Chevy/GMC Owners

moe4

i have a '97 chevy 350 that makes a clicking noise after it is cranked and been running for a couple of minutes. runs perfect when first cranked up. only way to stop clicking is to rev to motor to 2k rpm for a couple minutes then is fine the rest of the day or when it has been cut off for 8 to 9 hours. The dealer cant seem to hear it or dont want to. i've changed types of oil weight, filters,but nothing seem to help. the motor has 30k on it now and has been doing this most of it's life. Any suggestions???

stanford

Check to make sure that your rocker arms are properly torqued down. That would be my first guess in this situation. They sound a little loose. Once the oil starts circulating, it may coat the gap if they're just a little out of adjustment.

kent123

REAllen- check out the J.C. Whitney catalog for the Oooga horn and get one for Grandad this Christmas. I bet you'll make his day.

There is a link to them on this site.

97z71

Can anyone lead me in the direction for information on body lifts and suspension lifts for a 1997 Chevrolet Z71.

stevek

The clicking noise on the chevy 350 (I assume it is the Vortec) may be the injectors. I was sure on mine the noise was a tapping noise but the dealer told me it is normal for the injecttors to make a pulsing noise.

For the Z71 lift kit get the magazine from Performance Products, I think they have some.

keghead2

OK, it doesn't look like we have many fortune tellers out there. Thanks Reallan for your response.

We went ahead an bought the car. As luck would have it, I started to notice a problem with my truck. It's shuddered a few times when I'm in low gear and idling as if its going to die. It hasn't died yet. I just had the coolant flushed, so it shouldn't be antifreeze problem. Maybe the fuel line? I haven't changed the fuel filter for 30k miles.

Any ideas? Or is this just what an old truck will do.

26andrew1

keghead2

FUEL FILTER.(MAYBE) BUT IF THE FILTER IS PLUGGED IT ADDS STRESS TO THE FUEL PUMP. WHICH IN TURN MEANS BIG BUCKS TO REPLACE THE PUMP.

keghead2

In other words, get the fuel filter changed immediately! Right? Any additives or other stuff I could do to save the fuel pump from going out? What do you mean by big bucks?

kesmaster

Has GMC changed the stearing colum design for '99? In previous designs, the GMC truck was very easily stolen, due to a cheap plastic stearing column....Any "boy" with a screwdriver could break the shell, push on a spring, and have some new wheels to do his drugs in for awhile. Replacements of the column are very expensive, plus the labor required to repair the damage. GMC has been aware of the problem for many years, but havent changed it because they make so much profet from their thief-friendly design. If the design is the same for '99, then I'll be forced to consider a Dodge product.

26andrew1

keghead2

start by replacing the fuel. then drive the truck for awhile. if that doesn't fix the problem it may be the fuel pump(maybe). have the pressure in the fuel line checked!!!!!!!
if it is the fuel pump it will cost a few bucks. you need to lower the gas tank and remove the old pump. by the way new pumps are not that cheap either.sorry for the bad news. hope it is the fuel filter

26andrew1

sorry first line should be fuel filter.

additives will not help the pump.

sometimes if you drive with a half plugged fuel filter it puts added stress on the fuel pump. which in turn does not get the fuel up to a high enough pressure in the line.

martinj

I have a 98 Silverado ext. cab 3rd door. Have not noticed a huge amount of wind noise. FYI- my truck has the 5.0/auto trans, and gets what the EPA sticker says-16 around town/20 on highway. When delivered, the 3rd door was not hung correctly, and water leaked in with a good rain. Yes, there is a rattle back there at the door, but I think its in the passenger seat belt reeling aparatus. My truck has been intermittently plagued with a vibration, especially noticed befroe those Uniroyal tires warm up. The dealer has balanced the tires with fair improvement, but after 3000 miles , the vibration is starting to come back again. Any suggestions? I really like the truck, down south here(northwest fla.) , everyone has one-and dealers say trucks outsell cars2-1. I hope that the price of gas doesn't skyrocket with all this Iraq attack crap. We should of took the whole country in 91!

iluvspots

We have a 98 Chevy 3500 crew cab 6.5L diesel that had a burnt piston replaced at 9000 miles and has been burning oil (in my opinion) ever since. What , in others' experience, is an acceptable level of oil consumption for this size truck/engine.

I have had 2 others ('93 & '97) that did not do what this one is doing now. But, Chevrolet tells me (because my dealer told them) that this is "normal". I'm intentionally not putting how much it is using until I hear others experiences.

Any feedback is welcome.

keghead2

Ahh the joys of truck ownership.

Got the fuel filter replaced. Haven't seen anything since then, so I've got my fingers crossed. Mechanic suggested some injector cleaner just in case. He checked the alternator to see if that was problem, but it seemed OK too. (mentioned something about I should check the spark plug wires for arcing?)

Added a new part to my Glossary of terms - Idler Arm. The Mechanic says I need a new one and showed me how it is supposed to move left & right only, whereas mine moves up & down as well.

Estimate for the part surprised me. They also said I'd have to get a front end alignment with the new part. Is an alignment absolutely necessary when you replace this part?

I've had a history of this mechanic throwing parts at my car periodically. They do a good job, I just have to watch em.

Feedback appreciated.

cdean

keghead
if your idler moves up and down, then you'll need to replace it. have you ever greased all your steering linkage? that's usually the cause of linkage wearing out. is your steering a little loose? that would be another indicator something is wrong. if your steering is still like brand new, then i would be suspiscious.

you will probably need an alignment because you are taking a major link out of your steering by pulling out the idler. it is unlikely a new one would fit exactly the same alignment as the old one.

stevek

keghead2:
If you live in an area where there is "oxigenated" gas you need to replace the fuel filter at least once (better of twice) a year. The oxigenated gas pick up all the junk from the tank and blocks the fuel filter, also the gas treatment they put in "eats up" the element inside the filter.

I am suprised oxigenated gas is still around, it is a proven health hazard.

keghead2

Thanks cdean. Good feedback. Don't think I've ever had the work you mentioned done. I'm about to go through all my service records to check what I have and haven't done.

Most of my maintenance has been oil changes, fuel filters, air filters, which I've been very good at.

When you start talking about greasing stuff, I don't know.

In any case, the mechanic showed me where the arm moved up and down, but my steering hasn't been loose.

I'll take it to another mechanic to look at it and see if I can good a good price. Looks like I'll need that alignment.

Thanks.

(Stevek, what is oxigenated gas? You don't mean Octane do you? Or are you talking about Gasohol? I use mid-grade at major name gasoline centers so I doubt fuel is a problem.)

smith6

I don't know the internal design of the 98 350, but when I read your response I thought of a clogged or partially blocked hydralic lifter. This would explain why when the oil is warm and thin it is fine and why when you rev the engine(higher oil pressure) it also doesn't click. If the engine has hydralic lifters, that is what I think it would be. Good Luck

stanford

keghead2: The gas is commonly known as 'reformulated'. If you're in a big city, and/or ever have 'ozone action days', then you probably have reformulated gasoline.

Ace5

Further update to the wind noise problem. Replaced windshield again at the dealership. This time it was installed properly.... This cut down the noise tremendously. But still seem to get alot of external noise but it still isn't as quiet as my 96 reg cab Chevy used to be... go figure?

stevek

My nephew and I have the same '97 K1500 with the Z71 option and the Silverado extended cab. The only difference is he got the stepside (aka fiberglass) back. The interesting thing is he got 5 leafs in the rear springs and mine got 4. Also the spring setup and clamps are different.

On the window sticker he does not have tow package specified and we have no explanation. The trucks were manufactured at the same plant about 6-8 month apart. His truck is also lighter in the back than mine therefore the ride and handling sucks.

Anyone got any ideas.

bassjr1

I've just ordered a new seira Z71 extended cab lse sportside.hope i made right descison. the black beauty comes in 8 weeks.it will be used to pull my black and silver stratos bassboat.i decided on the new 4.8 v8 with autotrans and 3.73 possi rear.does anyone have any experience with this new small gm engine?

jxyoung

Good luck on getting it in 8 weeks?
I ordered a Black Silverado Z71 extended cab LS Sportside 5.3L 3.73 on 10-12-98 and got preferenced a week later. I called Chevy today and they say that the Sportsides are still on hold for something with the tailgates?? They told me to call back in 3 to 4 weeks? Be patient hopefully it will be worth the wait? It is my understanding that the Chevy's and GMC's are built on the same lines so I don't think any are being built?

AQUAT

I AM INTERESTED IN BUYING A NEW Z71 GMC 1500 WITH A 5.3. DOES ANY ONE HAVE ANY FEEDBACK ON THE 1999 NEW STYLE SIERRA.

jxyoung

AQUAT:

Look at the 1999 Silverado forum in Edmunds!
There have been some recent postings bt new owners.

AB5

Ok, I bought a 96 GMC fullsize truck with now 24000 miles, excellent shape, brand new wheels and tires and bed liner. It has the 4.3 vortec in it , its automatic. great shape. i paid 14900 for it in august, but the problem is i want to sell it since the payment is around 300. i have no problems paying it, but get tired every month forking out 300 dollars. what can i do? should i trade it in, sell it out right or what? and how much should i sell it for? At least i need to have enough to pay off my loan. please help. anyone.
thank you. Aaron Burns

callen

I have a '90 GMC Jimmy (full-size) with a 5.7L. I'm having probs w/htr (no heat). I replaced the radiator, heater core and have a 195 degree thermostat. I get good airflow through heater box. Many have told me to replace the heater control valve, however the dealer states there is no HCV for this model. Any ideas to what is wrong?

I also have oil smoke on startup which is a result of oil dripping in the cylinder via valve guide seals (no big deal). However, I find that when I go up into the mountains (over 10K feet) for a while, I get lots of smoke until I get back down to about 5K feet. I assume this is a result of the computer changing the mixture due to the thinner air. Can anyone confirm this or provide another diagnosis? R/Clay

cdean

I wouldn't worry about the smoke at high altitudes too much. funny things happen when the air-fuel ratio isn't right. what kind of smoke is it?

How exactly did you know for sure that the valve guides were leaking? what did you check? i've never had to do that diagnosis and am curious about how you check that.

callen

smoke at altitude is bluish (like oil smoke or rich mixture smoke). smoke on startup appears to be a common item...it was mentioned to me by a couple of mechanics and confirmed by many postings on this site. the oil drips down after you shut down the engine, so it is instntly burned upon startup.

any ideas on the heater prob?

chevrolet1

I am thinking about buying a 1988 Chevy K1500 regular cab long bed 5 speed. The private owner wants $4900. Is that a good price? I don't know the mileage of it.

stevek

My nephew and I have the same '97 K1500 with the Z71 option and the Silverado extended cab. The only difference is he got the stepside (fiberglass) back. The interesting thing is he got 5 leafs in the rear springs and mine got 4. Also the spring setup and clamps are different.

On the window sticker he does not have tow package
specified and we have no explanation. The trucks were manufactured at the same plant about 6-8 month apart. His truck is also lighter in the back than mine therefore the ride and handling sucks.

Anyone got any ideas.

JGT74

Hi everyone. I have a 98 Chevy C1500 Silverado ext cab with the 350 (5.7L) engine. I have had several problems with this truck and I was wondering if anyone was having the same trouble as me.

The truck was bought in May and has about 13,000 miles on it. Since I have had it I have had to replace the the master cylinder on the brakes (leaking) had to replace weather stripping on one door because it wasn't glued down. Had to have the glove box aligned because it wouldn't close properly. Had to have the air conditioning fan replaced because of noisy operation. The center console/armrest was replaced because it stopped opening. Driver's door has been worked on twice for rattles, 3rd door is now in for new rattles (I have heard that many 3rd doors tend to have noise in them). Wires from the battery were not attached firmly from the factory and resulted in starting difficulty. The cruise control was not properly adjusted from the factory as well.

This truck is in the shop again for an unexplainable thump/clunk noise from the floor board when leaving a stop (this does not occur all the time and I'm still trying to isolate what I'm doing at the time the noise occurs). Does anyone have any ideas/suggestions as to what this noise may be?

Is this truck worth keeping? In my opinion there are way too many quality control/assembly problems with it at this point for me to want to keep it for the long haul.

Through this I have been lucky in that the Chevy dealership in my area has been very good about doing warranty work even though I bought the truck in another state.

Anyway, I hope I didn't bore anyone too much. Your comments and feedback are very much appreciated and wanted. You either reply here or email me at jgt74@yahoo.com

Thanks

iluvspots

JGT74,
Is the "thump/clunk" noise coming from the floor or from the rear end?

We have a '98 3500 6.5L diesel that sounds like going over rumble strips when leaving from a stop. It also doesn't happen all the time, but seems to get worse the longer it is driven. We had a '97 that had the same problem as well as numerous others. (It was repurchased by GM because of a chassis problem.) Both of these trucks started having the rumble effect around 3000 miles. The dealership replaced rear end fluid in the '97 many times. They replaced the cluster gear in the '98 and said there were metal shavings present. This seemed to help for about 7000 miles and now it has started up again. A friend of ours had a Chevy van that also had the same problem.

robob1

Hey if your still out there "stevek" or anyone else, I'm looking at a 1989 GMC S15 4.3 Liter engine, with 80K miles for $6K. Don't know a whole lot about the vehicle history and track record, but if you've got a few word, please respond.

S10 good luck (stevek) Fri 02 Jan '98 (06:37 AM)

JGT74

iluvspots,

The sound I'm refering to is coming from the floorboard area, near the hump in the middle of the cab. Took it in to the dealer and of course they couldn't duplicate the problem. So right now I'm in the same boat I was before. With all the trouble I have had with this truck, I may be over-reacting to a normal sound. Thanks for your input iluvspots.

stevek

robob1:

I have an 89 s10 Blazer. So far with 180K on it and the engine and tranny has not been touched. I was told I am the exception especially when it comes to the tranny(automatic), they seldom last much over 100K. About 3 years ago I repainted it but the rust is starting to "blossom" now. The rest of the truck is solid and I may even replace the engine when (or if) it goes.

$6K sound a bit high even with low milage (like 80k) it should not worth more than 4K in my oppininon. Try several web sites (like Edmunds) where you can put in the info and it will give you a whoilesale/retail price.

stang2

Hello

quadrunner500

I think you are at the upper limit. Yes, I think it should handle, but it might be strained if you are pulling hills. But if level, shouldn't break before 140,000 miles.

billtex

May as well add my 2 cents. Purchased new in 97 GMC Ext cab 4x4,third door,350,SLE Package. I love the truck, rides great,is quiet (no wind noise or third door rattle),no rear end leaks. I tow small stuff occasionaly but nothing heavy. I get 17-18 mpg. I have had the following problems
1)Power steering pump leaked
2)Front axle seal leaked
3)Tranny went (Xmas day,48 k miles)
All have been repaired by dealer, I had to kick in $100 for the tranny as I was beyond 36k by now. The picked up the balance under their "goodwill"program. I have always beena GM man,my wife also drives a Chevy. But, I have become dissilusioned after the tranny went at 48k. I always felt one of GM's strengths were their drivetrains.You cannot beat their gas motors. I admit I drove the Dodge and Ford after getting pissed about my tranny. The dodge rides like it is 20 years out of date, the Ford was pretty nice.I may switch, I may not.Untill the four door 1/2 come out next year (see Ford.com) I probably won't do anything because neither the 99 GMC or the new Ford was significantly better than my 97 GMC.But those four doors (four real doors and a real back seat)sure do look nice! Any feedback on the problems I have listed would be appreciated.

tnt2

I would say that your drivetrain would handle the load that you are talking about over most terrain. The one thing that you may want to look into would be stiffer springs in back to handle the load of the fifth wheel. Since the ride on 1/2 tons tend to be a little plush, you may get bounced and pushed around by the trailer. I have seen many oufits on the road that you describe. Good luck on the links!

torie

Need assistance concerning 98 CK1500 2dr ext cab SB. My father purchased this truck new and has had a recurring problem with severe vibration at 30-40mph. We have gone back and forth between dealer and GM regarding problem. First, he was told the truck needed "mileage" and then alignment. Next GM replaced the tires. Problem still continues. GM's response is that it is "frame beaming" and is an operating characteristic of the vehicle. However, the dealer is telling us GM is no longer manufacturing the Cheyenne due to this problem. We're currently in arbitration on this issue and would appreciate any info on this "frame beaming" problem. Thanks

jeep10

Does anyone know how many miles the 1990 Chevy 454 SS gets to the gallon?

jeep10

hello

jeep10

Thanks dave40 What would a Chevy 350 get"older model 90 91"?

vince7

hello,chey owners,i'm planning on leasing a 99 1500 silverado with a 5.3, 4x4but i'm not sure if i should get the 4.10 or 3.73 and what is the difference in the two.i'm a landscaper so i need some help. thanks alot,and also can i get the auto-trac with this.

dave40

Get the 4.10 for more pulling power but lose gas mileage 1 or 2 miles per gallon compared to 3.73
I got the 4.10. I like that extra get up and go! GO FOR IT 4.10

jeep10

What would a S-10 4x4 4.3 get?

dave40

Not sure! Maybe 18 to 20 in city and better on highway

stanford

Jeep10 -- one post is generally enough to get an answer...

Pickett

What is the latest news on 99 Silverado delivery time from the time you place an order with the dealer? Is is still 1/4 of a year or better? Also, does anyone have a reliable answer on when the Chevy 4th door is coming out? Thanks.....