duramax
I just recently bought a 2001 GMC 2500HD with the Duramax and Allison combination. After saving up and spending some $ to get what I want, the Duramax started to make metal ticking sounds from the back of the engine at 480 miles. The dealership said that GM is aware of the situation and has no fix at this time for the ticking sound. Now, I know that diesels make all sort of sounds, but when its metal ticking sound and only happens ever other rotation of the crank, this tells me that the problem is in the upper valley. I have called just about everyone I know from he dealership to the GM service center. Basically their advice was to wait until the Engineering boys have a fix. Now that just ain't right when you spend that much $ on a truck and it spends more time at the dealership, where they said they can't do anything about it because GM said that they can not touch any component of the engine. What get me is that everyone I have talked and complain to, from the service writers, shop Forman, dealership owner, dealership technicians and even GM service and area sales reps. and GM 1-800 customer service reps all have acknowledged that this problem is something GM knows about and is trying to fix. The service writer tells me that there are 36 similar complaints in the Houston area. I am so feed up; I am considering filling a deceptive business practice lawsuit and even the lemon law. Anyone else have this problem?
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You have been to the dealership and its documented. If anything happens to the engine past 100K they will have to fix it.
A little early to be jumping on the "lets sue chevy ship" eh?
I am curious as to why everyone in this world is so quick to file lawsuits.
Ok you have a noise in your engine and you want it fixed. understandible. Hows the truck running? Other than a noise is there any other real problems?
Ryan
-Eric
Dave
Myth or not, no problems with mine, almost 7000 flawless miles. Only trips to the dealer have been for oil changes.
Love this truck!
(In 6th gear, from 60 to the 98 mph speed limiter, just pin it, boost comes on immediately, lay waste to most trucks, pulls really hard. Faster than my 5.3L '99 1500 even.)
Only common complaint from Allison 5 spd automatic crowd is tranny too happy to downshift. Owners don't get the bottom end torque sensation engine is capable of.
I think the dmax may actually be capable of the good torque from 500-1200, but the electronic drive-by-wire throttle control is in command, giving you what it thinks you should have. It is impossible to lug the dmax for this reason. If you try, it just smoothly slows down without shudder, until you must downshift to maintain speed. The PSD throttle feels like it's direct acting on the injection pump, without intervention (or interference) from a computer.
-Eric
The payload in back, 2001 KTM 520 EXC will do 100 mph on dirt. Dat's my vice!
Two weeks later, when I drove from Denver to Omaha 550 miles to pick up the KTM dirt bike, I remembered his challenge....didn't stop once. Drove straight from the house to the dealer's door step. Took less than 8 hours, and never broke the speed limit.
I got my low fuel light (last time it happened) with 375 miles on my truck
Dave
While waiting in the barbershop today I picked up that copy and read their raves. Didn't have time to read everything, just the Duramax part. Hope the 2500HD isn't as stiff as the dually without the cement bags. My old back can't take that.
2.)choose a zip code
3.)specify the truck you want
4.)browse local inventory on a dealers lot
5.)choose view/print window sticker
It's on there.
Just like the 18-20 miles per gal vs the 13 I get with my 5.7
As a practical individual I am one who is concerned about the Duramax with aluminum heads, not because I have heard anything about them or their durability, but there hasn't been a lot of miles put on them yet in the real world to see how they will actually stand up. Logic seems to indicate aluminum heads will expand and contract at a different rate when heating and cooling than will the face of a cast iron block (I am assuming the block is cast iron) to which they are mated. The question I have is whether this difference in contaction and expansion rate will cause problems with the head gaskets and loss of compression.
As for the economy of a diesel, which gets higher fuel mileage than gas, you also need to factor in the fact you are, in essence, prepaying for a lot of gas when you pay the extra cost of a diesel engine. I love diesels, my tractors are diesel, but when I consider the cost of replacing a gas engine or a diesel engine if one let's go the gas is much cheaper. I can get all out of a gas engine I can reliably get and replace it for a third of the cost of buying the diesel to begin with. And using the mileage folks with each are getting that I have seen posted just won't pencil out cheaper for my use.
The block is 1 piece, induction hardened. Will never argue your point about diesel vs gas costs. The only real justification, is if you have the load that needs this engine to pull it.
The all new Powerstroke Diesel is going to have aluminum heads also.
Heard that rumor again, DMAX heads are failing at a whopping 30% rate. This one came from a local
Ford dealer. The challenge seems to be locating the rigs with all those head problems. Any DMAX owners experiencing this?
"This one came from a local
Ford dealer."
Please don't misunderstand I am neither trying to prove nor disprove the rumor. Simply, if it is true, where the heck are all those failures. Has anybody actually experienced the problem? Likely not.
That rumor is flying all around and nobody seems to know where it came from. Could it be from the competition? uh-huh.
Still, the PSD is very cool.
As I said, I've heard nothing about any failures of the Dmax, and perhaps should have worded the statement about miles a bit differently. When I said they don't have many miles on them and wondered about durability I was thinking of average drivers and not only miles driven, but years of use, as well. That is one thing that can't be tested on a track over a short period of time. It is interesting the PS is going to aluminum heads. I would have the same reservations about it when they do.
I want something that will last a long time that I can maintain myself. In particular, if I go to a diesel I want to be able to change the fuel filter myself. I had a diesel years ago in a van, for which I bought the shop manuals. We took it on vacation not long after we got it, but before we left I made certain I knew how to change the fuel filter, had the tools along to accomplish that, and took extra filters with us. We went out west, and crossing the Painted Desert the engine just quit running. I had filled up a few miles before, so I got out, changed the fuel filter, it fired up, and ran fine.
My brother-in-law had a powerstroke diesel before he passed away in 1998 and a friend asked him about changing the fuel filter. He took him out to his truck to show it to him so out of curiosity I followed. He popped the hood, opened a cover, and the fuel filter looked like a big screw on type that was turned upside down in it. It looked easier and less messy to change than the old one I had and I believe he said they were self-purging, too.
I also have a friend who has a relatively new Dodge with the Cummins diesel in it and suggested when he bought it he might want to get the shop manuals, learn to change the fuel filter himself, and carry a spare due to my experience. He got his manuals, said it looked like a bear to change, took them to his brother who does all his own maintenance, who, after reading the manual, told him to forget changing it himself and take it to the dealership for that service. I have tried to find a Cummins owner that changes his own that can tell me how difficult it is but have yet to get a response. Is anyone with Cummins experience browsing this site that could answer that question?
And now for the last question. How difficult is the fuel filter to change on the Dmax? I am sure most of them are still under warranty so folks may not be doing their own maintenance on them yet, but in case of an emergency, does anyone have any idea how difficult it would be?
Thanks for the input.
I'm totally unconcerned about durability. Isuzu has built 13 million diesel engines. Check out http://www.thedieselpage.com to find out. Few owners are reporting problems of any kind. Most seemed far more concerned about how to bomb them with propane, chip them, lift them etc. The engine was tested to 600 horsepower by Isuzu without problems.
http://www.pacific-audio.com/duramax-programmer.html
add some HP and torque???
Dmax has enough hp and torque for me without it.
I've heard these things work, but void the warranty. With warranty being 5 yr, 100K miles, don't want to risk that.
It would work better with the Allison automatic. You really can't shift the 6 spd manual fast enough to keep the turbo boost spooled. That much power towing a big trailer up a hill would be nice, but that's also how you break things (including trailers.) In Duramax testing, Isuzu had prototypes running all the way up to 600 hp.
"Hi, Jim.
This is the hard start/no start problem and the latest information about is contained in the post by GreyPower3500 entitled "Anyone else with a no start". If you do a search you'll find several others, including one by me from months ago.
5 service visits, a crinked fuel line replaced, and much frustration later, I still have the problem. I've had my truck towed in twice for this problem, and both times they found nothing. In fact, having the vehicle towed in is quite inconvenient and by the time they get around to testing it, the truck is quite unlikely to exhibit the problem. Instead of having the vehicle towed, I recommend the following (which always works for me):
-- Pop the hood and hit the primer 6 times (without unscrewing the bleeder).
-- Get in and crank a second or two. Then start to give it a bit of gas. It should fire up.
When it is convenient for you, bring the truck in and have them try to fix it. There are people who seem to have been cured of this problem, the service department having replaced various parts. But I have to wonder, since I know that I can go a month or so without a hitch, and then of a sudden, it's back big time.
I have noticed that the problem is worse on hot days. It also has a tendency to surface not the first time you go out to try to start the vehicle when its cold (as they would do when they got to it at a service department) but after it runs a bit and then sits. Also, it doesn't strike often right in a row. I don't think I have ever seen it more than once on the same tank of gas.
Best of luck getting it fixed and I hope you let us know how it turns out.
Dan. "
I hope everything pans out well for this engine and those who have bought it, but I think I'll wait a while yet, continue to drive my old gas guzzler, and see what happens to them in two or three years of service.
I personally think GM's crazy. At that price they'll never sell enough to pay for the motor.
seems like what i see is they cant build enough to fill customer orders
Example: There is more Dodges in my area than Chevy and Ford combined. And the prices are way different too(between Chevy/Ford Vs. Dodge). But from reading other posts, in other areas Ford or Chevy is more prevalent and the prices are far more competitive.
So far very happy with the Duramax and Allison tranny.
Are the dealers working with you that much on price? I would get the 6spd-manual 4x4 x-cab. The ones I saw on the lot with just these options listed $42-43000!
It blew me away! I'm sure they are nice trucks, but holy smokes that is crazy
My 1500 Z71 LISTED at a little over 33K. I paid 27,500 after taxes, bedliner, nerf bars, bug shield it was $29,691
thanks
The aluminum head thing is now a thing of the past. Isusu has the new gasket that made the expansion thing nothing to worry about! The only thing I may be a little skeptical about is how the heads might hold up after chipping it. Yes... the rumors you hear about the heads ARE just rumors! It hurts some guys' machesemo to think that, there may be a truck coming out that MAY outperform theirs. Duramax is the new 'kid on the block' and so far has only had minor problems on the engine. No more than you might see on any other car or truck made in America today. It's an expensive option (around $6,000 more) but, if hauling is what you will be doing, there are other cheaper options like the Super Duty and the Cummins, both great trucks! I just prefer GMC. My own $0.02
I think it all breaks down to personal preference and you can't go wrong with any of the big 3.
"GM could not sell me one and the dealers were not being allowed to order anything but 1/2 tons"
Ryan