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Comments
I'm thinking of purchasing one.
Any info is appreciated.
rcoos
5.3 After four trips to the dealer, they finally flashed the computer to change the shift sequence in the transmission to shift into overdrive at a little higher speed. The grinding,groaning vibration is finnaly gone. For now I am a happy camper.I have had absolutely no other problems with this truck as of 13,500 miles.
Had launch shutter, first they reflashed the tranny, costing me 3-4 mpg. With no help for the actual problem. Then new rear leafs helped subside the shutter is all. I asked about the mpg, and they told me that for that little of a change there are to many other variances. But I have logged my mileage steady and they screwed it up, for a far fetched 3 minute fix.
I have also thought that it is possible that the torque converter could cause the launch shutter that they have hidden with height adjustment. Haven't had enough weight YET to determine.
It also shakes at 40 and 65 mph.
Still in and out of service, with hopes still high, cause I just love the truck.
Had a load the other day, shudder just as bad as ever.
I feel they should just keep going forward...My driveshaft still isn't straight. Once that's done, I would HOPE for a new tranny.
Right now I am trying to find some new plugs to get rid of the pings. I am going to try the NGK TR6's. One range colder than stock. But I am having quite a time locating them.
I have a 99 auto 5.3 Z71.
Also on the Gas mileage. My uncle has a truck the same as mine but has the fleetside and his truck does get better mileage than mine. My truck gets 14.? and every once in a while I hit 15. Talked to the dealer about the tranny calibration at the chevy site that says it could affect fuel economy and the dealer said to print it and bring it to him?
Have a feeling my tranny may have been upgraded and is costing me at the pump?
Pot holes, speed bumps, rough roads all cause the problem. I've had it at the dealer at least twice for this problem and they can't find anything wrong. My bet is they haven't even driven it over bumps. I'm fed up having to continuously take it in and have the same problems when I pick it up.
A truck that stickered at $32,000 plus should not have these problems. I recently rented a new 2000 Silverado 4X4 non-Z71 from National Car Rental and it rode quietly over bumps without the clanking.
I also have the rattle noise up front when turning that I can feel through the steering wheel. When I first mentioned this they said they found a loose shock absorber and tightened it up. Loose shock at 13,000 miles? So much for quality. I still have the problem, by the way.
My 1996 Toyota Tacoma 4X4 'base model' that I sold to purchase the Sierra had no problems, no squeaks, no rattles in the 50,000 miles that I owned it. Guess I should never have gotten rid of it.
So to fix the problems for good I'm selling the truck! Yippee! My new 2000 VW Passat wagon is on order and will be here soon!
Have a vibration at 65-70mph in steering wheel and felt through seats also. After several wheel balancing sessions at the dealer, new General P255-70R16 tires were installed, with no change, then had Michelin LTX M/S tires installed, with no luck. Dealer claimed that before the new Generals were installed, they had put 4 wheels and tires from a new truck in stock on my truck and the vibes were gone-I didn't drive the truck at that time (I should have!)I appreciate the info from this site as I now have proof that there is a problem and it isn't only my truck with it. I would like to see any info from others with more advice on what items to check for this annoying vibration, and possible solutions-ready to take steps to have GM buy the truck back!
Well,it didn't do anything,except go nice and straight,no shakes except the normal wind and when a semi was passed.
I had it at 60,70,80,and 90 for a short time,and it was a very nice ride.Not hairy like it was in my old K5 Blazer.
My truck is a '00 Sierra SLE 1500 4dr Z71 with 265 Firestone wilderness tires.Still getting 15+MPG.
Have any of you put it on a chassis dyno to see what's going on?I found out I had a slightly(very slight)bent driveshaft on a car I had.The guy who ran it put a strobe light on the shaft,and "froze" the motion.It was kind of neat seeing the shaftmove up and down like it did.I had a new one made,and it solved the problem that had ruined 3 pinion seals,and caused me about a hundred headaches.Not to mention,the $$$.
They said to leave it with them and they would check it out.
A week later the called me to pick it up and the told me that the enginers at GM said to change the oil to 10w30 and drive it for another 1000mi and see if the noise goes away. While the dealer had it the could not duplicate the noise after the oil change , but the day after i picked it up it started again.
The truck now has 1400mi on it and still makes noise at least once a day.
I have been told that the 5.3 is a new motor and in some of the the pistons do not fit quite right.
I also have a 93fullsize blazer with a 5.7 and 73kmi and gmc 1500 seria with a 5.7 and 200kmi neither one have ever made any such noises. I hope that my
luck has not run out!
where do you live - state wise?
how much did you pay for your GMC Sierra and when?
I'm looking at the 2000 GMC Sierra 4x4 ext cab SLE 4 door......trying to figure a good price. I'm not looking at a lot of extras - the base cover most of what I'm looking for (power windows, doorlocks, steering, autotran, cloth, etc)
Thanks for the advise
Peter
DUHHHHH, not with me he's not. Oh, the tsb was only for 2wd
site before buying my truck.
I traded my 97 Sierra for a new 1999,2wd,extended
cab SLE,with the 5.3L,limited-slip rear end and
towing package and suspension. I love it but....
I have the Launch Shudder....which was greatly
reduced by my Service Dept. by rotating my
driveshaft as directed by GM. There is still a
minor shudder when towing.
My throttle body has been replaced because it was sticking.
I managed to break the Lumbar support in my seat(I
weigh about 200lbs). This took the longest to fix!
Luckily, there are currently no vibrations.
Recently I developed a new problem that I'm having
no luck with. When stopping AND pulling away there
is a clunk. It is not audible but rather feels
like bad U-joints (its not). Sometimes its bad,
others hardly noticeable. It's not there if I
stop in neutral (even real hard)and the clunk on
take-off only occurs if preceded by a clunk
when stopping. I was told it had to do with the
suspension ( have firm ride )but it feels more
like driveline. The driveshaft splines have been
greased with the proper yellow stuff (twice).No
effect and it seems worse on hot days ( I
started noticing it when spring arrived ). Can
anyone help ?
When pulling away it feels like backlash in the
drivetrain. You get the clunk first and then
start moving, not get the clunk while you start
moving.....like bad U-joints(but its not). The
dealer mentioned the slap but did not mention the
rubber. It may be worth trying just to eliminate
that as the cause. There is also no noise when
it happens. Thanks...
comments describing a similiar problem.It sounds
like no cure, only improvements.
I have noticed many complaints of Launch Shudder
and/or low speed vibrations. This sounds
similiar to my launch shudder, but no one has
mentioned the fix my dealer did. It didn't solve
it completely but reduced it by 75%. As per GM
(they mentioned a TSB but I don't know the
number)they ground off the key on the driveshaft
and rotated it a certain number of splines
(different for 2wd or 4wd ). They said the
driveshaft is "out of phase" with the tranny. It
sure made a difference.Maybe this helps someone.
You could notice the honk on mine if you step on the brake, give it the gas to torque up the driveline while holding the brake on, then let off the gas while still holding the brake on.
We did have a guy qrite in though that said his vehicle vibrated badly even at idle. GM, after not being able to fix it, gave him a new truck and took the other back to study it to find the problem.
I purchased my GMC Sierra on June 26, 1999 from Mitchell Chevrolet/GMC Truck in West Point, MS. I took it back two weeks later because I thought it had a wheel that was not balanced. When I came to pick it up, the service manager told me it was a defect that GM was working to correct and he would let me know when GM had a procedure to fix it. I kept checking back. All the while the vibration was getting worse while he repeatedly assured me GM was working on a solution. The truck vibrated when you first accelerated from a stop. It vibrated between 35 & 40 MPH. It vibrated and shimmed at 65 & 70 mph. The passenger seat vibrates back and forth like a 25 cent motel bed while at highway speeds. The broken seat belt rattles in the background constantly. The dash rattle is getting louder. During November I called and he told me the dealership was forced to buy a $10,000 tire machine to combat the vibration problems in the new trucks. He said GM now had a fix for the problem; it entailed replacing my springs and balancing my tires on. He ordered the parts. They came in and I made an appointment to install them in December. I took the truck in and left it while I was out of town. When I came to pick it up, I was told they determined that new General tires were needed before they could put on the springs. They ordered the tires. I waited and called and waited and called, still no tires. Finally I called back in May, he said, “yeah I believe the tires are in.” I made an appointment for June 12th, planning to leave the truck for an extended period of time and have the many other problems that were piling up corrected at the same time. Included in these were: sticking throttle, whining transmission, pops and creaks from the front springs while backing up, groans from the power steering unit, loud wind noise from the rear windows, rattle in the dash, exploded shock absorber, broken rear seatbelt, premature engagement of the ABS system, rough idle, and it goes dead sometimes if it is not allowed to idle until warm.
Took in the morning of June 12th, they said there was a mix up and did not have a loaner car. I should come back the next day. I Return June 13th, and I was given a Buick Century. I might add someone had just dropped it off; it was just plain nasty inside, smells like smoke, ashes cigarettes everywhere, my little girl even found a razor blade under the seat. I checked back at end of week. They have not done anything. The next week they balance the tires.... it still vibrates. Two and a half weeks later they have done nothing further. They are supposed to address all the other issues listed above during this visit. Service manager says they are doing it a little at a time will work it all out. Three and a half weeks into this I started talking to him about a GM buy back and tell him I am calling GM for a case number. The next day my truck is in the shop suddenly and they are going to work late that night to get the parts on it. I come in the following morning and they have not worked on it, but promise they are about to start. That afternoon I drive it with new springs. It still vibrates. Next day they swap a drive shaft out of a 2000 Silverado, No help. That afternoon the swap the wheels and tires with the same new truck. At this point it actually vibrates worse. About this time I notice they have dropped by hitch on the ground, bending the light connector housing up. We flake bits of paint off of it together and the Service Manager assures me he will replace it. Then he takes me out to drive a couple of 2000’s on the lot. One vibrates, not as bad as mine though. Both have no transmission whine or wind noise however. It is interesting that one has 400 miles on the odometer and a feathered tire on the left front wheel. The Service Manager suggests it is a dealer transfer and they probably swapped a problem tire off of a vibrating customer’s truck. He says he will call the GM District Manager and find out how to proceed. The next day I go back twice, by the afternoon he finally says the GM DM says to order new tires that will fix it. New tires? I said we just put new tires on yesterday. He said they were defective the new ones would be in spec, stiffer sidewalls. Does that mean the 2000s on the lot have defective tires? Guess so. My Sierra has been in the shop for 36 straight days and the only problems they claim to have repaired is the sticking throttle and the exploded shock absorber. Oh, one other note, I complained about the nasty loaner car. They gave me the service department truck to drive; it only has 80,000 miles on it. The fun never stops. The GM satisfaction center will not give me the name of the Distract Manager. I have filed a complaint with the BBB and sent GM a certified letter asking for a replacement truck. I guess all I can do is wait for the tires. The Service Manager assures me he will have them in 3 days. Last time he order tires for me it took 4 months! I have no confidence in there being able to fix my truck properly. The latest repair for vibration that GM has proposed actually includes welding on the frame!
I am building a web site we can use to share information and voice our dissatisfaction to GM. Please email me if you still own a defective truck, the nature of the defect(s), and if you resolved it, how you did.
I believe there is strength in numbers and we can help each other stand up against General Motors.
Web address: <<A HREF="http://drive.to/agmlemon">http://drive.to/agmlemon>
Email address: < mailto:gm_lemon@bigfoot.com>
Thanks,
Clay Hodges
email me the details of your ownership experience.
I will post them to a web site devoted to problems
with GM trucks and will also forward to several
people in GM management. Maybe if they continually
get these emails, they will be forced to retrofit
ALL trucks with fixes incorporated into the 2001
design.
Thanks,
Clay Hodges
<<A HREF="http://gm_lemon@bigfoot.com">gm_lemon@bigfoot.com>
<<A HREF="http://drive.to.agmlemon">http://drive.to.agmlemon>
<<A HREF="http://gm_lemon@bigfoot.com">gm_lemon@bigfoot.com>
<<A HREF="http://drive.to/agmlemon">http://drive.to/agmlemon>