Have you priced the C-series yet? I was talking to my salesman last night after dropping off my truck for the ball joint repair. I asked him if and when they would be getting one. He wasn't sure, but he did price one out for a customer, about 38k.
dealer doesn't have an exact date for the truck. My Shakerado will hopefully last long enough to get one. Who would have thought that a 1/2 ton truck would cost $38K?
I have been away from the Pickup forum since April when I gave up on my 'New' Silverado and all it's problems and decided to swap it on something else. I came back to see if they had gotten better, only to see the same old nagging problems still there and GM still side stepping the issue.
While I loved my pickup my new vehicle has not had one single problem, noise or reason to go back to the dealer. Based on my experiences with GM over the last several years I don't believe I'll be a repeat customer any time soon, my dealer was great but even they got little support from GM. I have noticed that the new owner of my Silverado has had to return several times for warranty work, because GM is still sending me the satisfaction surveys, even though I indicated I no longer own the vehicle.
Good luck to all of you.... I made a switch, never looked back and have not seen a dealer since I made it.
PS my Silverado was a 99 5.3 Z71. The problems I had fixed were, a new steering shaft, new transfer case fluid, rear spring up date, new computer coding (4 times), new shocks, etc, etc, etc.. It looks like some things will never change as long as you allow GM to BS you. I know there was talk of a class action case, but you can't fight GM's big lawyers and win. Do the next best thing, stop buying their product. Before you go and spend 38K on GM's new headache look at other options.
Babbler, Bob259 is the fool who bought a Mercedes SUV. Remember when I was trying to solicit everyone to change Bobs mind and to keep the Silverado? Of course if he had bought a Lexus I would have understood his decision, but a Mercedes?? God only knows what he was thinking.
what the bulletin is, but it sounds like you had a service tech. that did a little extra homework to fix your problem. Good to know there's maybe a few decent tech's out there.
On the service bulletins, I can't find a comprehensive list anywhere. the various websites (nhtsa, alldata, etc.) have listings but they don't appear to be up to date. Makes you wonder what else is floating around out there that we don't know about.
The problem is when you come to a complete stop and then start off again. There is a binding squeeking release sound and feeling when getting back on the gas.
How the hell do I explain this without making it sound like a fart? I'm trying to be serious.
Anyone else notice this sound coming from the rear of the vehicle in this situation?
I took it in last year to get looked at, and they just replaced the rear diff fluid, saying that there was an upgraded product to be used. Well, it never really went away. I have it in again this week for the power window bolt tightening and replacing of the rear quarter windows for the draft noise problems.
Now this time for this squeek problem, they are replacing the rear springs ??? Whatever. Maybe my truck will sit higher now with the new ones at least.
I'll update when I get the truck back. I can't stand the friggin Cavalier rental that they gave me to replace the $32k truck I gave them.
Hi! I've been following this topic for several months and this will be my first posting. Have gotten lots of good info from you guys. I've been looking for a truck since Jan. to replace my tired '86 Suburban (190K miles). Looked at Ford, Dodge, GMC and Chevrolet, both gas and diesel. Finally found MY truck at Knipplemier Chevrolet in Blanchard, OK (about 25 miles south of OKC). Visited the dealership many times but on July 4 they had just taken delivery of about 6-8 2500's, two of them victory red and one of them was exactly what I wanted - 2500, LS, 6.0L, 3.73, lockers, xcab - 4dr, HD suspension, and HD auto trans, trailering. Manufactured at Pontiac, MI. How do you find the date of manufacture? The sticker on the door says 06/00. Cost me $85 over cost best I can figure based on the Edmund's cost data. I was pleased with the whole process. I have a few questions for you all: 1. Those of you with the 2500 with the 6,0L, look at the inboard exhaust pipe just after the cat converter - is it bent so it looks like the flow could be restricted? I looked at other truck like mine and they all had the sharp bend. Does yours? Seems like this would restrict the flow of exhaust. The outboard tube is nice and round all the way. 2. What is a good brand of no drill nerf bars? Do you recommend chrome or black - what are the pros/cons of each? 3. Anybody tried to mount an outside antenna to the roof permanently - drill a hole in the roof and route the cable down one of the pillars? How did you remove the headliner? 4. My mileage is a high of 14.3, low of 12.5 - total of 1270 miles, mostly city driving with short bursts of 60-75 mph mixed in. 5. I get a ticking noise on start-up for about 15-20 seconds then it goes away. Should I be concerned about this? 6. How hard is it to install a KN air filter? Does it filter as good as a paper element? Any warranty concerns? The factory intake tube looks restrictive. 7. Any sources known for a reasonably priced aux fuel tank? The 26 gal. stock tank is a bit small! 8. The beast does ride a little rough. Came from the dealer at 50/80 psi, I reduced the pressure to 45psi for all and that helped a lot but is still rough (empty). Do the velvet shackles help the 2500 ride? Will they affect the load carrying rating? Other than the ticking noise, I am VERY pleased with the beast. Lots of power, can't wait to hook onto a trailer I tow for the local Scout Troop (approx. 5000#) to see how it handles in tow mode. Will go to Mobil 1 10W30 at first oil change with the ACPF59 filter if I can find one. No one seems to have any - WalMart, Kmart, O'Rielly's, Auto Zone, or Pep Boys. Guess I'll have to visit the local dealer - not the one I bought from. BTW, what is a good brand of synthetic lube for the differential - the manual says to change it after the first 500 miles of towing, I really don't want to pay $25/quart for the GM brand. Keep up the good postings - I'm sure there are others who read but stay in the "background". Sorry for the long post and many questions, any comments would be appreciated.
Hi! I've been following this topic for several months and this will be my first posting. Have gotten lots of good info from you guys. I've been looking for a truck since Jan. to replace my tired '86 Suburban (190K miles). Looked at Ford, Dodge, GMC and Chevrolet, both gas and diesel. Finally found MY truck at Knipplemier Chevrolet in Blanchard, OK (about 25 miles south of OKC). Visted the dealership many times but on July 4 they had just taken delivery of about 6-8 2500's, two of them victory red and one of them was exactly what I wanted - 2500, LS, 6.0L, 3.73, lockers, xcab - 4dr, HD suspension, and HD auto trans, trailering. Manufactured at Pontiac, MI. How do you find the date of manufacture? The sticker on the door says 06/00. Cost me $85 over cost best I can figure based on the Edmund's cost data. I was pleased with the whole process. I have a few questions for you all: 1. Those of you with the 2500 with the 6,0L, look at the inboard exhaust pipe just after the cat converter - is it bent so it looks like the flow could be restricted? I looked at other truck like mine and they all had the sharp bend. Does yours? Seems like this would restrict the flow of exhaust. The outboard tube is nice and round all the way. 2. What is a good brand of no drill nerf bars? Do you recommend chrome or black - what are the pros/cons of each? 3. Anybody tried to mount an outside antenna to the roof permanently - drill a hole in the roof and route the cable down one of the pillers? How did you remove the headliner? 4. My mileage is a high of 14.3, low of 12.5 - total of 1270 miles, mostly city driving with short bursts of 60-75 mph mixed in. 5. I get a ticking noise on start-up for about 15-20 seconds then it goes away. Should I be concerned about this? 6. How hard is it to install a KN air filter? Does it filter as good as a paper element? Any warranty concerns? The factory intake tube looks restrictive. 7. Any sources known for a reasonably priced aux fuel tank? The 26 gal. stock tank is a bit small! 8. The beast does ride a little rough. Came from the dealer at 50/80 psi, I reduced the pressure to 45psi for all and that helped a lot but is still rough (empty). Do the velvet shackles help the 2500 ride? Will they affect the load carrying rating? Other than the ticking noise, I am VERY pleased with the beast. Lots of power, can't wait to hook onto a trailer I tow for the local Scout Troop (approx. 5000#) to see how it handles in tow mode. Will go to Mobil 1 10W30 at first oil change with the ACPF59 filter if I can find one. No one seems to have any - WalMart, Kmart, O'Rielly's, Auto Zone, or Pep Boys. Guess I'll have to visit the local dealer - not the one I bought from. BTW, what is a good brand of synthetic lube for the differential - the manual says to change it after the first 500 miles of towing, I really don't want to pay $25/quart for the GM brand. Keep up the good postings - I'm sure there are others who read but stay in the "bakcground". Sorry for the long post and many questions, any comments would be appreciated.
The ticking noise has a GM approved fix. They take your spark plugs out, put some de-carboning (SP?) liquid in each cylinder, let it sit over night, put plugs back in, start truck, then change oil. I was at service department getting a cab air filter, and over heard it being explained to a customer. The service guy said they had done this to several trucks and it has solved the ticking problem every time. Also said they had replaced some engines before GM came up with this procedure. I have been listening to my truck at start up and have only heard the tick one time - that was after the truck had sat at airport for 5 days.
You must really have had a bad idle to cause a fault to be recorded. I had the dealer check mine once and no codes found so it was labeled "normal." But mine is not so bad, just worse than it should be.
Others have mentioned plugs. The problem with 100k plugs is you never get a chance to try new ones without buying a set as a guess. Maybe it's worth it. Anyone know how much same-type plugs cost?
I agree with Tim, 50psi front and 40psi rear empty. I ran 45 in the front for awhile and felt that the tires scrubbed too easily. They made noise in slow sharp turns and felt a little sloppy sometimes. Going to 50psi didn't affect the ride much.
My truck ticks all the time the A/C compressors on,all the 99-2000 fullsizes seem to do it.The only noises the motor makes other than that is the hot start clack. Mines going in for a couple of oddball things next month.The dome and door lights work ONLY(unless you turn the dash light dimmer all the way up)when you hit the lock or unlock on the keyless remote.If you hit lock,the dome light comes on,then immediatly goes off,about a second later.If you hit unlock,the lights come on for about 30 secs,then go off.It's really annoying at night. The other thing is a gieger counter noise behind the left side of the dash,it's not very loud,but weird sounding.Hasn't gotten any worse since it started,so I'm not worried too much.A friend said it sounded like a muffled cymbal to him. Oh,my drivers side rear window leaks air just a little.No water just a hiss over 40MPH.The truck runs great,gets 15MPG in town,never less.
Oh Ryan,my truck has done the "hit the gas and the engine stays at idle,then suddenly grabs" thing your truck was doing.It only happened once so far.Did the reprogramming fix yours??
Here's my experiences with my 2500. It's equipped exactly the same as yours, except I don't have the locker rear end.
1. Yes, inboard exhaust pipe is squished right near the cat. Don't know why, when the rest of the pipes appear to be mandrel bent. Sure this restricts flow a little bit.
2. I put on a set of Westin black bars. Easy install, no drill. I picked black only because I think they look better on my white truck.
3. No experience with roof antenna.
4. Your mileage is about the same as mine. I've gotten up to a high of 17.0 MPG highway, but mostly it's about 15.5 to 16.0.
5. Most everybody I've heard and everything I've read about the ticking noise is that it's the rod bearings clacking until they warm up. I've got it on mine. Started at 1200 miles and still there at 8000. They tightened up rod bearing clearances on the 2001 models to stop this noise.
6. I put a K&N filter on mine in like 10 minutes, no problem. K&N will filter better than paper filter. No warranty concerns. Yes, air intake box looks restrictive to me too.
7. No experience with aux. gas tank.
8. I'm running 45 psi front and 40 psi rear in mine. At 45 psi rear, I was getting fast wear in the center section of the tire tread. Been thinking about trying the Velvet-Rides but was waiting to find somebody else with a 2500 who had tried them first to see if they really help.
Pep Boys usually has the PF59 filter. Walmart never does.
I think you'll find it will pull your trailer real well, but you'll probably want to tow in 3rd gear with the 3.73 axle. Mine won't go to overdrive pulling my 6000# trailer, unless i'm going downhill.
I've been using Mobil1 75W-90 synthetic lube in the axle. The GM stuff is made by Mobil, and my service mgr. tells me its the exact same product. Make sure you do what the owner manual says and change your axle fluid after the first 500 miles of towing and then again at 7500 total truck miles.
Got my truck back yesterday - new leaf springs. The squeeky chirp is gone and the rear end is sitting about 2 inches higher right now.
The bad news is that unless they replaced with better quality springs this time, it will happen again when these springs sink in to place. The chirp was due to the little round metal bumper pads on each end of the middle spring coming in contact with the upper spring during braking, then sticking during release.
Just another reason to go with a 2500 next time, right Tim?
john, welcome to the site. another friend for timmy to play with! i'll chime in on the westin's, but mine are chrome - for two reasons. 1. the westin cps nerfs have a lifetime warranty on fit/finish/function. 2. the flat black would have looked a little odd with my gloss black truck. they are no drill, but don't install "easy" as wight1 says. now, having said that, let me say this. prior to installing my nerfs, i had never really done much work on my truck other than oil/filter changes. putting them on in a parking lot, with the worthless directions that westin will send with them, without an impact wrench or a second set of hands was a pain in my butt. i would recommend putting in on a lift of some sort if possible, having a friend to help, having/borrowing an impact wrench, and having plenty of daylight (or some adequate source of artificial light) before you start. without the impact wrench or a second set of hands, this was a three hour project for me. an hour to figure out the directions, two hours to install...
Thanks for the comments. Will try the 45/40 psi. Noticed that PepBoys had the Westins, just didn't know what others had tried and what looked good on their truck. I think the black would look best on my red truck, also. Since the tick goes away quickly, I tend to think it is related to the lifters draining overnite and then making noise until they re-pressurize. Is this a possibility? Could be wrong, will monitor and let you know if it changes. Would it be better to tow in 3rd or in OD using the tow/haul mode? Which is easier on the transmission? Hope you like your 2500 as much as I do mine. I really wanted a Suburban to replace my '86 Suburban, but they cost too much (paid $13k for my '86 - new) but I am fully satisfied with my rado now.
all...well after i had my under the rail spray-in installed, i reinstalled my wade bed rail caps that were peeling back. fyi, the procedure i followed went like this:
1. used rubbing compound to remove the wax off the rails. 2. used a dawn solution to wash the rails and backs of the rail caps. 3. put fresh 3m molding tape on the backs of the caps and reapplied to the rails. 4. they are solid as a rock now. i honestly think if i tried to pull them off, i'd pull some paint with 'em.
note to self: always remove wax BEFORE applying molding tape - duh!!!
Truck hasnt done the idle thing then grab since. Didnt take it in. I know the geiger counter noise i had it but i think i knocked it out of my dash i had it in for that but they couldnt get to fix it (to many cars that day) so i dealt with it and the other day (monday) i hit the dash and hasnt made noise yet.
I don't think the ticking noise is the lifters. Mine definitely sounds like a bottom end noise. And all the postings I've read on this indicate it's the rod bearings. There's a GM news release out on the 2001's saying how they tightened up the bearing clearances to stop the "cold start knock" noise found in the 1999-2000's.
As far as towing goes, you definitely want to use the tow/haul mode at all times. It makes it a lot easier on the tranny. You'll have to see how well it pulls in overdrive when towing. If it shifts back and forth between 3rd and 4th all the time, you definitely want to leave it in 3rd. I read this same question posed in Trailer Life magazine this month, and the technical guy's answer had something I didn't know about it - he said engaging the tow/haul button would probably lock out overdrive most of the time. Haven't tried playing with mine yet to see, but I do know that mine will not go into overdrive with tow/haul engaged unless I'm going downhill. As soon as I reach the bottom of the hill, though, it will quickly drop back into 3rd. I just figure it's better to tow in 3rd all the time with that kind of trailer weight. A little more gas used, but lot less strain on the entire drivetrain.
bco is somewhat correct on the bar install. When I said easy install, I meant in comparison to others I've seen. Took me about an hour on the first side and 30 minutes on the other. Would certainly be a lot easier with another set of hands though. I didn't find the instructions all that difficult, just a lot of loose pieces.
Hey, neighbor. I noticed your profile says you live in Edmond. I'm just down the road, on a small acreage about a mile south of Arcadia. I can't understand why you can't find a PF59 oil filter. Perhaps there is just a shortage right now. I bought a couple in May at K-mart in Edmond (on sale). I've seen them at Auto Zone in Edmond, too. I installed the VelvetRide shackles on my 1500 and they are well worth the cost (about $175.00). Smooth out the bounce in the back, and also help with the premature anti-lock brake actuation. They don't affect load rating; as the load increases the shackle pivots around a hardened bolt until it contacts the spring to form a solid mount. With no load, the back spring mount is allowed to pivot and is rubber isolated in two places. Unfortunately, I will have to remove them from my truck, as I have filed for a buy-back due to the dreaded vibration that Bob Howard GMC couldn't fix (though they did try five times).
I was wondering why you are changing rear axle fluid again at 7500 miles? I did the one after towing 500 miles but there is no mention of changing again in my owners manual. How often do you plan on changing it. I thought I read on an earlier post that Mobil 1 synthetic gear lube was not certified for GM's new axle. Do you have limited slip and how much towing are you doing? Also, are you doing this yourself? Thanks
The way I interpreted the owner's manual is that a fluid change is required at 7500 miles regardless of whether you tow or not. In that paragraph, it also says to change it after the first 500 miles of towing. So I did both (just did the 7500 mile change last week).
My dealer assured me it was OK to use Mobil1 products, since Mobil Oil makes all of the GM Goodwrench lubricants. And the Mobil 1 gear lube is a 75W-90 synthetic, just like the manual calls for.
I've done both fluid changes myself. Since I tow a pretty fair amount I'll probably now get on a schedule of once every 15,000 miles, which is what I also plan to do for transmission fluid changes.
I've got a standard open 3.73 axle, not limited-slip or a locker. I did not want either a limited-slip or locker - too noisy and just something else to wear out/break. Don't do any off-road work or towing in mud, so don't need/don't want.
One other note - I did see where somebody on one of these topics said they saw on the Mobil 1 gear lube label that it said "not for use in GM limited-slip axles". I've looked at probably 50 bottles of Mobil1 fluid and I don't see that anywhere, so I don't know what that guy was talking about.
When you change axle lube, do you install a gasket or do you use a liquid type of gasket? Do you think you can get a complete cleaning of axle if you use a suction tube through the filler plug rather than taking cover off of housing? thanks
Went to dealer to get a gasket for my 96 Chevy. It has the 9.5" 14 bolt rear end and they didn't even have a gasket. He said to use blue permatex. I am glad because those covers are a pain to remove and I tweaked mine getting it off so it was going to take some permatex to prevent leaking anyway.
wight1 said: "My dealer assured me it was OK to use Mobil1 products, since Mobil Oil makes all of the GM Goodwrench lubricants. And the Mobil 1 gear lube is a 75W-90 synthetic, just like the manual calls for."
mine too, for my 3.73 open diff. guy recommended changing the rear diff out within the first 10k miles. he said that unless you do a good bit of heavy towing, replacing with the Mobil 1 75W-90 will last out to 100k.
also, maybe it's cuz i don't have a limited slip or locker, i dunno, but i got a drain plug on mine. drain plug and a fill plug...easy to do by yourself. easier than engine oil even...
I guess I'm more paranoid about fluid changes than most people. I figure if you change engine oil every 3000 to 5000 miles for "sever service" it makes sense that you should also change tranny fluid and axle fluid at reasonable intervals too. True, axle lube and tranny fluid don't have combustion by-products to deal with like engine oil, but they still get hot and break down, especially while towing. I might stretch out my axle change interval to 30K miles, but I'm staying at every 15K for tranny fluid changes. Take a look at the Mag-Hytec site link from www.thediesepage.com and see what can happen to rear axle gears when fluids aren't changed properly.
The manual says fludi change every 50K on the transmission if you're towing, but most of the dealers I've talked to here (Houston) recommend no more than 15K for towing service.
gotribe, I don't udnerstand why yours doesn't have a drain plug. Even though I've got one on mine, I'll probably pull the cover now and then to see what's going on inside. I prefer a conventional gasket, because I've seen chunks of RTV sealant get up inside the guts of engines and axles before and it ain't pretty. I've seen pictures of oil pump intake screens getting completely stopped up because some guy installed the oil pan too soon after using the RTV - it hadn't set up right and squished out when he installed the pan, and then got sucked up.
I am the one who posted about the statement on the Mobile 1 gear oil - not approved for GM limited slip differentials. The bottle was at Pep Boys and was in the fine print. I was standing in line waiting to pay when I noticed it - I put it back on the shelf - went and paid $25.00 per quart at Mr Goodwrench. This was back in August of 99. I have since seen Mobile 1 without this warning. My guess M1 upgraded the product so it now is up to GM standards.
My cousin works for GM training as an axle repair instructor. Part of the course material says the RTV sealant is not to be used instead of the differential gasket when synthetic gear oil is going to be used. The synthetic has a tendency to develop leaks when used with RTV. He said the problem was more on the old body style 99 and prior GM truck axles, because they did not have drain plugs - The problem came up because of rear end failures after people had upgraded to the synthetic. After some research they determined it was not the Synthetic that was causing the problem, it was leaks caused by use of RTV.
Good luck with Bob Howard Chevrolet. Every time I leave that dealership, I'm cussin' and I haven't even bought a vehicle from them. The parts department and I just don't get along. The sales guys I have talked to don't know s*** about the new trucks - the truck sales manager didn't even know about the 2001 HD diesel, I had to explain all about it to him, then he said he would check it out!! After I got home, he called to see if I wanted to get on an order list and I said "not only no, but he** no!! If I had to make a living selling vehicles, I would certainly make a point of knowing what was in the future and how I could get a "leg up" on the competition!! Anyhow, you must get along with them better than I - good luck. Let us know how you come out.
Won't be back until Sunday. Gotta take a bunch of Scouts camping this weekend. Love camping - hate the heat. Good thing this outing will be our annual water sports activity, sking (sp?), boating, etc. so the water part will be nice. Catchya later.
I just received a call from the shop foreman. He said the new tires helped the vibration. GM instructed him to use an additive to clean off carbon. The carbon is the cause of the loud tapping during cold starts. Still no comment on the oil usage. I'll pick up my truck today and check her out. What do I do now???
new tires helped vibration? you mean less but still there? Keep track of the oil usage. That would be your best ammo for buyback if needed. The additive to remove carbon buildup helped some, but not all. Depends if your knock is caused by rod bearings on start up.
The replacement of tires may help, but it may not the cure. Drive the truck at highway speeds, watch for vibration, aftershocks when crossing overpasses or dips in the roads. The dealer changed tires now, what will happen when it's time to replace those tires? (By the way, what brand and type of tire did they install?) After I had tires replaced, I went as far as to rotate them so the front tires were on the rear, to make sure that they hadn't just been able to get the best two on the front and cover up the problem! Also, keep a log of every call, every date to the dealership, GM, or independent repair shop if any problems continue or develop.
Thanks for info on rear axle drain plug. I had not crawled under the rear of truck to look, only had looked at the back of cover. I crawled under it this morning and THERE IS A DRAIN PLUG! That will save me a C note plus every time I need to change the fluid. Beers are on me guys. Thanks! Steve
Comments
Dean
While I loved my pickup my new vehicle has not had one single problem, noise or reason to go back to the dealer. Based on my experiences with GM over the last several years I don't believe I'll be a repeat customer any time soon, my dealer was great but even they got little support from GM. I have noticed that the new owner of my Silverado has had to return several times for warranty work, because GM is still sending me the satisfaction surveys, even though I indicated I no longer own the vehicle.
Good luck to all of you.... I made a switch, never looked back and have not seen a dealer since I made it.
PS my Silverado was a 99 5.3 Z71. The problems I had fixed were, a new steering shaft, new transfer case fluid, rear spring up date, new computer coding (4 times), new shocks, etc, etc, etc.. It looks like some things will never change as long as you allow GM to BS you. I know there was talk of a class action case, but you can't fight GM's big lawyers and win. Do the next best thing, stop buying their product. Before you go and spend 38K on GM's new headache look at other options.
Ryan
On the service bulletins, I can't find a comprehensive list anywhere. the various websites (nhtsa, alldata, etc.) have listings but they don't appear to be up to date. Makes you wonder what else is floating around out there that we don't know about.
How the hell do I explain this without making it sound like a fart? I'm trying to be serious.
Anyone else notice this sound coming from the rear of the vehicle in this situation?
I took it in last year to get looked at, and they just replaced the rear diff fluid, saying that there was an upgraded product to be used. Well, it never really went away. I have it in again this week for the power window bolt tightening and replacing of the rear quarter windows for the draft noise problems.
Now this time for this squeek problem, they are replacing the rear springs ??? Whatever. Maybe my truck will sit higher now with the new ones at least.
I'll update when I get the truck back. I can't stand the friggin Cavalier rental that they gave me to replace the $32k truck I gave them.
Mark
I've been following this topic for several months and this will be my first posting. Have gotten lots of good info from you guys.
I've been looking for a truck since Jan. to replace my tired '86 Suburban (190K miles). Looked at Ford, Dodge, GMC and Chevrolet, both gas and diesel. Finally found MY truck at Knipplemier Chevrolet in Blanchard, OK (about 25 miles south of OKC). Visited the dealership many times but on July 4 they had just taken delivery of about 6-8 2500's, two of them victory red and one of them was exactly what I wanted - 2500, LS, 6.0L, 3.73, lockers, xcab - 4dr, HD suspension, and HD auto trans, trailering. Manufactured at Pontiac, MI. How do you find the date of manufacture? The sticker on the door says 06/00. Cost me $85 over cost best I can figure based on the Edmund's cost data. I was pleased with the whole process.
I have a few questions for you all:
1. Those of you with the 2500 with the 6,0L, look at the inboard exhaust pipe just after the cat converter - is it bent so it looks like the flow could be restricted? I looked at other truck like mine and they all had the sharp bend. Does yours? Seems like this would restrict the flow of exhaust. The outboard tube is nice and round all the way.
2. What is a good brand of no drill nerf bars? Do you recommend chrome or black - what are the pros/cons of each?
3. Anybody tried to mount an outside antenna to the roof permanently - drill a hole in the roof and route the cable down one of the pillars? How did you remove the headliner?
4. My mileage is a high of 14.3, low of 12.5 - total of 1270 miles, mostly city driving with short bursts of 60-75 mph mixed in.
5. I get a ticking noise on start-up for about 15-20 seconds then it goes away. Should I be concerned about this?
6. How hard is it to install a KN air filter? Does it filter as good as a paper element? Any warranty concerns? The factory intake tube looks restrictive.
7. Any sources known for a reasonably priced aux fuel tank? The 26 gal. stock tank is a bit small!
8. The beast does ride a little rough. Came from the dealer at 50/80 psi, I reduced the pressure to 45psi for all and that helped a lot but is still rough (empty). Do the velvet shackles help the 2500 ride? Will they affect the load carrying rating?
Other than the ticking noise, I am VERY pleased with the beast. Lots of power, can't wait to hook onto a trailer I tow for the local Scout Troop (approx. 5000#) to see how it handles in tow mode.
Will go to Mobil 1 10W30 at first oil change with the ACPF59 filter if I can find one. No one seems to have any - WalMart, Kmart, O'Rielly's, Auto Zone, or Pep Boys. Guess I'll have to visit the local dealer - not the one I bought from. BTW, what is a good brand of synthetic lube for the differential - the manual says to change it after the first 500 miles of towing, I really don't want to pay $25/quart for the GM brand.
Keep up the good postings - I'm sure there are others who read but stay in the "background".
Sorry for the long post and many questions, any comments would be appreciated.
John (aka "red rider")
John my 1500 seems to have a ticking noise also that doesnt go away. Any ideas on it??? Where it comes from???
Ryan
I've been following this topic for several months and this will be my first posting. Have gotten lots of good info from you guys.
I've been looking for a truck since Jan. to replace my tired '86 Suburban (190K miles). Looked at Ford, Dodge, GMC and Chevrolet, both gas and diesel. Finally found MY truck at Knipplemier Chevrolet in Blanchard, OK (about 25 miles south of OKC). Visted the dealership many times but on July 4 they had just taken delivery of about 6-8 2500's, two of them victory red and one of them was exactly what I wanted - 2500, LS, 6.0L, 3.73, lockers, xcab - 4dr, HD suspension, and HD auto trans, trailering. Manufactured at Pontiac, MI. How do you find the date of manufacture? The sticker on the door says 06/00. Cost me $85 over cost best I can figure based on the Edmund's cost data. I was pleased with the whole process.
I have a few questions for you all:
1. Those of you with the 2500 with the 6,0L, look at the inboard exhaust pipe just after the cat converter - is it bent so it looks like the flow could be restricted? I looked at other truck like mine and they all had the sharp bend. Does yours? Seems like this would restrict the flow of exhaust. The outboard tube is nice and round all the way.
2. What is a good brand of no drill nerf bars? Do you recommend chrome or black - what are the pros/cons of each?
3. Anybody tried to mount an outside antenna to the roof permanently - drill a hole in the roof and route the cable down one of the pillers? How did you remove the headliner?
4. My mileage is a high of 14.3, low of 12.5 - total of 1270 miles, mostly city driving with short bursts of 60-75 mph mixed in.
5. I get a ticking noise on start-up for about 15-20 seconds then it goes away. Should I be concerned about this?
6. How hard is it to install a KN air filter? Does it filter as good as a paper element? Any warranty concerns? The factory intake tube looks restrictive.
7. Any sources known for a reasonably priced aux fuel tank? The 26 gal. stock tank is a bit small!
8. The beast does ride a little rough. Came from the dealer at 50/80 psi, I reduced the pressure to 45psi for all and that helped a lot but is still rough (empty). Do the velvet shackles help the 2500 ride? Will they affect the load carrying rating?
Other than the ticking noise, I am VERY pleased with the beast. Lots of power, can't wait to hook onto a trailer I tow for the local Scout Troop (approx. 5000#) to see how it handles in tow mode.
Will go to Mobil 1 10W30 at first oil change with the ACPF59 filter if I can find one. No one seems to have any - WalMart, Kmart, O'Rielly's, Auto Zone, or Pep Boys. Guess I'll have to visit the local dealer - not the one I bought from. BTW, what is a good brand of synthetic lube for the differential - the manual says to change it after the first 500 miles of towing, I really don't want to pay $25/quart for the GM brand.
Keep up the good postings - I'm sure there are others who read but stay in the "bakcground".
Sorry for the long post and many questions, any comments would be appreciated.
John (aka "red rider")
John
haven't check the exhaust...and the tick is present in mine as well....I have 20K in one year and drive like a bat outa.....so don't worry
why no drill?....get over it..drilling is no big deal with the proper protectant.
Good Luck
- Tim
Others have mentioned plugs. The problem with 100k plugs is you never get a chance to try new ones without buying a set as a guess. Maybe it's worth it. Anyone know how much same-type plugs cost?
ryan
Your ticking doesn't go away? Most do after start up. very interesting.
Dean
Mines going in for a couple of oddball things next month.The dome and door lights work ONLY(unless you turn the dash light dimmer all the way up)when you hit the lock or unlock on the keyless remote.If you hit lock,the dome light comes on,then immediatly goes off,about a second later.If you hit unlock,the lights come on for about 30 secs,then go off.It's really annoying at night.
The other thing is a gieger counter noise behind the left side of the dash,it's not very loud,but weird sounding.Hasn't gotten any worse since it started,so I'm not worried too much.A friend said it sounded like a muffled cymbal to him.
Oh,my drivers side rear window leaks air just a little.No water just a hiss over 40MPH.The truck runs great,gets 15MPG in town,never less.
Oh Ryan,my truck has done the "hit the gas and the engine stays at idle,then suddenly grabs" thing your truck was doing.It only happened once so far.Did the reprogramming fix yours??
Barry
1. Yes, inboard exhaust pipe is squished right near the cat. Don't know why, when the rest of the pipes appear to be mandrel bent. Sure this restricts flow a little bit.
2. I put on a set of Westin black bars. Easy install, no drill. I picked black only because I think they look better on my white truck.
3. No experience with roof antenna.
4. Your mileage is about the same as mine. I've gotten up to a high of 17.0 MPG highway, but mostly it's about 15.5 to 16.0.
5. Most everybody I've heard and everything I've read about the ticking noise is that it's the rod bearings clacking until they warm up. I've got it on mine. Started at 1200 miles and still there at 8000. They tightened up rod bearing clearances on the 2001 models to stop this noise.
6. I put a K&N filter on mine in like 10 minutes, no problem. K&N will filter better than paper filter. No warranty concerns. Yes, air intake box looks restrictive to me too.
7. No experience with aux. gas tank.
8. I'm running 45 psi front and 40 psi rear in mine. At 45 psi rear, I was getting fast wear in the center section of the tire tread. Been thinking about trying the Velvet-Rides but was waiting to find somebody else with a 2500 who had tried them first to see if they really help.
Pep Boys usually has the PF59 filter. Walmart never does.
I think you'll find it will pull your trailer real well, but you'll probably want to tow in 3rd gear with the 3.73 axle. Mine won't go to overdrive pulling my 6000# trailer, unless i'm going downhill.
I've been using Mobil1 75W-90 synthetic lube in the axle. The GM stuff is made by Mobil, and my service mgr. tells me its the exact same product. Make sure you do what the owner manual says and change your axle fluid after the first 500 miles of towing and then again at 7500 total truck miles.
The bad news is that unless they replaced with better quality springs this time, it will happen again when these springs sink in to place. The chirp was due to the little round metal bumper pads on each end of the middle spring coming in contact with the upper spring during braking, then sticking during release.
Just another reason to go with a 2500 next time, right Tim?
welcome to the site. another friend for timmy to play with!
bco
Since the tick goes away quickly, I tend to think it is related to the lifters draining overnite and then making noise until they re-pressurize. Is this a possibility? Could be wrong, will monitor and let you know if it changes.
Would it be better to tow in 3rd or in OD using the tow/haul mode? Which is easier on the transmission?
Hope you like your 2500 as much as I do mine. I really wanted a Suburban to replace my '86 Suburban, but they cost too much (paid $13k for my '86 - new) but I am fully satisfied with my rado now.
1. used rubbing compound to remove the wax off the rails.
2. used a dawn solution to wash the rails and backs of the rail caps.
3. put fresh 3m molding tape on the backs of the caps and reapplied to the rails.
4. they are solid as a rock now. i honestly think if i tried to pull them off, i'd pull some paint with 'em.
note to self: always remove wax BEFORE applying molding tape - duh!!!
bco
Ryan
As far as towing goes, you definitely want to use the tow/haul mode at all times. It makes it a lot easier on the tranny. You'll have to see how well it pulls in overdrive when towing. If it shifts back and forth between 3rd and 4th all the time, you definitely want to leave it in 3rd. I read this same question posed in Trailer Life magazine this month, and the technical guy's answer had something I didn't know about it - he said engaging the tow/haul button would probably lock out overdrive most of the time. Haven't tried playing with mine yet to see, but I do know that mine will not go into overdrive with tow/haul engaged unless I'm going downhill. As soon as I reach the bottom of the hill, though, it will quickly drop back into 3rd. I just figure it's better to tow in 3rd all the time with that kind of trailer weight. A little more gas used, but lot less strain on the entire drivetrain.
Ryan
My dealer assured me it was OK to use Mobil1 products, since Mobil Oil makes all of the GM Goodwrench lubricants. And the Mobil 1 gear lube is a 75W-90 synthetic, just like the manual calls for.
I've done both fluid changes myself. Since I tow a pretty fair amount I'll probably now get on a schedule of once every 15,000 miles, which is what I also plan to do for transmission fluid changes.
I've got a standard open 3.73 axle, not limited-slip or a locker. I did not want either a limited-slip or locker - too noisy and just something else to wear out/break. Don't do any off-road work or towing in mud, so don't need/don't want.
Dustyone
"My dealer assured me it was OK to use Mobil1
products, since Mobil Oil makes all of the GM
Goodwrench lubricants. And the Mobil 1 gear lube
is a 75W-90 synthetic, just like the manual calls
for."
mine too, for my 3.73 open diff. guy recommended changing the rear diff out within the first 10k miles. he said that unless you do a good bit of heavy towing, replacing with the Mobil 1 75W-90 will last out to 100k.
also, maybe it's cuz i don't have a limited slip or locker, i dunno, but i got a drain plug on mine. drain plug and a fill plug...easy to do by yourself. easier than engine oil even...
bco
The manual says fludi change every 50K on the transmission if you're towing, but most of the dealers I've talked to here (Houston) recommend no more than 15K for towing service.
gotribe, I don't udnerstand why yours doesn't have a drain plug. Even though I've got one on mine, I'll probably pull the cover now and then to see what's going on inside. I prefer a conventional gasket, because I've seen chunks of RTV sealant get up inside the guts of engines and axles before and it ain't pretty. I've seen pictures of oil pump intake screens getting completely stopped up because some guy installed the oil pan too soon after using the RTV - it hadn't set up right and squished out when he installed the pan, and then got sucked up.
My cousin works for GM training as an axle repair instructor. Part of the course material says the RTV sealant is not to be used instead of the differential gasket when synthetic gear oil is going to be used. The synthetic has a tendency to develop leaks when used with RTV. He said the problem was more on the old body style 99 and prior GM truck axles, because they did not have drain plugs - The problem came up because of rear end failures after people had upgraded to the synthetic. After some research they determined it was not the Synthetic that was causing the problem, it was leaks caused by use of RTV.
John - Red Rider
touche`
bco
Won't be back until Sunday. Gotta take a bunch of Scouts camping this weekend. Love camping - hate the heat. Good thing this outing will be our annual water sports activity, sking (sp?), boating, etc. so the water part will be nice.
Catchya later.
John
I just received a call from the shop foreman. He said the new tires helped the vibration. GM instructed him to use an additive
to clean off carbon. The carbon is the cause of
the loud tapping during cold starts. Still no
comment on the oil usage. I'll pick up my truck
today and check her out. What do I do now???
Dean
Also, keep a log of every call, every date to the dealership, GM, or independent repair shop if any problems continue or develop.
Steve