Chevy Silverado - Continued XVIII

minikin

Polyglas; that they were. Been a long time since I've heard that one.
-- Don

punjab

Finally got around to lowering it today. Turns out that the Firestone guy just wasn't doing it right. He's replacing it right now. For the longest time on a Chevy all you had to do was put the prybar end of the tool in and turn. Now you have to put together a whole erector set of pieces to lower it. Anyway, now I know...



Also checked my torsion bar z-heights. Turns out they were both 2/10's inch lower than the minimum spec, so I cranked them up to match the maximum spec. What a difference!

abc246

Has anyone used tow/haul mode in 4 lo? When I tow on the beach I have been using it. When I go camping on the beach I tow about 5000lbs with the Silverado (4x4, V-6, auto, 3.73). In really loose sand I have to keep my speed up to climb the dunes.

If the truck shifts to 3rd gear (going about 20 mph) it will not downshift to 2nd even under wide-open throttle. The engine RPMs is only about 2200 even at full throttle, but it will not downshift. The engine feels like it is lugging at this point. If I manually shift to 2nd the RPMs are about 3600. Not using tow/haul the transmission downshifts at full throttle, but up shifts to early for deep sand. I like the way tow/haul firms up the shift points under heavy use so I think I will still use it 4lo.

Yesterday a Subaru was stuck in the sand and I towed him backwards using the front hooks while still connected to the trailer! I would have to say they make one hell of a V-6.

mgdvhman

....what's with the 255's now ?

I see a few posts in other topics about them....and they mention the height (which is taller than yours...LOL)...and now you gotta have them?

But But But,,I thought the 285's were the best move of all your accessories!?

haha

- Tim

ryanbab

they were

but i could use a set of mud terrains.

Tires are like shoes. And i dont just have one pair. A few would be nice.

sf0383

Anybody have any experience/suggestions for adding a power inverter. I want to be able to hook up Kids Nintendo as well as the occasional skill saw and drill. I have the aux battery installed if that makes a difference.

ryanbab

nintendo?

you better get em a PS2 that nintendo is old

anyone remember coleco (sp) vision? Like around the time of atari. Still got mine and it still works

Ryan

mtrammell

I noticed that ob's TSB indicated that acid based cleaners were the cause. A lot of the vehicles are covered with rail dust when delivered to the dealer. GM has an acid bath that they put on the truck that "supposedley" eats the little pieces of metel but dosen't harm the clear coat or other exposed parts (yeah right).

ryanbab

have seat covers for their 99+ silverado? What kind, where did you get them and how much?

I think i am gonna get a set to save my cloth seats. This weekend after work made a few trips to menards. Jeans were filthy. Just would like em for summer .

Ryan

cowboyjohn1

Good memories. Do you remember the sawdust tires?
cowboyjohn

redsilverado

seat covers are cool as long as the junk that gets on em doesn't work through and does the grind with the original cloth.(of course there will probably be someone to argue this). you could also do like i and my buddies do and bring an extra pair of britches.
-
what's with the bigger tires? sometimes when the G/F says "bigger is better", it doesn't mean she's talking about tires. heh heh

ryanbab

low blow red about the tires

I probably wont have the covers on the seats 24/7 but use them as i need them. You know like when i go fishing or after a basketball game (summer league).

Ryan

mgdvhman

...what the heck you do do to your pants during B-ball?

LOL

..just get leather...cleans very nice

- Tim

ryanbab

tim its called sweat

mgdvhman

...get leather........cows take all kinds of abuse in it...seats can as well

LOL

- Tim

ryanbab

if i wanted leather i would have gotten an LT

oh yea i didnt tell you guys. Last wk i was driving home and stopped at a local gmc dealer. They had a green gmc SLT 2500HD 8.1/allison CC sitting outside. Talked to a salesman for the heck of it. Asked him what he would give me for my truck towards that one outside. He said i could have the green one for my truck plus 9 grand. (so thats like 26K for my truck)

To bad it was a gmc and i didnt have 9 grand and it had 245 tires TO SMALL. The green was a very nice color. Green flares also.

Ryan

mgdvhman

it's TOO small...and TOO bad...

LOL

- Tim

ryanbab

ok english teacher tim

believe it or not i did get an A in english.

mgdvhman

....because you always use to and too wrong..

- Tim

..oh well.....get an HD and we will let it slide

ryanbab

no i dont wanna out do you

too = also

sorry man ill try and be GRAMATICALLY CORRECT from now on.

mgdvhman

- Tim

64roadster

Ready to outfit my 2001 extended cab with front and rear floor mats. I purchased some Husky mats for my 1998 Suburban and they do a good job of keeping dirt and water off the carpet, BUT they slide around too much for my liking and if I don't move them back in place they acquire a mis-matched distorted shape.
Any recommendations.... Are there some mats that stay put and have the ability to capture dirt and water?
P.S. - I purchased the factory bedliner and so far I'm very pleased with it. They were able to install the tailgate portion without drilling.

jaguar0027

using synthetic oil in a 2001 Silverado? Pros cons anyone?

Thanks,

Jim

ryanbab

64 the husky liners will not slide around they have like spikes on the bottom. Mine have yet to move (my old factory mats moved like crazy) since i got them

Jim if you plan on keeping the truck a long time use synthetic. Costs more but in the long run will help your engine. I have been running mobil 1 syn since 9600 miles. I am currently at 15K. Costs about $28-30 a case (6 quarts). Not to bad for a little protection.

You get what you pay for

Regualr oil $1 a quart
Syn $4 something a quart

Ryan

jaguar0027

Thanks for the heads up on the oil. Should I wait until I have some mileage on my truck (like yourself) before switching to synthetic? Or should I make the switch sooner?

Also... what kind of gas do you put in your truck? Do you use super i.e. 93 octane? Or is it cool to go lower? Esp with the gas prices now!

Jim

obyone

your truck is designed for 87 octane. To run 93 would only be a waste of money, unless of course you buy a HPIII unit and tune for 93 octane.

The oil subject and when to switch to synthetic has been much debated. Some say wait till 10k, some change immediately. Really up to you, just change it often enough cause maybe the oil will last 5000 miles...but will the filter? BTW, I changed mine out at 300 cause of the amount of metal in the motor. I changed again at 1000 and every 4000 thereafter. Then again, it's just my opinion.

michgndr

I will switch to Mobil 1 after the next oil change, around 7000 miles or so. I have to use 12 quarts of Quaker State dino oil first to get the free NHL T-shirt. LOL. Otherwise, I'd switch earlier.

Jagman! Congrats on the Silverado. You are demonstrating excellent judgement, just like the rest of us in here!

ryanbab

only put shell 87 octane in my truck

switched tooooooooooo mobil one around 9600 miles

Ryan

ryanbab

anyone know anything about a map sensor?

Dads truck is running like crap (92 S-10 100K miles) well we were messing with it today. He got a printout like gm's techs do at the dealership from work (steel mill's truck shop). The engine revs then almost dies then revs then almost dies. Well there is a checklist. first 2 were fine we get to number 3 says disconnect map sensor if truck runs fine map sensor bad. Ok well we disconnect the map sensor and guess what truck runs fine again. plug it back in and runs lik crap. So we replace the old map sensor with one the mechanic at the truck shop gave him. We were like yea itll work. NOPE only works when it is unplugged. I told him just to drive around with it unplugged (i know you cant).

Oh yea disconnecting the map sensor sets a default in the computer thats why it was working.

Any other ideas?

Thanks

Maybe its time for him to get a new silverado? I am checking out prices on stripper reg cab short beds. Just a small work truck

Ryan

mgdvhman

is fine....although I could swear I noticed a difference on the highway with 93 in my 6.0.

I switched to mobil 1 at about 4K....with a change at 1K as well....(with conventional oil)

Good Luck

- Tim

whatsachevy

In my opinion, synthetic is a waste of good beer money. I have owned two trucks in my lifetime, a 1981 Ford which ran 250K+ miles and a 1991 Ford which had 237K on it when I recently sold it. Always used Motorcraft 10w30 in both trucks. How many people do you know with 250K miles using synthetic? I got the best advice on motors from my Dad. He told me to change the oil and filter every 2500-3000 miles. I follow his advice to a "T" and have had pretty good luck so far. No way would I leave anything in my motor for 10K, 7.5K or even 5K miles. Its going to be Motorcraft (in a Chevy this time) 5w30 for as long as I own this truck.

mgdvhman

...but synthetic will flow faster upon startup...(especially in winter)....thus lubricating the engine that much quicker....aka avoiding dry running until the oil gets to the top of the engine.

I too know many stories like yours.....but have yet to hear of someone saying synthetic made it worse...

Good Luck

- Tim

michgndr

Maybe the new sensor is bad too? Or is it "to"?

jaguar0027

I still have not yet decided on what to do. I do plan on keeping the truck a long time, so I may switch to synthetic after a bit....

Has anyone had any problems with weathterstripping coming off/loose on there truck? Should I have the dealer repair? Or fix it myself? What can I use to glue it back on if so?

Tire question...

My new 01 Rado came with Firestone Wilderness AT tires. Since all of the problems with Ford and the same tire, should I be concerned? I asked the dealer and they told me not to be. Is there somewhere online where I can find out if I have recalled/bad tires on my truck? I hate Firestones anyway but I dont have the money right now to purchase new ones as of yet...

Thoughts anyone?????

Jim

quadrunner500

Acronym for manifold absolute pressure. It's a pressure transmitter, telling the computer the air pressure inside the intake manifold. Probably has 4 wires, works with the MAF (mass air flow) sensor, (the hot wire) in the intake tract, and the TPS (throttle position sensor), to control the fuel injectors.

michgndr

Won't say they're the best tires, but I have the 265s OWL. Same concerns too, but all the problem tires have been in the 15", not 16". I don't remember they were "AT" either. Firestones has a web site, as do others. Try a Yahoo search. Easy to find.

I wouldn't expect there's a safety problem, really. With all the scrutiny Firestone got last summer, if there was any hint of problems with these, it would have been dragged out.

See the news? Firestone told Ford to "bite me" yesterday.

quadrunner500

They were good on my 99 Silverado, got 41,000 miles, lots of treadwear remaining, never needed balancing, smooth, quiet, decent traction, no complaints. Too much wear towards the center at first, lowered air pressure to 28-30 psi, nice even wear across the full tread.

michgndr

Whoa. Standby.

http://cnnfn.cnn.com/2001/05/22/recalls/tires/

jaguar0027

to hit the link... what does it say about the recalls???

Jim

quadrunner500

It says the problem is only on Explorers. (Why?)

Of course, if the Explorer had no role to play in the role-overs, why did Ford redesign it?

Says Firestone been sharing info and data with Ford, but Ford not sharing info or data with Firestone.

Ford ignored Firstones higher tire pressure recommendation, and posted a lower recommendation on door jamb to improve ride quality.

Ford looking for scapegoat, my $0.02

And while it's implicit I'm bashing Ford, I'm really just bashing Nasser for trying to put the blame on Firestone instead of sharing some responsibility, which they obviously have.

blair223

I have been using synthetic oil for my changes and decided to wait until the "Change Oil" message came on to do the next one. It did not come on until about 7.5K miles after the last oil change. The manual says that the time is based on engine speed and temp but in dusty conditions (not my situation) to change more often. I am thinking I should just change every 3-4K miles and forget the nifty "Change Oil" feature. What do you guys think?

punjab

I too had the wilderness AT's on my 99 and I thought I was getting good wear (they looked good at around 38k). Then I drove across the New Mexico desert last summer....Put about 2k on them, 104 degrees outside temp, fresh blacktop, 95 mph. After that, they appeared to have about 3/32nds left, and would loose 5 psi every day. Firestone said that I had ran over something causing them all to slowly go flat.

Anyway, since they were toast, I went to Sears and bought some Bridgestone Dueller APT's. Great tires...put 15k on them before i traded truck. Sold them to a guy I work with who has put another 15k on them and they still look new!!

Last week, I went to Firestone and traded the 5 Wilderness on my 2001 for 5 Bridgestone Dueller AT's installed for $147 (had to pay for the mounting, and the 6k wear on the wilderness) and even went up a size (the 285 tires are on sale for the same price as the 265's). I sleep better at night...

There is a letter buried deep in the Firestone website that explains to the dealer how this is just part of "Firestones ongoing customer satisfaction program". I have the link at home and will post tommorow...

ryanbab

Quad could those wires maybe have gone bad? My dad is getting a new map sensor today to try.

OIL - i run synthetic and change every 3K/ 3 months also. Pay a little more but i know i have good stuff running through the engine

Tires- Jim had my fstones for 10K miles. They sucked. Traction/ throwing small rocks wearing very funny which i had checked out and tire pressure was fine. Glad i dumped em.

BFG's better traction, dont throw small rocks, no funny wearing like the fstones.

Well worth the $800

Ryan

jaguar0027

I dont have the $$$ to replace the tires right now. I am actually hoping that they are recalled, so I can replace them with whatever I want!

Here's to hoping!!!!

Jim

P.S. I think that I will go with synthetic at the first oil change (@ about 1000 miles.) Guys what should I do about the weatherstripping???

ryanbab

take it to dealership there is a TSB for weatherstripping

mgdvhman

While I have them (Steeltex)..and they are not my first choice....there is nothing wrong with Firestones...period.

They wear fine (when rotated/balanced right)...and have been very good.

Ford is to blame for all the problems....due to too low of pressure (as stated above)...

I wouldn't worry a bit.

- Tim

quadrunner500

On the wires, I don't know from here. But you're an engineering student so here's my explanation of how map sensor works, (I think).

A strain gauge, piezo resistive, 2 wires for excitation, the remaining 2 wires output from wheatstone bridge used as a divider, giving an output that varies as the deflection on strain gauge caused by manifold pressure relative to a vaccuum.

ryanbab

I understand how it works. Thats not the problem the problem is why his truck is running like crap. Trying to fix it for the past wk and a half. I told him just to get a new one

quadrunner500

You could always just take it in....15% restock on electrical parts if you're wrong. Some places won't take electrical parts back at all. Good luck.

ryanbab

It was free. Dad got it from work from the guy who works in the truck dept. He also got printouts (like what the dealer has for tsb's and repairs for any problems) from the guy. He is gonna get another one today. He also got a few parts free from the local chevy dealership cause he knew the parts guy. Pretty good not paying a dime for anything

Ryan