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Streamside · 01-13-2011, 09:01 PM

I got my 02 late in 02 (new, 10 miles on the OD). It's been a good friend and like good friends, I hope to keep it around for a very, very long time. Issues: darn injectors, got the bad ones but problems did not show up until about 2 years ago (blue smoke), and would you believe it, about 170K miles, just made it in under recall...FREE. Other than that, those darn brake pads just wont wear out. Still at about 3/8" thick, not even close to the wear indicator, no vibration upon stopping. Now at 197K miles, darn thing just won't wear out.
Put in a second alternator to charge the AS batteries. You can see my posting on that. The system worked well but took it out and use the second alternator just to keep the batteries toped in these cold Colorado days.

Ok, the brakes are a testament to the Allison. This truck has seen most of it's life in the mountains of Colorado and New Mexico. Use the Tow/Haul mode over the Million Dollar Highway (don't know how many miles on that road but I know every pothole, even those that have been filled) and I hardly have to touch the brakes. Looking to get 300k out of them. Yea, bought replacement pads back at 100K thinking I needed to replace them then without looking...bad investment.

Done all of the PM myself since new. Oil every, Every, EVERY 5000 miles, new filter then too. Check the Odometer, if it's divisible by 5000...change the oil. Don't wait for the indicator light.

Fuel filter every 25000...not too religious there though.

Transmission fluid change every 25,000 miles with new filter. Has never smelled burned or discolored.

Don't use a K&N Air Ftr....Fouls the sensors...screws up the milage...now back to 21 hwy, 18-19 town, 14-15 towing the 7K pounds. Just use a paper...don't fall for the gimmick.

Wouldn't trade her, wont by a new one... due to DEF....Waste of money, additional maintenance, crappy alternative over a catalytic converter. D### government regs on vehicles that don't contribute that much to the overall problem. Put a DEF bag on a cow, they are the real polluters...Oh wait, that's where it(def)comes from, another subsidy for the industry. Ok, off that rant.

The truck is CC SB and is on it's second cap. Both Leers and the dogs love them, put a fantastic fan on the new cap to keep them a little more comfortable in the summer driving months, they like the AC blowing back through the access windows that we keep sealed with a doughnut (not the edible kind). The fan helps pull the air through. Never gets above 80 when it's 104 outside. Yes, I do monitor the temps, the pups are really important.

Love it, won't trade it, looking forward to rolling the big 200K, then 300, then 400.

Oh, and traded a Landcruiser for it, miss the ride, but love the truck.

wayner61 · 01-13-2011, 10:04 PM

Wellllll....

I',m the a "new guy"' I guess. I have a 2009 LMM. 2500HD 4X4 crew cab. Nothing special. Just over 35K on the clock as I write this.

Likes --

All the torque I would ever want, whenever I want it.

Tows my 27FB for miles and miles and miles with absolutely no drama. 70 MPH (or 75 MPH) on the interstate is no problem.

Relatively comfortable. Better or equal to any other HD truck I have been in.

Overall good fit and finish.

Roomy enough for a fat boy like myself.

Dislikes --

Two distinct "buzzes" at idle. One occurs pretty much all the time, one when the weather gets cold. They are coming from different places. I need to take it to the dealer before the warranty runs out. Hopefully they can figure it out and fix it.... If they can't fix it or I can't figure it out, I might go insane.

The fuel tank on the 2009 at least is WAY too small. I know there are after-market tanks, but 23 gallons is really not enough. Bad decision GM. The 2011 has a larger tank. Enough said....

The bed sides are too darned tall. I know it is a styling "thing" but a guy that is 5' 10" should be able to reach over the side to the floor of the bed if you have factory wheels, tires and suspension parts. I can't do it though...

In the end though, I absolutely LOVE my truck!

Wayne

TIMEMACHINE · 01-13-2011, 11:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pmclemore

I've got 140,000 on my '04. Probably 110k of that is towing, including a 13k round trip to Alaska in 06.

Mine is the crew cab, dressed up LT. I reliably get 13mpg towing and 19 otherwise. I believe a couple of mpg is due to the Bully Dog tuner, which I recommend to you. If I were going to add anything, it would be an exhaust brake.

Pat

Hi Pat,

It has been a bit of time since our last meeting. Good to see your "Red" truck is still chugging along.

I just joined the GM crowd with a 2011 GMC Denali 2500HD 4X4 with the Duramax/Allison combo. So I have gone from Ford diesel to Dodge Hemi to GM diesel. Glad to be back in a diesel, although the Hemi was sure a fun driver. The new GMC/Chevy HD's are awesome, no worries buying one after years of listening to satisfied owners on this and other forums.

John

pmclemore · 01-14-2011, 10:38 AM

Hi John! Long time no see and glad to hear from you. I still picture you and Kat in canary yellow; we'll have to meet up so I can change my mental image. Your new rig is very handsome (better looking if it was red, though).

We may be attending a wedding in SF in Oct; maybe we can connect camping somewhere. We're going to be making a real journey out of this; no out-and-back for us!

Pat

slowmover · 01-14-2011, 08:06 PM

mileage...now back to 21 hwy, 18-19 town, 14-15 towing the 7K pounds.

Is it the LLY motor (and what model years) that gets the best mpg?

Streamside · 01-14-2011, 08:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by REDNAX

mileage...now back to 21 hwy, 18-19 town, 14-15 towing the 7K pounds.

Is it the LLY motor (and what model years) that gets the best mpg?

Don't know an LLY from a Lily. All I know is that fuel in versus milage driven and I get what I get. No fancy computer. Just facts. Been tracking milage since new...breakin was about 10k or so but took it easy during those months and a little lower then. Many can't get the milage but they have chipped, drive too fast then have to stop too quick. Keep it easy, do the PM and most all of these trucks(gmc, Ford, Dodge, diesels in general) will give back good milage and longevity. The gassers I have not so much luck with. The LC we gave up never got much more than 15.

Streamside · 01-14-2011, 09:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by REDNAX

mileage...now back to 21 hwy, 18-19 town, 14-15 towing the 7K pounds.

Is it the LLY motor (and what model years) that gets the best mpg?

Btw. Fuel mileage is a personal thing. No one drives the same and those with really great claims drive downhill and downwind all the time. Some keep it slow and I have a "slowing" ticket from th AZ trooper to prove it.

slowmover · 01-14-2011, 09:32 PM

No, fuel mileage can be duplicated fairly well given similarities of climate, topography, etc, to a point where a given configuration truck is the same across a number of drivers. Commercial fleets depend on this sort of analysis. The driver is still the largest impediment. I haven't found it hard to find others with whom to compare numbers, solo or towing the same trailer type. Among pickup drivers there are those for whom low fuel cost is priority number one.

I've averaged 22.50 mpg for all miles the past 22,000 miles. The around town portion of that is above 20 this past calendar year. There are guys doing better than me. It's about incentive: I wanted a low operating cost truck, and for the trailer to be of a similar cast.

The question had to do with some model years of Duramax -- with a particular engine configuration -- as having the best mpg, overall. I assume they are pre-2007.

I've heard/read that some Duramax trucks were pretty decent on mpg (despite other problems), and wanted to nail down year/model/engine desiignation.

.

SteveH · 01-15-2011, 04:56 PM

Well, it doesn't sound like there's too many problems, and certainly doesn't seem to be any reoccurring problems. That's good to know. I plan to drive this truck at a minimum till 150K miles, and maybe more depending on the condition and ecomomics at that time.

I would like to learn more about the steering knock. My truck drives good, but it does seem the steering is not perfect. Can anyone tell me more about this? What exactly is the problem and what is the cure. I do all my own maintenance and repairs if I can.

I have done one "mod" to my truck, and it was the DPF delete pipe, and an economy tune. It has increased my fuel mileage running empty by about 2-3 mpg, but I don't think I'll ever make up the cost in fuel saved. The tuner I have has several higher performance tunes available, but that is not what I was after. My fuel mileage calculated miles driven/fuel used on an almost 15K mile trip this last summer to Alaska and back towing the trailer was 12.4 MPG. I tried running all different speeds, and anything below about 62, the truck didn't stay in 6th gear with the tow/haul mode on, and then it did worse. So, most of my speed where possible, was 65 to 68.

In the fall I took a trip to Virgina to go get our current trailer, and on the way over cruising the interstates at 73 mph on the cruse control and no Airconditioner, I was getting up to 23 mpg, but the average was 20.5.

Not terribly bad, but for a Diesel, nothing to write home about.

dscluchfc · 01-15-2011, 11:00 PM

2002 Duramax LLY here. 216,000 miles.
Injectors went at 81K and were replaced free.
Injectors went again at 186K, I was under the 200K extended factory warranty, but was 10 months over the 7 year limit....cost $4500 to replace them. Mechanics at the dealer in Lubbock said use Stanadyne performance additive to increase lubricity of the ULSD for the Bosch injectors. Although fuel refiners say they add lubricity back into the ULSD, it isn't enough in the opinion of the mechanics who see the injector failures. The mechanic said those who use lubricity additive don't have problems...those who don't come in and pay for injector replacements. So, I use Stanadyne and will not stop....4 oz per 15 gallons.
Only other repairs involve a water pump, and the chronic situation with the cooling tube housing at the oil filter where the O-ring failed there a few years ago, and since the O-ring replacement it periodically gets a drip in the winter once it cools completely off. That has been fixed by running the bolts back out, putting sealant on the threads and running them back in....annoying, but no big deal so far.
Brakes were done with new pads and rotors turned at 200K because I had a little vibration in a rotor.
I buy the paper Fram air filters and spray them with PJ7 paper filter oil, and change them every 4000 miles when the oil gets changed with new Rotella.
Fuel filter about every 12,000 miles and the transmission about every 25K.
I get 20-22 solo, and 11-14 towing the 31' Excella depending on speed of 60 to 75 mph.
I also have the GM steering knock in the column. It is annoying, but it is not unsafe. I could have the steering column replaced and fix it, but I haven't been willing to part with the cash.
With the new Duramax listing over $60,000...I plan to drive this one a lot longer.

deauxrite · 01-16-2011, 06:13 AM

We just sold ours (05 king cab, short bed). I loved the power and it was quiet enough..but it ate $1000 bills. With just 95,000 miles it had become a shop queen. Speedometer problems, hub and axle replacements, exhaust problems, then a torque converter...it was a 95 model and looked great and pulled the AS without thinking about it. Mileage was pretty poor driving at 63 with the speed control and the small fuel tank was always an issue too. Oh, yes..the steering wheel rattle that GM refused to acknowledge on mine and 10,000 others..well that just about did it for me.

So, it got sold. I told the new buyer about the issues and he seemed OK with all of it. For us..we will move along and pull with something..anything..other than another GM product.

r carl · 01-16-2011, 06:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by deauxrite

We just sold ours (05 king cab, short bed). I loved the power and it was quiet enough..but it ate $1000 bills. With just 95,000 miles it had become a shop queen. Speedometer problems, hub and axle replacements, exhaust problems, then a torque converter...it was a 95 model and looked great and pulled the AS without thinking about it. Mileage was pretty poor driving at 63 with the speed control and the small fuel tank was always an issue too. Oh, yes..the steering wheel rattle that GM refused to acknowledge on mine and 10,000 others..well that just about did it for me.

So, it got sold. I told the new buyer about the issues and he seemed OK with all of it. For us..we will move along and pull with something..anything..other than another GM product.

If you would of owned my neighbors 05 ford you would of loved your 05 chevy,,, seeing his truck with the cab off and the motor out was a shock!

SteveH · 01-16-2011, 07:01 AM

I'm sure there are trucks out there of every manufacturer with problems. Most of the choices people make when they buy a vehicle are based either on performance capabilities, or asthetics, but the purpose of this thread is to discuss GM Duramax Diesel trucks.

Let's please not let this thread degrade to the "my thruck is better than your truck" or "your truck is not as good as my truck" mentality.

Thanks

SteveH · 01-16-2011, 07:04 AM

deauxrite,

I'm a little confused...you first state your truck was an '05 model, and then you state it was a '95 model. Not that it's all that important, but that is 10 years difference, and it would be better if we know which one it was.

TIMEMACHINE · 01-16-2011, 12:52 PM

Steve,

Although I agree to not let this be a "bashing" thread, it is inevitable for some to discuss other trucks, I did on this thread, but only as background. This thread is great for those of us with Duramax powered trucks, the sharing of detailed information is one of benefits of this forum.

SteveH · 01-17-2011, 06:52 AM

Lets see....it seems like we have 28 people, if I counted right, that are mostly happy with their Duramax, and one sold because of the consumption of $1000 bills.

Certainly can't blame you there, deauxrite, I would not like that either. I wonder, however, how much of your problems could have been attributable to your dealer doing the service?

Anyway, I hope we are now back on track here, because I do want to hear more from Duramax owners about their expereinces with these trucks, and I'm certain there are more than 29 of us on here.

bwoodtx · 01-17-2011, 07:01 AM

steve-
The "rattle" that most people complain about in the steering is in the shaft from the firewall to the steering gear. With the shaft replaced it goes away. Don't know if this is what you are referring to or not.

slowmover · 01-17-2011, 07:15 AM

Unless someone corrects me I'll assume that LB-7 equipped Duramax trucks from 2001-2004 are the best performers in re FE of 19+ highway, solo, from 55-65 mph. I see that GM has extended warranty coverage on injectors thru 200k which is a good sign for long-term ownership. Other insights appreciated.

deauxrite · 01-17-2011, 07:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SteveH

deauxrite,

I'm a little confused...you first state your truck was an '05 model, and then you state it was a '95 model. Not that it's all that important, but that is 10 years difference, and it would be better if we know which one it was.

Sorry for the typo. The truck was a 2005 GMC 2500 model.

I hope that no one thinks that I did not like the truck. When it was pulling and not sitting in the shop it was a great truck. It looked good, rode good and pulled the Airstream like a dream. I just felt like it was not as reliable as it should have been at the age and mileage that it was. When I travel my truck has to be dependable and this truck was not dependable.

I bought that truck new, took excellent care of it and had it serviced or serviced it myself regularly. I have been pulling Airstreams and other SOBs for a long time..this was not my first truck. It was my first less than satisfactory experience with a GMC product after many GMC products.

SteveH · 01-17-2011, 08:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bwoodtx

steve-
The "rattle" that most people complain about in the steering is in the shaft from the firewall to the steering gear. With the shaft replaced it goes away. Don't know if this is what you are referring to or not.

Bruce, I think you are probably right, as that is about the only thing left that I have not checked.

deauxrite, Thanks for clearing that up, and I don't disagree at all....if a vehicle, especially a tow vehicle is not reliable, I really don't want it either.

Knock on wood, so far I have had no reliability issues. Well, that is as long as I keep Diesel in it.