New Member and a Couple of Questions

[mcmonroe]

Hello to All,

I have been lurking for a while but finally became a full fledged member and Durmax/A owner as well. In fact I took delivery of a 2004 LLY K2500HD Crew Cab last Friday.

I have put about 600mi on the truck since last Friday and love the truck so far. The DIC registered 20.5mpg on the last fillup with 15.4 gallons -- however the truck actually held 17.0. I will have to keep an eye on this to see if in fact the DIC matches the actual gallons going into the truck etc. Regardless -- this would appear to me to be pretty good mileage especially considering how few miles the truck has on it.

I am considering putting Mobil Delvac 1 in it once I get a 1000 or so miles on the truck. That might help the mileage a bit as well.

Ok now my question.. (smile>

When hot (not when just started and cold) there is a "ticking sound" which seems to be strongest from the outside of the truck besides the front wheel wells. When you open the hood the ticking is very faint.

Let me describe this ticking sound. You know the sound an exhaust system makes as it gets hot and/or cools -- it makes this pop/crack sound -- well that the sound my truck is making when hot. It seems to be tied to the engines RPM's.

I cant quite pin point it but the sound might could even be a shield or something rattling.

Anyone have any ideas?

I am not too worried about it but wanted to boucne it off you guys to see if its something serious and should be checked out by the dealer.

It's great to be here and I look forward to sharing information with everyone. I really look forward to towing with my truck. My first plan towing trip with it will be from Charlotte to Bowling Green through the mountains of NC and TN pulling about 5000lbs worth of car/open trailer.

One more question...

I realize that 5000lbs is very light towing weight for this truck. Would everyone still recommed using tow/haul mode? What about the mountains in NC and TN?

Mark Monroe
Harrisburg NC
2004 K2500HD D/A Crew Cab

[More Power]

Hi Mark, and welcome....

The ticking has been well documented. The 2001-03 models exhibited this condition more than the newest versions, but it is thought to be due to the lubrication system. Some think bubbles appear in the oil flow, then are compressed in the main/rod bearings, which then create the ticking as the bubbles collapse. If you're hearing a ticking that is unrelated to engine rpm and occurs at random, it is likely this oil system issue.

If so, there is no concern. It does not affect engine durability. You will also likely see the ticking decrease or disappear entirely once the oil gets a few hundred to a thousand miles on it. New oil seems to make the noise more noticeable. Switching brands or even going to synthetic doesn't seem to produce much change in this.

Tow/Haul is not necessary unless you're running at about 75% of the GCVWR or above 16,500 total combined weight.

I tow a 7K travel trailer on occasion, and rarely use T/H.

Aside from the BB, be sure to take advantage of the member content available at www.thedieselpage.com/password.htm (http://www.thedieselpage.com/password.htm)

MP

[ 06-28-2004, 03:45 PM: Message edited by: More Power ]

[mcmonroe]

Thanks for the quick responce and help MP.

I previously had a 2001 5.3 1500 Z71 4wd. That truck was notorious about down shifting from OD even on the slighest inclines. It would do this even when pulling my empty open car trailer. I generally tow at speeds between 70-80mph on the freeway.

How will the D/A behave on the freeway at 70-80 while pulling my 5000lb car/trailer either in non-T/H mode or T/H mode? Will it be downshifting all the time?

I have noticed that when doing 70-80mph with no trailer and giving the truck heavy -- but not 100% -- throttle that it will downshift to 4th so I would have to assume it would do the same while pulling a trailer?

Thanks again for the help and feedback,

Mark Monroe
Harrisburg NC
2004 K2500HD D/A Crew Cab

[tswartos]

Using tow/haul depends on your use and traffic...i pulled a 5k boat/trailer this weekend and when I hit some of the nasty hills I used t/h on the way up and was quite useful in heavy traffic on the way down.

[More Power]

If you're running above about 72 or thereabouts, it won't downshift no matter the pedal position.

Otherwise, if constant downshifting becomes an issue, you can install an OD lockout, which will keep the trans in 4th while traveling in hilly terrain.

Or, install a power upgrade, then run it on one of the lower settings while towing. This usually adds enough power that it reduces the downshifting considerably.

MP