[Chris]

Well, the Tahoe with 20K miles is already in the shop. Vacuum leak on the intake manifold. (Yesterday is was coded as some type of fuel code) Wow, am I glad I bought the extended 100K mile warranty now (after all these are not Toyota's when I had my first problem at about 150K) Still under factory warranty now to 36K. It just seems strange with problem such as this at only 20K or is it just me? Hope all of the other gaskets are not failing -- maybe a Friday afternoon truck assembly over in the Arlington, TX plant?

Wonder if there are any technical service bulletins on this truck that need to be addressed at the same time. At least the service dept was extremely attentive, very close to home, and provided immediate rental vehicle to use in the interim. We will see.

Arrgggh.



Bye

 

[Ingersoll444]

don't sweat it yet. I work at a new car dealer and I see cars come in everyday with a LOT less miles than that come in. There are SO many systems, and the on board diag is SO senstive, that it picks up problems you probably always had with the older cars, you just did not know it.

 

[Chris]

Well, thanks for the insight Paul. I guess you are right. With the complexity of these systems, I would probably never attempt any work myself on these units --- sad to say. Thanks.

Andy

 

[guest]

thats a drag.. but still you got yourself a nice looking truck.. im sure youll be all set.. especially w/a 100K warranty.

 

[guest2]

The intake manifold on the chevy 5300 vortec V-8 is plastic. Might be part of the problem. See if the dealer will replace the entire manifold, not just a gasket. The ford 4.6 uses a plastic manifold also, the taxi mechanics on my route change them all day long. Be sure to get the right repair under warranty, you don't want to have to pay to do it over when the warranty expires.

 

[Chris]

Replace it with what and what do you mean the intake manifold is made of plastic? I guess I have spent too much time with my Weiland and Holley manifolds and/or some type of good aluminum ones. Heck, I guess next you will tell me the block is made of synthetic polymer resin laced with cardboard tubes made from recycled paper dolls.

Man o man, I guess I should just be happy it is covered. Seriously though, what exactly should I ask for in this case with the intake?

Thanks my friend.
Andy

 

[leolav]

You would be shocked what some of the new cars are being made with. Some new car manufacturers have been using "bonding adhesives" instead of welds for years on body panels. It makes sense to quiet the vehicle "rattles", but it is still not been tested over the long haul whether or not the "glue" will hold up over time.

My guess is it won't hold up as well as a weld or nut and bold over time, but who knows.

I imagine these engineers know what their doing......

 

[Chipmaker]

Don't feel too bad. Back in 1980 I bought me one of those so called great diesel pickups, a Chevy Pickup with the 350 wanna be diesel. I closedon all the paper work, and the wife and I and the salesman were the last out of the dealership, as it was past 5:00pm, and on a hot Friday evening. I got about 1/2 mile from the dealership when it died, right in the middle of all that rush traffic. The bracket that held the AC and Alternator etc to ther motor actually broke and everything went into and through the radiator. Had to walk back to dealership, and happened by chance to see my trade in being driven off, by yep you guessed it the salesman. Mucho phone calls eventually got me towed in and MOnday I really rasied hell. Come to find out my tradein was taken to a car auction by the salesman the same day I traded, and thats where he was headed when I seen it leaving. I had complained and wanted my old K5 blazer back and thats when they told me it was already gone..........2 weeks later I get my truck back, but they did give me a loaner.......a G%$ %$#@ Plymouth Valiant. So fine you think, truck is fixed, and its another Friday afternoon, so the wife and I take it home pack it up and head to the coast. Man that truck gets some hellaceous fuel mileage. All the way to the coast and the fuel gauge hardly moved, but I had to stop and add water two darn times. It kept using up water like there wa no tomorrow. Take it to a dealership on the coast which happened to be open till noon on Saturday, only to be told that they had head problems and it would be a while until its fixed, so just keep adding water and get it back to my local dealer. Get it home and its another 2 weeks of arbitrating back and forth because head gaskets werenot covered on warranty..........duh!, I eventually win the battle but lost the war. That truck had less than 12,000 miles on it when I swapped it and every couple of days it was a problem somewhere, from tranny to engine to AC to you name it. It left me down on Christmas eve on interstate 81 out in the middle of nowehre in West Virginia when the injection pump tore up. It was cold and snowing like he%% and if it was not for a WV state trooper coming along I and the wife probably would have froze.

Good old General Motors wanna be diesels............

 

[GreenMtnMan]

I stopped buying GM about 15 years ago because they sucked.
Switched to Toyota. They sucked.
Switched to Ford. They suck.
Next will be Dodge. They probably will suck too.
Guess I'll be walking soon

 

[Chris]

Well I had 189K on my 4runner. Didn't have a single problem till about 150K... still had most of the original components. I would definately buy Toyota again if given the chance. Their reliability (at used to be) extremely good.

Dunno about today.

Andy

 

[jodyand]

Well i have 256683 miles on my Toyota and it runs great. I put about 90 miles a day on it 5 days a week. My Dodge just flip over 100,000 miles the only thing that has gone out in it is the oxygen sensors. It has two and they both went out within a month of each other. It has been a good truck next one will be a Cummings diesel instead of a gas burner.
Jody

 

[guest2]

Yeah Andy,
The intake manifold is made of plastic, the engine aluminum. Pretty sure the dealer will have to replace the manifold and gasket. That seems to be the standard repair proceedure but it wouldn't hurt to make sure. if nothing else, they'll know you know what should be done and won't try to cut corners on your truck.
The 5.7 (350) in my 99 Tahoe uses a split manifold, most of it is cast like the old days but there is a smaller "upper intake manifold" made out of plastic on it. The 5300 uses all plastic. All in the name of increased MPG by lowering the overall weight.
It really shouldn't be anything to worry about but from what the techs tell me it's better to change it or it might not seat right.

 

[Rodster]

Hey Andy
Hate to tell ya but I worked as a machine repairman at the Pontiac motor plant in Pontiac Michigan and guess where some of your great non GM toyota parts were made. Trust me I worked on the machines that made Toyota parts so I know it is true.
Rodster

 

[bear]

in my opinion they are all in the same bed. thats why i drive the old ones

 

[Michael]

Chipmaker, I fondkly remember the wanna be a diesel GM trucks. You had nothing to worry about when it comes to those great trucks. Even the Air Force got took by those wonderful pieces of crap. I know as I was a vehicle maintenance supervisor when a whole fleet of them came in to a SAC base I was stationed at to replace the old '68 Dodge crewcabs we used for the bomber crews. I had already read up on them and assigned the trucks as ordered to the alert barracks for the crews when I received a call of the same condition you described of the alternator bracket breaking and taking out the front of the truck. Literally the fan was sitting in front of the truck with the grille and everything attached to it on the ground. I immediately dispatched all the old Dodges back and took all the new trucks back to the shop and had my mechanics going over them. Not one of the trucks made a year before we converted all of them to gas and had GM foot the bill on their fine quality.

 

[bear]

the only good thing about the 350 deisel was it gave the auto wreckers a good market for their oldsmobile engines

 

[Live Oak]

You guys are summing up the MANY reason I am driving a Cummins diesel with a Dodge truck wrapped around it.

 

[Chris]

Well, they said just the gasket is being replaced. I mentioned that according to other mechanics the proper method would be to replace both the manifold and gasket ensuring a better seal.
Hope they get it fixed correctly someday.

 

[Chris]

Rodster,
Thanks for the input and insight there! Amazing info.

Well, my Toyota was a 1995 and aside from the last-minute problems (which may have been avoided if proper care was executed before I bought the truck used at 60K) it was a superior vehicle in nearly every sense of the word. I have friends who own the Tundras and they absolutely love these trucks. I don't know about every facet and phase of Toyota vehicles but we also own a 94 Mazda Protege (last year they were completely made in Japan) and with 160K miles the only thing that has ever failed was a set of CV boots. Simply amazing.

So, I guess the luck is in the draw these days. I just hope I get my truck back soon, this rental car is a strange little vehicle, 2004-05 Chevy Malibu. Just doesn't seem to drive right --- only about 500 miles on it total but man something about it.

 

[Chipmaker]

Originally posted by bear
the only good thing about the 350 deisel was it gave the auto wreckers a good market for their oldsmobile engines

Well I did convert mine over to gas but still traded it in ASAP. I was ot thinking clearly when I converted and only had the name Chevy in my mind, so I bught a wrecked 81 model pickup and utilized the entire wiring harness and had to change the entire exhaust system. Bought a used cae for a 400 Turbo tranny and had it rebuuilt to fit the gas engine, as the tranny in the wrecked truck was busted, but in the end after lots of messing around had a decent truck but I wanted out from the GM badge.During the swapout I found everything is 180 opposite on Olds from Chevy. Whats on the left on a chevy is located on the right on an Olds etc etc etc. If I went and got a used 402? Olds or a Olds 350 it would have just about been a perfect drop in except for exhaust diameter adpaters. But I still traded it as soon as I could. When I drove it to the dealers they offered my $3,900 for it on trade on a new gas pickup.The dealer informed me the diesels were not that dependable......duh, when I bought i it was the best thing since lsiced bread. Funny how things change in a year isn't it?

I informed them I converted it to gas so it was not a diesel anymore. To which he imediately replied well in that case I can't give you $3,900 for it as its been back yarded and I'll have to knock off 1500, ....yea sure. I told him to get his best mechanic or any other person, and aside from the diesel emblems on the truck to check it out and see if they could tell if it was originally gas or diesel. I even changed out the dash panel. They checked it out and my trade in price imediately went to $7,500.............I told them to shove it , went down the road and bought a left over 1980 F-250 super cab which I have to say was the most trouble free truck I have ever owned. 320,000 miles all trouble free except for a bent tie rod end which I did when I hit a stump in the field, and normal wear items like plugs belts and hoses, all other things were original. Never used or leaked oil, pulled what ever I had behind it, and got the same fuel mileage loaded or empty fast or slow.......11 or 12 mpg. Never back to the dealers from the day I picked it up, and never any more than a few hours down time for an oil change or belts or brake reline etc. One terrific truck. Sure wished I kept it.

I was big into boating scuba diving back then and I took my old diesel engine, stripped all internal parts (pistons rods etc) and pressure washed it all inside and out. Reassembled the motor, complete with air cleaner and exhaust manifolds injection pump etc and it looked like a ready to run motor setting there.........Gave it a couple of coats of the brightest yellow paint I could find. We loaded it on the back of the boat I had one day and dropped it off at one of our favorite dive sites, in about 60 feet of water in the Gulf of Mexico. When we would dive that area I would tie off the boats anchor line to it. In the end that motor served a very usefull purpose.Now we could dive and be sure the boat would not pull up and drag the anchor on us.