Trade my Duramax for a Toyota????

[kwestov]

I realize this might not be a well received question at this site, but I really would appreciate some objective opinions.

Background: Prior to owning a 2003 Duramax, I owned two Toyota trucks that never had a single mechanical problem. My 2003 had the infamous injector problem at 55K miles along with a couple of other small issues. The wife says "go get a new truck." So, I buy a 2005 Duramax.

The 2005 now has 95K miles on it with no noteworthy problems until last month. Then the water pump went out - $1,200 installed with tax. Few days later, the known wiring harness issue where insulation wears out and causes an injector problem occurred - $140 resolved with tax. Today, the fuel injector control module went south - will be $1,800 installed with tax.

Guess what the wife is saying.....

I love the truck and hope to get more than 100K miles out of it. The shop indicated it seems like this problem is not an entirely uncommon problem. What I'd like to know in addition to an opinion on trading it for a Toyota and selling my trailer because it'd crush a Toyota is are there any other sort of "known" issues that are going to bite me if I'm able to keep the truck?

Any and all objective comments are greatly appreciated.

[cabletech]

What do you use the truck for? If you don't tow, I would get some type of gas truck. Diesels are more expensive to buy and fuel costs more.

Jay

[JohnC]

Move to somewhere with no tax... ;)

[Mark Rinker]

2ND the question on how you use the truck. If you are regularly towing over 10K#, then I think that diesel power is the only way to go.

If under that, or very infrequent heavy towing - a Toyota or gasser of any kind may be a better choice.

Currently I have over 600K on Duramax diesels, and would never trade for anything based on my use and their return on my investment. But...most of those miles are for hire, and repairs come from revenue, not savings.

[CoyleJR]

JohnC the 10% Az State sales tax is tough to swallow but at least Az is pushing back against NOboma and his Federal Family.

John

[Edahall]

If you like the truck, just keep driving it and have it repaired when it's needed. It's highly unlikely the costs of repairs will ever exceed the costs associated with buying a new truck. Also, my best used vehicle purchases have been those that have over 150k miles on them since just about everything that could go wrong has already gone wrong and fixed. For this reason, I've always been very leery of buying a vehicle with just under 100k miles.

[More Power]

Basic recommendation for anyone who is not equipped to do most of his own maintenance & repairs on an out of warranty truck is to either: 1- Trade before the powertrain warranty is up. 2- Buy an extended warranty.

Jim

[kwestov]

All,

Thanks for the replies and associated opinions. Answers to questions posed follow.

Cabletech: I have a toy hauler that, when fully loaded, is about 10,500 pounds. The truck pulls it like a dream. It seems the max capacity on any half ton truck is in the 9,000 to 9,400 pounds.

JohnC: Tax at 9.3% on a $50K truck is $4,650, which is more than I'm into the truck for repairs. Something I've considered when weighing options....

Mark Rinker: I'm not a regular tower of over 10K#. I'm a definite user, not an abuser, of the truck with smaller trailers and general camping/outdoor activities.

Edahall: I love the truck!!! Thanks for the insight on stuff failing pre 100K-150K miles.

More Power: I'm the poster child for someone not equipped to do most of my own maintenance and repairs. I did have an extended warrant, but it expired. My contact for the warranty talked me out of buying another one believing, as did I, the reliability of the truck didn't warrant the expenditure.

Hmmmmmm........

[Mark Rinker]

I realize this might not be a well received question at this site, but I really would appreciate some objective opinions.

Background: Prior to owning a 2003 Duramax, I owned two Toyota trucks that never had a single mechanical problem. My 2003 had the infamous injector problem at 55K miles along with a couple of other small issues. The wife says "go get a new truck." So, I buy a 2005 Duramax.

The 2005 now has 95K miles on it with no noteworthy problems until last month. Then the water pump went out - $1,200 installed with tax. Few days later, the known wiring harness issue where insulation wears out and causes an injector problem occurred - $140 resolved with tax. Today, the fuel injector control module went south - will be $1,800 installed with tax.

Guess what the wife is saying.....

I love the truck and hope to get more than 100K miles out of it. The shop indicated it seems like this problem is not an entirely uncommon problem. What I'd like to know in addition to an opinion on trading it for a Toyota and selling my trailer because it'd crush a Toyota is are there any other sort of "known" issues that are going to bite me if I'm able to keep the truck?

Any and all objective comments are greatly appreciated.

Additional observations:

1) I have replaced only one water pump on all trucks owned. That one was a 2001, with 170K miles on it.

2) Never had a wiring harness issue

3) Never had a fuel injection module issue

4) All injectors covered under warranty (Four sets - and one truck traded off needing new injectors.)


More Power has a good point when it comes to owning the trucks under warranty. I have shopped, but never found a 3rd party policy that will cover injector replacement, however...

Sounds like your wife doesn't like surprise expenses. Talk her into a new Duramax lease program or buy new(er) and trade at 100K miles...no worries!

[DickWells]

And, for me, at least, one of the best things about having a Dura Max is, that it doesn't have TuRD written on it's flank!:D ----------

Can't help myself, that's all I think of when I see one, anywhere.:o:o

[kwestov]

Additional observations:

1) I have replaced only one water pump on all trucks owned. That one was a 2001, with 170K miles on it.

2) Never had a wiring harness issue

3) Never had a fuel injection module issue

4) All injectors covered under warranty (Four sets - and one truck traded off needing new injectors.)


More Power has a good point when it comes to owning the trucks under warranty. I have shopped, but never found a 3rd party policy that will cover injector replacement, however...

Sounds like your wife doesn't like surprise expenses. Talk her into a new Duramax lease program or buy new(er) and trade at 100K miles...no worries!

Mark: Thanks for the feedback. Lastly, I didn't realize you had met my wife. She should tell me when she's met other D-Max forum members...

[kwestov]

And, for me, at least, one of the best things about having a Dura Max is, that it doesn't have TuRD written on it's flank!:D ----------

Can't help myself, that's all I think of when I see one, anywhere.:o:o

The TuRD is one issue for sure. However, the overall look of the Trunda is another and such that, should I make the trade, I realize I'll have to cut my man card at least in half. The pro of reliability is certainly offset with the con of lack of aggressive appearance. This wounds me deeply, but my wife doesn't recognize the issue. Perhaps its gonna be an additional 10%-15% off my man card....

[DmaxMaverick]

Toyota makes great vehicles. They are great commuters and grocery-getters. Put them to work, and they fall well short of ANY domestic truck. If you are set on an import, Nissan is a better option, but still falls well short when working them anywhere near their rated capacities. On the flip side, this is where the domestics really shine. Consider all factors going in, and coming out.

[Mark Rinker]

Mark: Thanks for the feedback. Lastly, I didn't realize you had met my wife. She should tell me when she's met other D-Max forum members...

LOL - I think she's just been hanging around with MY wife!!!

[kwestov]

Well my fellow D-Max aficionados, the saga continues….. Dropped $2,037 at the repair shop this afternoon for a new FICM, routine tranny service, instrument cluster replacement and power window work. Despite no small amount of coin, felt I was treated very fairly. Enjoying the ride home when – drum roll please – check engine light rears its ugly head, performance puts its head in the toilet, and off the freeway I exit. OnStar remote diagnostics reports error code P1296.

Sigh…..my man card is shrinking along with my wallet!

[kwestov]

Toyota makes great vehicles. They are great commuters and grocery-getters. Put them to work, and they fall well short of ANY domestic truck. If you are set on an import, Nissan is a better option, but still falls well short when working them anywhere near their rated capacities. On the flip side, this is where the domestics really shine. Consider all factors going in, and coming out.

D-Mav: Appreciate your points. If you see my last post, you'll see I might need to make a change and will certainly consider the Nissan. They definitely look tougher than the TuRDs.

[DmaxMaverick]

Did Onstar say what the code indicated? I'm not finding it listed. The nearest similar code is APP related (within the same code series). This probably means it's a poor connection, related to the repair you just had done. Or, a poor connection was the original problem (not the FICM). Not unusual, really. This often happens when we rely too much on error codes and diagnostic flow charts, and forgo proven traditional diagnostic methods.

I mentioned the Nissan, not because of appearance. Form follows function, in my practice. Personally, I don't think either looks better than the other. I was referring to the actual reliability I've seen under similar conditions. The Nissans get better mileage, have better power (if you want to call it that), and seemed to hold up better under heavy (if you want to call it that) use. The "lesser of the evils", so to speak. Make no mistake, I'm prejudice, but objective.

Having to rely on a shop, or someone else, for repairs and maintenance may not be fully appreciated by many of us. So, I won't go there. Do what you have to do, and within your means.

[GMC Tech]

DTC P0611 Fuel Injector Control Module Performance

• DTC P1293 Injector Circuit Low to High Current Transition Time Bank 1

• DTC P1294 Injector Circuit Low to High Current Transition Time Bank 2

• DTC P1295 Injector Circuit High to Low Current Transition Time Bank 1

• DTC P1296 Injector Circuit High to Low Current Transition Time Bank 2

• DTC P1658 Fuel Injector Control Module Driver Performance

• DTC P1687 Fuel Injector Control Module Driver Stuck On

Conditions For Running The DTC
• The ignition must be on for DTC P0611, P1293, P1294, P1295, P1296, P1658, P1687 to run.

• DTC P0611, P1293, P1294, P1295, P1296, P1658, P1687 runs continuously once the above conditions are met.

Conditions for Setting the DTC
These codes will set when there is an internal failure in the FICM for less than 1 second.

Action Taken When DTC P1293, P1294, P1295, P1296, P1658, or P1687 Sets
• The control module illuminates the malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) when the diagnostic runs and fails.

• The control module records the operating conditions at the time the diagnostic fails. The control module stores this information in the Freeze Frame/Failure Records.

Action Taken When the DTC P0611 Sets
• The control module illuminates the malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) on the second consecutive ignition cycle that the diagnostic runs and fails.

• The control module records the operating conditions at the time the diagnostic fails. The first time the diagnostic fails, the control module stores this information in the Failure Records. If the diagnostic reports a failure on the second consecutive ignition cycle, the control module records the operating conditions at the time of the failure. The control module writes the operating conditions to the Freeze Frame and updates the Failure Records.

Conditions for Clearing the MIL/DTC
• The control module turns OFF the malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) after 3 consecutive ignition cycles that the diagnostic runs and does not fail.

• A current DTC, Last Test Failed, clears when the diagnostic runs and passes.

• A history DTC clears after 40 consecutive warm-up cycles, if no failures are reported by this or any other emission related diagnostic.

• Clear the MIL and the DTC with a scan tool.