2500HD Buying Advice

[2wheelsRbetter]

Hey folks,

 

I may be dropping some serious coin tomorrow on a 2003 2500HD 4x4 Crew Cab SLE Short Bed 6.0L. I have been looking through this forum today trying to get some clues on looking over my truck. I don't see too many issues posted here which is a good thing.

 

My last truck was a 1990 C1500 Silverado. Still have it with over 200K. Now I'm in the market for another truck and this one has caught my eye.

 

Can anyone provide some pointers on what to look for on this truck as far as trouble area's? It has 32k, so not much factory warranty left.

 

My only beef is that I hear a whine in first gear (it's an auto). I can't pin it down to driveline noise or if it is something in the transmission. I don't hear the noise in any other gear.

 

This truck is super clean and I can't tell if there was a lot of towing done with it. No obvious signs of Trailer Brake controllers or anything like that.

 

What should I look for?

[mmmikkke]

I have an '05 2500HD 6.0/4L80E Ext. Cab, not a perfect match, but close enough. Here's my advice.

 

Sounds like the first gear whine is common, but not universally seen in the 4L80E. According to a few posts, the dealer has said this is normal and not a problem. So I wouldn't disqualify an otherwise clean looking truck based on this.

 

Sounds also like, from what I have read here on this site over the past few months, that Cold Start Knock (CSK), sometimes called Piston Slap, is more likely on a 6.0 than any other vortec v-8. So it'd be nice if you could do a cold start, in 20 degree weather. But that's probably not possible, unless you're in Alaska or Canada. So you're going to have to gamble on that one.

 

Could ask the dealer, if it's a GM dealer, to get you a printout of the service history (which they can get with just the VIN). That might give you some clues to its past, such as a customer complaint about CSK, and it might also give you a sense of how well it was maintained.

 

I now have 8000 miles on this truck. Here are the things about my truck that I wish were different:

 

1. Hydraulic-assist power brakes cause a slight whirring noise through the firewall, coming from the brake booster. It's a lower frequency whir, much different from the 1st gear whine that some 4L80e's have. It's most noticeable when driving the first mile or two on a trip. Whirs in all gears, seems loudest at lower rpms. Not annoying, but it is noticeable.

 

2. Frame oscillations. Drive over a section of road with bad pavement joints. Front suspension goes over the bump fine, but when the rear hits it, the truck jiggles for a second afterward. I think it's the frame flexing. Annoying, but you get used to it. Might be able to reduce it by changing the shocks, according to some posts. Or drive some other route. Most normal bumps are fine.

 

3. AM radio section in the GM radio was abysmal, making lunchtime listening to Rush very unpleasant. Driving around the metropolitan area where AM radio reception shouldn't be an issue, it was an issue. Reception problems caused the high frequencies in the AM radio output to muffle, then unmuffle, and muffle again while driving. An embarassing demonstration of poor design quality. Solution: remove the overpriced GM radio and put in a quality Pioneer unit. AM never sounded so good. Rush is back.

 

But I should also note that there are a few nice things that more than compensate for the above problems. I love the 4L80E overall. Much nicer than the 4L60E I had in my 2002. And the 6.0L is a nice motor. Winds up to 5 grand effortlessly and with very little vibration. I think all '03's and later have "drive by wire" which eliminates the cable connected to the gas pedal. Now it's done electronically, which makes the "stiction" in the pedal nonexistent. I like that. Some other posts indicate that some people miss the cable.

 

Also, the brakes happen right when you hit the pedal. None of that 1/2 second delay of the vacuum-assisted brethren in the 1500 line. Much safer.

 

Overall, I am very well pleased with my 2500HD. It's a fine truck.

[O'Neall]

With all the rebates and GM employee discounts being offered right now, have you considered buying new? Tough to beat the prices right now.

[vhato]

With all the rebates and GM employee discounts being offered right now, have you considered buying new?  Tough to beat the prices right now.

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

 

 

The truck will probably has Cold Start Knock. It isn't a problem and it will never become one. It just makes a knocking sound until the engine reaches 180 degrees.

 

First gear whine is common with the 4L80-E. I believe it is due to the designed of the cut on the teeth. I don't remember the difference between helical and straight cut "when it comes to sound." The 4L80-E has the stronger variant, but I may be wrong.

 

On all 4x4's just take a look under the truck. Look at the skid plates to see obvious signs of damage. Light scuffing shows occassional off-roading, cuts and dents on the skid plates could mean heavy off-roading.

 

Look at the front CV shafts. It is common on these trucks to max out the t-bars, placing the CV's at an angle. On a rare occassion this could leave to premature CV boot failure. Look to see if the boots are torn. Drive the truck with the window down and listen for a click, click, click sound, could mean the CV Joints are bad.

 

Drive the truck for at least 5 minutes. Park the truck, let it idle, get out and shut the door. Listen for a very audible clunk, clunk, clunk from under the truck. Could mean the flex plate is cracked or the torque converter is failing or both. A light tick sound is fine.

 

Drive the truck into a parking lot with speed bumps. Try to turn the steering wheel just as you hit the speed bump, or hit the speed bump at a slightly higher than usual speed. Driving into a shell parking lot while turning or down a shell road produces similar results. You may feel a vibration in the steering wheel. Just means the shaft needs to be lubed up. The dealer can replace it with a revised version or just relube.

 

Note: While driving this truck between 50-65 MPH a light "whine" from the rear axle is fine on an HD...if you hear it. Most cannot. I just don't want you to worry about that. Big, strong stuff, makes noise.

 

If the truck has leather, inspect it for tears and cracks. GM has the best looking and most comfortable leather in a truck, but it does not last.

 

All of these issues can be fixed under warranty. These problems aren't real common, but do happen on HD's. Even if the truck had all of these issues, if the price was right I would still buy it because I would drop it off immdeiately at the dealer.

 

And like O'neal said, why not look into a new truck with all these rebates?

[2wheelsRbetter]

Thanks for the info. I went ahead and bought the truck even with the noise in first gear. It was purchased from a GMC Dealer and I made them aware of my issue before I took the truck. We scheduled a service appointment for this week.

 

New would have been great, but I could not find one configured around here within my price range. The incentives have been too good so there's not much left on the lots. Diesels galore, but no Gas engines. I worked out a pretty good deal on this truck. It is super clean and I found out the history too. Always a must in a tow vehicle. The previous owner buys a new truck every two years. He hauled an 18 foot bass boat on occasion and that's it.

 

 

I asked to take out a brand new 05 Chevy set-up about the same way (Ex-Cab vs. CC) to get a comparison on the feel and to see if I could hear the noise. Most folks would probably never notice these minor details with the AC on and windows shut. The 05 did not exhibit the noise in first gear.

 

I did find one other problem this weekend. When backing up an incline slowly, I hear a light clunk that repeats out of the rear end. I wonder if this has something to do with the Auto locking differential. I need to perform a few more tests.

 

The responses in the posts are right own. I noticed the speed bump issue and oscillations in the chassis. This frame is much stiffer than my previous truck. It seems super tight. I bet with 1500+ lbs in the back it rides like a sedan.

 

I would post some pics, but my server has some special security features in place that will not allow me to link pictures from other sites.

 

Things I like:

More truck than I probably need, but what a truck.

Love the options - Factory Alum Alloys, Bose Speakers with in dash six disc (Awesome factory radio - I listen to FM NPR, no Limbaugh).

Steering controls for auto functions are a must.

Fold back mirrors for garage maneuvers are great.

6.0 has plenty of power. I liked my 5.7 and never had a problem other than the crappy 700 series transmission GM put behind it.

Westin step tubes- aftermarket from previous owner, nice touch for the kids and wife to climb up in.

Awesome hitch ready to tow a house.

 

Things I don't like so much.

I would probably pass on the captains chairs. Their nice and all, but the center console takes up a ton of space. I think the 60/40 would be better and you could haul six people.

Electric 4x4 shift - I'm not crazy about this option. I could live with the manual shift, but the captains chairs defeated this option. At least you know you are clunking gears in a transfer case with a manual shifter.

I would like to have the 3.73 rear end and the 5.3L, but that's a half ton. The 4.10 rear end winds a little high for me.

The Average MPG setting on the trip computer is a painful reminder of the poor gas mileage - I'll leave this setting off.

 

Looking for aftermarket goodies now.

 

Thanks again for taking the time. I will be checking the CV boots and steering issues as mentioned. I did not see any obvious signs of off roading, but will look deeper. It does not appear that the Torsion Springs were cranked. I'm assuming folks do this to get the front end leveled with the rear.

[KyleBst264]

The 2500HD rides a little harsher than the 1500. But that is normal. It rides much better than a Ford F250 and any Dodge. It is normal for the back end of the truck to jitter a little bit when hitting expansion joints on a concrete road. But again the 2500HD rides very well for what it is. When I put a trailer on, or a couple of 55 gallon drums full of oil in the bed or make the truck do anything that it was made to do, the ride quality improves greatly.

[vhato]

Things I don't like so much.

I would probably pass on the captains chairs.  Their nice and all, but the center console takes up a ton of space.  I think the 60/40 would be better and you could haul six people.

Electric 4x4 shift - I'm not crazy about this option.  I could live with the manual shift, but the captains chairs defeated this option.  At least you know you are clunking gears in a transfer case with a manual shifter.  

I would like to have the 3.73 rear end and the 5.3L, but that's a half ton.  The 4.10 rear end winds a little high for me.

The Average MPG setting on the trip computer is a painful reminder of the poor gas mileage - I'll leave this setting off.

 

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

 

Congrats on the truck. I have a love hate relationship with my Bucket Seats and console. But I like my Bose Stereo more and you can only get Bose with the Center Console (Subwoofer has to go some where).

 

I have been on these kind of sites since (FSC, GMFS and GM-Trucks) 1999. And all I can recall is ONE failed engagement motor in the transfer case. The motor on the front diff isn't a common failure either. So I wouldn't worry about it.

 

The 4.10's do keep the RPM's High, but the Vortec 6000 must overcome a 7,000 pound truck, a 2.48:1 First Gear ratio and a 0.75:1 Overdrive Ratio. If you had 3.73's you would get marginally better gas mileage and a severe performance penalty.

 

The DIC does indeed remind you of the poor mileage, but as long as I leave it visible, my foot stays disciplined enough to get me 14.1 MPG on my work commute. With it off, I drive a bit worse getting in the low 13's.