Chevy Silverado Problems

smith53 · October 2001

apparently you have about the same truck as i do. my under hood lite is sporadic in its operation(this is the second light,the first one was the same)why didnt they stay with the magnetic base lite on a reel like on my 96. i have the 40/20/40 cloth seats. the cloth on the drivers seat is either loose or stretched and the springs pop every time you sit down.

eric2001 · October 2001

So are you keeping the HD? BTW, hi neighbor... Live around the corner, got my CC from Capitaland, Salisbury couldn't get what I wanted, but Tommy O. was great to deal with.

-Eric

hunter48 · October 2001

On a executive driven vehicle with 5,000 miles on it would the dealer pay the destination fee or would the person buying the vehicle have to pay the fee? My 02 rado 5.3 3.73 extended is doing great no engine noise yet, not bad on gas 15.83 with mixed driving only have 800 miles on it they all should be this good!!

davidt8 · October 2001

I have a 2001 Silverado LS with 4500 miles and I absolutely love this truck. I had been reading about the piston slap problem but I had'nt heard it until I changed my oil at 3000. I decided to try a little test and put the old oil that came with the motor from the factory back in, and no more noise on startup. Ran this oil for another 100 miles and I drained it and went to a Ac Delco Ultraguard Gold UPF 59 and Valvoline 5W30 fully synthetic synpower oil. The start up noise is back. What does GM put in they're new motors to stop this noise? Is it just the combo of assembly lube and oil or what?

sds292 · October 2001

Thanks for the reply Ray. Yes I check the oil on a level surface and wait at least 30 minutes, in fact I try to check it in the morning prior to starting or running for the day. I stopped by the local dealer before heading out of town for the weekend, and was told 1 qt every 3000 miles is normal. While I have not owned a new Chevy before I have owned plenty of vehicles and I have never thought 1 qt every 3K is normal. There is no evidence of smoke on starting or when shifting down. There are no puddles on the ground or evidence of leaks on the frame or suspension. The dealer says that Chevy calls for 5 qts on an oil change, but that it actually takes 51/2. When I change the oil the level is at the top of the dipstick, but by the time 3k is up it is all the way down to the bottom. Adding one qt brings it back up to normal on the dipstick. I also seem to have the infamous knock or slap that others are writing about. It looks like a long road ahead with many stops at the dealership.........

jlflemmons · October 2001

I was talking with a very good GM mechanic the other day and asked him about some of the stories I have read about how some of these engines use oil. My 6.0L uses no measurable oil between changes. His explanation was that because of the materials being used in the rings on these new engines, the "seating" process takes much longer than before. He also stated that these "oil burners" represent a very small percentage of the engines built and that GM only wants to watch them for the first 10-15K miles as most of them will seat in and stop consuming oil by that time. He also said that on the plus side, the material being used should allow much higher mileage before a ring job is needed. Now, he had no reason to blow smoke because, as I said, I have no problems. I have used this guy for several years and he has always been straight with me.

Side Note: Check the horn mounted in the right front fender, down low behind the park light. If it is pointing with the horn opening facing up, turn it around and point it down. This was a screw up at assembly and if not corrected, the horn will catch and hold water causing the horn to fail. He said they have seen a bunch of these and when replacing they always install the new horn pointing down and have no more problems.

Jim

sds292 · October 2001

Thanks for the reply Ray. Yes I check the oil on a level surface and wait at least 30 minutes, in fact I try to check it in the morning prior to starting or running for the day. I stopped by the local dealer before heading out of town for the weekend, and was told 1 qt every 3000 miles is normal. While I have not owned a new Chevy before I have owned plenty of vehicles and I have never thought 1 qt every 3K is normal. There is no evidence of smoke on starting or when shifting down. There are no puddles on the ground or evidence of leaks on the frame or suspension. The dealer says that Chevy calls for 5 qts on an oil change, but that it actually takes 51/2. When I change the oil the level is at the top of the dipstick, but by the time 3k is up it is all the way down to the bottom. Adding one qt brings it back up to normal on the dipstick. I also seem to have the infamous knock or slap that others are writing about. It looks like a long road ahead with many stops at the dealership.........

mledtje · October 2001

Both of my Silverado's take 6 quarts with each oil change. When you change oil and the dipstick reads full, does it read full before you start the engine and fill the oil filter? Or does it read full after the engine has been run?

1Qt/3000 miles is acceptable oil consumption for any manufacturer. Not desireable, but acceptable.
Most Silverado engines don't use that much, but due to manufacturing tolerances, some will.

My concern is that you are only putting in 5 1/2 qts. Then 3000 miles later you are a quart low. To me it seems more like you are getting 3000 miles to 1/2 quart.

Mike L

sds292 · October 2001

Thanks for the reply Ray. Yes I check the oil on a level surface and wait at least 30 minutes, in fact I try to check it in the morning prior to starting or running for the day. I stopped by the local dealer before heading out of town for the weekend, and was told 1 qt every 3000 miles is normal. While I have not owned a new Chevy before I have owned plenty of vehicles and I have never thought 1 qt every 3K is normal. There is no evidence of smoke on starting or when shifting down. There are no puddles on the ground or evidence of leaks on the frame or suspension. The dealer says that Chevy calls for 5 qts on an oil change, but that it actually takes 51/2. When I change the oil the level is at the top of the dipstick, but by the time 3k is up it is all the way down to the bottom. Adding one qt brings it back up to normal on the dipstick. I also seem to have the infamous knock or slap that others are writing about. It looks like a long road ahead with many stops at the dealership.........

phishcranium · October 2001

Are there any readers out there with this model year and engine? I am close to purchasing one and was wondering if there are major problems. I have heard that there are problems with cold starts and I am worried about the life of the engine. Currently the vehicled has 65k miles on it. I was able to contact the original owner and he pointed this out to me. Although this is high mileage the vehicle is clean. Also, I have seen mention of Chevy actually replacing these. Any suggestions. Would love to hear from satisfied/dis-satisfied owners of this vehicle. Thank you very much.

phishcranium@excite.com

ryanbab · October 2001

may or may not help but i have a 00 5.3 Z71. Love it. Great engine

obyone · October 2001

had a different cam from the '00 not to mention the excessive mileage. And of course it being the first model year.

seelig · October 2001

the '99 is down a little on power as compared to '00 and on (although you most likely won't notice it), and not sure what you are paying for it, but a used mid year '00 is going for about the same price, and more than likely has the 4th door. there were quite a few '99s that haad a lot of nuisance problems.

mledtje · October 2001

I have a 99, and my dad has traded his 99 in (for a '00). Both trucks had no problems, the engines run great, get good mileage.

Mileage isn't much of an issue if regular maintainence is performed. Double check with the previous owner about that. If he did oil change when needed (oil minder light comes on) I wouldn't worry about it.

Mike L

seelig · October 2001

one more thing.......since you are able to talk to the previous owner, ask them about fuel mileage.......let us know.
BTW.....by all means, avoid the 4.8 from that year with that kind of mileage.

txyank1 · October 2001

about the "by all means avoid the 4.8 from that year with that kind of mileage". I put over 28k on my '99 with never a hint of any problems. Great gas mileage and never used any oil. I was led to believe it was the best of the new GM engines. (although maybe in '99 that wasn't saying much)

phishcranium · October 2001

Thanks everyone for the advice. I walked away from the deal because of the high mileage and the fact that I think I could get a '00 for the same price or maybe just a little more. I spoke with the orig. owner. He traded it for 15k and I got the dealer down to 16888. (Dealer put new tires on it, new headlight, and had to fix the abs) I doubt they were making much on it. Because of the issues with the '99 like shaking and the engine I had to walk away. Will keep an eye out for something else. Thanks again everyone!

seelig · October 2001

glad to see you made the right choice......
good luck on your search for the '00.....

obyone · October 2001

Truck went in last week for squeak sound coming from front suspension when backing up slowly, seperation of the material from the seat padding, and verification of the engine knock. Needless to say none of the above were fixed simply due to not being able to duplicate, cept for the seat cover which the dealer wanted me to take it back to the upholstery shop that did the original work. So....we had a meeting in the parking lot with the service advisor, the shop foreman and an aggressive salesperson. We'll get to the salesman later. We were able to verify the suspension noise in two minutes. The knock, it comes and goes, so I told the shop foreman, since I got 100k miles, we can hold that one for another day. The seat was inexcusable. I told them had they listened to me and ordered a new seat from day one, we would not have this problem today. However, since they insist on repairing it locally they should take it back to the upholstery shop and not me. No arguments there. Here's where the aggressive salesman comes in.
The guy wants to sell me a '01 HDCC with the GM incentive program ongoing, it seemed like an alternative. Truck, I noticed has sat on the lot for 4 months and obviously costing the company money. So we take it out for a spin and he wants me to fill a credit app. Told him I will finance through my company and to talk to his F&I guy who already knows me. Now being that salesmen don't listen to what their potential customers are saying goes back to the sales manager who sends him back to me with a credit app. By now we've wasted an hour and a half with the service department watching to see if they are taking my truck in on a trade. Well, I get up and walk over to the sale managers office, open the door, and told him that he has to be one of the most dumbest of dumba$$e$, cause he can't understand how I intended to buy the truck and his dumba$$ salesman didn't talk to the F&I manager. The GM of the dealership was walking by and I figured I may as well have a word for him too. Long story short. Truck is back in again at the service department and the HDCC is still on the lot collection dust.

Did I mention I also took the Denali in to replace the Onstar? Well, I received this memo from GM to make an appointment to have the Onstar unit replaced. Called the GMC dealer to make sure they have one in stock and appointment set for last Friday. Told by GM letter should take about an hour to do, dealer asked for four to be safe. Well, get the truck back and they state that they have to order an Onstar unit to perform the campaign. I told them thats why its in on Friday as I had called on Monday to make sure it was in. Well at least these guys didn't try to sell me a GMC HDCC.....sometime ya just gotta wonder where everyone left their brains.....so now the GMC dealer has called back saying that they have one in stock. Could it be the one that they couldn't have found last week? Dam if I know or care anymore. Will I ever buy another GM product? Hmmmm, careful thinking required on this one. One thing's for sure tho....ain't buying no POS Tundra.

seelig · October 2001

my LB with the 34 gal tank has gone 530 miles, and the guage reads 7/8 full. the service department had the balls to tell me that the fuel guage is just for reference to the fact that fuel is in the tank, and that my truck is operating within specs.....LOL........went to the owner where i deal, and he totally blew a cork. wanna guess what the results were?
another thing that gets me about chevy dealerships is their oh so honest pricing for services. 1 dealer is 219.00 bucks for front end alignment, a 2nd is 129.00, and yet a third is 50 bucks.......needless to say, i found an independent that has been recommended by three tire dealers for the lump sum of 55 bucks.
oh yeah, 1 of the dealers says the front wheel bearings need repacking and the other two claim the bearings on our half ton trucks are permanently sealed...makes ya wonder eh?

obyone · October 2001

I recently had a friend do a front end alignment cause the GM specs were causing uneven wear on my tires. If you want the final specs we came up with, of course well within the GM specs, I'd be happy to either post em or email em. BTW, GM specs are FOS.

seelig · October 2001

i'd be glad to have em.....email would be fine.
sorry to hear about all your aggrivation regarding the truck. i know you've put alot into it. what's worse, is having to deal with total morons.
i remember complaining about the general tires making noise on my truck, and 1 of the (dumbest) service advisors actually had the nerve to tell me that one customer has 80K on his original set. LOL

tigercub1 · October 2001

I took my 1999 Shackerado in for an oil change and the guy finds little roller bearings stuck to the magnetic drain plug! Naturally I went to the dealer and they found one rocker arm bearing had let go and replaced the missing bearing. They flushed the engine and removed more bearing rollers, (they think they got them all).Everthings been ok and when I went back for another oil change the guys says since my truck was in he has come across 4 other Silverados with the same problem.
Anyone else had this problem?

seelig · October 2001

since you've obviously been through the grinder with front end work, what is the real truth on the front wheel bearings? do they need repacking or are they permanently sealed?

obyone · October 2001

and links like to Tim's site. Ill post the info here and would appreciate if you could post the link to ol timmy's site:

Left Front

Actual Before Specified Range
0.20" 0.44 -0.25 0.75 Camber
3.82" 4.14 2.75 4.75 Caster
0.06" -0.02 -0.05 0.15 Toe

Right Front

Actual Before Specified Range
0.15" 0.40 -0.25 0.75 Camber
3.95" 4.36 3.00 5.00 Caster
0.05" 0.04 -0.05 0.15 Toe

Front

Actual Before Specified Range
0.04" 0.04 -0.50 0.50 Cross camber
-0.13" -0.22 -0.75 0.25 Cross Caster
0.11" 0.02 -0.10 0.30 Total Toe

If you have a hard time deciphering, I can scan the page and post or email.

seelig · October 2001

tim's link to ya?

obyone · October 2001

addy at the same time. Course I could always look it up.

seelig · October 2001

what did you find out about the wheel bearings.

obyone · October 2001

of the wheel bearings. Only to inspect and replace o ring on steering kncukle bore IF REQUIRED upon inspection if nicks, cuts, dry, brittle, or compression set. Picture indicates that bearing assembly is sealed unit. This applies to 1500 2wd, 4wd and 2500 units.

seelig · October 2001

i'll sleep better tonight knowing that at least 2 service centers here know what they are talking about.......LOL

punjab · October 2001

Do these new GM trucks still require "notching" to do the first alignment. I had mine done for free at the dealer during the first 10k just to make sure I didn't have to pay that jacked up notching charge once the truck goes out of warranty.

obyone · October 2001

If you mean knocking out the knockouts? The answer is yes.

ricsch · October 2001

I've heard rumors of Honda coming out with a truck, could prove to be better than a Tundra?
Seems the guys at car dealerships will never change.

obyone · October 2001

I hear ya....

I'm actually looking forward to Nissan's full sized offering in the near future. My '91 has been in only once for the trans under warranty. Not sure on these new ones but if that's any indication....

punjab · October 2001

When they charge you $70 more for the first alignment, they make it seem like so much more than "knocking out the knockouts"

obyone · October 2001

$70? whoa!!

hihosilver2 · October 2001

Hello!!! I just wanted to say that I've finally read through all the posts.... wow! I just purchased a 2002 Silverado LS extended cab, 4X4, Vortex 5.3, positraction and would like to know about using synthetics (never have before) and any preventative recommendations (ie: changing fluids early, using a specific brand of oil, etc...) I can do to ward off some of the problems I've read about.

volkej · October 2001

Ward off problems? It's too late! You already bought the truck.

PF_Flyer · October 2001

Hey, it's Friday! Just a reminder that the Friday Freeway Chat & Trivia Game chat is on tonight (5-6pm Pacific/8-9 pm Eastern). Hope to see you there!

http://www.edmunds.com/townhall/chat/freewaychat.html

PF Flyer

Host

Pickups & News & Views Message Boards

seelig · October 2001

justt got the truck frontend alignment done ('00), and there is no longer a knockout being used on this new generation. for those that have paid to have the knockout thing done, i'd go back and ask for my money back.

minikin · October 2001

Depends on how far out the front end is whether or not the knockouts need to be removed.
-- Don

seelig · October 2001

my thoughts exactly.....but even so, this guy said that the customer shouldn't be charged for them. i was suprised to see the specs. when they were through though, they were real close to the setup that is on Dean's truck. he also said that GM's broad range of what's acceptable is a joke. seems to think that it's more of a science than just to go with such a wide range (allowance) as they do.

minikin · October 2001

When my truck was delivered the toe was way out due to it having been bounced off a curb (or something) before I bought it; pulled hard to the right. Figured I'd pay for a front end alignment myself since I seem to have more money than time and my dealer's really inconvenient. My front end guy brought the toe into spec and did the best he could with the castor without taking out the knock-outs. He could have charged me anything he wanted, but told me that if he took them out it would cost me about $75-$80, that he'd do it if I really wanted, but that at 3500 miles he damn well thought GM ought to be fixin' it; and then only billed me a total of $18 for what he'd already done. Since then, I've accumulated a total of 10,500 miles and never messed with it further. It's a castor issue and I can live with the max that could be dialed in with fooling with the knock-outs. Hope this helps.
-- Don

gotribe1 · October 2001

How are some of you guys with 5.3 engine getting GM extended warranty based on the knock that you hear on start up? Will the dealer offer it? Do you need to complain to GM, the BBB, or is there some other method to getting it resolved? What are the mileage limitations on when you complain. One observation that I have is that it can go away when I put tranny in drive and comes back when in park. Yes, it usually only occurs on initial start up and can last from 10-30 seconds. My truck has almost 34k on it, uses no oil, runs great and I am wondering is it really a problem.

volkej · October 2001

gotribe1 - I complained to the dealer, the GM customer complaint line, and then to the BBB. About a week after making the BBB complaint Chevrolet called and offered a 6/100000 warranty.
My truck has 34K miles, runs OK, etc., but I was worried about long term problems with an engine that makes that much racket. I was considering trading for another brand of pickup, but no longer, I'll keep it now at least until the end of the warranty.

seelig · October 2001

and so far so good, but the fuel guage reads full even after i've driven 400 miles. the contract said anything electrical is covered. when we called in about the fuel level sending unit, GMPP said nope, that's not covered...Dohh!
it's back to BBB, cause the GM rep that made the agreement over the phone says it is covered. i love playin games......
my other way of extending my warranty, if GM wants to play rough, is to swap parts with my wife's '01, and bring it in for a nice new part. too me, that is way too much hassle, but i'll do what i have to. heck, my '00 will hit 100K before my wife's truck ever hits 30K, so who knows, it might just have all kinds of parts failure before it hits 36K......haha

rayt2 · October 2001

Well after 21000 miles my tranny has now acted up 3 times when stoopping and while stopped. When stopped it tends to try and lurch forward for no reason at all. Then when taking off there is what seems like a 2 second delay in between my accelerating and the tranny actually engaging to move vehicle. I went to geocities site for TS bulletins and found one for the surging but nothing on the delayed take off. You have a reference for that issue??
Also have a problem with steering, turning left or right under speed I am feeling a clunk coming thru the steering wheel like something is loose, jacked up truck and checked over front end everything is tight. Does look like there is some movement in the steering shaft though, hopefully the TSB on that will address it but I thought it was for the 1500 not the 2500 ??
Your opinion since you seem to have been thru it all???

Ray T.

obyone · October 2001

A/T - Stalls and/or Surges at Stop

File In Section: 07 Transmission/Transaxle

Bulletin No.: 00-07-30-006

Date: May, 2000

TECHNICAL

Subject:
Stalls/Surges at Stop or When Shifted to Drive or Reverse (Install Updated Calibration)

Models:
1998-2000 Chevrolet and GMC C/K Models and G Van with Hydra-Matic 4L80-E Transmission (RPO MT1)

This bulletin is being revised to include additional model years and new Correction information. Please discard Corporate Bulletin Number 87-71-63 (Section 7 - Transmission/Transaxle).

Condition

Some owners may comment on an engine stall or a slight surge at a stop or when the transmission is shifted into drive or reverse.

Cause

The transmission calibration may not be optimal for the best engine/transmission performance.

Correction

Install the latest new calibration.

Parts Information

The calibrations listed are electronic calibrations and are NOT available from GMSPO. Calibrations will be available from Techline starting January 2000, on the TIS 2000 Disk 2 CD ROM.

Warranty Information

For vehicles repaired under warranty, use:

LaborOperation Description Labor Time
J6355 On-Car Reprogramming. Use published
Transmission labor operation time

Steering, Upper Intermediate Shaft - Clunking Noise

File In Section: 02 - Steering

Bulletin No.: 00-02-35-003

Date: June, 2000

TECHNICAL

Subject:
Clunking Noise Under the Hood and can be felt in the Steering Wheel (Replace the Upper Intermediate Steering Shaft Assembly)

Models:
1999-2000 Chevrolet and GMC C2/K1/K2 Pickup Models (Silverado and Sierra) 2000 Chevrolet and GMC C/K Utility Models
(Suburban, Tahoe, Yukon, Yukon XL) With Recirculating Ball-Type Steering

Condition

Some customers may comment on a clunk type noise coming from under the hood that also can be felt in the steering wheel. These conditions may be more noticeable when turning at low speeds on rough road surfaces.

Correction

Parts Information

Parts are expected to be available 6-16-00 from GMSPO.

A new upper intermediate steering shaft assembly has been developed to correct these conditions. Replace the upper intermediate steering shaft assembly on affected vehicles with the new upper intermediate steering shaft assembly P/N 26085548. Use the following service procedure and part number listed.

1. Set the front wheels in the straight-ahead position.

2. Set the steering wheel in the LOCK position.

3. From inside the vehicle, remove the upper bolt from the upper intermediate steering shaft (1) to the steering column connection.

4. From under the hood, remove the lower bolt that connects the upper intermediate shaft to the steering gear coupling shaft.

5. Remove the upper intermediate steering shaft assembly.

^ From inside the vehicle, slide the shaft down and off the steering column shaft.

^ From under the hood, slide the shaft towards the dash in order to disengage the shaft from the steering gear coupling shaft.

^ From inside the vehicle, slide the upper intermediate shaft through the dash boot seal and remove the shaft.

6. Install the upper intermediate steering shaft through the dash boot seal and slide the lower end into the steering gear coupling shaft.

7. Raise the upper end of the intermediate steering shaft and install into the steering column shaft.

8. Install the upper bolt and nut.

Tighten
Tighten the bolt to 47 N.m (35 lb ft).

9. Install the lower bolt and nut.

Tighten
Tighten the bolt to 50 N.m (37 lb ft).

Warranty Information

For vehicles repaired under warranty, use the table.

Hope these help...

rayt2 · October 2001

You the Man, I knew you'd remember them, they are exactly what I got off geocities site, thought there might be something else I missed. Now I wonder if I should even mention the 10 second engine knock at start-up when cold, hmmmm

Ray T.

obyone · October 2001

If it does do it....you should at least get it documented by the dealer. You never know when it might come in handy.

Chevy Silverado Problems

Comments

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles