Duramax engine

I bought a 2003 Chevy duley diesel new. At 40.000 miles i had problems starting the vehicle. Ended up having the truck towed to the dealership and had 8 new fuel injecters installed. At 70.000 miles i bought an Econo computer for better gas mileage and more horsepower. It worked but at 85.000 miles the engine broke down and ended up having to have the engine head shaved and new rings installed. Due to the years owned, it was not under warranty and it cost me 5,000 dollars. The vehicle seems to work fine now. Thank God. Question: Has anyone else had this problem?

I currently own a 2003 Chevy Duramax, Crew Cab, 4x4 with 92,000+ miles and have not had either problem you are describing--knock on wood. I have had to get the instrument cluster replaced recently and have had both front bearings replaced. Other than that all is well.

Good luck,
Mark

You may want to check out this website http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/index.php

Whenever I have Duramax questions, this is where I go.

With less than 800 miles on our 2002 (Some time ago) it would not start. I had a Injector pump develop an internal leak... I later learned I could have used the hand pump feature on the Injector pump to build the pressure back up to get it started... this was something our old 1994 Diesel didn't have.

I have since had the injectors replaced... new batteries... a couple sets of tires... and have replaced the serpentine belt and idler pulley twice as well as the glow plug module.

Truck is getting close to 130,000 miles on it now... so I've no complaints with it's service. Tows the BigHorn well...

Marv - what were the symptoms when you replaced the glow plug module? I just had my 03 in the shop in Lincoln, NE (211,000 + miles) due to it smoking a little while idling and even more when under load. They ended up replacing this module ($350+ later) and my wife picked it up Monday. She drove up to me in Yankton, SD yesterday and as soon as she pulled up - I noticed it was STILL SMOKING! I called the dealership and suggested he NOT throw away my old part - I'll probably want it back. Now she's gonna take it back to him tomorrow and hopefully he can get it fixed by quitting time Friday so I can move the Cyclone on Saturday.

Other than this recent issue - I, too, have had both front wheel bearings replaced, and all the injectors were replaced at @ 157,000 miles. Oh,, yeah - running my 4th set of tires now. Instrument cluster was replaced @ 88,000. It appears these all are having the same issues. Makes you go...hmmmm!

HT,

Only symptom I had and once again have now... is the "Check Engine" light stays on. I stopped at a Auto Parts store for their code reading service... came back "Glow Plug Controller Module"... to reaffirm their diagnosis I stopped at a dealer... checking out a truck they had on the lot... they ask If I knew I was showing a Check Engine Light... We both agreed it was once again the Glow Plug Controller.

I have looked up the cost on line at >> www.rockauto.com

They sell the controller for my 2002 at $ 104.79

It's summer... and I'm not yet ready to replace the part... in due time...

Hope this is some help...

Marv

Some of the earlier DMAX engines had warranty extensions put on fuel injectors. If I remember correctly it was extended to 120,000 miles. If anyone is interested I am sure that this information can be found on the diesel web site that was mentioned earlier in this thread.

All the best,

Del600 said:

You may want to check out this website http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/index.php

Whenever I have Duramax questions, this is where I go.

Click to expand...

Lots of good info here. I am a member there as well.

Well, the new diagnosis was that injector #8 was stuck wide open and causing it to smoke. They replaced the injector (with only @ 55,000 mile on it) and IT IS STILL SMOKING! I'm out $1200 at this point and have no idea what is wrong. When the dealership can't fix it - totally frustrating!

HT,
How are you out $1200 when the injectors are warranted for 200,000 miles???

mrcomer said:

HT,
How are you out $1200 when the injectors are warranted for 200,000 miles???

Click to expand...

Mark, I think although the warranty is to 200K it's still only 5 years. HT's truck is an 03. I also noticed he has somewhere over 200K on the truck so I'm guessing the injector that he had replaced was one from the 2nd set.

I have my letter from GM in hand right how. It says 200,000 miles or seven years from the date of purchase which ever is first on my "03".

Mr. Bill is right on the money with his post. It is 200K or 7 years. Bob

retired4fun said:

I have my letter from GM in hand right how. It says 200,000 miles or seven years from the date of purchase which ever is first on my "03".

Click to expand...

I'm guessing this is for the OEM injectors? What about the replacements? HT had his originals replaced at 57K I just had mine done at a tad over 80K Wow, it's a lot quieter now too.

HT,
I have no idea on your warranty but DONT give up on your smoking issue. If your injector was over fueling (you didnt say it was or was not) it may take a little time to clear up the exhaust. I have seen big trucks that had been overfueling take a few hundred miles to clear up. Alot of unburned fuel can get caught in the muffler and pipes.
It just takes time.
Good Luck.

I hope it is just the 'overfueling' that was mentioned. I'm tired of the smoking. I haven't driven it much since picking it up. I pulled the Cyclone from Lincoln, NE up to a little place named Randolph, which is only about 150 miles. I'm driving a company vehicle on a daily basis, so I haven't needed the Chevy right now. Although, it is there for the DW to drive. Just real frustrating that I pay out $$$ and the problem I took it in for still exists!

The original injectors were replaced - at no cost to me - back at 157,000 miles. This is the 'new' set, with only @ 55,000 miles on them. Now #8 is the newest!

mine had been pretty good for 120,000 miles

I also had some of the issues mentiond above. My truck is a 2001 extra cab long bed. At about 50,000 miles I had an injector problem. The local dealer replaced them all. They were going to charge me a couple f hundred dollars for it since it was a warranty thing (pretty cheap really), but I had an extended warranty so it was $25. I replaced my seroentine belt at about 110,000 miles and replaced the idler pulley as a preventive thing then. I replaced a front axle half-shaft at about 100,000 miles when it sounded like the CV joint was creaking. I was preparing to replace the same one again about 5,000 miles later for the same reason, then realized the lug nuts were a bit loose and that was causing the creaking sound. Now I wonder if that was the case the first time. Other than that, a pretty stout rig. I am on tire set #3 or 4 and went to P265s early on to get a better load rating than the stock P245s. I used to haul a Citation 9.5 ft camper that was nearly 4,000 lbs. The 42 ft Sundance we haul now seems easy compared to that.

I still have original brakes, etc.

john


2001 Silverado w/ Duramax
Banks Monster Exhaust
Banks Ram Air Intake (by next weekend)
Airbags
Rear swaybar
Rancho 9000 shocks
Sundance 42 ft 5th wheel

John, question, is that sundance a HL product? I guess im out of the loop. Did not know that they made a 42' sundance. Bob

Well, the dealership came and picked up the truck and called me with their diagnosis - there was gas in the diesel and all 7 other injectors need replaced...the one they just replaced is still good! He'll credit me the $1200 already spent and 'only' charge me $3800. How could they not have figured this out the first 2 times they had it in their shop? Why are the remaining 7 injectors just now testing bad?

He was asking where I last filled up? Does it even matter? The truck was smoking while traveling to Nebraska from Oklahoma - if gas in the diesel caused this, it would not have come from the last place I filled up! I had only driven it about 5 miles since filling up.

The only place I could have gotten any gas in my tank was in OKC, from the car wash and detail shop. They kept my truck overnight and left the outside bed light on. The batteries ran down and it needed a jump, the non-English-speaking employees, put a gallon of "fuel" in it during their attempts to start it. I've had several tanks of diesel through it since then.

I'm beginning to wonder if the dealership is just flipping a coin, in hopes of stopping the smoke! I'm working 6 days/week and 150 miles from him.

htneighbors said:

They kept my truck overnight and left the outside bed light on. The batteries ran down and it needed a jump, the non-English-speaking employees, put a gallon of "fuel" in it during their attempts to start it.

Click to expand...

Sounds like you should go after them.