With Any Luck...

[Centurion6R]

The dealership will be taking back my p.o.s. dmax and either refunding me or giving me another vehicle...this is the third time it has broken down in less than a month of ownership and i've had it with both this truck, this dealership, and this manufacturer. Hopefully i'll find out by tonight how this is all going to go down...but let's just say my short experience owning one of these trucks has NOT been pleasant in the least.

[Luis]

I keep coming back to your post....1 month of ownership...it's an '01...what keeps happening? Do you know the history of this truck? There must have been something you liked about it....You will find there are both good and bad dealers. Doesn't matter what they sell...find another dealer if your not satisfied. Don't dog the brand unless they are all bad....not the case with any brand. Some have more problems than others...None of these trucks are perfect but it boils down to the luck of the draw...Let us know what the symptoms and problems are. You will find a lot of help here. I have...I wish you the best of luck with your situation...Just my 2 cents worth

[Centurion6R]

well once again, the dealer towed it in and fixed the issues...that really doesn't help the fact that thru the years i've had nothing with bad luck with chevys, this being the third one i've owned (and s-10 and a 1500). The other two i paid under 3k for so i sort of expected to have issues with them, but the price that I paid for this i was hoping to get a reliable vehicle for work and personal use (i'm active duty army, so having towing capacity and bed space helps). I love this truck its just that since i've owned it, it has given me quite a bit of trouble. As of now I'm keeping it and hopefully no more major ($$$) mishaps at least until i can afford to fix them.

[Shed]

So what exactly are the issues with this truck? There is a wealth of knowledge on this site alone, and you can use alot of it to your advantage. The history of an 01' is huge. The 01-04.5's are notorious for injector problems. A history would tell you this. You can obtain this from the dealer, and in my opinion should ALWAYS get a history when buying a use vehicle. My 01' has been reliable, but you also have to know what to look for with this model of DMax. Do some digging around here and see if you are having the common probs. Alot of these issues are fairly simple to fix, and the knowledge is right here in these forums. These people will and have bent over backwards to help out a fellow DMax owner and I am sure this will continue. So, #1 welcome to the forum. #2 what are the problems you are having? The more details the better. #3 I have found dealerships that have absolutely no idea about working on or even maintaining the DMax Allison power plant. #4 You are in the right place for answers! That being said, I'm sorry you have had problems, hopefully you can find some help here and things can be good for you, and your truck! Shed

[Centurion6R]

my injectors were replaced somewhere in the neighborhood of 10k miles ago (so i'm hoping they're still fine). It's too cold to really check for smoking, but it's not making oil or running sluggishly. This latest event was a pully shooting off thru my radiator at idle...which i understand that it happens, it's mostly just minor things thus far. However i've noticed some howling sounds while driving and also my passenger rear caliper is leaking brake fluid pretty bad. It's not the truck so much as the dealership's lack of a full inspection before selling me the vehicle at a pretty penny. The other issues i've had was with a bunch of faulty winterization equip. that left me stranded on two events. Like i said previously, I love the truck...but i honestly just need something reliable and so far this truck has been anything but that.

[Luis]

Thanks for the update but can you be more specific on the howling sound...Eng, trans? They do make different sounds in the cold. How cold is it? What is the mileage? What is the history? Was this a work truck? Has it been in an accident? What type of faulty winterization equip? What's the mileage? etc...
I love my '01 as well, but I research this site quite often and have learned what to look for and how to approach the dealer with problems. Nothing is perfect no matter what the brand. Buying a used vehicle no matter what the price is a gamble unless you know the vehicle. Knowledge is always shared on this site and knowing will always help you in different situations. Post some more in-depth details and I'm sure someone has been there and done that...and will have good suggestions and/or answers...

[NutNbutGMC]

my injectors were replaced somewhere in the neighborhood of 10k miles ago (so i'm hoping they're still fine). It's too cold to really check for smoking, but it's not making oil or running sluggishly. This latest event was a pully shooting off thru my radiator at idle...which i understand that it happens, it's mostly just minor things thus far. However i've noticed some howling sounds while driving and also my passenger rear caliper is leaking brake fluid pretty bad. It's not the truck so much as the dealership's lack of a full inspection before selling me the vehicle at a pretty penny. The other issues i've had was with a bunch of faulty winterization equip. that left me stranded on two events. Like i said previously, I love the truck...but i honestly just need something reliable and so far this truck has been anything but that.Keep reading this forum and you'll come to see the same inherent problem that many have had. I went through three sets of injectors on one truck and one set on another. I traded out of that mess with the LB7s. I couldn't afford to not trade to another engine model. I was beyond the point of trusting the vehicle to be reliable out on the road after three failures while in other states. It's not a pretty picture. Have a look see here http://www.thedieselpageforums.com/tdpforum/showpost.php?p=248015&postcount=6

Best of luck.

.

[Centurion6R]

Thanks for the update but can you be more specific on the howling sound...Eng, trans? They do make different sounds in the cold. How cold is it? What is the mileage? What is the history? Was this a work truck? Has it been in an accident? What type of faulty winterization equip? What's the mileage? etc...

the howling sound i'm really not sure of, its not throttle responsive, but seems to be responding to speed. Since i've owned it the temperature has fluctuated quite a bit (14 to -40) and it really only seems to make this noise when its cold out. It's hard to pinpoint at first and i thought it sounded like the pinion bearing, but after checkign it out im not so sure that's the source. The truck just rolled 119k on the clock and i'm assuming it has been used for some sort of work as it has some neon colored spray paint in the bed. The carfax i looked at did not say it had been in any sort of accident on record. As far as the winterization, originally the block heater was unplugged at the block, dealer plugged back in and it shorted out. Dealer replaced block heater and it has started right up at -40 with no problems at all.

[Luis]

At those temps I would make sure all fluids are 100 synthetic and you use a good fuel treatment to keep it from gelling. I use AMSOIL in my vehicle and have been satisfied(140k now) . Be sure to check the transfer case as well...I use the AMSOIL Torque Drive in the tranny and transfer case. These tranny's take a while to reach the 100 deg. operating temp so you may hear whining etc. 119k on the clock and your not sure how hard they were applied. Some things could have been over looked or hidden when you bought it; all part of the unknown zone. The block heater issue...not surprising it was not found...it's one of those things that nobody thinks of until you go to use it...it's hidden...Pre-sale inspection...they don't plug those in. I'm sure the best dealer in the world could very well over look that one...The brake issue...what was leaking? Again you don't know the history so it too could have been one of those hidden issues. It doesn't sound like you got a lemon, it sounds like you may be experiencing maintenance issues the previous owner was avoiding; thus the trade-in. Car-Fax sounds clean....Good Luck....Keep asking questions on this site...you will get the straight scoop...good or bad....

[Centurion6R]

At those temps I would make sure all fluids are 100 synthetic and you use a good fuel treatment to keep it from gelling. I use AMSOIL in my vehicle and have been satisfied(140k now) . Be sure to check the transfer case as well...I use the AMSOIL Torque Drive in the tranny and transfer case. These tranny's take a while to reach the 100 deg. operating temp so you may hear whining etc...

yeah i figured the tranny temps may have something to do with it, as i ran it down the highway for around 30 miles each way today and the symptoms went away(although the trans barely got over 100 degrees)...I may just do a full synthetic change on the trans/t-case when i have the $$$ to do so and see what the results are. I also have used amsoil products in most of my vehicles both on and off road with good results, so that sounds like a good way to look. The caliper appears to be leaking from one of the pistons as it's spraying on the tire, i need to wait until i can get it into the garage and see if its not a bleeder valve that's loosened up. I also need to get some duct tape and block off the grille as the chevy dealership here doesnt sell the factory guard for my truck anymore

[NutNbutGMC]

yeah i figured the tranny temps may have something to do with it, as i ran it down the highway for around 30 miles each way today and the symptoms went away(although the trans barely got over 100 degrees)...I may just do a full synthetic change on the trans/t-case when i have the $$$ to do so and see what the results are. I also have used amsoil products in most of my vehicles both on and off road with good results, so that sounds like a good way to look. The caliper appears to be leaking from one of the pistons as it's spraying on the tire, i need to wait until i can get it into the garage and see if its not a bleeder valve that's loosened up. I also need to get some duct tape and block off the grille as the chevy dealership here doesnt sell the factory guard for my truck anymoreI think I have a new front cover left over from the 2001 or the 2002 that I had. Be glad to ship it up to you, no charge. Please let me get my hands on it before you decide. I think I know where it is.


PS: Found it. Never been installed. I have two pieces to it (upper and lower if I recall correctly). No box or instructions (as I sent those to another member here with the other cover I had left over).

[Centurion6R]

NutnButGMC: i could probably hug you right now...if you have paypal or something let me know so i can at least pay for shipping, its pretty expensive to ship up to AK i'm sure...just pm me and let me know, thank you so so so much.

[Luis]

Dude...stay with this site...these guys are great....these are the kind of people that I was talking about...I was out looking for my cover and then saw he beat me to it....I've only used mine a couple of times...Good Luck....I think once you get some bugs worked out you will be satisfied with the truck....as my Grandfather used to tell my father "They haven't built your car yet"....translation....nothings perfect....get some synthetics in that unit especially since your way up north....let us know how it all turns out...:cool:

[hapaschold]

i agree 110 % with above post.... great guys here.....

post your vin # here, and a member mastertech ? could run to get you the service history....

my 02 crewcab gmc dmax ended up in alaska after i traded it in...wonder if it s still up there....

sounds like you might have just a few bugs....100k on the odo on these trucks isnt much at all...

[Centurion6R]

i already checked out the dealer warrantee records, the injectors were replaced about 10k ago as well as all of the transmission lines and a couple little incidentals here and there that were waranteed