Chevy Silverado Problems

redsilverado · June 2001

thanks for the math lesson, up till now, i never knew how old i was......

wpadgett · June 2001

I am thinking about puchasing a 99 z71 ext. cab the truck has 55,000 miles and seems to be very clean, the main question I have is there is a noise when I accelerate from a stopped position or at a low speed. Seems to be coming from the rear of the truck. Sounds like a bushing or bearing, if anybody has had this problem or has heard anything about it I sure would appreciate some help.

obyone · June 2001

Would really help us to help you if you could describe this noise. I understand that it sounds like a bushing or bearing but doing what? grinding, popping, crunching, clanging....well you get the drift....

wpadgett · June 2001

it's kinda hard to describe but it sorta sounds like tim the tool man taylors' grunt only with a little higher pitch, I also heard this noise on a quick stop at 5mph hard braking. The dealer let me drive a 2000 model and it had the same noise only alot less noticeable. he said he took the truck to his mechanic for the noise and he couldn't find anything wrong with the drivetrain or anything else,there was fresh white lithium grease on the leaf springs, spring stops etc. I basically jumped up and down in the bed and didn't notice any noise. it doesn't make the noise in reverse only in drive and when braking, but not as loud when braking, I'm wondering about
possible bushing noise from the stabilizer arms(between the axlehousing and frame) dont want to get involved with any drivetrain problems

wpadgett · June 2001

I need to change the description of that sound not his grunt but more like the oouu sound that tim is also famous for.

quadrunner500 · June 2001

I still don't know that "oouu" noise, but wonder if it isn't the driveline honk. There is a fix, lubing the driveshaft splines and replacing the transfer case lubricant with GM's blue goo. Your dealer should know about this. There is a tsb out on this subject.

obyone · June 2001

Is that similar to the sound that Wile E. Coyote makes? As what Quad said, the only problem that occurs on ACCELERATION and BRAKING would be the driveline clunk as described in Bulletin No.: 99-04-20-002 issued in 12/99.

Course there was another clunk from the rear springs but it had nothing to do with forward or stopping motion but rather clunking when passing over rough surfaces caused by the rear leaf springs.

svoma123 · June 2001

of a problem with the throttle body sticking in the new 2001's? A service person at the dealer was talking about this. Said it was happening on an awful lot of them. Said you can tell if you very lightly touch the gas.

ryanbab · June 2001

99's and 00's have that problem and there is a TSB out for its fix

svoma123 · June 2001

I have 01 rado that is experiencing that problem, I guess I will just add that to the list of things to get fixed in the future. So far it is up to: windsheild wipers make a whinny noise, weather striping is peeling off, power seat for driver makes all kinds of noises, and now the throttle body thing. It is all just little things so I dont worry to much. I will wait to fix the seat till around the end of the warranty so I can have a new seat hopefully!!!

ryanbab · June 2001

how do you know the throttle body is sticking?

What symptons are there?

svoma123 · June 2001

story. I went to get the oil change and the service person said it felt like the throttle body was sticking, and this was a common thing. Service person also said not to say they said anything. because, the mechanics hate fixing this problem. The symptom is that when you first accelerate slowly the throttle seems to slightly stick. I dont know how to better explain it. I really dont notice it, but they did. Thats good enough for me. I will just have them look at it eventually.
scott

dmnsmith2 · June 2001

I am going to be buying a new Silverado soon and notice them everytime one passes. I have noticed though, that the left daytime running light is out on about every 3 out of 10 Silverado's that I see. And these are the new body style. Anyone else know of this, and does Cheverolet? This doesnt do my "Quality concience" good? Thanks...

ryanbab · June 2001

i also notice this

after 14 months i still have both of mine working

txyank1 · June 2001

I noticed this very early after the '99s came out. I drove my '99 Sierra 2 years with no problem. A Friend just had the passenger side go out on his and said the Dealer told him to make sure they are both replaced. Don't know the exact reason other than maybe the other side is due to go out anyway.

wight1 · June 2001

after taking the step bars apart again this weekend, I figured it must be the rubber cab mounts - they look pretty cheap. I made sure all the step bar brackets and braces are not rubbing anywhere, greased all the points where they bolt to the frame, greased the cab mount bushings, and it still pops and clunks. The noise is now isolated to the left front, but now sounds like it could be in the front fender connection where it bolts to the bottom of the cab/frame area.

Let me know what your dealer did and if it got rid of the noise.

ricsch · June 2001

my brother's '00 has this problem, goes in on Wednesday to repair, if the engine isn't running and you depress the accelerator, it seems fine, but with the engine running, it has a lot of resistance initially.

toor · June 2001

At least I'm not the only one.
What do we need to do to get rid of the squeks and pops from the nerf bars?
It's coming from the cab mount just as wight1 said. It's freakin' irritating.
Someone, help me see the light.

redsilverado · June 2001

they haven't found the problem yet, but will give me a call when it's done. at first, the shop foreman said that on some trucks, the mounting bolt is just long enough so that when the rubber grommet compresses, the bolt actually bottoms out and makes the creaking and popping noise. after grinding the end of the bolt down the noise goes away. but as of right now, mine is stll there and they are going to continue to pursue the problem.

redsilverado · June 2001

i had this same problem with my '00. the throttle butterfly shaft wears to a point that allows the butterfly plate to stick inside the bore. it is going to be more noticeable with the engine running because of vacumn. on some numbered throttle bodys they are suppose to replace the whole throttle body. on some of the later models they are cleaning and readjusting the stop screw and resetting the idle. my fix has worked great so far and has actually given the engine a super smooth idle where as before it had a slight roughness at idle.

wight1 · June 2001

thanks for the update. Let me know the final results. Intersting note on the bolt length. I noticed the bolts supplied with the step bar package are longer than the factory cab bolts (they'd have to be to account for the thickness of the bar mount brackets). If I remember right they are quite a bit longer than the factory bolts and could be bottoming out - I'll try the grinding routine next. That could be why mine were actually worse after I put it back together - the cab mount bolts were originally a lot looser than the torque setting recommended by Westin. when I tightened them to the correct setting, maybe they are bottoming out.

redsilverado · June 2001

at any rate i'll let you know as soon as i find out. i wouldn't grind em yet though, at least not until i hear from them. i'll get back to you as soon as possible, either here or i'll email ya.

wight1 · June 2001

OK great. I'll hold off on grinding the bolt down, if for no other reason that its a pain in the butt to take it all apart again!

thanks for your help on this. sharing problems and fixes like this is what I like about this forum.

rayt2 · June 2001

I eliminated the burnout problem before it started by replacing both DRL's with amber bulbs since I didn't care for the white anyway.

Ray T.

eric2001 · June 2001

How are your bars mounting? Are there side braces besides the cab mounts? Just put mine on my CC, and they only mount to the cab mounts, no squeaking or popping.

What I am wondering, if you have these braces (other than cab mounts) and you just unbolted them to see if they were making the noise. I realize they are necessary for support, but I am hoping this will help you isolate the noise problem, or at least point you in some direction. Hope this helps.
-Eric

redsilverado · June 2001

picked up truck this afternoon. they spent two hrs. on eliminating this noise. 1st attempt, tighten crossmember trans mount, control arms. rd. test and noise still there. 2nd attempt, replaced cab mt. bushings(rubber). rd. test and popping noise gone, creeking noise still there. took 2nd tech. riding in back seat on road test and noise traced to rear door. 3rd. attempt, ck. and lube hinges and strikers, re road test and noise gone. problem is, when pulling into the driveway of my place 5 miles away, creeking and faint popping noise is back. called foreman, and it's gonna go back first part of next week. it definately sounds like the rear door through cab flex is causing this sound and could just be in need of an adjustment. this is probably not the answer you were looking for, and neither was i. i'll keep you posted to the results, no way i'm accepting this as being fixed. the shop foreman did say that the trans cossmember was pretty loose which was of concern to him, but it obviously isn't what's causing the noises.

redsilverado · June 2001

thanks for the option, but i don't have bars on mine. i'm thinking it's got to be in the doors. from about 9,000 miles on, i've always heard something from the left rear door, and everything from lubing the hinges and lubing the weatherstripping has helped. but this latest set of noises tells me the doors may be in need of adjustment. probably something i'm better off doing myself, but why should i since it's still under warranty. it was also one of the early 4drs. so it is probably an issue that GM is going to have to take care of. at least the dealership is ready to stand up for me on it as it is close to being out of warranty, and the service manager told me not to worry if it goes beyond, as GM is willing to do whatever is required to remedy the problem.

eric2001 · June 2001

Are the hinges welded on? Hope you know of a good body shop. Wasn't the TSB to cut the welds on the hinges & replace or drill them so they can be mounted with screws (make them adjustable)??

Sounds like some major bodywork... Hope it comes out looking like it was factory.
-Eric

redsilverado · June 2001

the door alignment on both of my trucks is perfect. doors are flush with body at hinge location, hieght alignment is also spot on, so there shouldn't be a need to touch the hinges. the only thing i see in the hinges that could cause a problem is the plastic or phenolic bushing they use on the pin wearing out, but it is replaceble. the strike on the other hand is a different matter. one thing i'm noticing more now than when new is that after closing the rear door and then the front, there is an inward movement indicating that the striker for the rear door is no longer tight. it doesn't leak air or anything, but the is a visible movement. if i were to put a straight edge along the side of the two doors, you can clearly see that the fr. and rear door have a point at the strike location. it also looks fairly simple to adjust, but i prefer to let them take care of it. i will point out that i don't want them cutting on the hinges. thanks.

jaguar0027 · June 2001

Guys,

Thanks for the tips. I will have to get some grease and silicone and try lubing the hinges and the weatherstripping. Anything is worth a shot at this point.

Jim

redsilverado · June 2001

we should thank GM for giving us something to work on once in awhile. LOL

eric2001 · June 2001

Fix it 'til it breaks!

Guys you can try this. It has worked for me for decades now.

Red: I never wanted to mess with the striker, still have the third door sill plate shield from my '99. Required removing the plate to instal the step shield.

Best of luck.
-Eric

toor · June 2001

I have narrowed my squeaks and pops to the side braces on the rear mount.
Now, what do you guys suggest?
Grease the nuts and bolts, and the brace itself?
I guess when the cab/frame flexes over bumps (mines is mainly when I go in and out of my driveway at 5mph) the brace and nut/bolt must have some serious flex pressure on it.
Would WD40 do the trick? or should I go buy some grease at Napa.
Eric, you said your nerf bars don't have braces.
Just two screws that go up into the cab mounts???
Do you think the brace is necessary? I only have them in the rear.
I gotta figure out a way to get rid of this irritating sound.

eric2001 · June 2001

I have a crew cab, and the Westin CPS attaches to all three cab mounts. There are 3 brackets, two corners and an angled brace to the bottom of the bar. All three are made of the thick 1/4" steel.

I wonder if you put some sort of synthetic spacer between your rear brace and the bar (plastic/nylon washer) would it stop the noise? Couldn't hurt. Also, I might try lowering the torque on your mounts, may be a little too high (or torque wrench out of calibration?). If it gets worse, try tightening them a little more. A real pain, but maybe it will solve the problem. Best of luck.
-Eric

donjbaker · June 2001

I went to order a 2500HD ext cab SB LS, but found out that the new Avalanche is available in the 2500 series. While my main purpose is for snow plowing, the AV is shorter (easier to fit in the garage and helps w/ plowing in small lots) and might be more suitable for the family the remaining 9 months.

My concern - will the AV hold up - while it built on the suburban frame - it seems to be built cheap - but not inexpensive. Interested in any pro's or comments of either trucks.

PS. Looking at the Boss V plow or Meyer CP7.5.

clipper821 · June 2001

Just thought I would mention that my truck is awesome. While it did have its fair share of minor problems (to be expected in the first year of a total re-make) all in all it has been solid. There is some aftershock (its a truck, not a Cadilac). Throw 200 to 300 pound worth of weight in the bed and all is well.

This truck out handles and out runs any other truck. It gets decent milage, looks great and has much more rear seat comfortability than any other extended cab truck. Try sitting comfortably in a Dodge, Ford or Tunda back seat. I love the message center. The interior is functional and nicely done.

I bought mine at Jeff Wyler in Cincinnati, OH and most dealers could learn a few things about how to treat customers form this shop. They may not always get it right the first time, but they treat you kind and work hard to get it right. My only regret is that I didn't get the 4X4. The 2WD sucks in the rain and snow. The Ameri General tires were awful. I replaced them with Bridgestone Dueler H/L's. Great tires and they made a huge difference. Next truck migt be the Sierra C3 AWD. Now that's a sweet ride!

witchata · June 2001

I have talked to more owners of new 1500s' autos that have shift problems from 1st to 2nd and the 99 TSB does not work. I hope they come up with something soon.

toor · June 2001

Lower the torque? I did it all by hand.
And when you say mount, do you mean the two cab mounts? or this brace?
I'll try the spacer idea. That might work.

eric2001 · June 2001

Yes, the two cab mounts. You don't know anyone you could borrow a torque wrench from? That could be the problem. The cab mounts are made to give some flex, and if you tightened them too much, they might be the cause, not being able to flex. Try backing off just a little on the rear mount, then test drive for noise. Hope this works.
-Eric

ryanbab · June 2001

white lithium grease costs like $3.99 a can

Use this instead of WD40

wight1 · June 2001

I got underneath the truck again last night and looked it all over again. I noticed that the top cab mount bushing has a factory plastic slip sheet between the bushing itself and the bottom of the cab structure. This probably helps to eliminate noise between the 2 metal surfaces. Seems to me the next step would be to put a plastic or nylon sheet or spacer between the bottom bushing and the step bar bracket. I also get most of the noise in turns or going up/down the driveway while turning, so I suspect its the bracket and bushing making noise. I had greased this up real good last weekend when I had it all apart, but guess it didn't work on the left side - right side seems pretty quiet.

toor - I put grease on the rear braces and cab brackets, and that stopped the noise back there.

red - I also had some creaking and popping noise in my left rear door a few months back. This was eliminated by adjusting the top and bottom latch plates and applying some Lubriplate grease to them. I also had some squeaks in the left rear door caused by the interior trim panel rubbing against the door metal. On my last shop visit, the dealer eliminated most of it by removing the panel and installing some felt tape.

Grease, nylon washers, plastic sheets, felt tape. next thing will be band aids, chewing gum and baling wire! I really love my truck, except for all the snap, crackles and pops!

obyone · June 2001

lubriplate...love that stuff...

redsilverado · June 2001

went down this a.m., and the tech. who worked on my truck suggested another lube job on the weatherstrip. he also gave me a giant tube of Dielectric silicone (also used on ignition parts). it's all they use and recommend, as most anything else stains your clothing when you contact it. it's been 6 months since i last did the stripping so i gave it a whirl. right now after lubing, it's quiet again. the tech. also told me that if the noise goes away and then returns, they'll replace all the weather stripping and hinge pivots as well. sounds to me like they are aware of something and not telling.

ryanbab · June 2001

what kinda stuff do you use to lube the weatehrsrtipping?

Do you just wipe it on? How do you apply it?

I think i may do this for the heck of it (this weekend when i fix a hissing noise that is coming from the left side of the dash by putting some foam by the steering shaft boot tip given to me by someone)

Ryan

redsilverado · June 2001

it's clear and won't stain you or your clothing. it wipes on with a shop rag, and doesn't need to be wiped off unless you put too much on. i just wipe it in to the rubber and that's it. amazing how much noise it eliminates. you can also get it at P Boys, Auto Zone, etc.

ryanbab · June 2001

big help

thanks

wight1 · June 2001

I recently used some Permatex brand silicone spray on my weatherstripping - it does a great job as well. Another spray product called Superlube (same as used by GM) works best on the door/hood hinges. Parts stores have the Permatex and Walmart has the Superlube.

Next will be possum fat and tortilla lard.

wight1 · June 2001

I figured my reference to Lubriplate would get your attention! Are you still using their motor oil? I'm going to try Royal Purple in my rear axle next - I've ordered an extra capacity axle cover.

obyone · June 2001

I thought it was interesting that GM spec'd a lubriplate product. That superlube is great stuff...can't compare that to WD40 which is pretty much useless.

Where did you find the Royal Purple for the rearend? Never saw that around. I've used lubriplate for my truck's rearend.

mledtje · June 2001

Don't say WD-40 is useless - I've found that it makes a good lubricant when machining aluminum.

Can't say that I've found any other uses for it though!

Mike L

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