Does this sound start after you apply the brakes and start slowing down? And then pops a few times after you pull away from a stop? If it does...your front brake pads are sliding in the caliper. You need brake pad shims, which tighten the pads up in the caliper. My chevy truck does this occasionally, but I learned of this problem the hard way in my dodge motorhome.
Jeta: The loyalty rebate was discontinued but there is currently a $750 rebate through July on 1/2 ton extended cab Chevy's. I may buy one tomorrow!
Kfarley: I test drove many 4x4 extended cab pickups over the last month and based on smoothness of ride I rank them as follows with the first being smoothest and the last harshest: Chevy 1500, Chevy 2500, Ford F250 light duty, F250 Superduty, Dodge 2500.
Pworange: I have also heard from friends with 1997 1/2 ton Chevys that the front disc brake pads wear out after 10,000 miles.
Stevek: What is the name of the "lifetime pads" you put on and where did you buy them? Also, how did you determine gear oil was getting on the rear drums? I am planning on buying a 1998 Chevy 1/2 ton ext. cab 4x4. Any additional things to be aware of? My father-in-law has a 1993 Chevy ext cab 1/2 ton 2x4 and bleads his brake lines every 10,000 miles. He says he bleads the line until the fluid is clear. He doesn't report front disc brake pad problems. I also hear the new '96-'98 Vortec 5.7L motor is getting about 2 MPG less then older 5.7L engines.
My mechanic installed the "lifetime" pads. I am not sure about the guarantee, I guess will find out when they will need replacement. I also concerned about those pads, if they are to hard may warp the rotor. I have 30K on them so far without any problems (other than a minor wibration when applying lightly).
My rear end leak was visible on the inside of the plate. When the seal gave away it leaked onto the rear brakes. The problem was a diffective rear end housing which was replaced. Chevy claims they have only one other occurence of this and that is why it took a while to find it.
My 5.7L gets about 15-17 mpg, even when I tow. In the summer I run it on regular and in the winter I use high test. In the north east that oxigenated junk kills gas milage and I actually save money by using high test. I also use high test when I tow.
Use a K&N air filter, in the long run it is cheaper.
I bought that 1998 Chevy Silverado 1500 ext. cab, third door, 4x4 last Friday. Drove it 750 miles to LA and back and around. I have 3.73, automatic, 265x75x16 tires that I run at 44 psi, which is maximum rating for these tires.
Going down to LA I ran 87 octane and got 15.1 going 70-75 MPH. Coming back I ran 92 octane going the same 70-75 MPH and got 15.9. I'm very happy with the truck so far. I'll be towing a 4,500 lb. boat and trailer and will report back on mileage.
No rattle problems with the third door at this time. The truck is quiet and runs great.
you don't have to run your tires at 44 psi. that may be too much. look at the tag on the inside edge of the drivers door and it will tell you the required tire size and pressure. if the pressure and size match then fine, if not you need to adjust. my tires have a max rating of 50 psi, but door tags only say 35. running at 50 would make the ride rougher and would probably accelerate tire wear.
congrats on the truck, hope you like it. let us know how the mileage goes.
I agree with cdean 44 psi is a bit to much. I have a '97 with the oversize tires. Don't forget at highway speed the tire heats up and the air expands. I would not go over 35-38 psi cold. Also my dealer told me that using high test may rouin the computer. I don't know if this is true or not or why.
I have my '97 for almost two years now and the milage is around 15-17 mpg. A little advice on towing: until you reach at least 50mph DO NOT use overdrive. Always start out in 3. I only two a light camper @1500lbs and drive a bit slower, so when I tow I still get about 15mpg.
can you explain to me a little what you mean, or anything else you know, about towing in O/D. I never tow in O/D. on some long hauls though i wish I could. When i pull, i stay in 3rd at all times. I thought the main reason to stay out of O/D was because, especially with a 3.42 rear, the 1800 to 2000 rpms generated at highway speed did not give enough oil pressure and flow for the heat generated and high stress involved with heavier loads. plus, i don't have a trailer package, i don't have a heavy duty tranny, i don't have an engine or transmission oil cooler. i change my tranny oil every 30k, and its been clean everytime. my dad, on the other hand, has a 454 in a 3500 crewcab, heavyduty all the way, and he pulls heavy stuff (around 10K lbs) in OD all the time.
is there any failure risk you know about when pulling in overdrive. any info appreciated.
Ok, I just joined the club, bought the 1/2 ton extended cab, z71. This is why, and what modifications I made. Looked around for a month. easedroped this sight and others, drove my wife crazy with lists and when it got down to it, I couldn't really say there was a big difference. I was going to go with Ford. Then my mini blazer stated acting up. With no knowledge I was looking to buy, the Chevey dealer I sent the Blazer to busted his butt to get my wife back on the road. She was by herself, they came and got her, fixed it at a reasonable cost and delivered the car, all in three hours. The local service department sold a truck that day. (and i usually don't trust dealers).
I had the Z71 sticker removed, looked silly. I installed smitty built cab steps. This is easy if you have average to above mechanical skills. 250$ I had LineX install the sprayed bedliner 375$. Spraying took three hours and looks great.
Now 900 miles, 14.5 Mpg so far hope it gets a little better.
I have a friend who owns a trany shop. He said not to use overdrive under 50. Once you go over 50mph as substain speed above that it is OK. It has something to do with the way the trany or the torque converter engages the motor, I don't realy understand. Once you are rolling I don't think much heat is generated, actualy the weight may even be pushing you, therefore less stress and heat. I tow a light camper with no modification to the truck, but it is rated for 5000lbs. I change the engine oil at least every 3K miles and do a trany service at around 35-40K. When you do a trany service, just dropping the pan and changing the fluid/filter is not enough. Most of your fluid is still in the lines and converter. Need a place where they can "suck" out the old oil, while pumping in new fluid. He also added some stuff to my the trany fluid that will help with oxidation and keeps it from boiling.
A number of years ago I talked at length with a tire shop owner who also races trucks. He recommended always running your tires at maximum psi which is on the tire. He said this will ensure the best tire performance, wear and load capacity.
I have been running max air pressure, written on the tire, on all my auto tires for 10 years with no failures, except for the occasional flat from a nail, good wear and performance.
The tires on my Chevy 1500 are Goodyear Wrangler RT/S and are rated on the tire for 44 psi, but the label on the door of the truck does say 35 psi.
I'm going to email chevy and ask about this and also check with my local Goodyear dealer.
All my friends with Chevy 1/2 and 3/4 tons always tow in 3 and never use overdrive when towing.
So far, I have added a rubber mat in the bed to keep things from rolling around and plan to add nurf bars. Smitty has been recommended to me. I understand there different ways to mount nurf bars. Any suggestions.
I checked my oil preassure and at 65mph (I dont go over that when I tow) my '97 5.7L Vortec is registering @1600 rmp and a good solid 50+psi oil preassure.
Jim2:
When you e-mail chevy please find out about the overdrive while towing. My guy could be wrong.
i meant transmission oil pressure. i don't think the transmission in moving enough oil to accomodate the heat generated towing. at least thats my fear. are you talking about transmission oil pressure or engine?
I was talking about engine. But my transmission guy put some additvies in to combat overheating/oxidation and subsequent break down of the transmission fluid. No one ever mentioned to me about concerns of overheating the transmission fluid. Since it circulates in the radiator the engine temperature would give an indication of any problems, I guess.
Also back to tire inflation. Pickups are light in the [non-permissible content removed] and having 45+ psi in the tires will make the back hop and handle even worse. I can see running extra air in the front tires, but not in the back.
No word from Chevy yet but I talked to my local Goodyear dealer and he confirmed the 44 psi is OK and will add additional life to the tires. He said the new radials do not crown when running max air pressure. More air will just mean a stiffer ride. He speculates Chevy specifies 35 psi just so you will have a softer ride. On cement freeways, the back end does hop a bit at this pressure, but I don't mind and am now towing my boat so I prefer the additional pressure.
Hot News Flash!!!!! This same local tire dealer, who does all the local Chevy front end alignments, says to go to the Chevy dealer before I have 12,000 miles and tell them I need a front end alignment. He says Chevy will pay for one under warranty and in the process will install a "Cam Kit", with parts already on my '98 Chevy, which will allow for camber adjustment! Without the kit installed, only toe in and out alighment is possible!
According to him, Chevy has been doing this on 1/2 tons since 1990 but does not install the "Cam Kit" at the factory because VW has a patent on it and GM doesn't want to pay royalty fees. I'll be checking with my Chevy service manager about this. Has anyone had experience with this?
Stevek: Everyone I talk to agrees that you should never tow in overdrive. The guy who services my boat said his boss just blew up his third transmission in his Chevy 1/2 ton with 3.73 gears and he always tows his 5,000 boat in overdrive.
It might be OK to tow this same boat in overdrive with a 3/4 ton with 4.10 gears but I'm not sure I would take the chance. It also makes a difference if you add 33" or 35" tires. People who add these tires and don't changes their gears also burn up their transmissions in 1/2 tons. The Chevy 3/4 ton 8,600 GVWR trucks have a heavier duty transmission that the 1/2 ton and 7,200 GVWR 3/4 ton Chevys don't have.
I only tow a pop-up camper, which does not weight more then @1700-1800 lbs, and it does not have a high profile therefore low wind resistance. My truck came with 245/75r16 off road Firestone tires and I chaged them to 265/75r16 Michelin highway tires. I will double check with my guy about towing in overdrive. Will aslo call some Chevy dealers. By the way I always use 3rd when taking off and once get to over 50mph then use overdrive. May be those guys did not shift and just left it in OD. That will ruin the transmission, but once you are moving on the interstate my guy said it did not matter. Its the initial startup which will put extra preassure on the components.
Is the reason that trannys have problems when towing in O/D because the engine is running at too low of an RPM with the load? I've heard that people with the lower axle ratios, such as the 4.10, can tow in O/D without problems. That would make sense if the problem with towing in O/D is the low rpm. A lower axle ratio will be running at higher rpm at highway speeds than a taller gear at the same speed.
I thought the O/D selection enabled over drive to engage at the appropriate speed. The above comments sound like engaging O/D makes it stay in overdrive, even when stopping and starting again. If the O/D selection in a truck is this different from a car, this is a significant thing to share with the clueless (like me).
the engine doesn't know or care what gear you are in. engine wear or life is not affected, other than fuel mileage. the only thing that affects it is you have less get up and go the higher gear you are in. i really don't know much about transmissions, but i have an extensive mechanical background, and i have a gut feeling about things. i think the problem with towing in OD is the rpms. transmission oil pressure is HIGHlY dependent on rpms. my truck at 65 mph, turns 1800 rpm in OD, and 2500 rpms in 3rd. thats a huge difference, and transmission oil flow is probably close to doubled in 3rd. this is especially important in halfton trucks, where the tranny's are not built as thick. they're not built to carry heat and stress like the 3/4 and one ton autos.
to me, OD towing just does not provide enough oil flow in the tranny to provide for protection against stress and carry away heat. i don't think people realize what an important role oil takes in carrying away heat. its double trouble when a component is under high heat AND raised stress, because all metals lose hardness and wear faster at higher temperatures. in stevek's case, i can see towing in overdrive, the truck probably hardly knows his camper is back there. but i'm worried about pulling stuff like i do, 5000# +.
stevek, if you could ask your friend exactly what goes on with the "problem" with starting in OD. i'm very curious. i don't see how that makes a difference, because your transmission doesn't know what gear your selector is in, until it reaches 3rd gear, and the computer is telling it to stay there. i could be very wrong, like i said, i'm not a transmission guy. interesting though.
I've always heard that the real enemy of an automatic tranny is heat. It seems that as it heats up AT fluid loses it lubricity, causing internal components to contact and basically chew themselves to pieces. This is why having an auxilliary tranny cooler is very important to people who tow alot. As for you guys debating towing in OD, I'd say it depends upon the situation. Ideally, you want your tranny to shift to high gear (whether OD or Drive), lockup the torque converter, and stay there. In that situation, the torque converter isn't slipping and generating heat in the AT fluid. So if your truck is "shifting itself to death" as my dad used to say--that is, going in and out of OD, locking and unlocking the torque converter--you need to manually gear it down into third or even second to keep it from heating-up. Take heart, though, GM automatics are as tough as they come. Keep 'em cool and they'll last forever.
cdean: He said it has to do with the roller clutch spraig and the clutch pack. In third they are both engaged (its is similar to a one way set up like the starter got). If your load is light enough you can use O/D on the interstate. In may case at 65-70 mph my truck does not donwshift on a moderate uphill.
I noticed my '97 5.7L Vortec got a slight knocking when using 10W-40 oil, will have to switch back to 10w-30. Any comments?
why did you switch to 10w-40. does it knock all the time, just under heavy loads, just at startup? i do know that you can look in the owners manual and it will tell you all the allowable weights of oil you can use given your average daily temperature.
I switched when got over 35K on the truck, I figured it was going hold up better. I hear a tapping noise at idle, I guess the heavier oil does not circulate that well at low rpm's. I usually buy the oil that is on sale, but if I am towing better to buy a good brand name (like Penzoil) 10w-30. I spoke to someone last night and he confirmed about using/not using O/D. But if your towed weight is over the mid 2,000 lbs then the O/D should not be used.
I'm thinking of buying a 1997 c2500HD ext. cab Silverado, loaded,camper pkg. ,tow pkg., 5.7 vortec, AT. , 4k miles, $20,000.. Does anybody have an idea what kind of mpg I can expect? Does this sound like a good price?
expect anywhere from 13 to 16 mpg combined highway and city driving, depending on what rear end you have. for the price trucks are going for, and depending on where you are at, probably is a fair price.
1003: Sounds like a steal-of-a-deal to me! In California, you can't touch a truck like that for under $23,000. You can check the blue book on this Edmunds site if you know the options but once again in California, a truck like that will bring high blue book at auction and over full retail on a dealers lot. You can expect to get between 10-17 MPG depending on: speed, diff. gearing, tires, grade of fuel, whether you are empty or towing a heavy load and whether or not you have to buy oxygenated gas. Overal, the Chevy 5.7 seems to get better mileage, any where from 1-5 MPG, than the Dodge 5.9 or the ford 5.4 with everything being equal. I haven't heard from enough Ford 5.4 owners, or Dodge 5.9 owners to get a good enough reading on those4 engines mileage. But, the few people I do know seem to be getting worse mileage than the Chevy.
Two Dodge 1/2 ton 4x4 ext. cab 3.73 owners with the 5.9 can't get better than 10 MPG no matter what they do and they say their trucks won't go much faster than 75 MPH. They also report brakes that heat up fast and shudder. These are 1997 trucks. One Ford F250 light duty owner I know with the 5.4 and 4x4 ext cab likes his truck but wishes for a little more power and better mileage, but otherwise is very happy with his truck.
REGARDING MANUFACTURER'S DISCOUNTS: I'm looking at 1998 K1500s locally. The "1SB" preferred package lists for $3036 and invoices at $2611. Edmund's claims that this package is heavily discounted to the dealer (from $2611 down to $1536), but the dealers' invoices don't reflect this. The difference is worth about $1100 to me. Can anyone confirm whether this package is in fact discounted down to the dealer? Thanks so much.
A dealer (especially a high volume one) pays a lot less than what the invoice shows. There is allways room for negotiation. The only problem you have with it at this time is the GM strike which cut supplies.
Hey all, Thinking of buying an S10 and wondering when any 1999 pricing might be available? Anyone out there got ant ideas? Have checked several internet resources without any luck.
I was in the market for a new truck. I searched for all the information that I could get. I had a Dodge with the Cummins diesel and was very happy with it but I wanted a 4x4 that was not too high off the ground. This left me with only one option, GM they are much lower and I am a short person. After all the research I came to the conclusion that I would but a GM diesel 4x4 long bed, extra cab. I was able to find a GMC that met all my needs. I bought it and I love it. It is quiet compared to the others and gets about 17 mpg. Seeing that GM has spent very little in advertizing their diesel I was a little reluctant to get one. I have talked to several who have them and all seem to be very happy with them. I am more that pleased with this truck so far as It exceeds all I ever expected in a new truck. It's a 4x4 truck that I don't need a ladder to get into. and it has a very smooth ride too.
I just got back from a 9500 mile trip from Nova Scotia and back and I avg 14.8 mpg pulling a 6100 lb travel trailer. I was astonished at the gas mileage i am gettng with this new Vortec. It is a 1998, 5.7 liter with a 3:73 rear. I only get abt 17 mpg when not pulling. I had a 1994 5.7 and only got around 11.5 pulling. This is a much improved truck all around.
I own a 1997 GMC Sierra 1500 and have had numerous problems with the truck. It has been in the shop 6 times with various problems. The most consistent problem is with the brakes. What are the requirements for a claim on the lemon law in Georgia. Thank you for any information that you can provide on this matter. Gad Woodall
I own a 1995 c2500 pickup with a 6.5 diesel and I have had several problem with the injector pumps. The truck had a new pump at 87,000 at chevy expense under warr., it needed another at 132,664 at a cost of $1,695.71 and I have just been informed that it needs another at 147,370 miles cost $1,895.71 or so. I dont believe I will ever purchase another GM product P.s. Every 6.5 diesel owner that I have spoken to has had several pumps, 10 pumps to drive 100,000 miles.
I own a 1988 K2500, 5.7L, auto trans, ext cab with 85K miles. When I pull a heavy load (3500lbs) and the engine gets hot for an extended time, the ECM fuse blows. The engine never over-heats because the high speed fan kicks in. Has anyone else experienced this problem? If so, what did you do to cure it? I have examined the harness as close as possible and I couldn't see any possible insulation shorts. Looking for help.
1003 I have a 98 gmc 3/4 4x4 ext cab short bed with a shell 5.7 auto 3:73. with 2 kayaks on roof at 75mph on a 4,000 mile trip to Minnesota I got 15mpg. truck had 12,000 miles on it. I have a k&n filter. smooth and strong.
I have a 1990 chevy c1500 2x4 w/a 350 5.7l long bed w/a k&n filter and a hypertech chip.but at startup in the morning it smokes for a couple of seconds then quits whats the problem?I'm selling it for $7,000 anyone interested?leave a response w/e-mail address.it has a sony cd player in dash, a 10 inch bandpass subwoofer,dual exhaust 275/60r15 w/chrome chevy rims.anyone know anything about a 1998 shortbed 5.7l 350 vortech regular cab.are they fast?my truck that i have now will beat a 1998 mustang gt from a 20 punch. thanks luke1
your '90 truck sounds like the valve guides are starting to leak. oil drips down the valve stem and gets past the valve seals. when you cut the truck off, a little oil drips down on top of the piston, and the next time you start it, the oil burns, and you see smoke.
unless its just condensation from the tailpipe.
a '98 350 in a short bed regular cab pickup will be so fast, you are going to have to buy a radar detector.
thanks yall but i maybe getting a 96-98 ext. cab z71 w/5.7l 350 in it anybody no anything about them on or offroad wise.any info helps. are they good mechanically,in the mud,in the mountains,on the road,etc. thanks luke1
Have 1997 S10 V-6 with 5 speed. Have had problem with power control module since new. Motor continues to accelerate for a non-specific time after taking foot off throttle. GM says they recognize the problem but do not have a "fix". Anybody else having this problem? What are you doing about it?
I have a '54 1/2 ton Chevy stepside, body only. I'm thinking about putting it on a '72 to '80 something frame with disk brakes and power steering. I'm looking for a source for info on wheelbase and frame sizes that would best fit. Any suggestions.
Does anyone got a tapping sound at idle? My 97 vortec 5.7L with 5w-30 or 10w-30 oil got it. It does not matter if the engine is cold or hot the noise is the same. No oil circulation or normal noise???
Comments
Kfarley: I test drove many 4x4 extended cab pickups over the last month and based on smoothness of ride I rank them as follows with the first being smoothest and the last harshest: Chevy 1500, Chevy 2500, Ford F250 light duty, F250 Superduty, Dodge 2500.
Pworange: I have also heard from friends with 1997 1/2 ton Chevys that the front disc brake pads wear out after 10,000 miles.
Stevek: What is the name of the "lifetime pads" you put on and where did you buy them? Also, how did you determine gear oil was getting on the rear drums? I am planning on buying a 1998 Chevy 1/2 ton ext. cab 4x4. Any additional things to be aware of? My father-in-law has a 1993 Chevy ext cab 1/2 ton 2x4 and bleads his brake lines every 10,000 miles. He says he bleads the line until the fluid is clear. He doesn't report front disc brake pad problems. I also hear the new '96-'98 Vortec 5.7L motor is getting about 2 MPG less then older 5.7L engines.
My rear end leak was visible on the inside of the plate. When the seal gave away it leaked onto the rear brakes. The problem was a diffective rear end housing which was replaced. Chevy claims they have only one other occurence of this and that is why it took a while to find it.
My 5.7L gets about 15-17 mpg, even when I tow. In the summer I run it on regular and in the winter I use high test. In the north east that oxigenated junk kills gas milage and I actually save money by using high test. I also use high test when I tow.
Use a K&N air filter, in the long run it is cheaper.
Going down to LA I ran 87 octane and got 15.1 going 70-75 MPH. Coming back I ran 92 octane going the same 70-75 MPH and got 15.9. I'm very happy with the truck so far. I'll be towing a 4,500 lb. boat and trailer and will report back on mileage.
No rattle problems with the third door at this time. The truck is quiet and runs great.
you don't have to run your tires at 44 psi. that may be too much. look at the tag on the inside edge of the drivers door and it will tell you the required tire size and pressure. if the pressure and size match then fine, if not you need to adjust. my tires have a max rating of 50 psi, but door tags only say 35. running at 50 would make the ride rougher and would probably accelerate tire wear.
congrats on the truck, hope you like it. let us know how the mileage goes.
I have my '97 for almost two years now and the milage is around 15-17 mpg. A little advice on towing: until you reach at least 50mph DO NOT use overdrive. Always start out in 3. I only two a light camper @1500lbs and drive a bit slower, so when I tow I still get about 15mpg.
can you explain to me a little what you mean, or anything else you know, about towing in O/D. I never tow in O/D. on some long hauls though i wish I could. When i pull, i stay in 3rd at all times. I thought the main reason to stay out of O/D was because, especially with a 3.42 rear, the 1800 to 2000 rpms generated at highway speed did not give enough oil pressure and flow for the heat generated and high stress involved with heavier loads. plus, i don't have a trailer package, i don't have a heavy duty tranny, i don't have an engine or transmission oil cooler. i change my tranny oil every 30k, and its been clean everytime. my dad, on the other hand, has a 454 in a 3500 crewcab, heavyduty all the way, and he pulls heavy stuff (around 10K lbs) in OD all the time.
is there any failure risk you know about when pulling in overdrive. any info appreciated.
cdean
I had the Z71 sticker removed, looked silly.
I installed smitty built cab steps. This is easy if you have average to above mechanical skills. 250$
I had LineX install the sprayed bedliner 375$. Spraying took three hours and looks great.
Now 900 miles, 14.5 Mpg so far hope it gets a little better.
This a great truck
I have a friend who owns a trany shop. He said not to use overdrive under 50. Once you go over 50mph as substain speed above that it is OK. It has something to do with the way the trany or the torque converter engages the motor, I don't realy understand. Once you are rolling I don't think much heat is generated, actualy the weight may even be pushing you, therefore less stress and heat.
I tow a light camper with no modification to the truck, but it is rated for 5000lbs. I change the engine oil at least every 3K miles and do a trany service at around 35-40K.
When you do a trany service, just dropping the pan and changing the fluid/filter is not enough. Most of your fluid is still in the lines and converter. Need a place where they can "suck" out the old oil, while pumping in new fluid. He also added some stuff to my the trany fluid that will help with oxidation and keeps it from boiling.
I have been running max air pressure, written on the tire, on all my auto tires for 10 years with no failures, except for the occasional flat from a nail, good wear and performance.
The tires on my Chevy 1500 are Goodyear Wrangler RT/S and are rated on the tire for 44 psi, but the label on the door of the truck does say 35 psi.
I'm going to email chevy and ask about this and also check with my local Goodyear dealer.
All my friends with Chevy 1/2 and 3/4 tons always tow in 3 and never use overdrive when towing.
So far, I have added a rubber mat in the bed to keep things from rolling around and plan to add nurf bars. Smitty has been recommended to me. I understand there different ways to mount nurf bars. Any suggestions.
I checked my oil preassure and at 65mph (I dont go over that when I tow) my '97 5.7L Vortec is registering @1600 rmp and a good solid 50+psi oil preassure.
Jim2:
When you e-mail chevy please find out about the overdrive while towing. My guy could be wrong.
i meant transmission oil pressure. i don't think the transmission in moving enough oil to accomodate the heat generated towing. at least thats my fear. are you talking about transmission oil pressure or engine?
Also back to tire inflation. Pickups are light in the [non-permissible content removed] and having 45+ psi in the tires will make the back hop and handle even worse. I can see running extra air in the front tires, but not in the back.
Hot News Flash!!!!! This same local tire dealer, who does all the local Chevy front end alignments, says to go to the Chevy dealer before I have 12,000 miles and tell them I need a front end alignment. He says Chevy will pay for one under warranty and in the process will install a "Cam Kit", with parts already on my '98 Chevy, which will allow for camber adjustment! Without the kit installed, only toe in and out alighment is possible!
According to him, Chevy has been doing this on 1/2 tons since 1990 but does not install the "Cam Kit" at the factory because VW has a patent on it and GM doesn't want to pay royalty fees. I'll be checking with my Chevy service manager about this. Has anyone had experience with this?
Stevek: Everyone I talk to agrees that you should never tow in overdrive. The guy who services my boat said his boss just blew up his third transmission in his Chevy 1/2 ton with 3.73 gears and he always tows his 5,000 boat in overdrive.
It might be OK to tow this same boat in overdrive with a 3/4 ton with 4.10 gears but I'm not sure I would take the chance. It also makes a difference if you add 33" or 35" tires. People who add these tires and don't changes their gears also burn up their transmissions in 1/2 tons. The Chevy 3/4 ton 8,600 GVWR trucks have a heavier duty transmission that the 1/2 ton and 7,200 GVWR 3/4 ton Chevys don't have.
By the way I always use 3rd when taking off and once get to over 50mph then use overdrive. May be those guys did not shift and just left it in OD. That will ruin the transmission, but once you are moving on the interstate my guy said it did not matter. Its the initial startup which will put extra preassure on the components.
If the O/D selection in a truck is this different from a car, this is a significant thing to share with the clueless (like me).
to me, OD towing just does not provide enough oil flow in the tranny to provide for protection against stress and carry away heat. i don't think people realize what an important role oil takes in carrying away heat. its double trouble when a component is under high heat AND raised stress, because all metals lose hardness and wear faster at higher temperatures. in stevek's case, i can see towing in overdrive, the truck probably hardly knows his camper is back there. but i'm
worried about pulling stuff like i do, 5000# +.
stevek, if you could ask your friend exactly what goes on with the "problem" with starting in OD. i'm very curious. i don't see how that makes a difference, because your transmission doesn't know what gear your selector is in, until it reaches 3rd gear, and the computer is telling it to stay there. i could be very wrong, like i said, i'm not a transmission guy. interesting though.
As for you guys debating towing in OD, I'd say it depends upon the situation. Ideally, you want your tranny to shift to high gear (whether OD or Drive), lockup the torque converter, and stay there. In that situation, the torque converter isn't slipping and generating heat in the AT fluid. So if your truck is "shifting itself to death" as my dad used to say--that is, going in and out of OD, locking and unlocking the torque converter--you need to manually gear it down into third or even second to keep it from heating-up.
Take heart, though, GM automatics are as tough as they come. Keep 'em cool and they'll last forever.
He said it has to do with the roller clutch spraig and the clutch pack. In third they are both engaged (its is similar to a one way set up like the starter got).
If your load is light enough you can use O/D on the interstate. In may case at 65-70 mph my truck does not donwshift on a moderate uphill.
I noticed my '97 5.7L Vortec got a slight knocking when using 10W-40 oil, will have to switch back to 10w-30. Any comments?
why did you switch to 10w-40. does it knock all the time, just under heavy loads, just at startup? i do know that you can look in the owners manual and it will tell you all the allowable weights of oil you can use given your average daily temperature.
I spoke to someone last night and he confirmed about using/not using O/D. But if your towed weight is over the mid 2,000 lbs then the O/D should not be used.
speed, diff. gearing, tires, grade of fuel, whether you are empty or towing a heavy load and whether or not you have to buy oxygenated gas. Overal, the Chevy 5.7 seems to get better mileage, any where from 1-5 MPG, than the Dodge 5.9 or the ford 5.4 with everything being equal. I haven't heard from enough Ford 5.4 owners, or Dodge 5.9 owners to get a good enough reading on those4 engines mileage. But, the few people I do know seem to be getting worse mileage than the Chevy.
Two Dodge 1/2 ton 4x4 ext. cab 3.73 owners with the 5.9 can't get better than 10 MPG no matter what they do and they say their trucks won't go much faster than 75 MPH. They also report brakes that heat up fast and shudder. These are 1997 trucks. One Ford F250 light duty owner I know with the 5.4 and 4x4 ext cab likes his truck but wishes for a little more power and better mileage, but otherwise is very happy with his truck.
Can anyone confirm whether this package is in fact discounted down to the dealer?
Thanks so much.
when any 1999 pricing might be available? Anyone
out there got ant ideas? Have checked several
internet resources without any luck.
It is a 1998, 5.7 liter with a 3:73 rear.
I only get abt 17 mpg when not pulling. I had a 1994 5.7 and only got around 11.5 pulling.
This is a much improved truck all around.
Gad Woodall
The truck had a new pump at 87,000 at chevy expense under warr., it needed another at 132,664
at a cost of $1,695.71 and I have just been informed that it needs another at 147,370 miles cost $1,895.71 or so. I dont believe I will ever
purchase another GM product
P.s. Every 6.5 diesel owner that I have spoken to has had several pumps, 10 pumps to drive 100,000 miles.
Has anyone else experienced this problem? If so, what did you do to cure it? I have examined the harness as close as possible and I couldn't see any possible insulation shorts. Looking for help.
thanks
luke1
unless its just condensation from the tailpipe.
a '98 350 in a short bed regular cab pickup will be so fast, you are going to have to buy a radar detector.
thanks
luke1
Any suggestions.