I am the original owner of a 2008 Silverado 3500HD with the Duramax engine (LMM). The VIN is 1GCJK33638F153643. I purchased this Silverado in March 2008 and use it for my personal and pleasure use. It currently has approximately 117,000 miles and I expected to get at least double that from it before any major powertrain repairs were required. It is not used for hauling. It is used and has been used to pull my 5th wheel camper for approximately 25% of the mileage I have driven it. I have followed the maintenance schedules in the owner manuals meticulously and can provide a detail schedule of all maintenance preformed on the vehicle.
However, my confidence and trust in the performance of this vehicle is wavering significantly due to recent problems I have encountered while on an extended vacation trip. While driving (pulling my 5th wheel camper) across eastern Montana on Interstate 94, the check engine light came on and the truck went into reduced power mode. The “Change Fuel Filter†message was also displayed (Fuel Filter had been changed approximately 5K miles earlier). After safely getting off the Interstate, I called my son (a former GM World Class Technician) who advised me how to read the OBD II code using a scanner I had purchased. It read a code P 0087. He advised me to reset the code and to continue on. If it occurred again, I was to take it to a Chevrolet Dealer for them to determine and fix the problem.
I drove approximately 200 miles before it happened again, north of Missoula, MT on US Hwy 93. Exact same thing: Check Engine Light, Engine Power Reduced, Change Fuel Filter message. I returned to Missoula and on July 28, 2014, took my truck to Karl Tyler Chevrolet Dealer in Missoula. A series of diagnostic tests were done that indicated everything was testing good (Their Invoice # 327890, copy enclosed). I paid a $99 diagnostic charge and was sent on my way. The service writer and service technician at this dealer suggested that I leave my OBD II scanner plugged in and if this happened again to simply erase the code and keep going as I would not be doing any damage to the engine/powertrain. So, I continued on north of Missoula to Glacier National Park. When driving in and around Glacier National Park without the camper for almost a week, there were no re-occurrences of this problem. However, when driving from Glacier National Park to Moscow, ID ( a distance of approximately 300 miles), this problem occurred again, THREE TIMES. Each time we erased the code and kept driving. On the next leg of our trip, Moscow, ID, to Boise, ID (another 300 miles) this problem occurred THREE MORE TIMES, and each time we simply erased the code and continued on.
After a few days in Boise, we drove to Arco, ID (about 200 miles) and this problem occurred EIGHT TIMES, once when I was passing a slow moving vehicle on a two lane highway causing me to be unable to complete the pass ( a dangerous situation). I then decided to take the vehicle to the closest Chevrolet Dealer and have the problem reassessed again. On August 13, 2014, I took my vehicle to Smith Chevrolet in Idaho Falls, ID. They did apparently the same tests as the dealer in Missoula and told me that all checked OK. However they offered to run an “injector return flow enhanced†test that would take a couple of hours to run. This I authorized. The service technician reported that this test showed 7 of the 8 injectors needed to be replaced. Since I am on an extended vacation trip and must have my vehicle to tow my camper, I had no choice but to proceed with having the injectors replaced. My cost for this work (their Repair Order/Invoice? # 8105011/1, copy enclosed) was $7,111.18, a somewhat staggering amount.
I should point out also, that in each of the occurrences of this problem, I was pulling my 5th wheel camper, the transmission was in TOW mode (usually 4th gear), up a moderate grade (not a mountain pass), at approximately 50-55 mph, transmission and engine temps normal, and outside air temp upper 80’s.
My frustrations are not with the dealers in this situation, if they are as competent as I would hope they are. My frustrations are with the fact that seven of the eight injectors failed on this engine after only 117,000 miles. Maybe one or two might fail, but not 7. This engine is supposed to be a tough, long-running, durable engine, but an injector failure rate of this magnitude does not speak well for this Chevrolet engine. The people at Ford or Dodge would love to be able to point out this issue with the Duramax, I’m sure. There is obviously a problem with these injectors that needs to be addressed by Chevrolet. I should not have experienced a failure such as this when the maintenance schedule has been followed so closely. I owned a 2004 Silverado 2500HD with the Duramax engine, and drove it for over 150k miles with no injector issues, so I know injector issues at only 117k miles should not be occurring.
I submitted this request to Chevrolet Customer Assistance and it was denied because my truck was out of warranty. I appealed to the GM Executive office and was also denied for the same reason. However, both the Customer Assistance Rep and the Executive Office Rep (Sharon) agreed that this injector failure was extraordinary for a vehicle with this few miles.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
I am the original owner of a 2008 Silverado 3500HD with the Duramax engine (LMM). The VIN is 1GCJK33638F153643. I purchased this Silverado in March 2008 and use it for my personal and pleasure use. It currently has approximately 117,000 miles and I expected to get at least double that from it before any major powertrain repairs were required. It is not used for hauling. It is used and has been used to pull my 5th wheel camper for approximately 25% of the mileage I have driven it. I have followed the maintenance schedules in the owner manuals meticulously and can provide a detail schedule of all maintenance preformed on the vehicle.
However, my confidence and trust in the performance of this vehicle is wavering significantly due to recent problems I have encountered while on an extended vacation trip. While driving (pulling my 5th wheel camper) across eastern Montana on Interstate 94, the check engine light came on and the truck went into reduced power mode. The “Change Fuel Filter†message was also displayed (Fuel Filter had been changed approximately 5K miles earlier). After safely getting off the Interstate, I called my son (a former GM World Class Technician) who advised me how to read the OBD II code using a scanner I had purchased. It read a code P 0087. He advised me to reset the code and to continue on. If it occurred again, I was to take it to a Chevrolet Dealer for them to determine and fix the problem.
I drove approximately 200 miles before it happened again, north of Missoula, MT on US Hwy 93. Exact same thing: Check Engine Light, Engine Power Reduced, Change Fuel Filter message. I returned to Missoula and on July 28, 2014, took my truck to Karl Tyler Chevrolet Dealer in Missoula. A series of diagnostic tests were done that indicated everything was testing good (Their Invoice # 327890, copy enclosed). I paid a $99 diagnostic charge and was sent on my way. The service writer and service technician at this dealer suggested that I leave my OBD II scanner plugged in and if this happened again to simply erase the code and keep going as I would not be doing any damage to the engine/powertrain. So, I continued on north of Missoula to Glacier National Park. When driving in and around Glacier National Park without the camper for almost a week, there were no re-occurrences of this problem. However, when driving from Glacier National Park to Moscow, ID ( a distance of approximately 300 miles), this problem occurred again, THREE TIMES. Each time we erased the code and kept driving. On the next leg of our trip, Moscow, ID, to Boise, ID (another 300 miles) this problem occurred THREE MORE TIMES, and each time we simply erased the code and continued on.
After a few days in Boise, we drove to Arco, ID (about 200 miles) and this problem occurred EIGHT TIMES, once when I was passing a slow moving vehicle on a two lane highway causing me to be unable to complete the pass ( a dangerous situation). I then decided to take the vehicle to the closest Chevrolet Dealer and have the problem reassessed again. On August 13, 2014, I took my vehicle to Smith Chevrolet in Idaho Falls, ID. They did apparently the same tests as the dealer in Missoula and told me that all checked OK. However they offered to run an “injector return flow enhanced†test that would take a couple of hours to run. This I authorized. The service technician reported that this test showed 7 of the 8 injectors needed to be replaced. Since I am on an extended vacation trip and must have my vehicle to tow my camper, I had no choice but to proceed with having the injectors replaced. My cost for this work (their Repair Order/Invoice? # 8105011/1, copy enclosed) was $7,111.18, a somewhat staggering amount.
I should point out also, that in each of the occurrences of this problem, I was pulling my 5th wheel camper, the transmission was in TOW mode (usually 4th gear), up a moderate grade (not a mountain pass), at approximately 50-55 mph, transmission and engine temps normal, and outside air temp upper 80’s.
My frustrations are not with the dealers in this situation, if they are as competent as I would hope they are. My frustrations are with the fact that seven of the eight injectors failed on this engine after only 117,000 miles. Maybe one or two might fail, but not 7. This engine is supposed to be a tough, long-running, durable engine, but an injector failure rate of this magnitude does not speak well for this Chevrolet engine. The people at Ford or Dodge would love to be able to point out this issue with the Duramax, I’m sure. There is obviously a problem with these injectors that needs to be addressed by Chevrolet. I should not have experienced a failure such as this when the maintenance schedule has been followed so closely. I owned a 2004 Silverado 2500HD with the Duramax engine, and drove it for over 150k miles with no injector issues, so I know injector issues at only 117k miles should not be occurring.
I submitted this request to Chevrolet Customer Assistance and it was denied because my truck was out of warranty. I appealed to the GM Executive office and was also denied for the same reason. However, both the Customer Assistance Rep and the Executive Office Rep (Sharon) agreed that this injector failure was extraordinary for a vehicle with this few miles.
- John M., Box Elder, SD, US