I was talking to my GM rep today and we were talking about the shortage of quality duramax techs/dealers. We concluded that the "better" dealers were the ones that have light-duty and medium-duty franchises. Reason - light duty dmax was in light-duty model year 2001. Medium-duty did not see them until 2003 in the C4500-5500, so the techs there typically are not as familiar with them due to not working on them for the extra years. Best shot is light and medium because they get more commercial trucks, contractors, plumbers, etc, that use diesel pickups. Light-duty only dealers do not see the volume of diesels that a light-medium dealer does. I know this because I have worked at light duty only dealers and the volume of diesels was light. Of course there are always exceptions, but just something to consider. If you get good service where you are at then that is always good. For example, I stay busy working on "diesel engine repair/maintenance" most of the time, 6.5TD,6.6DMAX, CAT, ISUZU. I do other medium-duty work as filler, but not much. I think it is fair to say that not many light-duty dealers have a designated diesel tech that can stay busy with diesel work only.

I think it is fair to say that not many light-duty dealers have a designated diesel tech that can stay busy with diesel work only.
I don't know. To hear some folks talk seems like all diesel techs are doing is replacing injectors.:rolleyes: But then, I guess they need something to do while they are waiting for the injectors to show up.):h

Jim

My brother bought his truck from a light dealer that had a tech that owned a new Duramax. He figured that guy would want to know everything in the world about what was going on and the first sign of trouble to show up on his own truck or a customers he'd be all over it because he had his own money vested... I thought about it for a few second before I realized my brother was a genious. I consider service quality heavily before I choose a dealer know-a-days like most savy buyers but I never looked that hard into it. He actually went to the service department and spoke with the tech to make sure he was a diesel guy before he made his decision. The he went and told the sales-slob what he would pay for the carbon metalic cab-in-half unit on the lot. Smart buy!!!:)

The dealership that I use, they have a tech that has had a new one every year since they came out. I guess they give him demos to drive or something but he can just about tell you what it is doing before you even ask... Great guy...

Even if the dealer has medium duty mechanics or one mechanic that owns a DMAX, it does not guarantee they will know what they are doing. Especially if the job is given to the rookie! Been there, done that!

Of course there are always exceptions, but just something to consider. If you get good service where you are at then that is always good.
.Just SOMETHING TO CONSIDER, my post was not meant to guarantee anything. My rep visits many dealerships and see's which dealers make quality repairs and proper diagnosis on diesels, I think he would pay attention since he is the one who pays the claims.

Even if the dealer has medium duty mechanics or one mechanic that owns a DMAX, it does not guarantee they will know what they are doing. Especially if the job is given to the rookie! Been there, done that!Apparently you didn't read where I said he went to the service department and spoke with the tech to make sure he was a Diesel guy. :mad: My brother is very knowledgeable on the subject and would smell a green tech a mile away.

Certainly nothing is a guarentee but if the tech is a Dielsel fanatic and happens to own a Duramax, I'd take my chances on him knowing what he's doing over the punk drivin' the Accord with the bullet exhaust.-:t

I agree with SoCalDieselTech's statement. The other thing to consider, is that the DMAX was brand new in 2001. At the introduction of the DMAX, no one had any real hands on experience with the engine. At best, you could hope that a dealer sent their tech to a training class. So your best bet would have been to use a tech that at least had diesel experience. At least the diesel tech would understand the fundamental workings of a diesel engine.

As time goes on, there will be more DMAX's on the market. They are producing around 150,000 engines per year (? - or something like that). So at this point, there should be around 600,000 DMAX equipped vehicles out there. Eventually things break and some of those 600,000 engines need repair. By default, there will be experienced techs out there, its just a matter of finding them. Thats whats great about forums like this. By sharing experiences, we all can sort out the good/bad.

Apparently you didn't read where I said he went to the service department and spoke with the tech to make sure he was a Diesel guy. :mad: My brother is very knowledgeable on the subject and would smell a green tech a mile away.

Certainly nothing is a guarentee but if the tech is a Dielsel fanatic and happens to own a Duramax, I'd take my chances on him knowing what he's doing over the punk drivin' the Accord with the bullet exhaust.-:t


I did read it, you missed my point!
Just because there is a good diesel tech in the barn, it does not insure that tech will be doing the work on the truck. Been there done that! My truck was in the shop 52 day getting injectors installed, the tech that started the job did not finish the job because he was too involved on a different job and the manager put a "green tech" on the job to finish it up...

I would request you have X tech work on your truck if your comfortable with one. There is no reason that I can think off that a dealer shoulndt abide with a request like that. I can see if you wanted him to do something he doesnt normally do, but ask him who he reccommends to do it. I think you will have better results that way. Get to know the guy on a first name basis too.

As socal said, the tech can sell trucks too... I have sold or helped sell more trucks here than I can remember...

If I remember right. Doesen't GM require the dealership to have some prerequisites before letting them sell a particular motor? I was told that before a dealer could sell a vehicle with a Dmax in it they had to have purchases a specific amount of parts and also sent the required amount of mechanics to school for that motor.

nope... if it says GMC on the grill and on the sign......Done.

Any suggestions for dealer Duramax service in Detroit, MI area?

If I remember right. Doesen't GM require the dealership to have some prerequisites before letting them sell a particular motor? I was told that before a dealer could sell a vehicle with a Dmax in it they had to have purchases a specific amount of parts and also sent the required amount of mechanics to school for that motor.When I was DMAX shopping, I got that same story from one of the dealers. Maybe it's just a sales pitch. I ended up buying from a dealer that also handles Case and IH farm equipment. Has all kinds of diesels setting around. But when it comes to the DMAX, they dummie-up. They won't run the truck through the wash stall without a T.S.B. from the general tellin'em how to. So for this dealer anyway, I would say dmaxallitech is positively right. As the old joke goes, "Yesturday I couldn't spell mecanik, today I are one." :cool: