated the pinging. O.K. call me stupid but they gave me great deal on my trade and $200 over invoice so I bought it.
Well, 1K miles so far. No issues yet except the bed seems to be squeeky. It has gotten louder so gonna have the dealership look at it. I hope that is the extent of the problems or this is the last Chevy I will buy. (Had Ford trucks and they were just as bad....)
I'm glad that it was a great help to someone other than just myself.
I'm also glad to hear you had a great trip, and that you and your truck made it back safely.
4,400 miles in one trip.......ouch. I've had my truck for 9 months now and have only 7,300 miles on it. It's never seen 98 mph either. Are you worried about burning 1 quart of oil on the trip? Engine must not be "broke in" yet.
I just love that drive on the Beartooth Highway out of Redlodge and into Yellowstone Park.
Feels like you are on top of the world when you hit the summit at 11,000 feet.
Here is why you can't travel that road in the winter. Just a little bit of snow.
This is not me.
I thought you'd like Cabela's. I've bought a lot of stuff from them over the years, good prices and the items really hold up.....good quality.
Much obliged for the literature. Your e-mail address is not posted under your profile, so send me an e-mail and I'll reply to it with a message containing my mailing addresss. Looking at my pile of Cabela's magazines, I must get 4 or 5 different ones from them a month.
-David
Thanks for the comeback. No, I am not the least bit worried about burning 1 quart of oil considering the way it got used.
I am pretty familiar with the snow on that highway. In fact, I remember when they set up a bar on that highway using the snow to keep the beer/liquor cold. Good picture which describes it perfectly. I used to to be an underground miner in the Mouat mine and lived in Absarokee and Nye. I really love that country and been giving some thought to moving back. Picked up a bunch of real estate literature for Red Lodge, Absarokee, and Big Timber - Who knows? Yes I know it is cold, so I will just stoke up the fire a bit.
On the e-mail, I work for a government contractor, so I think you will have to send me yours, then we can communicate and I will get those brochures to you. cowboyjohn
hartze@att.net
Or if you ever forget, just click on the dch0300 that appears on the post # line to get all my profile info.
I've driven through Absarokee / Big Timber several dozen times. As a matter of fact when I was going to college in Bozeman I had a girl friend that was from Big Timber. I grew up near Helena, Montana (7 miles from the continential divide) and too have thought of moving back to Big Sky country some day. I would probably only make half as much $$$ as I do here, but real estate prices would be about half as much too. I miss being able to walk 1/2 of a mile down to a nearby creek and have a great time flyfishing all day. And hunting....oh to be able to go hunting and not see another hunter the entire time. Out here it's about 50 hunters per square mile during modern season, so that is why I only hunt muzzleloader now.
In the winter we used an oil furnace, but still burned about 12 cord of wood in the old wood stove for heat too. The coldest it ever got at our house was -45 degrees F one year.
How are the real estate prices looking in the Big Timber / Red Lodge area?
Where are you currently living?
-David
My concern is that I have a short drive to work (4 miles) Also, my truck may sit in the garage for a couple of days if I drive my other vehicle. I have heard that you should run your engine at least 20 minutes? Thanks!
Blowby (combustion gases blowing by the rings) is much worse on a cold engine. As is condensation, because the engine is cold and the comubustion gases are hot.
Highway driving with a fully warm engine is easier on oil than any other driving. Short trips with a cold engine is hardest.
Mike L
Thanks,
Clay
Thanks Again,
Clay
http://agmlemon.freeservers.com
Where did you hear this?
Have you heard something different about the replacement pistons they are using? I was told by my dealer the soonest the pistons will be available as parts was December ...which means maybe early 2002 as parts have gone before.
Thanks!
Clay
The latest memo to the dealers addresses the engine knock on start up. The memo states that this is normal and within operating specs. The memo also addreses pinging and knocking other than on start up. Read pretty much the whole memo as the service advisor was pointing the knock on startup issue. I asked the shop foreman who was standing next to me if piston slap was within tolerance. Course, I didn't get an answer. Your dealer should have this memo addressing all the knocking sounds coming from your engine. Bottom line, it's all within specs according to GM.
Are you gonna try for a third GM vehicle in as many years?
Mine knocks once in awhile. Last time i heard it knock was last saturday after i changed the oil. 15 seconds after i started it up noise went away
Oh well truck is running great i cant complain
Ryan
The Service Manager said he made a phone call and found out about the new pistons, said it was news to him. He actually typed in my Service Order:"Will have a revised edition of the piston in December". This is when I tried to learn more and had someone at the law firm tell me there was a teflon coated piston and that they were using them in the production motors now. As I searched for other info, I went to the Crackeregg site tonight(great resource by the way)and I found a TSB for a 3.1 engine with cold start tick ( http://www.geocities.com/crackeregg/bulletins/01-06-01-005.html ) ...hmmm seems they replace the pistons with Polymer coated versions. TSB states: "Note that this is a customer annoyance issue, and does not affect the durability or life of the engine." (Oby...Does this sound like the memo you refered to?) Tsb goes on to say to check for scoring of cylinder walls....and says "If cylinder walls are badly scored, replace the engine assembly" This seems to be more than an ANNOYANCE ISSUE. Could this be the same type of problem and fix??? Who knows.....BTW mine knocks cold for several minutes also at idle for several minutes upon pulling off the highway, like in the garage when I arrive home
Thanks for all the GREAT info,
Clay
http://agmlemon.freeservers.com
do you want some mechanic tearing into your engine to put in new pistons?
I sure dont
If i was you id fight for a new engine (maybe you have stated you are and i apologize if i missed that but its been a long long day)
Ryan
I really love my Yukon in most ways....RIDES really great for a truck, nothing like the Shakin' Sierra. Its just the worry of the knock a few other minor probs, but I really don't want to get a Buyback. I just want peace of mind that the block is not being damaged or that GM will stand behind it completly if it does go South later.
Then again....those Sequoyas (sp) look kinda cool!
Clay
http://agmlemon.freeservers.com
If I could do it again I would get my 88 Burban back. Traded it for a new 97 Silverado...Well or if I could get that 97 back Oh well....hindsite is 20/20.
Now, during a complete tear down and rebuild, a good mechie will pre-lube the engine before starting by using a drill motor or some other means to spin up the oil pump and get the oil everywhere it needs to be. But that is on the first firing of a "dry" assembly where there is no oil film on most parts. I say most because a good engine rebuilder will put a film of lube on all bearing surfaces during assembly.
Anyway, don't let the few seconds of ticking worry you on that first start after the oil change. Watch your oil pressure gauge and you will see it sit on zero for the same amount of time as the ticking. You will see it jump up to normal pressure at the same time as the ticking stops.
Jim
The oil pressure did stay at zero for a few seconds i know this happens but never watched the oil gauge.
I let the truck idle for a min or two to let the oil flow. I left it in park just let it run
-- Don
Trust me i havent done anything under a vehicle prior to my truck and i changed the fluid about 4K miles ago
I've had the following problems and am wondering if anyone has found solutions:
1. Engine knock when cold as noted by others - started about 22K and lasts up to 30 seconds after starting the engine. Dealer says TSB fix available 12/01, which the Chevy customer assistance line confirmed. Guess I'll see what happens in December...
2. Clunking in the steering column when almost stopped or starting from a dead stop. Seems tied into the brake pedal but maybe I'm imagining things...Edmund's long term wrap-up noted this issue and found replacing the steering shaft solved it.
3. Annoying rattle from the right rear tire area when going over minor bumps. I had the dealer look and they can't find anything loose other wiring for the O2 sensor, which is up front. I've looked and can't see anything loose under the bed or near the rear axle, but I haven't pulled the wheel/tire off to look at the brake or parking brake. Seems to quiet down somewhat if my foot is on the brake.
4. Very occasionally, maybe 1 in 200 times, it seems the transmission starts in high gear. Acceleration is sluggish until the tach hits about 1500 rpm at maybe 5mph, and then it feels like the transmission hits 1rst gear and accelerates normally.
Any info on the above issues would be greatly appreciated.
for #3 check this out could be your problem
http://tommy3z71.homestead.com/spring_insulators.html
Ryan
This will be fun - the dealer's going to love this...
Mike
If you only have a drop of oil on the tip of the dipstick, then it is LOW!!
There is a spot on the dipstick that says Low or Min then some crosshatch area or a series of holes then a Max or Full at the top. You want it either at Full or somewhere in between.
The reason more than a qt comes out when you change the oil is all 5 or whatever qts are coming out, the dipstick only measures like 1.5-2 qts or so...
Bob
Ray T.
Joseph Gerrity III
Salisbury Chevrolet
175 Freemans Bridge Rd
Scotia, NY 12302-3510
Dear Mr. Gerrity:
In April of this year, I purchased from Salisbury, a fully loaded, 2001 Silverado 1500HD Crew Cab pickup. I chose Salisbury for two reasons. First, convenience; I live only about 1 mile away, and as I plan to keep this truck for many years, yours would be one of the most convenient dealerships for service. The second reason would be Joe Hathaway. I have purchased from him before, and my father had also purchased several vehicles from him. He had always treated us fairly, so by extension, I expected the rest of the dealership to treat me fairly as well. I'm sorry to report though, that was not the case.
Shortly after taking delivery, I began to notice a severe vibration coming from the rear end while driving on smooth pavement at speeds of 40-45 mph. I first brought the vehicle back with just over 1,000 miles on it. Your service department balanced all 4 tires and claimed it was fixed. It was not. When I brought it in for the second time, your service department balanced the tires again, and once again told me that should take care of the problem. Once again, it did not. The third time I returned, I had one of your service people ride with me, to make sure they understood the exact nature of my complaint. He agreed that the vibration was unacceptable and that they would take further steps to correct the problem. The diagnosis then shifted to the transmission. They felt that at the problem speeds, the truck was not downshifting soon enough, and therefore the engine was bucking from being in too high a gear. They down loaded the latest firmware upgrade, but that still did not help the situation. Their only suggestion was to wait and hope that Chevrolet came out with newer firmware revision that would solve this. I was not pleased with this answer, so I spoke to Joe Hathaway to see if he could be of any assistance in getting this taken care of before I took steps toward BBB arbitration.
Joe suggested that I contact Ralph Foster, your Service Manager, which I did. We set a date for me to bring the truck in (for the fourth time), which was coincident with a visit from Ralph's District Manager. When I picked up the truck, I was told by Ralph, that there was no problem with the truck. That it was a heavy-duty truck, and that was the way it was supposed to ride, especially empty. I told him that I did not expect it to ride like a Cadillac, and that I didn't mind feeling every little bump in the road. I did however object to the truck creating its own bumps on perfectly smooth roads. I also had done significant research on the web (Mine is not apparently, the only "Shakerado" out there), and tried to explain to Ralph, the additional tests (namely the use of an Electronic Vibration Analyzer (EVA) to pinpoint the source of the vibration, and a load force balancing of the wheels, which can detect radial force variations in the tires not just the unevenness of the weighting.) Ralph would hear none of this. He said that the information I gathered was a load of crap, that he would not waste his time on an EVA, and that it could not possibly be the tires. It was just riding like a heavy-duty truck (They all ride like that, he said), and that I should just live with it.
Fortunately, I decided not to just live with it. On advice from the Chevy Customer Assistance center, I took it to DePaula Chevrolet, where I'm happy to report, I was treated with courtesy and respect. By this time, an exhaust rattle had developed (I believe the excessive vibration contributed to loosening things up a bit), and I needed to have the computer reset to turn off the change oil idiot light, which the technician at Salisbury had forgotten to do. Mark VanDenburgh, Shop Forman, had the exhaust repaired, the computer reset then performed EVA as I requested. It showed that the vibration was coming from the rear wheels, and that he would arrange for the tires to be load force balanced to see if they might be the cause. While they did not have the balancing machine themselves, he offered to find one in the area. From my "load of crap" research I told him that Gil's Garage was the closest establishment with such a machine. Mark had a PO cut and I took it to Gil's where they found both rear tires measured over 50% above the acceptable limits for radial force variation. Mark immediately ordered new tires and within a few days, my truck was driving like it should have driven, right off your lot (or at least out of your service department in less than four trips!)
I feel that as owner, you should be aware of how staff is representing you to your customers. I would like to think that this experience is not typical of your service department, but I am quite reluctant to continue with them long enough to find out. I would prefer to trade where good (even excellent) customer service is not considered a waste of time.
-- Don
port land Maine forest city chevy.Iam very happy with my truck best truck i ever drove,there are
some small problems were my speedometer is the
glass cracked this summer when it was hot out and my a/c was on,my tranny slips every so often,my
taillite lens cover is loose,it won`t tighten
down and my front bumper is rusting from behind.
I love my truck but for 26,762.00 invoice there
should not be any of these problems,also one more
problem my under hood lite never worked.I have
31,000 on it already i might buy the extended
warranty.Has any one out there have any of these
problems please let me know,i am going to a dealer
before my warrany runs out