Chevrolet Avalanche Problems & Solutions

kbuckley1

Air, heat only comes out of the driver side dash air vent if I turn the fan on all the way. Is this common? I have to take the Ave back to the dealer anyway because the car heater is useless below 78 degrees. Anyone run into the same problems?

sshepherd1

This message is for ssnuffy. Saw your message about the fix concerning the bug deflecter. I also found that they used the adhesive strips to glue the bug deflecter to the under part of the hood. When I brought this to their attention, they said show me the instructions. Would very much appreciate it if you could furnish me the instructions. They also informed me that the deflecter on my alvlanche was the only one they had installed to date. If you still have your copy of the instructions could you please send me a copy at the following address.

Shirley Shepherd
608 Estes Dr
Killeen, Tx 76541

My E-mail address is, sshepherd1@hot.rr.com

Thank You So Very Much
Shirley Shepherd

dssnuffy

Howdy Shirley,

How did the Kileen Kangaroo's do last year in HS football? My senior year roommate at A&M was from Kileen and he said they had a heck of a team. I visited his parents there during spring break one year as well.

I will dig around for those instructions. If I don't have them, a friend of mine may as well. We went through the same dilema together. When we find them, could I fax them to you or the dealer? It would probably be faster and cheaper.

David "Snuffy" Smith '92

PS Whoever received the part (Molded Hood Protector) also received the instructions in the parts bag. The windshield instructions were on page 2.

sshepherd1

Thanks to dssnuffy my avalanche no longer has the flapping noise. The double adhesive strips under the plastic on each side of the windshield solved the problem.

Thanks David

hersch

My Avalanche has a slight whining noise while it is under power at 60 miles per hour, when you let up it quits. Is this normal?
Thanks Ross

brucecr_ms

So the noise is there under power. The moment you let up on the gas (no change of speed), the noise goes away. Right? This narrows it down to the drive train (most likely) or the engine (less likely). Probably not a big deal right now. Since you're still under warrantee, make an appointment and take one of the service reps out for a demo.

Let us know what they find.

Good Luck!

timfarn

with tax. Cladding behind rear wheel with clips included.

invested

I also have the whining noise and it is coming from the rear differential unit,pinion gear. It is not normal to be there but I have been listening to it since day one and it hasn't changed. I am in the auto business and I have seen lots of problems from when people try to get it fixed by replacing the ring gear and pinion gear and technician doesn't have the experience with working on rear ends. so I will leave mine a lone for now unless it gets alot worse.

darkeye

I have had this happen to me only 4 times now over the 8 months since I have had my AV.

I get in my AV and start it up, then I put it in Reverse and press on the gas, it won't move in Reverse. I have to put it back in Park and then Reverse again, then it will move in Reverse.

Has anyone else had this problem?

whitevette01

Not exactly like your condition but on my 00
Silverado have noticed every once in a while
when take off from a stop seems like the
motor rev's than power slowly goes to
transmission. The AV only has a 1000 miles
so nothing has shown up yet.

But the Silverado has made me wonder if it
could be a computer related problem.

outdoorplaces

Are you driving in Auto Trac or 4-Hi? You may be hearing front axle noise. If you're driving on dry or even wet pavement you should use 2-Hi. What you are describing sounds like front axle whine, which engaged on dry pavement at that speed would be quite normal.

ygmn

I have had no problems with mine?

Maybe it is the shifter????

roger62305

Has any other AV owners noticed cold air leaking in around the front door handles and switches. Its only noticeable at sub-freezing temps while your moving . Its not real bad but on a long trip at sub-freezing temps it gets a little uncomfortable.

I purchased my AV Aug. 23rd. It is Pewter with the Z71 package with sun-roof, cloth tan interior, assist steps and con toured splash guards. The splash guards paid for them selves the first week I got them because I ran over some wet road paint and hardly none got on the clading.

I installed a Rortra Obstacle System the first month I got my truck and it works great.

slayer69

I have the same situation, however, I like the cold, so it does not bother me. Many vehicles I've had in the past do the same thing, so I wouldn't worry, just put your heat up. My Av is summit white with Z-71 package, heated leather seats and every other option available.

By the way, what is the Rortra Obstacle System? And where do you get it?

whitevette01

I have noticed the AV exhaust is louder than
the 4.8 in my Silverdo. The systems looks the
same. Doesn't seem like that much difference
in cubic inches for a change. You can barely
hear the 4.8 running.

slayer69

I like the way my Av sounds.

johnnycat8

I got my av in July last year and after reading your post I to am having some of the same problems mine has used 24 qts of oil in 5500 miles the dealer put the new pcv valve and a new style of valve stem seals on. this helped some. I have found out that the pistons on some 5.3 are defective the piston skirts are collapsing, mine has had the slow trans engagement problem too they haven't found out why yet, also mine floods the drivers side floor board with almost 1/2 in of water every time it rains the dealer has re sealed the rear wheel well leak as per gm tsb, put new seals on window and mid gate and as some of you have said also put shims in the seals and it still leaks I think its the front wheel well as the most water is up front but they wont listen to me......as of now gm is going to replace it with another av but this may take up to a month or more and they want me to pay for this...has any one else had this problem? if so how did you take care of it, and what was your outcome? I want it replaced but after not having my av for over 40 days I think they should replace it for free any thoughts on this or am I expecting to much???? thanks john.h.

ygmn

Checl local lemon laws. I beleive there is something about if they cannot fix something after 3-4 times they must replace or something like that.

outdoorplaces

Sorry to hear about all the problems. Sadly the very early production model Av's (May to August) seem to have quite the grocery list or problems. If you bought yours in July I'm willing to bet your's was among those first May builds.

You should be really happy to know that Avalanche's produced after September are practically trouble free. I think you'll be much happier when they deliver the new wheels.

If the General is making you pay for the difference (unless your current Av has 30,000 miles or was wrapped around a phone poll) I would dig into lemon laws. The burning oil and piston issue should be enough for a case (believe it or not in most states water leaks aren't).

A good one to try is take it to a dealership like you're going to trade it in. Let them know all the problems as why and then wait for the estimate. Best case scenario is the competing dealer gives you a trade in value of zero (translation - we won't take the trade). Now your case is all but sealed for lemon law.

Again unless you've got a ton of miles on it or it's dogged out - I wouldn't expect to pay anything from the General. Although being an agreeable guy, I'd probably be willing to eat title and TRANSFER fees on the tags.

galenchantment

Hi, I now have almost 7000 miles on my AV. I have had the tailgate problem of opening up on it's own. This happenned to me twice, once while on the highway at 65 mph. I had a lot of goodies in the back at the time. I thought I ran over something but then I remembered reading about others having a problem with the tailgate. I quickly pulled over at the earliest convenience and, sure enough, the tailgate had come open. I was lucky enough to not lose any of my load. I took it to my dealer the next day and they adjusted the tailgate. It hasn't opened on it's own since but it still does not close properly on the right side. I will be taking it back again for another adjustment. I have had no smoking problems or excessive oil consumption with my AV.
Winter is just about over with and I am glad for that! I can understand why Chevy named this vehicle an "Avalanche" because when it snows, it is very difficult to remove the snow from the vehicle. The wiper arms do not flip out and it is difficult to get snow off the windshield. The back panels are impossible to remove because the ice and snow gets into all the crevices and is impossible to remove. You could use an ice pick and still not be able to get the panels off! The snow tends to pile up against the rear window when driving. All the road slush piles up on the running boards. One snowy day, I had to make a 200 mile trip on the highway. When I got to my destination and went to open my door to get out of the vehicle, there was a huge pile of frozen slush on the running board and the door did not want to open. I had to shove it open to get out of the car! Also, whatever water gets into the bed also freezes up and so, the drainage system does not work. It is frozen under the mat. I'm sure glad I haven't had to haul any loads that would require taking the panels off or breaking down the midgate this winter! This vehicle would be ideal for desert living and I don't recommend it for anyone who lives in a snow-belt region!
Another thing I would like to address is the upholstery. After folding down the back seats, I noticed very deep creases in the upholstery which took a long time to work their way out. I think the upholstery looks cheap, but then, if you wanted a cheap upholstery job done, wouldn't you go to Mexico? Of course, I should have done my research before buying because I wasn't aware that my AV was "Made in Mexico" when I bought it. If I had, I probably would have chosen an American Made- That is, if I could have found one!
Other than this, I will say that the performance and handling of my AV has been outstanding, it is a very comfortable vehicle.

firewa11

Just went tonight and picked up my AV. I've been lurking in the boards for awhile and finally decided the problems most people are having are from previous build dates, and are correctable.

Anyways, I picked up the Z66, Fully loaded. I have to go back tomorrow and finish up paperwork, set up OnStar, etc. I'm already in love and haven't seen any problems, and the ride is excellent.

Anyways, my fiance is short, bless her heart, and I need to install some running boards, aftermarket. I haven't yet crawled under to look, but has anyone installed aftermarket running boards? I assume that the runners attach directly to the frame, and if so, are the holes already pre-drilled? I'd like to install them myself and save a little cash, but do not feel comfortable drilling into my new toy Also, anyone have a good type / brand to recommend? Oh, and I'd like a heavy-duty grille guard as well, and the same questions apply (pre-drilled holes in the frame, etc).

Cheers, and happy AVing!

chazmo3

Had the same problem with slush building up on the running boards.
Alleviated the problem by installing mud flaps made for the Av. (they match the cladding)
Went to gmpartsdirect.com $25.20 a pair + shipping
You can see what the mud flaps look like in the photo gallery section of this site.
Good Luck!!!

camille4

Hi, Has anyone had this occur to them? When driving I have this rattling noise, as if a cable is hitting something. It stops when I stop. Took to dealer and it has gotten worse. They said they oiled a 'd' pivot ring on the back of the brake pedal.

ygmn

No rattle here. sorry.

shanea

Broken parts in the seat area and more broken parts when the dealer attempted to fix. They had to order parts that took several days to arrive. All is well now. Said it took them over a day to figure out how to get the seat unbolted and pulled from the vehicle. They had me in a tiny rental car, their expense, for 2 days. THANKS

naylor99

I had the Westin chrome nerf bars installed. This is a no drill application. You can see pics at;

http://home.mindspring.com/~naylor/index.html

I have not looked into grill guards at all.

--BN

fhannes

To be honest with you, I'm surprised you already have GM talking about a replacement. I got mine the first week of December. Within that week, I identified a leak at the midgate. The seal is still not in. During that time, I also noticed rusty metal shavings on the roof, which came from the luggage rack. They hit it with a clay bar, but it ultimately got re-painted in the channel above the doors. I had to take it back to the dealer after I got broad sided in the rear quarter panel from a guy who ran the red light. Three weeks later, the panel finally came in and got re-painted. Waited even longer for the replacement plastic panels. Forty days later, I finally got it back. After getting my first chance to give it a wash and wax, I noticed even more problems. I have a leak in the front passenger side under the dash. Also, it appears that there was rail dust on the curved areas of the sides that was not cleaned off in a timely fashion. When I got to the top of the roof, the areas around the sunroof were pitted and discolored from the rust as well. I still have an open case with the Chevy hot line, but haven't gotten any resolution as of yet. I have no idea where else to turn. I love this machine. I have a big problem with parts availability(or lack of), as well as paying this much for a new vehicle with sooooo many problems. This normally wouldn't that big of a concern, but it's black and shows every little imperfection. Luckily, The 5.3 is just as strong and durable as the last one I had-knock on wood...

chazmo3

There is a GM bulletin on your problem.
You can read about it on this site warranties & maintenance.
Go to TSB bulletins

ygmn

Sorry to hear about all your problems.

I have had no problems to date. The dealer installed the roof rack which you probably know.

chazmo3

I had the same problem.
Do you have a bug deflector on you Av?
If you do it changes the aerodynamics.
Go to post #147 dssnuffy on this site and follow his instructions.
It worked for me, no more rattlin.
Thanks dssnuffy!

fhannes

Where exactly are the TSB bulletins you're referring to? I looked earlier today & didn't find it.

brucecr_ms

Check out the "Recalls, Technical Service Bulletins, Service Advisories" section on http://www.chevyavalanchefanclub.com/resources/links.html

PS - I've been waiting since mid December for my gasket replacement to come in. At least I don't park the AV outside much.

chazmo3

Go to the site Edmunds new cars
Type in the make, & model
Go to warranities & maintenance
Fill in info about your Av mileage etc...
You will see a scheduled maintenance report
The upper right hand corner you will see recalls

Karen_S

Here is a direct link to Edmunds.com Ownership page, which includes Maintenance Schedules, TSBs, and Manufacturers Recalls.

KarenS
Host
Owners Clubs

johnnycat8

well I am to pick up my replacement av in a week gm said to many try's to fix the oil and water leaks mine was out of service for 55 days and in calif if your out of service for 30 days or in for a repair 4 times its a lemon so after 5 try's to fix the water leaks and 5 try's to get the oil use fixed it has used as of now 24 qts of oil and i only have 5,500 miles had to put up with a lot of phone calls and headaches but i printed out some of the post on this site to show other people are having the same problems took over 3 months but i won.... ps fhannes if you need some info i can get it to you.....every state has a lemon law just tell gm fix it or replace it or you well cal better buisnes bureo and consumer affair board and bureo of auto repair its not easy and you need to follow the rules and give your dealer a chance also talk to your dealers service rep see if they can help thats how i got started good luck

ygmn

Good for you hope the new one is a good one!

kuba98

Green22 - we have now had our Av for about a year and let me just note the things that have happened to us:
1. Had to completely replace the engine just after 300+ miles. The problem was that our engine was burning oil to quickly as well. After a HUGE battle back in forth with the dealership here in town, they replaced our engine on a brand new $38K vehicle and oh made two of our payments. Like Austin Power's said, 'Woopdie doo, what does it all mean'....well it means that our truck has now completely diminished in it's after market value. The serial number on the engine no longer matches the serial number of the truck.
2. Extreme noise coming from the back window. The AV has been into the deal service department three times and they have yet to fix the rattling noise from the back window.
3. We purchased the wind deflector for the front hood and if you encounter speeds over 60mph....it sounds as if you are in a major rain storm.

So how do you love your AV?

sabrezs

sabrezs

I'm having the same rattle problem as camille4. no bug shield. Starts at about 25mph it's a knocking sound like a ratta tat tat almost same sounds as a spedo cable but no cables on this. When driving i will coast the truck in neutral and the sound continues, however if I cut the engine at about 40mph the sound stops. When I come to a stop the sound stops and it will not make the sound by revving the engine in park or neutral at a stop. Have an appointment with the dealer. any similar problems?

kuba98

Well after about 6+ months of the rattling noise it is gone. The dealer actually took a ride in the Av and after a day long of exploring, driving, exploring....you get the picture it is fixed. Also the rattle from the back window...gone. Trust your service department and if you can't go to antother one and ride in the vehicle with the service manager until they too hear the rattle noises. It worked for us.

dssnuffy

Were the rattles due to some of the early Av issues? I am also driving one of the first Avalanches produced. I have followed this board since I bought my Avalanche and see that you have some of the early issues with the truck. I have had two of your three problems and they are fixed on my truck. Luckily, I haven't been plagued with oil consumption, but I do know of many other people with the problem and one other person who also had their engine replaced to fix it.

Noise from the backglass - I noticed that the black plastic around the glass on my truck was actually broken at the arrow lining up the backglass to the midgate. It was an extremely simple repair for the dealer, but I did have to wait about two weeks for him to get a new one. He had others on order for the same repair (last September or October) so I know other early owners had the problem as well. Check yours out and let me know if it is cracked at the arrow or somewhere else. It made a world of difference in the noise level from the stuff I carry in my bed, and I bet given time (and the right rain storm) the broken piece would leak. The new one has never leaked.

Bug deflector noise - Simple solution to that one. Whoever installed your bug guard failed to follow instructions. There are double sided adhesive foam parts from 3M that come with the bug guard. If they aren't visible at the edges of your windshield (between the glass and the piece along the edge) then they weren't installed. That rattle has happened to me and many other folks. I even have a neighbor with a Yukon XL that does it. We will fix it this weekend. I helped a lady out in Kileen TX on this noise (see posts 147, 154, 155, and 156). Because of her, I now have the instructions handy if you need a copy.

Snuffy '92

johnnycat8

well i now have my new replacement only put 600 miles so far drove in a large rain storm and snow storm no leaks so far but the windshield has a wind noise the dealer said it is a small leak but can be fixed this on smokes after a freway drive to so looks like ill be getting the valvestem seals and a restricted pcv valve again you think gm would be able to build a good engin buy now...oh i forgot they are built in mexico silly me... well im not going to give up hope yet a couple of problems but not like the last one i like the 4x4 a lot better as i do get snow well ill keep you all up to date my dealer said allmost all of gm motors are haveing some problems now so lets keep are fingers crossed and a qt of oil on board for now...ps as for water leaks check under the drivers floor board their is a well plug with a cable running through it all av made so far and suburbans too hav a lose fitting plug the dealer just seales this with a rubber or silicone sealer , also the e brake cable on a few has not sealed good too,the front and rear wheel wells on alot is a major leak area too look at, as well as you all know the trim around the rear window broken so check all the way around it good as it can leak the seal on the panel against the rear window, also the bar that separates the rear window and mid gate gm has many bullitens the dealers have but arnot listed as tsb's so call a few dealers around you they all dont know abou the leaks i called 10 dealers in my area and only 5 had had one in and didnt know about all the oil and water problems remember you repairs depend on the information the mecanic has and his ability and persistnce to look listen and repair you truck correctly

suddenss

My 2 day old Avalanche already leaks ....I have water under my back seat. It's coming in on the passenger side at the rear window. Now I know why they were discounting them $7500.00. Well at least it doesn't rain that much here in San Antonio. I hope this is an easy dealer fix.

johnnyho

I have a flapping noise I discovered at low speeds, however speed has nothing to do with it. It comes from a piece of plastic behind the rear wheel in the wheel well (center above axel). It just flaps - not too difficult to fix I would guess, but I haven't done it yet.

beach15

Ever since we picked our Z66 up last Saturday, I've noticed a very slight rattle coming from the back window when goine over bumps. It also makes a similar noise when you close either of the back doors, almost like it's lose or something. When driving, if I applied pressure against it with my hand, the rattle went away, but after taking it out and then putting it back in place a few times, we still have the rattle.

Common problem? What needs to be done?

brucecr_ms

Rattles are fairly common to all new vehicles (not that they should be). It probably just needs to be adjusted. Add it you your list of warranty issues for when you drop the truck off at the dealer. Heck, call ahead and they can probably do it as you wait. In the meantime, be careful about parking in the rain and washing your truck...the glass may leak.

Good Luck!

miiames

Tonight I had a flat tire on my month old Avalanche, after finding the jack, tools and how the spare tire came down, I received a surprise. My truck has 17" Goodyear's w/l tires on it, the spare is a Firestone Wilderness with a totally different tread pattern. Guess GM needed something to do with all of Firestone's tires. A word of warning, read the manual on how the spare comes out, it was an adventure that I would not want to repeat on a busy interstate highway.

slayer69

what can be done to stop the leak at my sunroof, could it just be the dirt around the edge? This would cause the seal not to be tight, so i cleaned it. But is there any other solution or just have gm replace the gasket?

mike4010

Has anyone experienced the bell which goes off when you open the door going off on a fast turning clover leaf?

This isn't a safety measure is it?

Thanks in advance, Mike

brucecr_ms

Are you sure it's all the way closed? In the past, some people didn't hold the button long enough. Make sure the motor noise has stopped, count to three, and then release the button.

Short of that, have the local dealer take a look at it.

Good Luck!