I agree, I hope that is not the problem, but I think it is... I just wonder if they soak all the engines at the factory so they won't make any noise on the lot so they will be able to sell the trucks. I woundn't have bought my truck if the engine was knocking when I went for the test drive, I would've told 'em to bring around another truck. It just seems funny that they all don't start knocking until around 2000 miles...isn't that about the same amouont of time others are reporting the cold start coming back after the dealer performs the famous engine soak??
Here is an article I came across talking about how the corvette gets the new technology and then gets passed on to the pickups. Read the bottom of the article that talks about the cold start knock and what they are doing about it in the vettes, then it will be passed down to the pickups..
funny thing though it doesnt happen all the time. Maybe a few times a week. I noticed it first of the year when it was below zero. The noise never got louder when it was cold.
I can't see the knock getting any louder when it is really cold, it just probably takes a bit longer to go away as it takes longer to warm up in the colder weather...
Finally got an appt to have my cold start knock addressed next week. I don't know whether to be scared or not, but the service manager stated he has never heard of the knocking in the 8.1L, only the 5.3L. Think I might be calling another dealer that doesn't have their head up their [non-permissible content removed]..... This guy was saying well leave it over night so we can hear where the knock is coming from and then we can order parts so we can take care of it. I asked him how they were going to fix it, if GM wasn't even sure what the fix was, and the phone went silent....sheezzz.. I guess I'll let 'em look at it, but wonder if I can make them call me before any work is done so I can authorize it first, even though it is warranty work?? I don't know if I want these guys tearing into the motor if that is where they "think" the problem is..which we all know it is..
I have an '01 Chevy 2500HD LS EC SB 4X4 6.0/4.10 Auto. I now have a little over 7,500 miles on the truck. Just changed oil for the third time and rotated the tires. I have not had a single problem with this truck so far. No shudder/vibration, no hesitation, no knocking, just pure Chevy power (and I'm an old Ford guy). I do not use synthetic oil and have driven the truck pretty hard from day 1. I have averaged 13.2 mpg for the life of the truck (delivered 4/19/01). Hopefully, this will continue for several hundred thousand more miles. My previous two trucks were Ford 1/2 tons (both trucks had well over 200,000 miles on them when sold). Test drove the Ford 3/4 ton and the Chevy 3/4 ton. There was no comparison. I have installed a LINE-X bedliner (definitely recommend this liner to anyone). I plan on putting 16"x8" wheels and 285/75/16 mudders on as soon as I can convince the wife that it really does need new tires/wheels. My only complaints with this truck is the placement of the oil drain plug (empties all over the left side crossover pipe) and the 100 mph limiter (mine actually shuts down at about 97 mph). I did pick up a good trick from townhall for changing the oil. I tape a piece of aluminum foil over the crossover pipe - works great! I also picked up a pretty good trick from a buddy of mine so you don't make a big mess changing the oil filter (which is also an GM engineering snafu on placement). I poke a hole in the bottom of the filter with an ice pick (make sure you buy your own and don't use the one from the kitchen) and let the oil drain out before removing - this also works great! This is my first truck with an automatic transmission and may be the last. The automatic just can't figure out which gear my foot wants to be in - didn't have that problem with a stick. But, it is nice for backing the boat into the garage. Sorry for being so long-winded. God Bless to all!!!
Let me know what they say, as I have yet to decide if I want to bring it in. Also, tell the service department to determine the problem, but not to fix anything until you authorize it. I would be apprehensive about them fixing anything when they already mentioned ordering parts, and that is coming from the guy who said this is the first he has heard of the 8.1 knocking. -Eric
Good advice, I will make sure they call me before any work is done... Funny thing is, I read on the diesel page that one person stated he was told he could either do a top soak, or run B-12 Chemtool for 5 tanks with 93 octane and that would also take care of the cold start knock. I wonder how B-12 Chemtool compares to BG-44K?? In Colorado, the highest grade we have is 91 octane, but see that as unnessecary as 87 is what the book says...So I wonder now if the new polymer(sp?) coated piston is coming out to reduce carbon build up or if it is still a possible clearance and expansion problem?? So many questions...I will let the dealer do a top soak, nothing more, if that fixes it (sounds like only for about 500-1000 miles), then I will no longer worry about the problem as nothing is really banging around inside the engine and will set my mind at ease. But having to run fuel injector cleaner or some other type of decarbon chemical every 1000 miles on a $37k truck is outrageous!!! We'll see, I'll keep you posted.
Well I was getting ready to drop off my truck last night, called to confirm my appt and work on getting a ride home from their shuttle service...needless to say I did not drop off my truck for them yesterday evening. Long story short I need to find a new dealer I can trust. I probably cannot mention their name, ED BOZARTH CHEVROLET, cause I might get yelled at by the moderators.... :-D
Grrr!!! Truck runs great, drives great...pi$$ on it, I'm not taking it in for them to screw it up (as you recall they didn't have a clue what was going on and were going to look at TSB's for the solution and a little guessing)... I guess this is what GM wants us to do, get so frustrated that you just ignor it and let them get away with it. Now thinking about getting rid of my extended warranty and getting rid of the truck after 3yr/36k miles and go diesel..at least if it has the knock you wouldn't be able to hear it anyway!!! That is of course if I buy another GM.... Just venting a little...I think I am done for a while.. Later, Bob
I knew I had seen the name Ed Bozarth somewhere... A chevy had "Ed Bozarth #1" instead of a license plate. I had been stopped behind the vehicle today (Albany, NY) at a red light, and no actual license plate. I just couldn't recall where I heard it. Wasn't too smart (no plate) and such a long way from home. -Eric
You would think a truck or car manufacturer, once they know there is a problem with one of their products, whether in the drive train, engine, body, or tires, would put engineers on it and tell them not to go home until they find the problem and get a fix, then put the fix on their assembly line as quickly as possible to provide satisfaction, voluntarily recall all their vehicles already in customers' hands and on dealers' lots without having to be threatened, and FIX them. That would certainly make forums such as this one less necessary.
To the gentlemen who posted that he was a Ford man until he bought his Chevy, you said you drove both and there was no comparison, but didn't elaborate on that. What caused you to decide on your Chevy?
I've driven neither, but hearing all that is going on with the Chevy line and their drivetrain and engine problems I am about convinced I don't WANT to drive one. Anyone have any experience with the GM manual transmissions, and how reliable they are over the long haul?
Also went to the site concerning excessive oil consumption and read it. How many of you with high oil consumption drive in low gears at high RPM's? Sounds like they feel they have narrowed the problem down to that. Now if you want to continue to drive that way they have some new rings they can put in your engine and fix that.
Apparently Ed Bozo's has a dealership in Kansas, but that is still a ways to go for a truck...
The pics I have of my truck on my picture trail account have those cheesy little Ed Bozo' #1 crap plates on, can't wait to get my updated pics of my truck with accessories to switch with...guess I could white it out with an editor though....
Well, GM supposedly put out a TSB or something stating it (cold knock) was normal, not sure the TSB# or if it was just for the 6.0L, if I can find the post I'll copy it for you. Almost seems a lot like what furd did with the piston slap issue, they tried to deny it, then replaced motors after a big tiff. Except in this case GM is denying it and saying it is normal operation yet we hear rumors that they are working on a fix, yet only they will be replacing pistons (rumor), not the entire motor like furd did. If it is normal why are they working on a fix for something that is operating correctly?? Ah yes for those that do not want to hear the normal noise it makes, I guess...whatever GM...
With regards to your questions about the driveline issue, other than the cold start knock, my truck has been flawless in the 4 months that I have had it..have about 4,300 miles on the OD. The Allison tranny works exceptionally well, no launch shutter or vibration at all. My truck has the one piece drive shaft (Extended Cab shortbed).
I was able to test drive the furd v10 and d*&ge v10 at the GM truck show in motion show here in Colorado a couple of months ago. They also had the big three diesels towing about 7k that we could test drive also. The furd v10 was the only thing that thought about coming close to the 8.1L in acceleration with the gasers, but the d*&ge v10 didn't feel as powerful in seat of the pants. I'm not a furd or Chevy man, just buy based on need or want as the case my be. If/when something comes out better and I can afford it, I will probably buy it and keep it for a few years until the next....
My truck doesn't have an oil consumption problem (thank god!) I uses maybe a half qt in 3k miles, there really isn't enough miles on the motor yet, to really get a good judgement of that, but so far so good. The last time I checked the oil it was like a quarter of a qt low in about 1,300 miles, nothing to worry about here...
Sorry for the book, but thought I would offer my opinions on the matter. Knowledge is power, yet is also the cause of high blood pressure when you know something isn't right and there is nothing you can do about it and big brother doesn't care.
If the truck you saw (Bozarth's) came from Colorado, it probably had the temp paperwork taped to the inside of the back window. Common practice and legal; also hard to see with dark tint. -- Don
It was a car, here in NY, with no tags in the window. Long way from home I would guess. It looked like an invite to be pulled over by the police, no tags or plates visible. While I was sitting behind it at the red light I was trying to figure where I had heard the name... Oh well I guess they are not in Kansas anymore, Toto.
Ed Bozarth is a significant(?) dealer in Colorado. I've never heard of them anywhere else, but apparently they also have something in Kansas. Maybe someone who bought a car to drive home the week of Sep 11. Not all that funny, I personally know of 2 people who did it and I ended up driving a rental Astro van home to Denver from DC. -- Don
i have a chevy 2001 silverado hd with the allison trans. Trans whines loud and chevy says its normal. Been having a tough time getting them to do somthing please help im desperate
The allison does whine as normal, it is a hd transmission, it is a function of the higher oil flow and the way the gears is cut. I have driven and ridden in many allison equipped trucks, they all whine. With my duramax, I can't usually hear the whine, but it is there.
I have had my 2001 HD for about 8 months now (10000 miles) and have no engine knock and very little, if any oil consumption. However, I have had an issue with the Allison Transmission. On warm days of around 90 degrees and pulling a 5th wheel the transmission starts shifting as if it is overheated. This occurs when upshifting from lower speeds. It goes into what I call safe mode. The engine temp is around 200 degrees as well as the trans temp is 200 degrees. The dealer updated the computer control code with no results. Has anyone else experienced this problem.
I have not run into anything like that yet. However, I have only been towing my boat (about 3k), next year I will be pulling a 7500lb 5er possibly with my boat behind that. This truck has been flawless in every aspect, the cold start knock is almost all gone, only last for about 5 seconds now, so I expect the truck to handle the load with no problems. The one thing I may do is put the deeper trans pan on before I start pulling that load. The larger pan allows an additional 3.2 qts of fluid which will help keep everything nice and cool as well as not allowing the fluid to break down as quickly due to the extra amount running around in there. Good luck
I previously posted a message about my Silverado HD with a whine coming from transmission. I know the allison trans has a normal whine with it. But i have a loud noise which is able to be heard from inside my house . I have listen to many trucks with allison trans and i can barely hear the whine. Chevy contacted teck support and they told them its normal. Then a service rep came out and he said it was normal but said he would contack allison.Which in turn said it was normal.(never heard my noise) I believe that all the service people are confusing my whine with the normal whine. I even brought to a trans shop and they said something is wrong but they were not certified on the allison trans. But said the noise mine is making sounded like a torque converter . a couple weeks ago i searched internet for allison's web site and found it . under service locater i found the the only GM dealer in my area was a GMC dealer so i stopped by there and asked them to listen for me they told me to get it in to chevy and dont drive it . BUut when i got to chevy they said they cant do nothing until the service rep comes in. which i have an appointment with tommaro. What i would like to know is if anyone is having a problem similar to mine. i would love to have any one with the allison trans in there chevy silverado to please let me know how there trans sounds. wether its loud or not . i would love to have some feed back to take with me tommmaro when i go . my whine noise can be heard the truck is idling or on the road . thanks very much for your feed back. by the way i love the truck if chevy would just fix that whine
My first two transmissions had all the problems listed by bakerlou.It also "freewheeled" that is ,it shifted into neutral sometimes when stopping and reved and jolted into gear when I'd try to accelerate.The third one whines very loud and,like chevy2500hd I was told this is normal even though the other trucks on the lot didnt do it (I had the service manager check) As for the 8.1 yes I have cold start knock for 30 to 40 seconds .it also used a quart of oil every 800 to 1k mi till it hit 10k but used only 1 quart in the 3500 after that.Now with 13,600 it still knocks and whines.
Cold start knock has disappeared since yesterday morning, and it has been cold down here in Denver. Fired up the truck yesterday morning, 8 degrees, this morning 15 degrees!! Winter finally came, was getting used to the 60's we had been enjoying. Anyway thought I would let you know. Also planing on getting a stethoscope as I want to follow up on a hunch by a friend as well as some comments by others on another board who said the noise is coming from the poppets in the fuel injectors. Some heard the exact noise using the stethoscope and listening over the fuel injectors, yet heard no noise next to the heads or block. Either way I am now not concerned about the knock or should that be the knock I DON'T have anymore!!
I just passed 5,000 miles on my allison & need to change fluid in the tranny & rear differential. I am planning on using Amsoil Synthetic ATF, as it is DEXRON III compliant. I can get 11 qts for around $60.00 plus shipping , and the spin-on filter is around $8 from the local Allison dealer in Reno. This is much better than the quotes from my local dealers of $376 for synthetic & $135 for non-synthetic. Also, these two dealers had no clue about maintainence intervals/procedures on the Allison. One told me that the Allison is a 100,000 mile tranny & needed nothing done for the first 100,000 miles! The second said they would have to pull the pan & change both the external & internal filters + gasket. I told the guy to read the manual off the allisontransmission.com website, which says to drain the pan using the drain plug & replace the external filter only. Scares the hell out of me to have these bozo's even touch my truck. NO WAY would I even consider allowing them to replace the pistons in my 8.1 if that is the only remedy from GM for the cold start knock problem!
They said -3F at DIA, coldest in nation. Anyway, I plugged the Dmax block heater in last several days. Put a smile on my face to get in that cooold truck and have instant heat. Diesel also comes with a front end mask to cover up the grill. Dmax needs it or you don't get enough heat. Runs better too. Tom
Glad to hear you got rid of the knock. Makes you think GM was correct in the carbon build-up assessment. Did you get the BG-44K cleaner or did you run the Chemtool?
Transmission filter is next, maybe get to tow the sleds so I can change out the diff fluid.
Ruddster: Allison recommends Castrol TranSynd transmission fluid in all their transmissions. I would look into that for a replacement. -Eric
Yeah, I remember hearing that, then they stated with wind chill it was like -18 or something like that...winter seems to have come now. I was enjoying the warm weather and clean truck, heard it was going to be in the 50's this Sunday...great chance to get that spray chemical they put on the roads off my truck.
Well it was a combination of things. I first tried using some fuel injector cleaner that was off the shelf at a local checker. Some type of fuel system cleaner, can't remember the name. Trouble is it only treated 15 gal, put the stuff in then filled the tank, then read the bottle...opps!! That alone decreased the time it was knocking. I then tried BG 44K on the next tank, this time only putting it in when it was between 1/2 and 3/4 tank so it wouldn't get diluted (treats 20 gal). After this tank of gas my knock was down to like 10 seconds!! I then read a post on another site that stated their knock went away after a hard tow. So I decided to drive down a particular stretch of road in second gear every afternoon on my way back from work about 5 miles or so for the last couple of weeks. So far so good, it was warmer this morning at 24 deg. but still no knock and sounds sooooo good!!
I ended up running BG 44K cause I couldn't find the Chemtool. Oh well, I remember seeing a demo at the shop I used to work at and it did some amazing stuff!!
I changed my tranny filter a couple of weeks ago, magnet had some stuff on it, nothing to worry about. Got the filter for 8 bucks and change, dealers wanted upwards of 30 bucks!! Told that to the guy at the Allison shop and he laughed and stated a lot of the dealers buy the filters from them!! I am thinking GM is doing the same over charging thing for their grape juice among other things. Funny I can pick up an oil filter for $4.25 for my 8.1L, the only reasonable price I have yet to see!!! What is this, buy and expensive truck, buy expensive fluids and/or maintanance items??
It took about 1 qt to refill the tranny after the filter change, I prefilled the filter, put the magnet on it, spun it up there and checked the cold level of fluid, it was good so I let it warm up to full op temp. It was about 3/4 of a qt or so low. I didn't check the fluid level before the change, but thought I had checked it at some time prior to the change and the fluid was full.
I am thinking about changing to the deep pan next spring in preparation for towing my parents 5er. I figure the extra capacity coupled with changing to Castrol TranSynd will keep the tranny nice and cool and well protected. I will try double trailering for the first time next year so by that time I will buy my own digital camera to take pics of this long load, borrowing the neighbors camera is fine, but I still haven't received the pics from the dash removal yet!!!
Oh well, it outta be a white knuckle experience towing a 25 ft 5er and an 18ft boat (23 ft from front of trailer to transom) behind the 5er.
I figured since I was going to remove cover to change fluids, why not add additional cooling with finned aluminum cover that holds double the amount of lube? But alas, the pocketbook has run dry... for now. Maybe in the spring.
Where did you find the TranSynd? Been to a few local parts stores, but no luck. Ended up buying trans filter from dealer for $14 as the local "Truck" stores didn't have them, and none of the parts stores could even get one. Only have 3.5K miles, so not in a hurry, but would like to have everything beforehand so not in a mad dash at the last minute.
I am assuming the Transynd is at the Allison dealer that I bought the filter from. I didn't look around much when I went there for the filter, but hope they carry it.
I thought about a new diff cover, but right now I am not towing anything that will significantly heat up the diff, so I am gonna wait and spend the money taking care of the tranny instead. Not sure why GM didn't put the deep pan on the 2500HD's in the first place....not like an extra inch or two is gonna cause clearance problems.
$14 for the tranny filter from the dealer is not bad considering what they wanted for them here.. I don't expect the local autoparts stores to have the tranny filter, heck I can't even get an AC Delco oil filter for my 8.1L from any of the parts stores yet. Finally found a Pure One oil filter, but have one AC Delco left from when I talked the dealer into a lower price for oil filters so I'll wait a little longer.
I just bought a new filter at our local Allison/Detroit Diesel dealer in Reno for $7.50. The also had TranSynd for $31/gallon, which is slightly better than the $26/qt I was quoted from Valley Chevrolet in Carson City, NV. I will change the filter @ 5,000 miles per the Allison manual & change the ATF @25,000 per my chevy manual.
Where did you get the Allison Manual? Did you git it from Allison directly? I almost bought my truck from Valley, but I moved from Lake Tahoe 2 months ago. Heard you guys got a ton of snow the other day! Can't wait to ski over Christmas!
I get so darned mad every time I see their commercial with the owner promising a great deal..."or my name isn't Don Jack". I saved over $1,700 by NOT buying my truck from Valley. Plus, when I called thier Service Dept., the bonehead service writer told me that my Allison was a "100,000" transmission, in that it needed no maintenance for the first 100,000 miles! I then asked how many of these he has seen or worked on, and he said none! I wouldn't recommend Valley to anyone, Sales or Service!! If you want a good deal go to Dave Smith Motors in ID. Any chevy/gmc truck for $217 over invoice!
My chevy HD 2500 Crew Cab short bed with 6.0 and 4:10 rear now has 12,000 miles, I Had the vibration problem repaired with a new drive shaft and shims under the trans. cross member and rear springs. I still have the cold engine knock, but no problems yet. Just drove 1500 miles non stop getting 14 MPG at hwy speeds. 13MPG local driving. The only problem I have now is interior trim plastic pieces near floor under the seats falling off.
I'm in the market for a new American one ton 4x6 diesel truck, but know absolutely nothing about diesels. I would sure appreciate any suggestions or information concerning comparisons of the big three ( shoot outs etc.)
The only thing you can do is get a Hypertech programmer to recalibrate for the tire size. Not sure if this works for the Allison, though. I would contact Hypertech and ask them. The dealer can reprogram your abs unit for larger tires, but that doesn't correct the speedometer for you. -Eric
Have the dealer reprogram your truck using the settings for 3.73 rear end -
Right now your speedo is off by about 8% - 4.68 mph at 60 mph- you are going 64.68 mph when your speedo reads 60.
With the 3.73 setting your speedo will be off by about 2% or about 1.2 mph at 60mph - but now when your speedo says 60 you are only going 58.8 MPH.
This is because your tires are 8 % larger, the difference between 4.1 gears and 3.73 is about 10%.
I know someone who had this done, but the first dealer he talked to told him it could not be done, found another dealer that said no problem - charged him 1 hour labor - which was about $50 back then - more like $75 (?? guess) per hour today.
I have put larger tires on several trucks but never bothered with changing the speedo. I set the cruise control on the speed limit - and figured even though I was really going 3-5 MPH faster - the chance I would get pulled over was small.
I bought the 2500HD CC SB 4x4 6.0 in Feb.,'01. Took it in to dealer in April(3k miles) to fix what sounded like lifters to me. They pulled the heads and put in new valves, lifters. One week in shop. Temporarily fixed it. August (8k miles), took it in again for knocking. They say "engineers are working on it, bring it back in Nov. or Dec. and we'll fix it." Early Dec. I took it in and they say its normal. I say I don't like it. They have a customer service person call and offer me an extended warranty on the engine for 5 years or 50k which ever comes first. I say no thanks, I'd rather have an engine that sounds right. If I was going to keep it after 36mo/36k I'd buy an extended warranty anyway (bumper to bumper). Anyone know how to get started on a Lemon Law buy-back?
Other than that and the mileage(12mpg at the very best) I love the truck. Would like to try the Dmax.
Although my truck is a 1500HD it experiences many of same concerns the 2500HD's on this board do. It is a 2001 with 6.0L and 4.10 gear. My most annoying issue is with what feels like a slight engine miss at speeds above 50 mph and when I pull my trailer it is much worse and becomes a real issue. It has been to the dealer several times with little done but finally getting a re calibration which did not help this problem although it did cure a spark knock issue.
I see several posts regarding road speed vibrations mentioning problems in the 1600-2000 rpm range, although this might be the issue my bet is still on a engine management problem. Also the problem does not seem to be sensitive to engine speed and occurs at road speeds with the engine running 2300-2400 rpm in high 4th gear.
If anyone has had this problem and has successfully resolved it I would sure like to hear what was done. And yes the engine does clatter when first driven for the first 3 or 4 minutes but that is a separate issue.
I like the #'s and look of the 2500HD with the 6.0L, only other consideration is a F-150 Supercrew, but I'm quite concerned with the reports of knocking with the 6.0L. Is this experienced by all or is it an isolated event? Is it enough to choose Ford over Chevy/GMC?? I hope to keep the truck, whichever one it turns out to be, for 7 years, so all input is appreciated.
experience out there to know it's not an isolated event(s), but the issue is by no means universal. Most folk don't have a problem; I don't have it and, other than through these posts, don't know anyone that has. Tho' that's very little comfort if you're one of the ones that do. Hear that GM might be finally fixing it, but don't know for sure. Ford seems to have had its own engine problems in the recent past. -- Don
Does not have the "piston slap" noise, runs great, no pinging, and rarely has cold start tap (if it does, lasts only a couple of seconds). I use Valvoline 10w30 with the AC-Delco PF59 filter. During the summer after a lot of stop and go driving I did hear a little bit of tapping at idle, possibly the noise others have heard. After driving the truck on a highway trip, the noise went away and hasn't come back. Only complaint is the gas mileage. Best in town is 11.5mpg, best on highway is 15.5. But towing a 7500# travel trailer at 65mph and I get a little better than 9mpg.
Has anybody on here had a problem with getting an exhaust (rotten egg-converter type) smell inside the truck when at a stop sign. 8.1/Alli ext. cab dually? Any luck getting it fixed?
Comments
Here is an article I came across talking about how the corvette gets the new technology and then gets passed on to the pickups. Read the bottom of the article that talks about the cold start knock and what they are doing about it in the vettes, then it will be passed down to the pickups..
http://www.c5registry.com./2k2z06/page5.htm
Bob
funny thing though it doesnt happen all the time. Maybe a few times a week. I noticed it first of the year when it was below zero. The noise never got louder when it was cold.
Bob
This guy was saying well leave it over night so we can hear where the knock is coming from and then we can order parts so we can take care of it. I asked him how they were going to fix it, if GM wasn't even sure what the fix was, and the phone went silent....sheezzz..
I guess I'll let 'em look at it, but wonder if I can make them call me before any work is done so I can authorize it first, even though it is warranty work?? I don't know if I want these guys tearing into the motor if that is where they "think" the problem is..which we all know it is..
Bob
-Eric
Funny thing is, I read on the diesel page that one person stated he was told he could either do a top soak, or run B-12 Chemtool for 5 tanks with 93 octane and that would also take care of the cold start knock. I wonder how B-12 Chemtool compares to BG-44K??
In Colorado, the highest grade we have is 91 octane, but see that as unnessecary as 87 is what the book says...So I wonder now if the new polymer(sp?) coated piston is coming out to reduce carbon build up or if it is still a possible clearance and expansion problem??
So many questions...I will let the dealer do a top soak, nothing more, if that fixes it (sounds like only for about 500-1000 miles), then I will no longer worry about the problem as nothing is really banging around inside the engine and will set my mind at ease. But having to run fuel injector cleaner or some other type of decarbon chemical every 1000 miles on a $37k truck is outrageous!!! We'll see, I'll keep you posted.
Bob
Grrr!!! Truck runs great, drives great...pi$$ on it, I'm not taking it in for them to screw it up (as you recall they didn't have a clue what was going on and were going to look at TSB's for the solution and a little guessing)... I guess this is what GM wants us to do, get so frustrated that you just ignor it and let them get away with it. Now thinking about getting rid of my extended warranty and getting rid of the truck after 3yr/36k miles and go diesel..at least if it has the knock you wouldn't be able to hear it anyway!!! That is of course if I buy another GM....
Just venting a little...I think I am done for a while..
Later,
Bob
Run premium when towing travel trailer, pulled over multiple 10,000' passes last weekend, running close to redline both up and down.
No funny knock, other than some ping on low octane gas.
I do have a heck of a clatter from the manual transfer case shift rod. Fixing tonight.
-Eric
To the gentlemen who posted that he was a Ford man until he bought his Chevy, you said you drove both and there was no comparison, but didn't elaborate on that. What caused you to decide on your Chevy?
I've driven neither, but hearing all that is going on with the Chevy line and their drivetrain and engine problems I am about convinced I don't WANT to drive one. Anyone have any experience with the GM manual transmissions, and how reliable they are over the long haul?
Also went to the site concerning excessive oil consumption and read it. How many of you with high oil consumption drive in low gears at high RPM's? Sounds like they feel they have narrowed the problem down to that. Now if you want to continue to drive that way they have some new rings they can put in your engine and fix that.
The pics I have of my truck on my picture trail account have those cheesy little Ed Bozo' #1 crap plates on, can't wait to get my updated pics of my truck with accessories to switch with...guess I could white it out with an editor though....
http://www.picturetrail.com/4x4man
Bob
With regards to your questions about the driveline issue, other than the cold start knock, my truck has been flawless in the 4 months that I have had it..have about 4,300 miles on the OD. The Allison tranny works exceptionally well, no launch shutter or vibration at all. My truck has the one piece drive shaft (Extended Cab shortbed).
I was able to test drive the furd v10 and d*&ge v10 at the GM truck show in motion show here in Colorado a couple of months ago. They also had the big three diesels towing about 7k that we could test drive also. The furd v10 was the only thing that thought about coming close to the 8.1L in acceleration with the gasers, but the d*&ge v10 didn't feel as powerful in seat of the pants. I'm not a furd or Chevy man, just buy based on need or want as the case my be. If/when something comes out better and I can afford it, I will probably buy it and keep it for a few years until the next....
My truck doesn't have an oil consumption problem (thank god!) I uses maybe a half qt in 3k miles, there really isn't enough miles on the motor yet, to really get a good judgement of that, but so far so good. The last time I checked the oil it was like a quarter of a qt low in about 1,300 miles, nothing to worry about here...
Sorry for the book, but thought I would offer my opinions on the matter. Knowledge is power, yet is also the cause of high blood pressure when you know something isn't right and there is nothing you can do about it and big brother doesn't care.
Bob
-- Don
-Eric
-- Don
Best of luck
I wouldn't worry about it too much
Hunter
Good luck
Bob
BUut when i got to chevy they said they cant do nothing until the service rep comes in. which i have an appointment with tommaro. What i would like to know is if anyone is having a problem similar to mine. i would love to have any one with the allison trans in there chevy silverado to please let me know how there trans sounds. wether its loud or not . i would love to have some feed back to take with me tommmaro when i go . my whine noise can be heard the truck is idling or on the road . thanks very much for your feed back. by the way i love the truck if chevy would just fix that whine
As for the 8.1 yes I have cold start knock for 30 to 40 seconds .it also used a quart of oil every 800 to 1k mi till it hit 10k but used only 1 quart in the 3500 after that.Now with 13,600 it still knocks and whines.
Anyway thought I would let you know. Also planing on getting a stethoscope as I want to follow up on a hunch by a friend as well as some comments by others on another board who said the noise is coming from the poppets in the fuel injectors. Some heard the exact noise using the stethoscope and listening over the fuel injectors, yet heard no noise next to the heads or block. Either way I am now not concerned about the knock or should that be the knock I DON'T have anymore!!
Bob
Anyone used syn ATF in their Allison??
Jeff
Anyway, I plugged the Dmax block heater in last several days. Put a smile on my face to get in that cooold truck and have instant heat. Diesel also comes with a front end mask to cover up the grill. Dmax needs it or you don't get enough heat. Runs better too.
Tom
Kyle
Transmission filter is next, maybe get to tow the sleds so I can change out the diff fluid.
Ruddster: Allison recommends Castrol TranSynd transmission fluid in all their transmissions. I would look into that for a replacement.
-Eric
Bob
I then read a post on another site that stated their knock went away after a hard tow. So I decided to drive down a particular stretch of road in second gear every afternoon on my way back from work about 5 miles or so for the last couple of weeks. So far so good, it was warmer this morning at 24 deg. but still no knock and sounds sooooo good!!
Bob
I changed my tranny filter a couple of weeks ago, magnet had some stuff on it, nothing to worry about. Got the filter for 8 bucks and change, dealers wanted upwards of 30 bucks!! Told that to the guy at the Allison shop and he laughed and stated a lot of the dealers buy the filters from them!! I am thinking GM is doing the same over charging thing for their grape juice among other things. Funny I can pick up an oil filter for $4.25 for my 8.1L, the only reasonable price I have yet to see!!! What is this, buy and expensive truck, buy expensive fluids and/or maintanance items??
It took about 1 qt to refill the tranny after the filter change, I prefilled the filter, put the magnet on it, spun it up there and checked the cold level of fluid, it was good so I let it warm up to full op temp. It was about 3/4 of a qt or so low. I didn't check the fluid level before the change, but thought I had checked it at some time prior to the change and the fluid was full.
I am thinking about changing to the deep pan next spring in preparation for towing my parents 5er. I figure the extra capacity coupled with changing to Castrol TranSynd will keep the tranny nice and cool and well protected. I will try double trailering for the first time next year so by that time I will buy my own digital camera to take pics of this long load, borrowing the neighbors camera is fine, but I still haven't received the pics from the dash removal yet!!!
Oh well, it outta be a white knuckle experience towing a 25 ft 5er and an 18ft boat (23 ft from front of trailer to transom) behind the 5er.
Bob
http://www.mag-hytec.com/differential%20covers.htm
I figured since I was going to remove cover to change fluids, why not add additional cooling with finned aluminum cover that holds double the amount of lube? But alas, the pocketbook has run dry... for now. Maybe in the spring.
Where did you find the TranSynd? Been to a few local parts stores, but no luck. Ended up buying trans filter from dealer for $14 as the local "Truck" stores didn't have them, and none of the parts stores could even get one. Only have 3.5K miles, so not in a hurry, but would like to have everything beforehand so not in a mad dash at the last minute.
-Eric
I thought about a new diff cover, but right now I am not towing anything that will significantly heat up the diff, so I am gonna wait and spend the money taking care of the tranny instead. Not sure why GM didn't put the deep pan on the 2500HD's in the first place....not like an extra inch or two is gonna cause clearance problems.
$14 for the tranny filter from the dealer is not bad considering what they wanted for them here.. I don't expect the local autoparts stores to have the tranny filter, heck I can't even get an AC Delco oil filter for my 8.1L from any of the parts stores yet. Finally found a Pure One oil filter, but have one AC Delco left from when I talked the dealer into a lower price for oil filters so I'll wait a little longer.
Bob
I just bought a new filter at our local Allison/Detroit Diesel dealer in Reno for $7.50. The also had TranSynd for $31/gallon, which is slightly better than the $26/qt I was quoted from Valley Chevrolet in Carson City, NV. I will change the filter @ 5,000 miles per the Allison manual & change the ATF @25,000 per my chevy manual.
Jeff
Kyle
http://www.allisontransmission.com/product/series/1000series_listings.jsp?PublicationType=Service
You can click on Operator's Manual and select the 1000 series then there is a spot where you can download it on the next screen.
Bob
I get so darned mad every time I see their commercial with the owner promising a great deal..."or my name isn't Don Jack". I saved over $1,700 by NOT buying my truck from Valley. Plus, when I called thier Service Dept., the bonehead service writer told me that my Allison was a "100,000" transmission, in that it needed no maintenance for the first 100,000 miles! I then asked how many of these he has seen or worked on, and he said none! I wouldn't recommend Valley to anyone, Sales or Service!! If you want a good deal go to Dave Smith Motors in ID. Any chevy/gmc truck for $217 over invoice!
Jeff
http://www.thedieselpage.com/cgi-bin/Ultimate.cgi
http://ford-diesel.com
Hunter
PS, I have a GM Duramax 3/4 Ext Cab 4x4 and love it!
-Eric
Right now your speedo is off by about 8% - 4.68 mph at 60 mph- you are going 64.68 mph when your speedo reads 60.
With the 3.73 setting your speedo will be off by about 2% or about 1.2 mph at 60mph - but now when your speedo says 60 you are only going 58.8 MPH.
This is because your tires are 8 % larger, the difference between 4.1 gears and 3.73 is about 10%.
I know someone who had this done, but the first dealer he talked to told him it could not be done, found another dealer that said no problem - charged him 1 hour labor - which was about $50 back then - more like $75 (?? guess) per hour today.
I have put larger tires on several trucks but never bothered with changing the speedo. I set the cruise control on the speed limit - and figured even though I was really going 3-5 MPH faster - the chance I would get pulled over was small.
August (8k miles), took it in again for knocking.
They say "engineers are working on it, bring it back in Nov. or Dec. and we'll fix it." Early Dec. I took it in and they say its normal. I say I don't like it. They have a customer service person call and offer me an extended warranty on the engine for 5 years or 50k which ever comes first. I say no thanks, I'd rather have an engine that sounds right. If I was going to keep it after 36mo/36k I'd buy an extended warranty anyway (bumper to bumper).
Anyone know how to get started on a Lemon Law buy-back?
Other than that and the mileage(12mpg at the very best) I love the truck. Would like to try the Dmax.
http://agmlemon.freeservers.com/
I see several posts regarding road speed vibrations mentioning problems in the 1600-2000 rpm range, although this might be the issue my bet is still on a engine management problem. Also the problem does not seem to be sensitive to engine speed and occurs at road speeds with the engine running 2300-2400 rpm in high 4th gear.
If anyone has had this problem and has successfully resolved it I would sure like to hear what was done. And yes the engine does clatter when first driven for the first 3 or 4 minutes but that is a separate issue.
-- Don
Only complaint is the gas mileage. Best in town is 11.5mpg, best on highway is 15.5. But towing a 7500# travel trailer at 65mph and I get a little better than 9mpg.
Jim