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Chevy Silverado Truck Repair Questions and Answers

Question: 2002 Chevrolet Silverado 6.0_mileage: 115,000. A few things are happening: The odometer has gone back to zero, sometimes it will not come on when the truck is started, and sometimes it reads error in the odometer read out. The battery light also comes on some times and will not go off till I turn the truck off and restart it. Also when the odometer does have mileage on it and not error it will reset back to zero when the truck is turned off.

Answer: It appears that you have a faulty instrument cluster.

Question: 2005 Chevy Silverado 4.8_mileage: 12,000. Hello. My truck was in the flood and water rose up into the motor and tranny. I changed the oil and the transmission fluid was flushed over and over and was working fine. About 7 weeks after the hurricane the truck was running perfectly fine so I took a long trip to Chattanooga. On the way home, when the transmission goes into overdrive and is at its lowest rpms, it kind of skips or bucks and this is from 1,000 to I guess about 1500 rpms. What could cause this? Would my warranty be thrown out because the truck was totaled and bought back by me?

Answer: Some of the internal parts of the transmission particularly clutch packs, will be damaged if they come in contact with water. Your warranty question can only be answered by your Chevrolet dealer.

Question: 2002 Chevy Silverado mileage: 72,000. We have no troubles with the truck; we keep a strict maintenance schedule. This morning went to start the truck the lights and radio worked but the engine would not engage. The engine wouldn't even crank. We had the battery tested, it was fine. We put it back in and still nothing. We are worried that somehow it is the Passlock security system but have not justification for our reasoning.

Answer: Scanning the computer for fault codes will tell you if there is a problem with the Passlock security system. If there are no fault codes to this regard, check the starter, solenoid and neutral safety switch. You may also have a faulty ignition switch.

Question: 2002 Chevy Silverado k2500 HD mileage: 11,000: Since I purchased this truck new, the valve train has made noise when cold starting but has progressively gotten worse to the point that it is embarrassing and distressful to me after having paid over $40,000.00 for it last year. The dealership says it is "normal" for cold starting -- I don't buy this explanation and think it is a rod bearing problem and the noise is from "piston slap" Is this going to be harmful to the longevity of my engine? Is the problem diagnosis on my part correct?

Answer: Our 2001 Chevy shop truck had the same value noise when cold. We changed motor oil with a major brand synthetic oil 10/40 weight and the noise went away

Question: 2000 Chevy Silverado ext cab Z mileage: 21,000. Since new, my truck pulls slightly to the right. Despite alignments, tire rotations, and swapping tires side to side, the problem persists. There was a slight improvement the last time the front tires were swapped left to right, right to left. The dealer does not have an answer. NTW tells me that a part probably needs to be replaced in the front end that affects either caster or camber; they mentioned something about the control arm assembly. They told me this is not an uncommon problem, but the dealers rarely will solve the problem. I checked the Internet, and there are a number of other Silverado owners with the same problem that goes undiagnosed and uncorrected. What do you think may be the problem, and what do you recommend?

Answer: All vehicles are designed to veer slightly to the right when hands are taken off the steering wheel to prevent head-on collisions should someone fall a sleep while driving. Assuming your truck pulls more than just slightly to the right, you probably need to have some work done on the front end. This involves removing the upper control arms and slotting the mounting holes to accomplish wheel alignment adjustment.

Question: 1989 Chevrolet Silverado mileage: 114,000. The fuse that powers the horn, dash lights, and my taillights keeps popping. What should I do?

Answer: Normally a fuse will fail because there is a short circuit that supplies 12-volts to the system. Check each of the components that are powered by that fuse. We suggest checking the taillights first, especially if you have wiring for a trailer.

Question: 2000 Chevrolet Silverado 4wd mileage: 44,000. How can I tell if my speedometer had possibly been disconnected before I bought this truck?

Answer: You cannot drive this make and model vehicle with the speedometer disconnected because the transmission will not shift out of low gear. It is possible to reset the odometer electronically, however, in most states it is illegal to do so.

Question: >1992 Chevy 1/2-ton 4x4 Silverado pickup Mileage: 43,000. Lately, I have been experiencing a light shudder (vibration) at speeds of about 35 mph to 60 mph, but usually at between 50 mph and 55 mph. I have not done any work to the front axles or tranny, but I had to replace the original engine because of a mechanic messing up the original engine. And that is an other story, a long one. But this vibration worries me in that something might go "BOOM" and that I may have to replace the engine again. The new engine and repairs cost me approximate $4000.00. It all started with that mechanic replacing the fan clutch and the intake manifold, which was leaking. I think he may have installed the distributor wrong, that is, not seated properly. I drove it for about 30 miles before I noticed that the temperature was getting up above 250 degrees. I stopped, called a wrecker, had it towed to the mechanic's shop. After he checked the oil in the crankcase he/they found particles of metal in the oil. After the new engine was installed, I had to take the truck back to them because it kept getting hot. It turned out that the new engine was not properly timed. After driving with the new engine and after about 400 miles I started to feel the above-mentioned vibration. This vibration is felt throughout the cab, steering wheel, seats but I do not seem to feel a vibration on the tranny shifter.

Answer: Try to isolate the source of the vibration. With the truck stopped and the transmission in park, rev the engine to the rpm that you normally get the vibration at. If there is a vibration, then it is in the engine and not the drive train.

Question: 2000 Chevy Silverado mileage: 42,400. I have a 2WD short wide bed. Is there any way to make it ride smoother, w/o putting lots of weight in the bed? The freeway is pretty punishing. I'm wondering if there is something I can adjust...similar to the "tow-haul" mode button on the gear shifter. I had a '95 2WD, but it did not ride as hard as this one. The local dealership doesn't seem too interested in giving me any ideas. Could you guys?

Answer: The stiff ride you are experiencing with your truck is not uncommon. They only suggestion we can make is to adjust your tire pressure to the lowest recommended pressure.

Question: 2000 Chevy/Silverado Z71 mileage: 30,000. Want to add GM fog lamps (I purchased from a Chevy dealer) - Chevy parts manager said it is necessary to activate in the truck's computer. Is it possible to perform this yourself without special equipment or does it really require a GM tech to perform this activation. Are there products on market that you can purchase to do this?

Answer: For the fog lamps to operate, the computer in your truck must be activated by the Chevrolet dealer.

Question: 1992 Chevy Silverado mileage: 160,000. I put a new clutch in about a year ago and it has done until here recently. Now if I am setting with the truck in gear and the clutch mashed in it will bleed back and kill the motor about 10 seconds after u hold it down. There is no air in the slave cylinder I have bleb the line several times it is not helping. If the truck is not running and I hold the clutch in after a few seconds I can hear something squeak and then it won’t come out of gear unless I mash the clutch in again.

Answer: Based on the information you have given us, it seems that the clutch master cylinder has developed an internal leak allowing the pressure to flow back into the reservoir. Replacing the clutch master cylinder should fix your problem.

Question: 1996 Chevy Silverado mileage: rebuilt. My question is: I changed the motor in the truck, it use to have a diesel (6.2) so I had to change the master cylinder and booster but now I have good brake peddle when the truck is not running, once you start the motor I have no peddle at all. I have bled the system several times but nothing changes. What should I try next?

Answer: To find your problem, you will have to isolate the different components of the system. Remove the two brake lines from the master cylinder and insert two suitable plugs in their place. Start the truck and try the brake pedal. If you now have excellent brake pedal, the problem is obviously in the brakes on the wheels. Remove one of the plugs and re-attach one of the lines. This should help you pinpoint the source of your problem. If the pedal now goes to the floor, you know which one is bad. Follow this procedure to the other brake line.

Question: 2004 Chevrolet Silverado mileage: 25,000. Just curious on the service interval of the rear differential. I was told the fluid should be changed at 30000, since it contained cutting fluid to help seat the limited slip differential. The owner’s manual gives no indication of this. Thanks.

Answer: We are not familiar with differential fluid being identified as “cutting fluid” so we cannot help you here. Since you vehicle is under warranty, your dealer should take care of it.

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