Chevy Silverado - Continued XVIII

mgdvhman

Know Dean was gonna chime in on that?

haha

...When it's freezing out...the seat gives just enough warmth so you don't chatter the old teeth before the truck warms up to deliver heat....and since the heat is in the seat and back...it's like a warm massage on the back!

....I wish it was like Ma's Lincoln though...where you can have seat / back / or both on....sometimes I want back only. Oh well

Fix it GM!

LOL

..and a lumbar you can adjust the posistion up and down in the seat would be cool too!

...sound too demanding?..nahhh....I like comfort...(and have a messed up back)

- Tim

bco

87lion, you rascal!

you gave away my joke to soon! LOL!

it IS kinda funny how peaceful (and informative) this thread has gone back to being now that pocahontas and titus are gone. was that a plot ya think?

dunno... all i know is this thread - all the way back to the very first "Chevy Silverado" - has had an immense impact on my buying, owning, troubleshooting, and maintaining experience. glad to see it's back to normal.

...and now, back to the topic at hand...Chevy Silverado...

...here to help...

teeheehee

bco

wight1

thanks for the pic. Sure would have been nice if GM included that picture in the service manual. Like obyone said, the service manual is about worthless.

I looked at it again this morning before I saw your picture here and saw the hex screws you were talking about, and sure enough looks like #1 might be a dog. I've got a mini-ratchet that should work. thanks again for the pic.

dustyone

is to encourage owners to get GM to replace the filters for there usually very low labor price. Like yeah. They use tool J-238-169923 to remove the screw (the tool number is not correct, just an example of the crap that their engineers come up with).

john294

I was thinking of purchaseing Firestone Dueler M/T LT245/75R16-10 ply mud tires for my 2000 V6 rado,the shops quote was $687.54 for four, installed,balanced etc,Does anyone know if these tires are good and if my gas mileage or ride be affected much (16mpg presently w/ smooth ride factory radials), they also come with a 30 day return for any reason.The salesman stated that the narrow width of the tire can increase gas mileage and that the ride would not be affected much.

mledtje

The base model trucks don't have that shield. It must be just to clean up the appearance of the area.

I never noticed it was there on the LS or not there on the base model until I changed the filters this weekend.

Since I never noticed it, I didn't put it back either. Now it is much easier to change the filter.

Mike L

markbuck

why yawl had trouble finding the CF104 access....

Mine's hanging out easy to access, kinda an "industrial" look.....

bugsplat

Tried to post yesterday but it doesn't appear here. Maybe I was in the wrong site.

I have a 2001 V-6 2wd Xcab with 3.73 rear end, 1800 mi.. I've been getting a vibration as the tranny shifts under low load conditions, felt mosty through the gas pedal. Dealer said it was because the torque lock up was engaging too soon causing the engine to shudder under the strain. Needs re-calibrating, but they can't do it until GM gives them the new calibrations. Couldn't tell me if GM was working on new calibrations or not, but did overhear the trans tech tell the manager that at least two other V-6's had similar concerns. Got the usual "doesn't harm anything, doesn't affect the vehicle" story. Maybe I'm wrong, but it would seem the shudder would come more under high load than low load. Maybe under high load the lock up is delayed and the engine turning enough rpm's to eliminate the shudder? Any thought's?

Second question - The official Chevy Silverado site ( as well as a couple of others) appears to indicate that the 1500 as standard equipment has a trans. cooler. The HD with tow has an "aux trans cooler". Does the base 1500 have a trans cooler? If so, what the heck is the difference between the two? I certainly can't seem to find one if there really is one?

It was sort of ironic given the many posts that when I mentioned a vibration problem and before the Ser/ Mgr saw the truck his immediate response was "yea those Silverado's have a vibration problem at high speeds". Retracted it when he saw it was a 2001. Guess at least this dealer has had his share of shakerado problems.

kansan

$687.54 sounds like a lot of money for 4 tires. At tirerack.com I got 4 Yokohama Geolander HT 255/70SR16 tires and 4 new Chevrolet OEM Alloy wheel factory takeoffs, mounted and balanced including shipping for $598.91. If you have the steel wheels and what to upgrade to the alloys this is a good way to do it as the new alloy takeoffs are only $59 a piece. I ordered them on a Friday and they were delivered on the next Wednesday. If you don't want the wheels the tires were $75/each. Another internet place to check is discounttiredirect.com, their prices are about the same as tirerack, but their shipping was less, the reason I went with tirerack is because I wanted to upgrade to the alloy wheels, and discounttiredirect didn't have them. They guarantee their balance, and when I got mine I took them to Goodyear to get their lifetime rotation and balance maintenance contract and they were all out of balance. I called tirerack and told them this and they had me fax them the bill and gave me a full refund for the Goodyear bill, so I ended up with a lifetime rotation and balance for free.
Shop around before you buy those tires.
Ken

blacksilver

All Silv automatic tranny's have a "sort of" transmission cooler which is just a few turns of tubing immersed in the regular radiator coolant tank.

When you buy the towing pkg you get an additional separate "radiator" which is connected in series with the cooling tubes and mounted in front of the engine-cooling radiator.

Hans

bco

john...before progressing with your tire purchase, click here.

don't mess with paying full price if you had firestone's come standard on your truck. print the above letter, take it to your firestone dealer, and they will give you new bridgestone duelers for the difference in residual value of the firestones you have and the price of the new tires. i did this and got 6-ply b-stone dueler at's for $290 installed, free lifetime rotation/balance, and road hazard warranty. of course, i had 12k miles on my old f-stones when i did this. to figure residual value of your existing f-stones, they will simply measure your current tread depth as compared to when new. whatever percentage of tread you have remaining is the percentage of "new cost" they will credit you against your new tires.

if you want to see what they look like mounted, check out my pictrail site by clicking here.

good luck

bco

kansan

I looked at those Dueler M/Ts on tirerack, they were $133/ea. I question why you would want to put those on a 2WD 6 cylinder truck, those tires are meant for hardcore off-roading. I would think that those big heavy tires would have a negative affect on your gas mileage, and can guarantee your highway ride would be a lot rougher. Additionally, you're spending a lot more money for those tires than you would for the type of tires you should be putting on a 2 WD truck. If your truck came with 235/75R16s like mine, the 245/75R16 will also throw off your speedometer readings a little bit, the 255/70R16s are a perfect match to the height of the 235/75R16s. If you want a more offraod type of tire that will still give you a smooth highway ride and would not affect your gas mileage, I'd recommend the Dunlop Radial Rover A/Ts, 255/70R16, they are only $76 at discounttiredirect.com, have a 60,000 mile treadwear guarantee, and have the highest tire quality rating (500AB) I've seen for a truck tire. I kind of wish I had gone with the Dunlops. Save yourself some money and some headaches and get a tire more appropriate for your type of truck.

blacksilver

I agree with kansan. Those tires are a total mismatch to your truck.

mledtje

You posted your question over on:

GMC Sierra/Chevy Silverado 2500 & 3500 II. It was answered by posts 581 and 583.

Mike L

john294

I did a bit of research on those MTs and I must agree with you all that they are a bit too much for my V6 even if it is a 4x4,I liked the way they looked but dont want to give up performance for looks.I have factory Goodyear wrangler ST 245/75r16 tires and was looking for something to do some beach driving at Nags Head Va this summer, we didnt get much snow this year so I didnt get to use the 4x4 much .The ATs look good bco you think they can handle the beach?My friends say to just let some air out of the wranglers and go for it.. ?????

obyone

No, I don't think it's your truck. What you're describing sounds like a V6 in a 4300 lb. truck. You can't compare the taurus and the grand am, which at best would be described as midsize to a fullsize pickup. Weight and wind resistance will definitely slow the truck down and add drag on the V6.

About a year and a half ago, someone posted the same thing with the transmission, can't remember why it did that.

klopez

I just recently bought a 2001 chevy silverado 1500 with a 4.3L V6 Vortec engine with a 4 speed automatic transmission. I am wondering if my truck has a problem or not. When I accelerate to get on the highway, my transmission shifts 4 times. When it shifts to the final gear and at 65 miles per hour, my RPM are at 1500. To accelerate on the highway quickly, I have to push the accelerator all the way down to have it downshift. The RPM only go to 2300 when it downshifts, and that is the maximum RPM at this speed. It is like the transmission has 5 speeds instead of four. I cannot accelerate quick at high speeds such as 65mph without flooring the gas pedal only to downshift and see my RPM ax at 2300 and creep to 70mph. This is really annoying. I have driven mostly cars. I had a 1999 grand am GT with a 3.4L V6, and when I floored the gas pedal, the RPM rev to 5600 and that was at 65mph. At 65mph, the RPM on the grand Am were about 2100. I have had the same results with a 2000 Ford Taurus with a 3.0L V6 engine and a four speed automatic transmission. Am I comparing apples to oranges, or do I have a problem with my truck. Anyone else with a V6 get the same RPMs as I do at 65mph?

Any information will be very helpful

obyone

that ESP must be working overtime today. I answered klopez's question 21 minutes before he asked it.

john294

Im stuck with the Rado 2000 V6 4x4 and its the same thing as far as rpms- speed goes ,Ive been to the dealer about it and all he could say was to drive it in third gear around town for more power ,wait till you go up an incline and see if it doesnt make a rear end noise,mine does, again dealer says no fix.Small engine, full size truck, tuff sh**, thats what GM repersentative had to say, (got a extened warrenty out of them).I have just learned to live with it and put it in 3rd up hill and stomp the gas pedal when I need to downshift for passing power(oh yeah dont forget to shut the a/c off also), New improved V6 200hp my azz,Ive heard all different stories from gear ratios ect, sorry but its a crappy truck Ive got one wont buy another one and wont recommend one to no-one.The truth hurts I know...Sorry.....

87lion

Sorry to blow your cover.

BTW has anyone installed a remote starter in their Silverado? It'd be nice for those chilly mornings.

bugsplat

Thanks - Thought I posted. Not sure how I got the wrong thread but I've done dumber things. Your analysis right on with dealers assessment.

klopez

Sorry obyone, Had to repost my question, the spell checker on this BB created a lot of errors, like changed chevy to chewy.

Thanks john294 for the info.
I haven't drove the truck with the A/C on yet.
Just thought about that today when I got home disgusted with this trucks performance.

Last Chevy truck I am going to buy.

john294

if you get used to it itll be alright I went from owning a 97 ford taurus also which I traded in for this truck and had a hard time at first figureing it out ,I purchased a 84 honda civi wagon that I use for work cause even being a V6 the truck eats me up with gas expense $23.oo @$1.39 gal for half a tank (34 gal tank)I get 16-18 mpg tops, civi gets 32mpg. I got the truck cause I needed a house -yard truck so I dont use it every day and dont haul alot of weight,I do admit I like the looks of the truck and after one year and 12k miles that rpm -speed thing is the only flaw Ive found in it so far ,Im going down to the beach this summer and see if itll make it in and out of the sand,Ill keep it till its paid off than trade it for a toyota Tundra V8......lol

tomh12

Your Goodyear wranglers will do fine on the beach. Just be sure to lower the pressure to about 18 psi. The beach sometimes gets deeply rutted and your only problem will be getting into or out of them. Remember to go back up on the psi as soon as you come off the beach. They have air hoses available where you come off. Enjoy!
Tom

ricsch

Has anyone had good,or bad experience with this GM Warranty? Are there any online locations with a good purchase price?

roger350

Not to sound critical, but didn't you guys test drive a V6 Silverado and one of the V8's to see the difference before purchasing? I can understand if you were on a tight budget and didn't want to blow $800-$1200 for one of the V8's. Or maybe you wanted better gas mileage, but either way, I can't see blaming GM for selling you an underpowered truck? Of course it is underpowered, it is a heavy vehicle with a V6? You have a legit complaint about the vibrations, and I would certainly continue pursuing a repair from the dealer, but the power complaints are just a statement of the obvious. Next time get a 2500HD with the 8.1 and a 4.10.

bugsplat

I have the V-6 in the 2wd Xcab, but have a 3.73 rear end vs the 3.42 standard. Tested the RPM's this morning, spinning about 2k at 65, doesn't take much pedal to get it to drop down, and max's at about 3600. Not gonna blow any doors off, but has decent acceleration at that speed. If I could get the vibration taken care of, wouldn't have any complaints. Have to agree with roger350 post. If you want performance, the V-6 in a truck this big just isn't gonna cut it. I'm getting about 19-20 with mostly hwy mi. Taking it easy on the truck since it's still fairly new. What kind of mileage are you other V-6 owners getting?

sierra2500hd

I somewhat agree with Roger350. I think getting an 8.1 might be a little overkill (although after reading some of the posts here, I'm sorry I didn't get the 8.1 instead of the 6.0), but in general he's right IMO. GM is making some really efficient V8's right now. The 4.8 and the 5.3 are certainly not underpowered. If your thinking about buying a truck with a V6, then you must not be planning on doing any major hauling or towing. The 4.8 and 5.3 are more than adequate. In fact, they are quite impressive in a light duty truck. The gas milage isn't bad at all on them according to most of the posts on here. Unless you really need to squeeze every penny when purchasing a truck, get the V8. If you really need the savings of the V6, you really shouldn't complain. I've driven a couple of V6's and they are okay I guess. But they are V6's, what do you expect? It's not like that V6 is pulling a little Tacoma, it's pulling a real truck.

Lou

sierra2500hd

I'm not sure if I read about Zaino wax in this thread or another, but I have a question for one of the regulars that seem to swear by it. Did you guys use the Z-2 or the Z-3? I'm not sure whether my truck has a clear coat on it or not. The truck is Pewter and doesn't really look like it has a clear coat, but what do I know, I'm just a nail banger. Any help would be appreciated, thanks in advance.

Lou

kansan

I assumed when you said that you had a V6 that it was a 2WD, I didn't know that the V6 was even an option with the 4WD. That explains why you were looking at 245's. I agree that the Wrangler STs are worthless as far as traction, that's why I got the Yokohama H/Ts (the low price of $75 also was a factor). Good luck!
Ken

john294

not for notthing but I also own a 97 nissan pathfinder that is only 200 lbs lighter than the rado and has a V6 that doesnt strain a bit and has plenty of get up and go, and I also owned a 79 V6 inline chevy custom full sz trk with a zillion miles that ran fine so I got this V6 assuming that it was a new and improved V6 200hp, plus price and gas mileage did play into the equation,Ok so I admit I learned my lesson to never assume again and compare more fully next time around......Bco I went with the dueler ATs 4 for $520.00 installed etc, at firestone dealer.I could have saved alittle on line but on-line shopping for big items are going to cost more in shipping and hassles if you need to return item......Tomh12 thanks for input on beaching it , I guess I have to do the same with the dueler ATs I got. ATs tend to dig more than float......PS just incase anybodys wondering reading my previous post, yes I have gone threw a few vehciles in a short span,motorcycles too,but that was when times where good, slowin down a bit now might get laid off...lol

john294

$99 + shipping&tax =454.44 +instalation for 4 tires bal. etc $45=$499.44 so I would have saved $21.00 on-line,had them in a week ,tommorrow mine will be put on at shop,no biggie, no wait,if I dont like em they take em off sell em to someone else no hassle......If you tell dealer you can get em cheaper on line they will cut you a break(15%off) not huge but itll do......

mtrammell

Lou, your truck is clear coated. Use the one for clear coat. Make sure you remove any wax on the vehicle with a good alkaline cleanser like Dawn dishwashing liquid before you Zaino it.

erikheiker

What you think is a forth shift is actually the transmission going into lockup. This provides a direct mechanical connection between the crankshaft and the rear axle. Its primary function is increased gas mileage. I could feel each shift and going into lockup on my 4.3 and it does feel like four shifts. On my 5.3 I can only feel the 1-2 shift. The rest are so smooth that I have to look at the tach and watch the RPM drop for verification.

mtrammell

I'm thinking about trading my 2K 1500 xcab Rado in for one of the new 2500HDs. Anyone out there got one of these with the Duramax/Allison combo that can tell me what kind of muleage to expect? I've driven one and really like the performance and the ride is almost as good as my 1500. The Allison tranny is much smoother than I expected - even smoother than my 1500.

mtrammell

Ok, Mileage.

davidb72

I'm looking for a LS Extended Cab, 4x4. Limited slip, 5.3, towing package. What are you guys paying in the real world for a similar rig?

obyone

for clear coat use the Z2. Prior to that to apply base of Z1 and if you have fine scratches, Z5. You can also check the website as Sal has a lot of info posted at zainobros.com

sierra2500hd

Thanks for the info guys. I checked out the Zaino site and saw the two different waxes, that's why I posted the question. What do I know about clear coats and all, I just know how to drive the darn thing. I am going to give the Zaino a shot, the one picture that someone posted looked awesome.

Lou the lead foot.

willimjo

You should be able to get the truck for around $100 over invoice, less any current rebates. I ended up getting my factory ordered 1500 LT all options except flares, for $25 over invoice minus a $1000 rebate and $1500 GMCard credits. The truck stickered for $34125 and I paid around $27800.

davidb72

Thanks, thats good to know. How long did the factory order take?

vince4

I also have Pewter and have used Zaino on it. Don't expect too much, Zaino really shines (ha) on dark color trucks. I like the product because it lasts a long time so I'll stick with it, but regular wax would make our trucks look just as good.

vince4

I bet part of the reason the RPM won't go very high is because the V6 is the old design. Only the V8s are the new (as of 99) design and they are made to run at high RPM. Unusual for a pushrod design but they pulled it off. I have no trouble getting my 6.0 w/auto up to 5k.

bsiler

is North Carolina. Alot of good beaches and usually some pretty good fishing. Just let the air out and the truck will do fine. Have fun and enjoy a real good time! Nothing like it

mgdvhman

..I think a V-6 shouldn't even be in a truck...period...(full size at least)

..maybe a mid size like a Tundra though?

..corse I also feel every ruck should be 4WD also..

I agree that ANY good wax won't give mush extra to a light color paint.

I like this wax as well:

http://www.malms.com/

been using it years and years before the Zaino hype.

 - Tim

mgdvhman

"Zaino is not a wax"...(Zaino says it)

hmmmm

http://www.malms.com/16.htm

 - Tim

99crewcab1

I zainoed my truck several months after getting it and didn't notice that much of a deeper shine. (it's pewter). I still use and plan to continue using zaino just b/c it's supposed to protect the paint really well. I have some pics at

http://www.picturetrail.com/nicknewb

Nick

michgndr

OK, folks. I have the dealer talked into a factory-ordered 1500 Z-71 for ZERO above invoice. He also agreed to let me finance with whatever low rates GMAC is offering at the time of delivery.

Does that track with others' experience, or am I paying too much? Planning to actually place the order within the week.

87lion

Sounds like a good deal as long as you are also getting any available rebates. Also check your credit union for financing.

vince4

Buy it.