Chevy Silverado/GMC Sierra - Owners hangout

obyone

Thanks for the wishes....and hoping yours is a good one too.

ryanbab

a great xmas. We got about 6 inches of snow. Ran 4 wheel hi all night. No plows on the roads its a mess Pics tomorrow

ryanbab

Well i finally got my xmas gift. A set of helms manuals for my truck I already found an error. it lists on pg 0-40 the oil filter for the 4.3 is PF59 and for the 4.8,5.3, and 6.0 PF52

HMMM Its reversed

ryanbab

minikin

Ryan --
Bought the manuals new with my truck in Sep 2000. Same error; 2+ years later and they haven't fixed it. Nice snow!! Heard the mid-west and northeast got hammered. Denver's dry. Merry Christmas!
-- Don

obyone

Here's one for ya...of us suffering in the sweltering heat......it being 82 here today.

No snowboarding here.....

blackmax200

Tough to have the Christmas spirit while looking at bikinis, Oby????? HOhohoho-ho!!!

Hope everyone had a great Christmas and will have a safe new year.

matthew

ryanbab

This was taken after i had the dent in the rear rocker fixed awhile back

ryanbab

whoops sorry i didnt know it was so big

Also the truck isnt anywhere close to being that clean

ricsch

Send some of the snow to Wisconsin! I sure would like to get the snowmobile out into it, forecast is for upper 30's for the next few days, and we have NO snow.

rayt2

We got anywhere from 1 to 2', dependent on where you were in Dutchess county, on Christmas, here in Poughkeepsie it was a foot. What was that song anyway "dreaming of a white Christmas....." yea we got one and heavy snow to boot! Snowblower working overtime . Reminded me of the nor'easter we had in Christmas/New years 1996, we were on our way home from Oby Land (Hawaii) and were stranded in Missouri for 3 days cuz all the airports in northeast had shut down. The one time I wished they said you gotta stay here in Hawaii for a few more days.
Well anyway only got stuck twice with truck where the plows had not yet been, like my road. Times like this is the only time I wish I had 4wd.

Ray T.

jaguar0027

Must be nice to have a view like that.. esp around Christmas time... LOL Hope you had a good one.

Ray T - You dont have a 4x4 where you live? Brave man you are!

themailman1

I don't know if its the smell of deer blood or something in the truck that stinks. Have a 2001 Sierra , Z-71 and when I get into the truck There is a smell in the air. Anyone have this problem?

erikheiker

It's probably time to change the two air filters in the cab. Instructions on how to do so can be found in the archives.

ricsch

Wish I was there!! Could get some use out of the sled, and the 4x4 truck!!

themailman1

How and where do I find it in the archives?

rayt2

Live in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., halfway between NY City & Albany on the Hudson River. I've always been able to get by w/2wd in all my trucks as long as I have rear locker diff.& ballast in the bed. But with 8" on the ground & still snowing I could only get half way up my road (which is a slight grade) and just started spinning, even w/500 lbs ballast in bed. Being a 3/4 ton truck could have something to do with it too since its so stiff compared to the 1/2 ton trucks. I just don't have the need for the added expense of 4wd.

Ray T.

ryanbab

Anyone running Sylvania Silverstars (headlights)?

I just bought a set. They are running a $10 rebate on a pair. They are pricey ($19.99 ea.)

Before and After pics to come

brucec35

Nice looking truck. Guess 4wd comes in handy there with all that snow.

Funny, I was strongly considering the Sylvania Silverstars myself after a harrowing nighttime drive to my in-laws on a foggy, wet Christmas eve. I never drove the Silverado much at night and was surprised how weak the stock headlights seemed on dark wet asphalt. How are yours doing? I upgraded bulbs a couple years ago on a BMW with similarly weak headlights and it helped a lot. I also noticed that they have a $500 kit to replace your lights with true HID low beams and improved high beams. You just snap out the old headlight cluster and snap in a new one. Ballast and everything is included. www.xesighting.com is the link I believe. Sounds like a good deal to me if it works well.

As far as the resale on my Silverado being affected by rebates, that's for sure. But you may not know that Chevy prices have gone up since I bought, and I paid a pretty low price myself and got a $2002 rebate. I think their strategy has been to offer rebates constantly and hope nobody notices the significant price increases. Same thing happened on Tahoes. I priced an identically equipped 2003 Silverado and found that the price, even with the current $3000 rebate, was still about $250 more than I paid for mine, and $4,000 to $5,000 more than I'm asking (I have some add-ons, upgraded wheels/tires, and a roll-top cover that I was just gonna throw in for free, even) so the price I had the truck offered at was a fair one. It's 9 months old and pristine. My guess is that people with enough money to afford my truck are just not looking at used trucks.

Finally, what is the general opinion on the 2003 styling changes? I prefer the older look, as did the 3 people who did come look at mine when it was for sale. Chevy has long had a rep for being a conservative truck, and the new Avalanche "pinched" , "squinting" grill look doesn't mesh well, I think. I would have preferred that they go with the look of the front of the Heavy Duty trucks instead.

I have some Infinity reference speakers on order to tighten up the boomy sound from behind and will probably order the headlight bulbs and seatcovers, since I work out of it and want to preserve the interior. I also have ordered a class III/IV hitch and trailer wiring to install,and maybe a tranny cooler, though I hate the idea of a loose clamp spilling my fluid out if I botch the install. With all these upgrades, I guess I'm really selling my Tundra and keeping the Silverado....wow.

obyone

Try buying a set of PIAA replacement bulbs at $60 a pair with NO rebates. LMAO!!

txyank1

my Sierra has taken quite a drop in the past month. I haven't looked at any other sources. Guess cause it's "Officially" a year older now.

ryanbab

I havent installed the silverstar headlights yet. Probably do that today since for some reason it is like 50 degrees out and rainy. Snow is almost all gone.

As far as the 03 styling i am mixed. I dont like the 1500s looks like they just glued the front on looks out of place however i do like the 2500HDs. I dont know why but i think its cause they sit up higher and it looks better.

What kind of seat covers are you going with? I have had my seat savers (http://www.seatsavers.com) since this spring and they are very nice. Plus they were only $107

Here are a few pics

ryanbab

Here are some pics i took today. I ordered a cell phone holder and got it 80% off. Shipping was more than the holder.



Here is a pic before changing the headlights



Pass side is stock and the drivers side is the Silverstar


Here is the final pic. Both are silverstars and a pic with the 38 Watt fog lights.



Its hard to see the difference in the pictures but there is a defininite difference in quality. The stock lights are more of a yellowish color and these are whiter. As it is getting darker i can tell a much greater difference

ryanbab

Here is another pic from tonight. Went for a ride and MAN there is a huge difference. I got out to see em and they are much whiter and clearer. This afternoon i thought i threw away $40 but now i think it was well worth it.

gator36

Some time ago I remember some questions about using the auto 4wd option on the 99-up Silverados and Sierras.
My general feeling was that many people would not use it on highway based on the principal of a locked driveline. (no bias between front and rear drive shafts to accommodate for turning.)

After doing a little research I have found out the following;

1. Auto 4wd was the RPO option NP8 (I need to verify this)
2. The NP8 option uses the NVG 236/246 transfer cases.

3. These transfer cases DO ALLOW for torque bias in the Auto 4wd mode.

Here is a brief explanation of the operation in Auto 4wd.:

During normal driving situations the transfer case can operate in the Auto 4WD mode. In the Auto 4WD mode the transfer case shift control module monitors rear wheel slip speed, based on the inputs from both the front and rear propshaft speed sensors. When the vehicle experiences a rear wheel slip condition, the transfer case shift control module sends a pulse width modulated (PWM) signal to an electronic motor, which is the transfer case encoder motor. This motor rotates the transfer case sector shaft, applying a clutch pack. This clutch pack is designed to deliver a variable amount of torque, normally delivered to the rear wheels, and transfers it to the front wheels. Torque is then ramped up to the front wheels until the front propshaft speed sensor matches that of the rear propshaft speed sensor. Torque is then ramped down until torque is completely removed from the front wheels or until rear wheel slip is once again detected. The process would then repeat.

FYI

Walter (Gator)

minikin

Ryan -- I'm with you. My opinion is the new styling pretty much sucks. Multiple themes sorta just stuck together without any integration. I didn't like them when I saw the first pictures, the first couple of trucks I saw looked awful, and the more I see them the worse they look. With the Ave, I didn't like them at first, but the look sort of grew on me; or at least became acceptable. With the new Silverados that ain't gonna happen; Star Trek front end glued on at the a-pillar!!!
-- Don

tjel

I am looking to buy the 2003 GMC 3500 4wd LB DRW with the Duramax Diesel (and Allison transmission), fully loaded. What should I expect to pay over invoice on this truck?

Thanks much for your help and Happy New Year!

chevyjoe1

tjel. you can buy prety much any truck right now at invoice, then take the rebates and dealer cash. it's a great time because dealers are trying to get allocation points for next year.
have a great new year. joe

psg

Monday evening. I ordered it back in November (Z71 and Protek packages). We had a block party party last night (okay progressive dinner, I grilled pork for 14 of my neighbors) so I haven't had much time to mess with my truck. I'm thinking my first mod needs to be the removal of the visor air bag warnings. They look like they should peel right off without any fuss, but I once had a car (540i) that required Goof-off to clean the visor air bag warnings off. Anybody else take the stickers off? Did they come off clean or do you regret messing with them?

BTW, I would have preferred the old styling in dark blue but I'm cool with the new styling in Light Pewter. I didn't much care for the blue (Arrival Blue) that is being offered for 2003.

Happy New Year!
Phil

jaguar0027

Have a safe and Happy New Year!

Ray T - I hear you on the added cost of the 4x4, but I always have gotten it cos you never know when you will need it in that snowy icy weather.

Ryan - Glad to see you like the Silverstars. I was thinking of getting them for my truck, but Ive decided to wait to save up for the HID lights. MUCH BRIGHTER! (But more costly! hehehe)

mandrake14

Hello to one and all.
As a newbe, I’d like to introduce myself. Bought my first pickup in 1985. It was a Chevy
S-10 Sport, V6 w/5 speed stick. Drove it for 13 years and then “retired” it to my buddies
farm with a carb problem. He has since overcome that problem and she is once again
tooling around NJ (150,000 mi and still going strong).
May of 2001 I bought a new Silverado Z71 extended cab short bed 5800 with all the bells
and whistles. Great truck, a few minor problems. Just traded it in for a 2003 GMC Sierra.
Z71 extended cab, short bed, 5800 etc.
This was a decision driven by economics. For the same amount of money per month, I
get a new truck 2 model years younger and 18,000 mile lighter and didn’t have to lay out
a penny from my pocket. She sits in the driveway with just 60 miles on the clock.
One thing I did notice and brought to the dealers attention seems to be a potential
problem with all 2003 GMC’s like mine…the front bumper. With the two cutouts GM
created to increase air flow, they have created a collection point for water. I looked at 7
trucks with the new style bumper and they all have rust building up on the lower inside
lip. Looks like a rust / rot issue in the making. Me, I’m gonna steel wool the rust out, treat
it and then give it a chrome finish coat.
Well, that’s about it for now. Catch ya later.

ricsch

Is the color of the seat savers on your truck the dark gray, and do they match fairly close to the factory interior color? Thanks again!

ryanbab

yea i got the dark grey. I think they called it charchol (cant spell sorry)

They match real good. Ill post some pics in a few

ryanbab

here is a good side shot of the rear seat and front seat with the seat cover.

ryanbab

mine is dark graphite

ryanbab

I checked my invoice for the covers and the color is dark grey

cfranz6

Any one out there that has or will experience radio problems with their 03 Silverado, There is a fix in the works for it. The problem is, your radio and CD player will work but no sound comes out. Don't fret it will come back on, The fix is in the works and it is only on the 2003 models.

ricsch

http://www.gm-trucks.com/NAIAS03_cheyenne.shtml

Came across this at GM-Trucks

chevytexas

I just bought a new 2003 Silverado LS Ext cab and the driver side only has TERRIBLE wind and road noise. You sit on the passenger side and it is as quiet and smooth as can be! But the driver side is significantly louder and bothersome...I have taken it in and they say "cannot duplicate customer concerns" - any ideas? I know some wind noise - but wh yso bad on one side and not the other?

ryanbab

Do you have a bug deflector?

ricsch

I have an '03 ext. cab with more wind/road noise than normal(noticeable at the area where the front door and access door meet). I actually have it at the dealer today for them to look at. I think it may be in the adjustment of the door-possibly the driver's door not latching as secure as it should. I have had 2 other ext. cabs ('00,'01) and those trucks were much quieter than my current one, all have had a hood deflector on so I rule that out. I'll post the outcome-hopefully better, not worse.

bowtieman1

See my response on the meet the owners topic.

Has anyone upgraded their stock speakers in their ext cab's. Did you keep the stock stereo. The front speakers are marginal but the rear speakers are typical GM el-cheapos. I have the stereo that comes with the LT - CD and tape.

ryanbab

I changed mine out this past spring. I went with a set of infinity 4652cfp 4x6's. Cost was like $59. They were a much improvement over the stock speakers. They were garbage. The fronts are decent so i didnt change them. I still have the stock radio/cd also

chevytexas

Thanks for the info...what happened with yours ric? I am bringing mine into the dealer tonight after having finally talked to customer service supervisor and service shop manager...I am glad to hear about your thoughts so I have some "suggestions" to go in there with...

obyone

I had replaced my stock system within two months of buying the truck as I couldnt' stand it. I replaced the headunit with a Kenwood deck, front speakers were MB Quart, rear Infinity Kappa, sub by JL Audio with amps from Alpine and Phoenix Gold.

I recently upgraded once again replacing the MB Quarts with Focals Utopia, upgrading the sub from a W3 to a W7 and both amps with JL Audios...now looking for another head unit. Boy this is getting expensive. Also lined three layers on the floor and two on the doors and walls with dynamat extreme and no I'm not building a competition system since this is still a work truck.

ryanbab

must be nice to have $$$ eh?

chevytexas

Do you have the Bose cd system in your 03?

obyone

Got tired of listening to these kids telling me that Focals own.....so I figured give it a shot plus the bose system in the Denali kinda sucks so figured I can throw some of the components in there.

ricsch

Picked up my truck from the dealer(body shop)and what they had did after an initial test drive to confirm what I had described as the problem is to adjust the driver's rear door, then to adjust the front door, basically to have them latch tighter. On the repair order, it also stated adjusting the weatherstrip for whatever that's worth. In only the 15 miles that I have driven it since, seems to be cured! We'll see as time goes on.

bowtieman1

Obyone & ryanbab Thanks for input

I dont have intention to go as far as Obyone but the 4X6's ryanbab reccomends may be the trick. Question? will any 4X6 fit in the stock mount. Did you install yourself? I know that the door panel should come of easy. Also was this a circuit city or best buy purchase??