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Chevy Silverado: Problems & Solutions
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Comments
While traveling on level ground with very slow and gradual acceleration at about 65 to 70 miles per hour the vehicle starts to shutter, like it's in a gear to high for the speed and needs to down shift.
If you apply more acceleration the problem continues until about 75 mph.
The condition exists with cruise control on or off.
If you move the transmission to the manual mode and shift down to 5th gear the shutter goes away.
Does anyone else have this problem?
My truck's folder at the dealership was 2" thick in less than a year. That's what the service advisor told the GM rep when it came time to discuss alternatives to buyback. Took a 5/100 Major Guard extended warranty in lieu of a buyback since I had added a lot of aftermarket parts which I didn't want to remove. Got rid of all the rattles when I dynamat the truck since it allowed me to tighten every nut and bolt since I removed everything to install it.
That was on a '00 extended cab Silverado. Got a '05 Nissan Titan...funny thing don't even have a service folder.
Thanks
If your driveshaft has a support bearing, carefully inspect the rubber bushing around the bearing. If that bushing is damaged aor loose, it can cause very unpleasant vibration.
Becuase your vibration occurs only under load, you may have an issue with U-joints. Have you installed a lift kit on this truck?
One thing I would check is possibility of a bent axle, which would cause one wheel to move up and down. Jack up the truck by the rear axle differential on level surface, and place jackstands under the axle. Start the engine
and place the truck in drive. Observe the rear wheels for any up and down movement. Look at the driveshaft while it is rotating and watch for driveshaft vibration. This test is best done with a helper in the cab in case something goes wrong (like truck falling off the jack stands). Do not crawl under the truck while doing this! Observe rotation of parts from several feet away.
You mentioned that the tires were changed and there is no difference. While doing the above test you can also check the tires for out-of-round condition, which could also cause vibration. However, if this were the cause, the vibration would not go away under coasting conditions. Seems to me that your problem is related to the driveshaft carrier bearing or the U-joints, or unbalanced driveshaft.
But, if your driveshaft was replaced along with the U-joints, one can eliminate this as the cause.
Next thing I would check are motor and transmission mounts. Under load, bad mounts could cause the driveline to vibrate.
We cracked the case open and found a snap ring was causing the problem by wearing the hole where it touches the housing.
I’m currently waiting for delivery of a new transfer case from Chevy and wondering if this is common problem? Will I need to replace the transfer case every 60K miles?
Problem: "But, if your driveshaft was replaced along with the U-joints, one can eliminate this as the cause."
Everyone assumed this and the u-joints were the problem. Because the driveshaft was a factory replacement everyone, including me, assumed the problem was something else. Turns out that the factory u-joints were not lasting very long on this truck. Of course the next question is, "is there something else causing the u-joints to wear prematurely on this truck?" Time will tell, but the vibration is gone and the truck is as smooth as it was 57K ago. Thanks for the input.
-David
I'm also a first time buyer and would like a little information from those who have purchased trucks on what I would really "need" (options, etc) and suggested brands.
First, a little about myself.
I'm a college student in North Carolina, graduting in Decemeber 2006, as a Construction Management major. I'll be going into residential contracting as a supervisor...not a grunt. I'm planning to purchase in the beginning of the summer, probably may or june.
I'm looking to purchase a truck for myself, it will be a dualpurpose vehicle....my only mode of transportation and as a vehicle to drive around a worksite from house to house. I currently have a volvo wagon, with standard transmission, and shifting a couple times to only go 50 feet gets old real quick. So automatic is a must. Since its my only vehicle, its gotta have a nice ride, I'm not one who likes to feel every single bump in the road.
One decision that is holding me up is 4x2 vs 4x4...I live in the south and dont plan to move north, we rarely get snow and when we do I like just staying in bed (haha). I'm not one for offroading, so I'm leaning towards just a 4x2. Anybody have any particular reason why I should consider 4x4?.
NExt big decision is extended cab vs. double cab. I gradute in december, and wont be getting married anytime soon...my girlfriend still has a couple years of college (and I'm a ways off from marriage anyways...so kids although I'd like a couple in the future, are at least 4 or 5 years away.
Big decision #3 is diesel vs gasoline. I dont have a boat, and I dont really plan on doing a whole lot of trailering, and the research I've done mostly states that diesel really pulls through with the torque and power end of things, to really help getting those big loads moving...correct?
Also, since I'm plannign on getting an '06, does anybody have any major grief with them? I've been looking through the forums but havent found anything huge that people have had tons of problems with them. (Or did I miss something?)
Thanks alot
4 wheel drive without a locking or limited slip rear differential is really just a 2 wheel drive truck when it comes down to traction on slick surfaces. Ulimately, you'd want 4 wheel drive with a locking rear dif, which in the worst conditions gives you 3 wheels with traction. However 4WD is more expensive and you get worse gas mileage even on the highway in 2WD mode. Most people rarely even use it. Regular maintenance and repairs are more costly on 4WD also. For less than $300 bucks you can get the locking rear differential option on a 2WD truck, which basically gives you 2 wheels with positraction, same as a "4WD" without the locker/limited slip which runs a couple thousand $ more.
Ext cab vs double cab. How often do you think you will be carrying adult passengers? If that will be rare, go with the ext cab. Our backseat is used for cargo and grocerys much more than passengers. But works well for passengers when needed. The double cab weighs more and shortens the bed, unless you get the long [non-permissible content removed] version that makes parking and manuvering in tight spaces a hassle. Besides, even if you have kids later while you still own the truck, how much leg room do they really need? They'll be in carseats:)
Diesel vs Gas. Diesels are around $8000 more. Do you need all that tourqe? I know I wanted it! But couldn't really justify the cost since I'll never need to tow more than 6000lbs. Diesel costs more than gasoline nowadays too.
After much thought and research, I went with a 2005 Chevy Silverado LS (2006 models are renamed trim level "LT2") 2WD 1500 Ext cab with the 5.3L vortex engine, locking rear diff, and 3.73 gear ratio for towing. I'm very happy with it, and although I've only racked up 7900 miles so far (half towing about 4000lbs) I've had no problems at all.
Just my 2 cents:)
I just looked on the chevy build and price site, and it appears that "Differential, locking, heavy-duty, rear (G80)" is standard on most, if not all trucks. (With the LT2 package at least.)
Also...thoughts on the Vortec 6000 vs the vortec 5300 with flex fuel....the flex fuel sounds like a winner to me, and will only become more popular as time goes on.
Chevy is coming out with an all new 2007 Silverado later this summer. You may want to wait and see what that brings. Click on "future vehicles" above for more info.
"4 wheel drive without a locking or limited slip rear differential is really just 2 wheel drive truck when it comes down to traction on slick surfaces".
That is absolutely not true. I say that because I owned several 4 WD trucks and SUVs, all with either limited slip or locking rear differential. Without exception, all these vehicles got stuck in dry loose sand, or deep mud immediately when in the 2WD mode, limited or locking rear end or not. Engaging the 4WD got them going again immediately. There is no substitue for the front end wheels pulling uder poor traction condition.
My old Jeep CJ had a locking rear and limited slip front and I still got it stuck in snow. For serious 4 wheeling, theres nothing like a good wench on the front.
Personally I prefer a winch.
Firstly, I am newly joined to this forum, and secondly, allow me to proclaim my virtual ignorance of automobile
mechanics.
That having been said, I have a problem: I own a 2002 Chev Silverado extended cab 2 WD. Over the last couple of weeks
I have noticed the odor of gasoline when I ended a trip and turned the engine off.
The odor came not from the engine compartment but from an
area of the bed immediately behind the cab on the drivers
side. The area in question, was a hole provided for a support post on the edge of the pickup bed (there is, of course, 1 at each corner).
This evening I crawled under the truck for the purpose of
viewing anything unusual, and directly beneath the metal shield on the gasoline tank, I could make out what
appeared to be a wide gasoline stain.
Further looking revealed similar stains in an area that appears to be the bottom of the pickup bed, just immediately above whatever rests on top of the gas tank (I could not see on top of the gasoline tank; there were too many things in the way). There is about a 4 or 5 inch space gap between the top of the gasoline tank and the bottom of the pickup bed.
At first blush, I thought that the stains on the bottom of the tank were spillage residue from overfilling the tank, but I could think of no way that such stains could likewise appear ABOVE the gas tank on the bottom of the truck bed.
Has anyone ever heard of this problem before, and if so could someone suggest a remedy? The truck was purchased new and has never been wrecked or abused.
Curiously, I have not noticed any appreciable loss in gas mileage, an observation which mystifies me since I would expect such an event if I were leaking gasoline.
Finally, is this a dangerous problem, and if so, is it too dangerous to drive the vehicle to my dealership about 20 miles away?
Thank you for indulging my ignorance and reviewing my questions.
Sincerely
talon1
Also while checking out the front end to see if anything was wrong with the 4WD, I noticed a lot of grease on the plastic boot of the axle. There is no noticeable tear on the boot and I'm confused where the grease came from. The grease sprayed all over the fender wall. It can be a small crack that I can't see but anybody know whats possibly wrong?
Will be driving, and get a hesitation like the engine wants to stop, but it continues to run. When this happens it will often happen 3-4 times in 5-6 miles. Then it will run fine for a week or more.
I would start the truck in park (or neutral if manual transmission) and firmly set the parking brake. Place some chocks under the rear wheels. Then look under the truck with the engine running and fuel pump operating, if you see any gas dripping. You may have a loose flexible fuel line clamp somewhere, or a leaking solid fuel line joint. Carefully inspect the fuel tank fittings where the fuel line exits the tank.
Took until Tuesday this week to get into shop. Had not driven it since friday. Went out to start it, and battery was COMPLETELY DEAD. Registered 3.3 V on my meter. Had AAA jump it (as described in the manual), and it started right up. Charging system registered working. Tried the radio on a whim - and the speakers are now working!!!!
Dealer cannot find anything wrong - says battery is testing good and has no idea what to do about the radio. Is there a connection between a sterio that quit working and a discharged battery only a few days later? Any Thoughts?
chevy,silverado 2003 1500
This is a tuffie.
Have someone check the obvious, such as loose exhaust that might be banging against the bottom of the truck, damaged driveshaft carier bearing bushing (if it has a driveshaft carrier bearing). Some problems common of these trucks are defective intermediate steering shaft which can cause bouncing in the steering wheel and clunking.
Actually you have at least 2 U-joints - if one is bad I would replace both - but ask them for a discount on the second one. I can't recall the exact amount I paid - it was like $125 for one and $165 if I did both at the same time. With my luck I would have ended up back at the shop a week later with the second one going out - and another $125 bill.
Forgive the tardiness of my return; things have
been hectic the last couple of days.
Firstly, my deepest appreciation to those who
responded to my earlier plea for assistance.
Secondly, here is the gist of what I discovered at my
dealership: the plastic nipple atop the fuel pump was cracked and spraying gasoline upward to the underside
of my truck bed. The repair required a replacement of
the fuel pump-- a VERY costly repair.
In any event, the concensus of the service department
was (they have only had 2 of this type of complaint in
three years) that an overzealous employee at a
quick-service oil change business ( remaining unnamed)
who had changed my oil, oil filter, and fuel filter
2 months previously had handled the changing of the fuel
filter a little roughly, cracking the plastic nipple
on top of the fuel pump.
They, the service personnel, said that they can think
of nothing else that could account for such an event
as happened to me, and the other situation they had
dealt with also came from another individual who had
likewise previously had his fuel filter changed at
such an establishment.
Assuming that their conclusions are in fact accurate,
I am explaining this so that anyone else considering
a fuel filter change at such a location be cautious
and observant.
Note, however, that this is not intended as a
universal indictment of ALL such facilities;
only a cautionary "heads-up" in the
interest of prudence.
Again, thank you.
Sincerely,
Talon1
I just bought a 2WD 6 cylinder 2006 Silverado Extended Cab W/T a month ago. Since I picked the truck up, the gas peddle vibrates and I can hear vibrations in the truck when I accelerate. I took the truck in yesterday to the dealership service center and the guy didn't know what was wrong with it. Then today I get a call and the guy says there is a disturbance in the exhaust. There is nothing he can do. I have driven other 6 cylinder Silverados and have never noticed anything wrong. Has anyone else seen this, or can anyone explain to me what is going on? I would really appreciate any help I can get here.
I have a 2000 Silverado Truck. Symptoms:
1. It's difficult to start - it "rolls over" fine (when it's not powerless), or makes a starting sound, but then won't stay started when I shift into drive
2. Sometimes, it's completely dead inside; no lights, no locks, and of course the key won't do anything
3. In December when I was driving home, it died in the road (no power whatsoever). Then it turned out the fuel filter exploded or something - I got that replaced.
4. I've also replaced the battery, just in case.
Any ideas?
Thanks,
gdubf
bad proporting vale?????scratching my head going WTF....ANY HELP WOULD BE APPRECIATED oh bled the abs valve and i think it is ok :sick:
Paul
I don't have any wierd noises.
I wary of my transmission - when its cold the tranny feels like it slips in Reverse. There have also been times where it would slip in forward also cold - it may have been an overly sensitive shifter???? IE not all the way engaged becuase it was in between D and another gear? Not really sure.
Any one else have this issue?
I have driven other trucks with the same noise before.
I also had a weird buzzing noise in Nissan truck. It sounded like an angry giant bumlebee buzzzing inside the cabin. It turned out to be fluttering of partially loose mylar film on the upper windshield moulding! The noise was getting unbearable and it would come in at speeds over 45 MPH. Replacing the moulding fixed the problem for good.
pblb33