GMC Sierra: Problems & Solutions

shiftless

You do not need a pin to lock the steering shaft! Turn the steering wheel until you see the 15mm nut on the top of the upper intermediate steering shaft facing down (for direct access with a socket wrench). Take the ignition key out & rotate the steering wheel to a lock position. This obviously will lock the steering wheel but as you disassemble the joints with the torsional stress you will want to rotate the wheel slightly to release the bind. After you remove both joint locking screws,disassemble the lower joint first than the top joint & pull the assembly out toward the steering wheel. If you want to extend the time between lubricant cycles, use a slightly thicker grease than provided in the kit.

noobie1

SUCCESS! Thanks for taking an interest. (Actually my steering wheel doesn't lock, but I was able to keep it stationary.)
What'd we do before the internet?

-David

gator36

Here is the link.
You will need to look under the 20 inch wheel and tire section. It talks about reprogramming for the wheels.

http://service.gm.com/gmtechlink/images/issues/jan04/TLJan04e.htm- l#story6

Gator

mjoyner

My 98 Z71 starting leaking around 90k miles. I got the 5.7L in mine. It was leaking around the back at the corner of the intake and head. If you replace them be sure to put some good sealant on the gaskets, heads and front and back of the block. Had to take mine down twice so a word to the wise.

neecer

Is anyone else out there having problems with the turning signals on their 2004 GMC Sierras?!?! When I put on my Left turn signal, both Left and Right signal comes on. Am I alone in this?!?!

noobie1

Thanks.

Kirstie_H

A newspaper reporter aims to interview people who are dealing with vehicle recalls, especially of GM products, such as the recent problems with the back gate on the pickups. Please send your daytime contact info to farataye@yahoo.com or jfallon@edmunds.com by Wednesday, April 7, 2004. Thanks, Jeannine Fallon PR Director Edmunds.com

djs

Was wondering if any others are experiencing any problems with their 2004 GMC Sierra pu's. I have a 1500 extended cab Z71 that has had an intermittent vibration since day one. I have had it to the dealer 5 times with no success. I have also had other problems like rough idle, the driver's side extended cab window clip came off the glass and had to be replaced and the driver's seat has a bad spring that creaks and squeaks. Would appreciate any info, especially on the vibration.

Thanks,
DJ

no1renonevada

I just bought a 2004 GMC Sierra SLE Ext Cab and I noticed right off the bat that there is a vibration in the 40-55 mph range. It results from the cheap General 255/70-16 tires on my wheels. I am going to go through the expense of replacing them with Michelins immediately. I know that I should not have to replace new tires, but I refuse to use these sub-standard rubbers.

As far as the other problems that DJ listed, I haven't had the truck long enough (three days) to experience any of those symptoms. But if any crop up, I'll inform y'all here first.

obyone

Dealer replaced my Generals with Michelins for my Silverado. Gave me credit for the Generals and charged me wholesale on the Michelins plus picked up the tab for balancing and mounting.

Interesting thing, my GMC dealer did the same for my Denali replacing the Firestone Firehawks with Michelins and me paying the difference.

no1renonevada

Thanks for the heads up on contacting the dealer to trade out the Generals with Michelins. I'll let him know how dissatisfied I am with the tires and insist that we change them out w/Michelins.

As far as the truck goes, love it! Everything I wanted...and more. Loaded with everything except leather. Glad it came with 3.42 ratio rearend to go with the 5.3 and LSD. Hopefully, my gas mileage will be decent if I keep my foot out the pedal.

Thanks again, obyone.

gmcbob

I have a 4.8L 2004 Sierra Z71 4x4 w/around 13k on it.
I love this truck, however when accelerating from about 5 mph I sometimes get a clunking noise from the rear end. I had this same noise periodically on my other 2001 Sierra 2WD, but it wasn't until it had more miles on it. I'm wondering if anyone out there has had this problem? Also, has anyone had any warranty work done for this?

Bob, Durango, Co.

strmgryovrpwtr

Anyone have TSB 03-03-08-002 available to post? I have a 2000 Sierra and there's an annoying creaking noise coming from the left front. Dealer tech diagnosed today as "glazed rotor" which is a load of you know what. Had my girlfriend hold on the brake while I stepped on the recovery hook, and guess what, still creaks. Could also be 99-03-08-002A I guess. Makes more sense with the 99 code, but I've seen it posted already. Still wonder what 03-03-08-002 has to say...

txyank1

Does it have the locking rear end? I get all kinds of clunking from mine. Hate it. Does it even when I see no reason it should be "locking". Happens a lot right now.....9 days in a row of RAIN!

gmcbob

I actually think it does have the locking rear diff. I'm positive that it happens almost all of the time (even when shifting into 2nd sometimes). I'm out of town right now, but when I get back to Durango, I'm going to take it in to the local GMC dealer and insist they ride along with me to hear it for themselves. Are you going to take yours in???

txyank1

As much as I dislike the clunking I'm pretty much convinced most of it's normal. I did mention it to them, and the way it clunks upon acceleration while turning a corner, "normal", or "can't duplicate" are the usual responses. I don't really know if this one is rear end, transmission, or universal joint. Guess it doesn't matter, "it's normal". Tell you what I am going to call them about though...I just got it back from having the intermediate steering shaft replaced, and they "resecured" the crossmember. (already had the repair done to it) Now the front end feels like I've got 80lbs of air in the front tires. Hit a slight bump and it rattles the windows. Wasn't like that before!

bootsy

Has anyone heard of or experienced a Manual seat lumbar control breakage? Yes, I'm at 81,500K and I use this control (on side of seat hand wheel with notches for ease of use) to support myself on the wonderful roadways here in Los Angeles. Though one day I spinned it for support and it gave way as if the threads were stripped. Any others out there? Thanks

gmcbob

Whoa, that would suck.
Unfortunately, I've been so busy that its hard for me to find the time to take mine in. Now I'm hearing a ticking sound (sounds like a bad lifter) at idle. My old one did it and they told me it was normal. I figured GM would have fixed the infamous tapping noise at idle problem by now, but apparently not.

txyank1

about all this, how few of these ongoing problems have been fixed in this, the 6th year of production!

gmcbob

Out of curiosity, I decided to test drive a new Nissan Titan 4x4 yesterday. I was honestly pretty impressed (although the seats in my Sierra are WAY more comfy). I'm wondering if the new full size GM trucks are going to be as well thought out and as rich on horsepower and torque? GM has to put the same kind of effort it's been putting into revitalizing it's Caddy line-up as it will into the next generation of Sierras and Silverados. The new trucks better have engines that don't tick, and drivelines that don't clunk. A reworked version of the new 5-speed automatics that are in the new Caddies should also be part of the new full size trucks. I put tons of miles on my trucks, and I think next time if they don't straighten up a little bit, I may have to jump over to Nissan or perhaps Ford.
Any thoughts?

txyank1

I agree. As impressive as these engines are as far as power/economy they're going to slip behind in power if they don't move. Ford is working on more powerful engines and Dodge is already working on a bigger, more powerful Hemi. And as I said above, the problems they have should NOT go on for so long before getting corrected. If it wasn't for the BIG rebate in '03 making the Avalanche cheaper, I might be driving a Dodge Hemi! That is unless I drove an Av first....then no way. If GM only had a pickup that rode like an Avalanche.

gmcbob

I see quite a few Avalanches up here in Durango. They seem like a pretty nice truck. Do they ride that much differently than a normal GM full size truck?

txyank1

soooo much better. Same chassis, same nice ride as Suburban. And because the wheelbase is over a foot shorter than the X-Cab and the new Crew Cab, it is also more maneuverable.

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gmcbob

I like that new Chevy Equinox. If it's the same size as a 4Runner, then $25k for an AWD is not a bad deal at all. (AWD is important up here in the mountains).

You know, the Avalanche is not a bad vehicle, but there was something kind of "overkill" about it. I'm not sure how to explain.

The more I think about my GMC, the more I wish I would have just got the 5.3 L V8 - that 4.8L I have sometimes bogs out a little on steep grades.

iceman84

The ABS light started coming on a few months after I installed an Escalade gauge cluster. If I remove them and re-install my original gauge cluster, the ABS light doesn't come on. Anyone had this experience?

obyone

Escalade cluster should be plug and play with the trans temp gauge as a bonus. Haven't heard of the ABS light being a problem. What year is the truck?

iceman84

Sorry. It is a 2000 GMC Sierra 1500.

obyone

new body style Silverados and Sierras where the airbag light would stay on after the swap. What I'd recommend doing is disconnecting the battery for 20 minutes or so, remove the cluster and replug the connector in making sure you got a good connection. If that doesn't solve the problem I'd have the abs checked.

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vandyu

I've been watching my Sierra SLT front bumper grow a small mound of rust inside the front cutouts on either side of the license plate holder. There is a flat surface inside the cutouts and water stands in there. So, went to my dealer today and he did a search. Sure enough. There is a service bulletin out on it. He said a new bumper would do the same thing, so I'm going to let him pull the bumper as the service notice instructed and clean it off, treat it, prime it, and finish it. My experience with rust tells me this may not be a final solution. But, a new bumper is likely to do like he said--rust from poor design and poor finish. As long as I'm griping, I can't believe how soft the windshields are. I don't drive on gravel roads, just interstates and blacktop streets. Everything that hits chips it. I've had two repairs done so far. Since I've had the truck, 9 months, this doesn't bode well for the future. My '78 Chevy had 321,000 miles and six chips in the original windshield when I traded it in. Any thoughts on quality of the GMCs? I still like they way they drive better than Fords, but I'm wondering if the overall quality is keeping up with Toyota, Ford, and Nissan. Dodge is a whole 'nother critter.

yellowdog27

I just purchased a new 2004 Sierra Crew cab a month ago and have started to have problems with the transmission that I never experienced with my 2002.
On a steep hill, at around 42 mph, the truck seems to lose power, and can only be speed back up by going into passing gear. If you don’t push it into the passing gear, it goes into what feels like a dead spot in the transmission and will continue to lose power. I also have noticed that when I am pulling my small (17ft. aluminum) boat it feels like I am dragging instead of pulling the boat . Transmission is constantly shifting gears all the time while towing . I know that there is a tow/haul switch on the truck, but it is something that I never had to use on my similar 2002 GMC truck pulling the same boat.

Also ......

I am getting a vibrating/rattling, noise while I'm driving at around 40 mph. This does not happen all the time but the worst case was after driving for 1 hour of highway driving (65 mph) when I got to the exit it made this noise for about 1 minute on the long exit ramp as my acceleration decreased.

If anyone has any suggestions or advice, I would sure appreciate it.

noobie1

You really don't provide enough info to go on. You say ,"similar...truck" on the trans problem; Same engine size? It sounds like you lost cu.in.'s in the trade. And it's hard to know what you mean by dead spot. Do you mean it won't downshift? I'd suggest a trip to the dealership, but if the problem is too difficult for them you're likely to get a, "Could not duplicate customer's complaint". On the other hand, you could find a service dept. that knows what they're doing and solve the problem with a simple re-program. I once complained about an Allison problem and that seemed like the routine response.
The rattle could be anything. Does the vibration feel like it's coming from the drivetrain? Or steering? A badly out of balance tire could cause something on the truck to rattle. Start with the easy stuff first; Spare tire? I've had mine rattle occasionally. Have someone else drive while you move your ears around to fix the location. Put your head out the window. Crawl under the truck and look around. Rattles can be deep mysteries; Sometimes they're the simplest things.

-David

yellowdog27

David
Sorry about the lack of information, and thanks for your reply. Yes, same engine (5.3), same model Sierra 1500, only difference is that I went from a extended cab to a crew. It certainly feels as if I lost cu in on this truck but I didn't. I just came back from fishing, (pulling my small boat) and on the highway I needed to keep it in third gear just to keep the speed at 65.

By the "dead spot" I mean that it will not downshift on it's own without me forcing in the passing gear.
I believe that the rattle/vibration is coming from the drivetrain, it only happens when my speed gets to about 42 mph and I lightly accelerate.
The truck goes back to the dealer in the morning but as much as I like the deals that I have made there in the sales room over the years, I have very little faith in the service department and certainly expect their routine Could not duplicate response.
Thanks again for your response,
               Brad

obyone

Sounds like the engine is "lugging" in OD. I would be surprised if this was still a problem on a "04 model. The torque converter is locking the trans in OD at 42 mph thus causing your "lugging" effect. The dealer may be able to help with reprogramming the control module for the trans. Another solution would be to drive in "3" until reaching a higher mph where the truck wouldn't be lugging. If you're towing leaving the tow/haul mode on would keep you in the lower gears a little longer thus eliminating the lugging effect as well.

This is well known "problem" as it's designed to give you a little better mpg.

jgmilberg

In my past experience it's the brand of windshield that is used that determines it's "toughness" when it comes to chips. I have found that LOF is the best for chip resistance, PPG & Pilkington is mid grade and Guardian is the worst. The brand of windshield is on the lower passenger corner of the glass. The glass shops fight you when you request LOF for some reason saying it is made by Ford and it's not OEM. My 2001 GMC Yukon XL came from the factory with LOF windshield, so it kinda kills that idea. Also look at the door/side windows my bet is that they are made by LOF. You can request a brand when you have a windshield, and check it before they install it to make sure that it is what you asked for. Another thing to look at when having a windshield replaced/repaired is the shop itself, not all shops are NGA certified. Here is the link to the NGA site you can look up a member in your area.

http://www.glass.org/members/find_mem.htm

Did they re-chrome your existing bumper or just buff off the rust and clear coat it? Did you happen to look at the back side of the bumper? My wife's truck doesn't have any rust on the chrome part but is really rusty on the back side. I was thinking about having it blasted and clear coated to keep it from rusting out from the inside. I didn't even think about it until I changed the lower facia and found all the rust on the unseen portion. The dealer said it was not something covered under the warranty because you don't see it, and not to worry about rust through. Yeah right!!

rayt2

I've found when towing it's best to leave it in 3rd gear tow/haul mode to stop up/down erratic shifting when towing. I am towing a 6000 # trailer though not a 17' boat. Obyone's & Noobie's suggestion for a reprogram of trans. computer is also something to have done, I had a reprogram twice under warranty for shift issues. There is probably a TSB issued anyway, but ya gotta word your complaint right or they won't tell ya. The vibration sounds like a holdover issue since the redesign of truck back in 99, some things GM just can't get right.

Ray T.

yellowdog27

Thanks to those who replied to my questions. Got the truck back from the dealer yesterday and much to my surprise, they actually took a great deal of effort in trying to address my problems.
The problem that I was having with towing. they think was from a defective electronic clutch fan. I took my boat for a test tow after getting it back and it seems to be ok.
Vibration problem they thought was linked to a TSB that GM put out on 8-26 on vibration coming from the exhaust. They placed 4 bushings under the exhaust per GM instructions. While this might fix some costumer complaints it hasn't changed my problem. Still getting vibration/rattle noise at 42 mph when lightly accelerating.
Heading out on vacation in the morning for two weeks so I am keeping my fingers crossed that the towing problem is fixed. I will need to return the truck to the dealer when I return for the vibration.
This is my 5th full size GMC and I am a bit concerned about the quality of this $38,000 vehicle. 3 trips back to the dealer in the first 2,000 miles is a bit inconvenient!
                   Brad

mccotton

I had the same problem with my new Sierra Crew Cab 4wd. I was very disappointed thinking that nothing was really wrong and that was just the way the truck was built. However, I took it in for my 2nd oil change and complained about the same type problems you've experienced. My transmission would whine really loud, especially after idling for extending periods. It would literally drown out the sounds of the muffler and engine. The power loss was huge as well and it would become so frustrating that I would pucnh the pedal all the way down just to get some get up and go.

The transmission specialist said there was nothing wrong with my transmission. However, he did perform some ATC software updates. Now, it's like driving a completely different truck. It now performs like I expected this engine to perform. 90% of the whining is gone now after long idles and hot weather. I would say it solved 95% of my complaint. Next oil change, I'm going to talk with him again to see if I can get that last 5% resolved, possibly with some more fine tuning.

I agree....lots to pay for a trcuk that is not performing optimally. However, once you get it fixed, it'll be like the new truck you expected.

yellowdog27

Thanks for the information, because the truck is still not performing the way it should. Towing my boat all the way from PA. to Maine for vacation the past two weeks, I had to anticipate every little incline in the road so that I could build up speed. Most the time (as you said) I just ended up punching the gas pedal to keep up with the traffic.
I will strongly suggest to the dealer when it goes back in the morning to look into the ATC updates and hopefully I will get the same results that you did.

pacman

Same truck. Steering sector too tight, needs to be adjusted.

pojgmcscott

Has anyone had their anti-locks activate (pulsating) under normal braking conditions? Just recently started and only happens when the truck is just shy of a complete stop,every time. Already had the ABS CONTROL MODULE replaced less than a year ago. No ABS/BRAKE light on.
Necessary to pump the brake to de-activate. 49k miles.

Scott

shiftless

Scott: Your problem is probably dirty ABS sensors on your front wheels. Either rust or other contamination on the pick-ups will cause your problem.

Ed

henne

I have a 04 2500hd,6.0, auto. When I start it cold in the morn it makes a whine noise for about 2 or so seconds. You know the noise you hear when you blow into a bottle at an angle, thats what it sounds like. Any Ideas?

Thanks.

Robert

serra04

I have a 2004 Sierra Ext. Cab X4, 5300, AT.

The problem is when traveling at Interstate speeds 65 to 70 MPH in gusty wind conditions I can hear what sounds like the sheet metal in my roof popping & buckling. The noise is very noticeable when attempting to overtake OTR truck when you are just beginning to come alongside them and you feel the buffeting from the airflow. I need help, the dealer thinks I'm crazy on this... when he drives it he says its fine and did'nt hear a thing. The problem is that has to be a little windy on the road and it will do it intermittently as wind conditions increase.

Has anyone else had a similar occurance like this?

ryanbab

Do you have a bug deflector? It could be the black rubber moulding that goes around the windshield. Quick fix put some 3m tape (doublesided) under it

jgmilberg

Anyone with a 1500 4WD Sierra with that famous clunk in the steering? Well if you do you can take it back to the dealer soon. They are replacing the intermediate shafts with ones from a different vendors. The new shafts are on dealer back order until around late December, early January, while they fill the factories with the new parts and get caught up with dealer demand. Best thing to do is to take it in to the dealer and they will diagnose and place the part on order for your truck, this way your part is reserved for you.

serra04

ryanbab thanks for the reply, I do not have a bug deflector. It really sounds as if someone is pushing on the roof causing it to flex and make the noise. I will double check the mouldings around the windshield just to be double sure. Any other ideas?

ryanbab

I agree the sheet metal on the roof is very thin. When I wash or wax the roof I feel like I am going to fall through. I have never heard the roof make noise though

kiv

I have a 2000 GMC 1500. Just recently, my battery ran down which cut power to my radio. Unfortunately, I can't find my un-lock code to reset the radio. Does anyone know the code the dealers puts in to unlock the radio if you forget the code?