Chevy S10/GMC S15-Sonoma: Problems & Solutions

baker20

I just purchased a 2003 S10 with the ZQ8 sport suspension pkg.(4.3L). I owned a 1993 Sonoma before and it proved to be a great truck. I traded it in on a Camaro (which has and still is a fun and reliable car). I am pretty biased toward Chevrolet, so I really cannot give an objective opinion on your message. However, I also used my GM Card earnings (only $600). You should check to see how much of your earnings are eligible to use on the S10. In my research, I found that there was a limit to how much of your GM Card earnings you are able to use on different GM vehicles.

p100

Yes, there is a definite limit on how much card rebate can be applied to a particular vehicle. However, I have one of the first GM cards (black card) which is for some reason exempt from these rules (I already checked with GM card representative). So I can apply the whole accumulated amount of about $ 3200 towards a single vehicle purchase.

baker20

Wow! That's really good. I have had my GM Card for a little over three years. I was all excited about my little $600 earnings. Have you decided whether or not you will go with the S10? Are you going to give the new Colorado a look. I believe those are due at the dealerships around September.

larryb12

My brother has a 93 S-10 with 4.3L engine & Central Port Injection. It has a rough idle both cold & hot but gets worse when hot. It has 150 K miles. He has changed, plugs, wires ,EGR valve, Oxygen Sensor and has checked fuel pressure, compression, vacumn leaks and has tried adding injector and carbon cleaner with no improvement. He is ready is ready to dump it for a newer s-10 is he can't solve this problem. Any suggestions would be greatly apperciated.

slickracer

The idle problem is caused by a faulty CPI unit. I requires replacement of the entire unit. May be $500- $700 for parts and labor.

ffmcobalt

Has he tried simply checking the timing?

venturagal

Hi, I was wondering if anyone has an idea what this problem might be. I have a 2003 6 cyl 4.2L? auto tran, extended cab Sonoma GMC 2800 miles. When I pull into my driveway (tight right turn) at slow speeds/(kind of rolling in using the brake) it makes a metal groaning noise. I took it to the dealer but he couldn't recreate the noise. A friend of mine "zerked" (greased) the front end, but the noise is still occurring. I was hoping someone might have experienced this problem and found a solution. I posted here because there doesn't seem to be many GMC Sonoma postings compared to S10 Chevrolet postings. Thanks

PAman

You brother's S-10 with 150K is possibly suffering from a dirty injector, clogged fuel filter, tired fuel pump and/or a dirty throttle body. These fixes are easier and much cheaper than a new computer, so I would recommend you try them first. Here goes....

First, if he can't remember when he last changed that fuel filter, do that TODAY. Fuel injected cars need much higher pressures than older engines with carburetors. A clogged filter can really reduce the pressure, and put a lot of extra load on the pump, causing it to wear out.

Next, add a quality concentrated additive to the gas tank. Ignore the hype, cute bottles and megabuck advertising you see on TV or in parts stores. There is an additive called BG 44K that many new car dealerships use on their customer's cars. It is not readily available at places like AutoZone or Pep Boys, but you can get it online. If you can't find it in your area, go to www.cambridgeauto.com or www.bgfindashop.com to order it. Yes, it is expensive (about $20 per bottle) but this is the real deal, not a late night TV miracle-in-a-can snake oil cure. BG 44K cleans the injectors as well as much of the carbon buildup on the back side of the intake valves. You will actually feel a huge improvement in 50-100 miles.

Next, you need to clean that throttle body. Get a can of Berryman's B12 carb and choke cleaner at the parts store. Remove the snorkle and air hose, and with the engine running, spray this stuff all over the inside of the throttle body and plate. Keep the engine running by opening the throttle as you spray it in. Then, with the engine off, open the throttle all the way, and clean both sides of the throttle plate and all around the inside of the throttle body. Let the truck sit about 15-30 minutes, and then restart it and let it run a few minutes. It will be very hard to start at first because you have just dumped a ton of this stuff in the engine, but it does work.

If he is still not happy with the performance, have the fuel pump pressure checked. I'm not sure what the idle pressure should be on that engine, but I would guess it should be in the range of 35PSI at idle. Also, make sure it keeps pressure once the engine is turned off. If the pressure is low, he may need a new pump. If the pressure drops immediately after you shut the engine off, the fuel pressure regulator is likely bad.

Another suggestion is to use a good engine flush at the next oil change after you do all of these things. There is probably a lot of unburned gas getting dumped in the crankcase, diluting the oil and adding a lot of sludge. When he changes the oil, add a can of Restore to the oil. It's great for high mileage engines.

Good luck!

Joe

carpeni

I have a 1998 S-10 with the 2.2 4cyl, and 46000 miles. Every once and a while when I am driving I will go to accelerate and the motor bogs down, it usually recovers in a few seconds. It happens when its cold, hot, anytime you name it. I can be cruising at 70mph and it will do it. Any suggestions.

jauto98

You may want to see your dealership. I had some problems with my wipers on my 97 sonoma. Sometimes they work, the intermittent feature doesn't work (Intervals weren't consistent), or they just don't work period. I recently got a recall notice to replace the wiper controller board, not the motor. Wipers work now. Don't know how long the board will last though.

joe3891

How to repair GM intermittent wipers,before starting pull the wiper fuse or disconnect the battery.Disconnect the electrical plug from the motor,remove the screws holding module to the motor assembly.Remove the module from the motor assy,you may have to pry it loose with a flat blade screwdriver where it plugs into the motor.Now where the plug attaches to the circuit board there are 5 soldered pins,if you look with a magnifying glass you will see the cracked solder,I resolder all five pins.Use a large enough solder gun to get a good melt,I also add some fresh solder with some electrical flux.Reverse assy.

mike3720

I have a 2002 ZR2 4x4 with a 4.3 motor. The fan clutch is making a lot of noise when the motor is hot, it sounds like a jet engine taking off. The dealer says this is NORMAL! Is anyone else having the same problem? Anyone have any ideas?
Mike

joe3891

i have a 99 2.2 and it rarely comes on and it does roar.Is it hot where you are,it dosen't get too hot in Maine.

mike3720

I live in Alabama and it gets hot and humid. I think it's too much noise, it sounds like the RPMs are going wild. But the dealer says it's normal, i'm hoping someone else is having the same problem.

leadfoot4

I have a 1997 S-10 4x4. I realize that some of the lower area of the truck are going to get "sandblasted" by road debris. It doesn't make me happy, but I know that it will eventually happen.

What concerns me, however, is that I'm seeing paint just flaking off in obscure area that don't see direct contact with debris. Like the lower edge of the tailgate, the front side of the box, betwen the cab and box.

Anyone else seeing this on their trucks?

jauto98

Ive got a 1997 GMC Sonoma, don't have a problem with my paint except the some rock chips and door dings from other people.

mike3720

I bought mud guards from Husky, they look good. I was having problems with road debris and road tar on the lower area of my truck. But this took care of the problem.

leadfoot4

...I put those on all four fenders when the truck was new. I can only imagine how bad the truck would have been without them!

waiting2trade

I owned a 98 s-10 2.2 liter 5 speed, rear seal was leaking at 7,000 miles. I had it fixed at dealership no more problems. Then they had a recall on my plug wires, truck ran like it had bad gas in it. fixed it with no problems. I was towing a lawn equipment trailer with it so i figured it was under to much stress, so i traded up to a 2001 4.3 liter extended cab, no problems till 40,000 miles when rear end on it started whining. Took it to dealer, they said rear end was bad and would fix it under good faith. A week later driving interstate rear end sounded like it was going to fly apart. Out of oil in rear end again, so i took it back and left it for a week. They put a new hub on rear end plus changed out all of the drive shafts, now it has a vibration in it. They say that it's because i lowered the truck two inches, and that there is nothing else they can do with it. So now i have it at another rear end specialist to see if i can it fixed for real this time, AS SOON AS IT IS FIXED I AM TRADING IT IN FOR A TOYOTA AND AM NEVER OWNING ANOTHER CHEVROLET. I BABY MY TRUCK I DONT HOT DOG OR SPIN THE TIRES, SO I DONT UNDERSTAND WHY THIS HAS HAPPENED TO MY TRUCK TWICE. DOES CHEVROLET HAVE PROBLEMS WITH THEIR REAR ENDS? ANYONE ELSE WITH SAME PROBLEMS?

dustyk

Back in '93 when I bought my Nissan Sentra, I was at the dealership (GMC-Nissan-Pontiac) and saw six of the eight lifts being occupied by either S-10 pickups of Blazers. There were approximately 20 new complete rear axle assemblies stacked on the service department floor.

I asked the service manager what that was all about and he said that the S-10 series suffered from "a lot" of rear differential failures.

Now, I have known people with better than 100,000 miles on their S-10 series trucks that have never had a problem. My son, who was the unfortunate owner of two S-10 PUs, never had a problem with the rear differential, either. Plenty of other problems, but not that.

I have known two individuals that have had a S-10 rear differential pop. I don't remember the miles on them since this was a while ago, but both were out of warranty.

I think you will find that rear axle failures are more than likely the result of incorrect machining or assembly from day-one that will affect a certain percentage of units manufacturered. Ford, Dodge, and Toyota have had problems in this area, too. In fact, Dodge use to buy rear axle assemblies from GM for the full size RAM (American Axle) some years ago and they had about a 4-6% failure rate, which is just about the same for GM full-size trucks.

Toyota Tundras are not exempt, I might add. About four months ago I saw one changed out at my Toyota dealership.

Regards,
Dusty

aphoxi1

I think my fuel pump has gone bad...i've been hearing that this isn't too uncommon with this truck. Is what i'm hearing true?

cage47

In responce to the wiper motor fix that was posted here recently, Wanted to add that this does work. I have an S10 Blazer that had that problem. Did just as the person described. But one thing to add. You will also want to look down the side to find a burned out circuit. I had it and used a stripped piece of telephone cord to fix the circuit. But since then I've had no wiper problems. Took all of 5 minutes to do.

jauto98

cage47, don't know if you know that GM recalled the wiper motors, supposedly replacing the circuit board. I have a 97 Sonoma and got the dealer to replace the board for no charge. So far, no problems yet.

cage47

But it only includes models up to the 1997 year. I have a 1998. No luck. Why sweat it when the fix is so easy? What I'd like to see is the ball joints recalled to be replaced with grease fitting units. Or the Oil coolant lines.

corvette

The service schedule on the S10/Sonoma shows that front wheel bearings should be repacked every 30,000 miles. Is this for both 2wd and 4wd, and does anyone actually do this?

joe3891

>>The service schedule on the S10/Sonoma shows that front wheel bearings should be repacked every 30,000 miles. Is this for both 2wd and 4wd, and does anyone actually do this?<<
Repacking front wheel bearings on 2wd is required every 30K, i did mine last year.Not sure on 4wd they may be sealed.

leadfoot4

...You are correct. The front wheel bearings on a 4WD are sealed units.

805engineer

Mike3720:

What date was your 2002 built? Check the door jamb for the month and year. Does the noise occur only on startup and then go away or all the time in traffic? Finally how hot is it when this occurs?

wolfeman

2002. 35K. 4.3L. Have had little problems so far. One day I ran 4wd a little, put in back in 2wd, then it was whinning constantly. 4wd sounds and feels great. 2wd steers tighter, although 4wd has disengaged.

Engine and tranny are running loud. It almost stalled at a light the other day. I'm clueless.

Any thoughts??

mike3720

My truck has a date of 11-01...Summer time driving is the worst. The clutch is on and off in summer traffic, mostly on. It also happens during start-up most of the time, but goes away quickly. I've talked to other people who own the same model truck and they're not having this trouble. The shop manager says the fan clutch is doing what it is suppose to do and that the same noise on the Trailblazer is worst than my truck. If i had heard this noise during my test drive, i would be driving a Toyota right now.

rgolde

My 2001 S10 , just out of warranty by the way, is making a serious growling noise that I can feel on the floor boards. It goes away when I turn the wheel slightly to the right. It does it when the truck is rolling in neutral or in drive, it's most pronounced around 30 mph. I dread taking it to the dealer for a major repair after 37k miles.
I checked the fluids in the transfer case and rear axle, which is a locking differential, and they are fine. Anybody have any ideas what this could be?

wolfeman

I am having similar problems with my 2002 S-10.

Please let me know if you hear anything....

Thanks!!!

leadfoot4

...With my 1997 S-10 4x4. Until now, that is. The truck is primarily a winter vehicle for me, and gets driven maybe once a week during the summer. It recently had gotten hard to start.

I posted all of the gory details under the "Hard Starting Chevy S-10" thread in the Maintenance and Repair discussion topic. Bottom line is that the fuel pump had to be replaced after only 40,000 miles. Cost of pump...$544, labor to diagnose problem and replace pump...$345. Total including tax and a couple of nuts, bolts and gaskets...$975.

Four months ago, I had to replace the front wheel speed sensors, to fix an ABS problem. $130 for parts, and 3 hours of my time to do the job. $1100 in the last 6 months. This truck is killing me!

kcir1

I purchased a '92 S10 Blazer (174000 mi)about 6 weeks ago. Within a week brakes (master cylinder) went bad. Had for another week service engine light on/off random times. Brake problem again. GMC repair shop found air in lines and crack wire grounding out caused engine service light. Back in shop engine light on constantly keeps stalling out unless gas pedal is keep slightly depressed. GMC shop said emc was bad they could get no codes from it. Had them replace it and they cleared all the codes they said. Got it back today, seems like it is running okay today. Service writer said vehicle has been well maintained but due to mileage he would get rid of it. I like the Blazer but am I looking at continuous repairs. Any opinions, I cannot afford new car/truck payments. Thanks

leadfoot4

...Not to sound sarcastic, but ask yourself this question: What can I least afford, another vehicle or being "nickel and dimed" to death by a questionable truck.

IMHO, you run the risk of spending a lot more than you can afford by trying to keep a high mileage vehicle running. I'd try to sell it, and find something a little better.

kcir1

Thanks for your opinion. I think that is what I'm going to do, start looking around. I really like this Blazer but I guess it is like playing Russian roulette - how much will the next repair cost. I know buying another used vehicle won't be guaranteed problem free but maybe with less mileage it will tip the odds a little more in my favor, hopefully. Thanks again for your input.

leadfoot4

Good luck with your search. Just to give you an idea of what I'm talking about, here's what has been done to my '97 S-10 since it was new: Replaced crankshaft position sensor (2nd day I had it), replaced poorly made OE driveshaft (vibration problem), replaced noisy belt tensioner, replaced faulty solenoid that allows shifter to release from "park" position, replaced worn OE idler arm ($50, plus $45 for re-alignment), replaced front wheel speed sensors @$130 for parts, my labor (ABS problem), replaced dead fuel pump @$975.

All of this has been done to a 41,000 mile truck! I can only imagine what it would take to keep this running for another 100,000 miles!! I included the cost of the last three repairs, as the vehicle is now out of warranty, and it's out of my pocket from now on.

d3d477

is any one having problems with their 2002 s-10 extended cab the noise is like a big rigs j-brake when you let off the gas while down shifting or a rattling noise when it is not in gear with the clutch out please let me know important dealer won't fix it says it normal noise

d3d477

if anyone owning a 2002 s-10 standard tranny that is making a noise like a big rig j-brake when letting of the gas and down shifting or a rattling noise when it is not in gear and the clutch is out e-mail me deborbro7@aol.com

rearaxlemad1

I bought a 2002 S10 CrewCab,in August 2003, returned to the dealership (under warranty) due to a whining noise and a leak that was visible under the truck. The dealership replaced the pinion seal and refilled the fluids. They also asked if I had driven through water which, I had not. Today, 12/2/2003, my truck is back at the dealership and, the warranty adjuster will not cover the repair to the rear axle due to water. The dealership will not take responsibility either. When asked if they told the warranty adjuster about the water in August, they responded: Why Would We! Anyone else having this problem? As an update - the dealership took a 2nd look at our truck today and now claims that water may be dripping out of the truck bed into the "rear vent tube". Now the adjusters are coming back out to see the position of the vent tube. Anyone having this problem?

whistle

I have a '97 S-10 Ext cab Z R-2. The truck makes loud "popping" noises randomly when starting, stopping, and especially when turning on a slope. It sounds like it could be a joint problem. Has anyone experienced this and what is the probable cause/solution? All fittings are greased regularly. Also the airbag indicator light is on. A dealer said the derm control module needs replacement at approx. $500. Any comments would be appreciated.

crzracer

have a 2003 s10 extreme with the 6-disc indash cd changer. Does anybody know if it has RCA pre outs on the back of it for expansion?

joemilan

My 97 S10 has a gas gauge problem. It will go to full when the tank is filled, but never drops below 3/4 tank. Is this a sender problem in the fuel tank or what?

joe3891

put a scanner on it and if that also reads 3/4 i would say tank sender unit.

tommc

Big problem in this year. GM has a sender unit retrofit for this so you don't have to buy the entire pump assy. Might look at www.rockauto.com for a unit and save a few dollars. About one hundred dollars at dealer for the sender.

joemilan

I am guessing this is the PT1604 Fuel Tank Pressure Sensor. Is this the right part? And what all is invloved in changing this??

Thanks

0patience

If you have a limited slip differential, it is NOT water. It is the additive for the limited slip that turns the oil a milky color. This is common and not a problem.
If it is not a limited slip differential, then it is possible it is water.

rgolde

My front end noise turned out to be a driver side front wheel bearing, gone at 37k and never abused or plowed with the "truck". The new F150 is looking pretty goood right about now.

dtadlock

I bought a new 2WD 2000 S-10 LS with the 4.3L V6, automatic, and limited slip differential. I figured the limited slip diff would prevent excessive wheel spin on sand, snow, etc. Wrong! The truck is too light in the rear for the OEM Uniroyal Tiger Paws to get enough traction on wet pavement. After three years of snowy winters and above average rainfall this year, I decided I needed safer tires. I compared various tires on TireRack and decided to buy the Yokohama Geolander H/T Y816 tires. What a difference! No (or very little) wheel spin on wet pavement, no more "fish-tailing" from coming off-throttle on reverse-camber downhill curves, and much quieter operation on the road. They cost $263 including shipping to a local Mr. Tire. The Mr. Tire dealer installed them for $68. Not a cheap investment but one less safety issue to think about.
Now, I have a question for all you other good folks. My S-10 developed a strong vibration between 55 - 70 mph. The problem began prior to the new tires being installed and persists with the new tires so I can eliminate the tires as a potential factor. I checked the wheel bearings and determined that they are fine and the Chevy service department has verified that fact. There is no vibration in the steering such as you'd expect from a front alignment problem. I am the sole driver so I know the wheels and chassis haven't been abused. Could it be a rear wheel alignment problem? I'm at a loss; please help. Thanks in advance.

dustyk

My son owned two S10s and this problem occured on both. Two common suspects are driveshaft U-joints and throwing the weight off of the driveshaft.

Despite the fact that your truck hasn't been abused, you might want to check for a bent rim anyway.

On older Chevies, sometimes a broken motor mount would show up as a speed specific vibration.

Dusty