GMC Sierra: Problems & Solutions

quadrunner500

We'll go easy on the Canadian Hockey team at the Olympics! LOL!

The diesel oils I see for my Duramax are rated 15W-40. But if a diesel oil carried the requisite SH rating and is the proper viscosity rating, it should be okay too. Some gasoline engine oils meet SOME diesel oil specifications, so apparently, there is some crossover.

buckmaster1

I traded in my 95 Silverado for a new 2001 Sierra after talking myself into thinking "Yes I like the new trucks front that looks like a 5000 pound mosquito on steroids".Silly bug eye lights.Too many quirks for me to eat for 31grand.Rear doors suck-they dont shut right and they are welded at the hinge(whats that all about?) so thats that just live with it.If you make them real tight then they are tough to open.Annoying creaking cab-whats that all about creaking,in my driveway. .Annoying suspension height-[non-permissible content removed] up too high-making the front higher is not the answer,that screws everything up and looks bad and rides worse.What are you gonna do keep getting bigger tires to fill the wheel wells to correct the height problem.The Z71 trucks seem to sit a little better than the standard 4x4.My door panels wont stay on,the nonsense gm clips keep pulling loose because I have to slam the doors to get them shut.This is pleasant.Rapping Noise at the base of the windshield is insane-like driving an Alfred Hitchcock movie on the highway. The bed flexed so much that the tailgate flew open on the highway and my birthday gifts flew out.I should have set it on fire for that one.The engine was fun to beat on but probably would have developed a knock the way I drove it..Here you can have this back,thanks for nothing. .

ricsch

what did you replace the truck with?

gmc4me2

The upper hinge pin on the drivers door moves and makes a popping noise when the door is opened fully. The dealer says the bushing is cracked and will require the complete hinge to be replaced(cut off and new hinge installed)because the design has been changed, Has anyone had this done?I have a 2000 ext,cab SLT,Z71 I am a bit spooked about a body shop chopping & welding in that area.

jsmisek

I have a 2000 GMC regular cab short box 4 wheel drive Z71. After many phone calls and trips to the dealer, I finally got a response out of GM. I had a vibration problem, torsion bar problem, rear bumper rusting, seat belt would not release when you leaned forward problem, one side of the truck is higher then the other in the rear problem, rear end clunking problem, and last but not least, cold engine start knock, as well as the engine has a low end knock at idle when at operating temp. After asking for a buy-back or a repurchase, GM told me I did not have enough problems with the truck and basically told me to pound sand. I contacted the BBB and after 2 months and many phone calls and conversations, without going to arbitration, GM gave me a 6 year 75,000 mile bumper to bumper warranty with a $0 deductible. They are also going to replace the engine in my truck when they release the new piston upgrade. They are no longer giving the major guard 5 year 100,000 mile warranty. I was seeking arbitration, but the GM rep. told me I would loose in arbitration without a lawyer, and the fact that I did not have enough repetitive problems to win the case. So with that I took the warranty. I plan on trading the truck and transferring the warranty to the new one. For anyone else who has had problems, good luck and keep making phone calls to be successful with getting any response. They say the squeaky wheel always gets greased.

eric2001

I got the same treatment, and received the Major Guard $0 deductible warranty, too. On the other side of the coin, the warranty is not transferable, nor refundable, so it is only good on that specific truck for as long as you own it. I did ask all those questions when they offered me the extended warranty.

Of course that was my deal, maybe yours is different (hopefully).
-Eric

jsmisek

Unfortunately, I have the same deal, the warranty is only good on my specific truck as long as I own the truck, and is not transferable. I was hoping to trade the truck and transfer the warranty, but that is not going to be possible after talking further with the GM representative. What warranty did you get, the 6/75 or the 5/100?

obyone

with $0 deductible...Major Guard.

pdr2

I just bought a 2002 SLE Extended Cab w/4.8 V8, and the truck shakes like the tires are not balanced. When I test drove it, the salesman said that they had not serviced it yet and that balancing them would be done before delivery. Well, it is after delivery and it still shakes or vibrates, not nearly as bad as before, but bad enough to shake your hands on the stearing wheel and enough to make for a very rough ride. I heard that Sierra's rode smoooth, not mine. Then they claimed it was bad tires from General. They gave me new ones, the exact same as before, and it is slightly better, but is this truck supposed to make a smooth road feel like riding a on a wild bronco? (It was a smooth road before I bought this truck)

richardsm

I just bought a used 1998 GMC SIERRA SLE, CREW CAB V8. It buzzes like a door is open, under the cab about the center of the truck on the driver's side. the dealer said that this was normal for GMC's. And that this means that the fuel pump is functioning properly. Not to worry until the buzzing ever stops. ANYone who owns one of these.. Is this true? It has 47k on it

obyone

I wonder what happened between the time you bought it and the vibrations first appeared. What was the mileage when the vibrations started? Also, is your truck 2 or 4wd?

eric2001

Actually I got the 6/75 Major Guard $0 deductible. The rep was talking mileage, and I mistakenly admitted to about 12K per year, therfore she only offered 75 for mileage, and I couldn't change her mind.
-Eric

jlflemmons

You are hearing the electric fuel pump in the gas tank. Some are noisier than others and I would bet that the fuel pump has been replaced. I have seen replacements done where there was a noise isolator left off which makes the pump a little louder. Won't hurt a thing.

ndahi12

you test drove a truck that vibrates and you still bought it believing what the salesperson told you.

I am sorry, but I fault you for buying a truck that shook and not the Salesperson for selling it to you.

You could have tried test driving another Sierra and see if all behaved like that.

I hope you get it fixed soon. Try taking it to a specialty alignment shop and see what they can do. Dealers only set it to factory specs. A specialty shop is more imaginative and can help you better.

pdr2

But, I did try 5 Sierra's, and they all did the same thing. I picked the best of the litter. Then when I took it back to get my bed liner sprayed in, the 2002 Chevrolet Silverado loner truck did the same thing, even worse. It was like the tires had never been balanced. They claimed that it was a nationwide problem with General tires. I had heard only good things about Sierra's, by every review professionally and by owners (ok 99%) and I never thought I would have a problem with so many positive responses.

obyone

problem with the General tires, he can offer you to upgrade to another brand of tire with you paying the difference. After 4 sets of General tires which were replaced under warranty, my dealer agreed to upgrading my Generals to Michelins when the "new" set of Generals arrived. I must admit it was getting kinda old going back and forth changing out tires. Funny thing about it, General Tires kept sending a new set...figure after 4 sets they would have called it quits.

ndahi12

it is an alignment problem. The dealer cannot help you. They are all Monkeys. Try taking your truck to a reputable truck alignment specialist. Pay it out of pocket and see if he can help you.

I try not to go to the dealer even with a valid warranty. I either do my own work or take it to a speciality shop.

obyone

bad alignment. IT's true as its possible. A bad alignment will cause abnormal tire wear and could be the source of vibrations. And incorrectly balanced or defective tires would also vibrate. They would vibrate from day 1 when picking the truck up. I would seriously trade the Generals for a new set, balanced on a hunter balancer, where they can also check the rims. After doing this, have the truck's alignment checked. The alignment shop is going to find a broad factory acceptance range of (-.25 - .75) as alignment specs leaving them telling you that your truck is within factory specs. What's good about an independent alignment shop is that after a few thousand miles, if abnormal tire wear starts to show, they can adjust the alignment to correct this....and all of this will still be within GM specifications.

rayt2

I have it too on my Y2K 2500 Ext. Cab Shortbox 2x4, but only at 70-80 mph then it's gone before or after that range. I have the 245/16 Steeltex AT's, I know dealer won't balance now with 24000 on odometer but I am not getting any abnormal tire wear so I'll put up with it till I need new tires then go the Hunter route you mention Obyone.

Ray T.

kanton1

picked up my HD yesterday and it has Bridgestones on it! Have yet to feel any vibrations, although I have not taken the truck past 55.

Kyle

jlflemmons

I know this seems odd with all the bad press on Firestone this year, but these are the smoothest, and best handling tires I have ever had on a truck. All the way from stop to fuel shutdown, not so much as a twitch. Lucky? maybe. But I will take the same approach as I do to my golf game. "Where skill and ability fall far, far short, dumb luck will prevail."

etimbers

If it's a 6.0 GM engine in your truck the cause of the vibration is the fuel/air mix setup on the computer. Well... according to the GMC Dealer I took my 2001 GMC 2500 HD to...

The condition, again according to them, is called "Lean Surge" and GM has no fix for it.

I guess I'll find out if this is fact or not on Dec 14th when I go to my BBB Arbitration hearing! Hopefully, I'll be getting a new FORD SUPERDUTY for Christmas!

TC

minikin

I actually really liked them until it got cold and snowed. Dumped them in a big hurry for Michelin after that.
-- Don

rayt2

You were wearing your boots when the dealer started shoveling that stuff at you I hope ! I think the BBB hearing will put a rest to that, sorry to hear of your bad fortune w/GM product (I think it's more related to a bad service dept.) Good luck with the Super Duty if that's what you end up with.

Ray T.

stevedrew

I have a 2000 sierra that came with General Ameri 660 tires. I have had 3 flats within the last month.I had my previous truck for 10 years and 235,000 miles and had only 1 flat in all that time. Has anyone else had problems with the Ameri 660?

obyone

The Ameri660 tires retail for about $35 each/wholesale $25 each. That tell you something about the tires. I went through 4 sets of tires as they would wear unevenly due to factory defects. I eventually got tired of them swapping the tires out so I traded the last set for a set of Michelin LTX M/S. The ride and handling improvement was incredible..........

stevedrew

WOW! $35.00? checked tirerack.com and their price for 255/70-16 is $85.00! Just got off the phone with service and they said because they are noting excessive wear they will request new tires from General
(which means I'll probably get the same ones!)

obyone

Good luck!! Back in '99 there was a national recall on these General Tires. However, it was not done in the normal fashion. It was more to the tune of.....if anyone noticed abnormal wear they would be replaced under warranty. Funny thing. It cost General tire $270.00 in freight charges to ship tires that were worth $100. AND they did it four times. They should have bought me my set of Michelins. Would have saved both them and me some money.....

minikin

General Ameri 550/660/xxx are the absolute pits of OEM tires! Consumer Reports even publicly uses them as the lower bound, 0 reference. I've driven on them on a few rental trucks and I also had the extreme misfortune to have them on the Chevy van I ended up driving back to Denver from DC the week of Sep 11th. Talk about scary, scary tires! Run, do not walk, to your nearest tire store and put something decent on your truck. Screw whether or not GM will pay for it; your life is worth it.
-- Don

etimbers

Well, I had my BBB Arbitration hearing yesterday... I believe things went pretty well.

GM had one witness, the first dealer I took my truck to to try and fix the vibration. When questions came up about the things the second dealer did or didn't do, GM couldn't answer it...

I'm suppose to hear something from BBB by Wed or Thurs next week...

Who knows, maybe I WILL get that new FORD SUPER-DUTY for Christmas!

TC

use1time

Sometime next week I'm going to buy either a 200 Sierra 2wd extended cab or a Tundra. After reading tihs board, frankly I'm worried about GM quality but I like the extra room and the deal that's available (sticker 29,700 less 5k dealer discount less 500 cash AND zero percent for three years). The Tundra stickers out at $26.5 and the best I can do in Houston is $24.6 and 0%. I guess what I'm asking is this: has GM worked out the bugs in the 2002 line. Thanks in advance.

quadrunner500

Don't buy anything with drum brakes!

quadrunner500

Here's a comparo (pictures and text) I did with a couple years ago with a friend who owns a Tundra.

http://member.aol.com/sturbridg1/utahtrek.html

ticked

Anyone had transmission problems with 1998 Sierra
4l.80E seals leaking twice, once under warranty at 50,000. Said they repaired it but now it's gone again.

jlflemmons

Is not a new tranny, been around for a couple of years. If you blew a seal, and another shortly afterward, I would consider the first questionable, and the second bad workmanship.

ticked

Ofcourse now it's out of warranty since last June, dealership has offered 50/50 split, not accepting it. What's your opinion on that.

mledtje

FWIW, most Silverado owners don't have the problems you read about. The ones with problems seem to be more vocal (I would be, too). But, there are some unhappy Tundra owners, also.

They are both good trucks. The Tundra is a little smaller and more car-like. The Silverado is larger and more like a truck. Mostly, it depends on how you want to use the vehicle.

Mike L

ticked

Yeap, at 40,000 klms my truck was vibrating and shaking, the dealer said they could find no problem, took it to an independant tire dealer and they diagnosed it as 1-Oval tire. Go figure that one!

quadrunner500

I recently bought (4) new ones. I had them road force balanced on the Hunter GSP9700. The tire store manager asked why I wanted to pay extra over the price of a standard computer spin balance? He got his answer when the machine rejected 3 of 7 tires for excessive road force variance. The 4 good ones are on my truck. Smooth as glass. I will never buy tires without having this performed again. It's the final quality control check, and a boon to consumers wanting to insure good tires. Once verified by the road force balancer, a conventional spin balance is all that's required thereafter.

ricsch

My advice would be to take them both for a ride, get them out on the highway, and see what one feels better to you. So many times people buy without really trying vehicles out first. I really like the room and performance of my Silverado and it's features. And I figure for the price, might as well drive a full size truck since the fuel mileage of those aren't any worse than a mid sized truck, but sometimes even better in the full-size.

rrjung

I've haven't checked back for awhile, but notice you all have or are aware of the "bounce". I've spoken to guys w/ '98s-01, 3/4 & 1 tons...all of us with extended cabs and long beds have this bounce on concrete freeways that are slightly rough or have raised joints. This bounce, not a vibration, occurs around 67-72 mph. Regardless of engine size, tires, towing options, it's a wheelbase length and expansion joint distance problem...setting up a "harmonic bounce". My truck is a 2000, 5.3L 1500 Ext Cab, Long Bed, 2WD w/ factory tow package. My tires are fine, you don't have to "Hunterize" them.

What I've tried so far: I have the velvet ride shackles, and have tried Edelbrock, both sets of Bilsteins and RanchoRS9000 shocks. NOTHING HAS FIXED THE BOUNCE. All the different shocks just move the mph range around or lessen the bounce only slightly. Oh yes, 200-550 pounds of sand in the rear of the bed helps...a little. I've spoken the the people at Firestone (air bags) and they say air bags/shocks won't help, not in any combination. It was nice of them to save me time and money. The Edelbrock people couldn't care less, even though the freeway I drive is 4 minutes from their factory in Torrance, Calif. Bilstein will refund my money through any authorized dealer, not directly through the factory. Look at their web site, they have tons of custom shocks, but no one to actually help me figure it out. A tech at Tenneco (makers of our OEM shocks, Rancho and Monroe) thinks that maybe a softer shock will help. So, that's my next step...four Monroe Reflex shocks, as soon as I can get someone to give me a money back guarantee. There is also a custom shock maker here in Orange County, CA, called King Shocks. He promised me a fix, but it'll cost about $500 a corner, for shocks and modifications. I could just drive below 66 and above 73mph !!!

Other than the "bounce", my truck is FINE. Gee guys, I don't have any squeaks, rattles, vibrations, wind noise, NADA. My original Generals have almost 30K miles on them, with more tread left!

So, after the first of the year: Monroe Shocks. Then I think I'll try a traction bar. Lakewood makes a "generic" one. My hope is that the bar will reduce some of the bounce.

Anyone out there try the Granatelli Mass Air Flow Sensors? Price looks pretty steep for a claimed +10 horses. I did put in a cat-back Gibson system. When I figure out the bounce, I'll get the Gibson headers.

obyone

gonna put it up on ebay soon. If ya want it, make me a reasonable offer and its yours. I paid little over $300 for it and had it installed a little over a year. I'm looking into a supercharger now so I won't be needing it.

txyank1

I've been wondering about fixes. I've got about 14K on my '01 and other than an isolator repair for the Rack/Pinion steering the only problem I have is the "bounce". My '99 did it at 65 and this one does it at 70. Although it does do it to a lesser extent at different speeds in different areas of the same highway. I haven't heard much about the "bounce" recently. I assume the '02s still have it? OBY.....of no one takes you up on the MAF Sensor e-mail me at txyank1@excite.com.

ryanbab

SUPERCHARGER?

uh oh look out everyone

aebert

rrjung: I have complained about the bounce since I picked my truck up in July of 2000. I ordered it with everything and first thought it was because of the 1sd pkg, it states towing and handling suspension on top of the Z-71 pkg and towing Pkg. It rode like a cadillac when I hauled a car hauler but that wouldn't be practical every day to work. I also notice a lot of steering feed back when I hit any bumps or irregular pavement. I still love this truck.

minikin

Which supercharger are you looking at. I've sorta been considering the Whipple on and off. If I lived at sea level I'd probably be ok with the 5.3L as is, and the Hypertech has helped noticeably, but I guess I'm just a hopeless power freak and don't want to trade an otherwise prefectly suitable(for me)truck for something with a stiffer suspension, higher curb weight, and a big block.
-- Don

obyone

I'm looking at the Magnacharger and the Whipple. Only downside is the warranty issue with my dealer. He wants to void the warranty on the engine and drivetrain stating that the HP produced would be greater than the tranny could handle. We will see though cause I'm not through with him yet.

kg11

is the only choice for a pickup that is to be used for work.It produces more torque at lower rpm,and they just released a new intercooler that makes it ok for pump gas.Before the cooler people were using octane booster or water injection to avoid pre-detonation.I was going to put one on my 8.1 before I had to replace the allison tranny twice.Now that that's all worked out,I'm seriously considering it again.And yes it absolutly voids your warranty!

use1time

regarding the Sierra vs the Tundra. Went with the Sierra today. Incredible deal plus 0% financing. Truck seems to be fantastic and rides better than a lot of cars. Seems every bit as solid as the Tundra. Hope I have as much enthuiasm for it a year from now as I do today.

minikin

No, it doesn't "absolutley void your warranty!" The only way it voids the warranty is if the mod overcooks the design limits of your drivetrain. The trick is in convincing the court; a/r. And if you live more than 6K ft above MSL "proving " that adding an additional 6# of boost at the manifold is within design limits really ain't hard.
-- Don