I took my first trip in my 05 Crew Cab Dooley duramax / Allison; to say I am disappointed would be an understatement. This truck just plain sucks and was a total embarrassment to me. :mad: Here are the reasons this truck is worthless and why I want my 01 Crew Cab Dooley duramax / Allison back.

We left Athens TN pulling an enclosed 3 bike trailer that has a V front and low height for less wind resistance. Total weight of loaded trailer was 3982 pounds. On the 1501 mile trip to Custer SD the truck averaged 9.6 mpg pulling at 70~72 mph. To say the least the two guys ridding with me could not believe the crappy fuel economy. To add insult to injury was the cooling fan. When the temperature was in the high 70’s it ran about 25% of the time. When the temperature was in the high 80’s it ran more than 50% of the time. When in Mt Vernon Ill the temperature hit 98 until 100 miles past St Louis the cooling fan never shut off. That was 211 miles straight of that unbearable noise. Slight hills and the truck could not hold overdrive. It felt like the truck was straining to pull just under 4K.-:t

The return trip was not much better. The fuel economy went up to 9.8 mpg. The cooling fan ran almost 50% of the trip. Needless to say the two guys that rode with me will not be buying a GM Diesel product. This is by far the most disappointing truck I have ever owned. I would love to get my 01 Duramax back, heck even my 96 Crew Cab with a 454 and 4.56 gears would be an improvement over this truck.

I am scared to try to pull my RV with this truck. It felt like it struggled to pull 4k and my RV is 12k. My RV is also more than 2 foot taller and almost 18 inches wider and not V shaped. I figure with the RV the cooling fan will never shut off and the mpg will be less than 8mpg,:eek:

For comparison my 01 Crew Cab duramax averaged 11.4 mpg pulling my 12,000 pound RV with a 700 pound Harley in the bed. The cooling fan almost never came on unless you were on a mountain grade. My 01 did not feel like it was working as hard pulling 12,000 pounds as this 05 feels pulling 4000 pounds. I am positive the cooling fan in my 05 has more hours run time on it in 7000 miles than the cooling fan did in my 01 with 130,000 miles on it and I have pulled the RV over 30,000 miles with the 01.

We checked the trailer out to make sure the brakes were not dragging, and that the wheels turned free. We even switched trailers for 1 tank of fuel with the other truck and trailer in our group. No change in my mpg or in my friend’s mpg. He was pulling a 4-bike trailer with a 04 big block Chevy; he got 10.2 mpg on his trip.

What it wrong with my truck? I am calling the dealer this morning. I am going to let them know about the troubles. Could this be caused by something with the injectors? Or some sort of restriction in the intake or exhaust system? What else could cause this? I cannot believe that the fan should run that much, it almost never ran in the 01. I also can not believe it should get 2 mpg less pulling 4k than the 01 got pulling 12K with a much bigger frontal area. At this point, my 01 was the best truck I ever owned, and my 05 is by far the worst. The 05 is my 7th 1-ton truck.

First thing I would do would be to put a "tow tune" on it. 50-65HP. Your mileage will improve some, and the truck will run better.

Dave- don't touch it as far as a tune, Gm is buying mine back. Fan on 80%, no power. I own 2 05's one is fine and the other sucks! I have gotten fuel milage as low as 5.6 pullin the RV when my 01 gets 10.
Pm me for more info if you would like.

I pull a 17,000 lb fifth wheel, works like a charm

take it in and get it checked..it could be somethign very simple like a sensor or an ECM update. let us know how it turns out.

I haven't been happy with my milage but it isn't that bad ,10-11 pulling my 26' vintage car hauler with race car and support equipment 15.5-16.5 empty. Other than milage I'm tickled , pulls better than my 8.1 did and runs with anyone on the open road pulling. Saturday night I pulled with some independents from Shreveport back to Dallas, We ran hammer lane all the way and they didn't have enough to shake me. Thats all I need .

Dave

Your issue is not uncommon, and is likely related to fan clutch auto-heating. What was your ECT on the climbs?

easily remedied with 2 things: "stack sealing" and a cold air intake. If you can get the dealer to look at your IAT when pulling grade, you will see over 200 iat and up to 275 post CAC temps. with the cold air and stack sealing this will be dropped to 150. And you will pick up about 3 mpg+ (towing).

Ask the dealer to install the 06 CAI, and stack sealing is easily done by you. This forces cooler air over the stack (and clutch). You will be surprised, very surprised.

3+ mpg towing? I'm sold. How difficult is it to convince the dealer to install the 06 CAI? Have they been doing this under warranty to resolve the problems?

I am very pleased with how my truck pulls and I don't really think that the fuel mileage is too bad but I won't argue with 3mpg either!

When you take it in to get it checked you will be informed "it's normal" - and they will have a straight face when they tell you this.
That's what they did to me with the exact same symtoms. In other words, live with it, or redesign the truck, cooling system, air flow, etc. on your own to solve your problem.
For me I shot off a letetr to GM, and stated quite clearly DO NOT tell me you are unaware of this problem,as I can show you hundreds of posts that say otherwise.

Kendall69 is correct,

Max, I doubt you could get a dealer to buy you the 06 intake, even if you brought a hooker. I just mention it as a way the dealer can get out of buying the truck back (one angle). But you must do the stack seal also, a good one, takes a while.

Nose shrouds are a good addition after these 2 mods. You'll where your grill cover more also, as this is a very effective cooling mod.

In any event, this is more effective, the more extreme you tow. (temps and weight) It also remedies many fan clutch misalignments. (what this sounds like)

I need to know if his engine temp needle (ect) was running hot also.

Has anyone checked to see what an 06 intake conversion would cost if you decided to purchase one yourself?

Nobody has come up wioth an answer yet. Want to contribute RedG?

We know the airbox PN is 89060671.

I think you need the new air tube, and element also.

Just wait a little and go to a diesel shop and the guys taking those off for AFEs or other aftermarket air boxes will likely give you theirs for nothing...

Drew

I was not even pulling any real weight or any grades of significance. Flat roadis in Ill out side St louis, still fan ran almost all the time. Believe me the truck has no power and very bad mpg.

I hope to get it into the dealer next week. No time this week as I have to go to MI this week for my dad double by pass surgery. So the truck has to wait.

To give you an Idea how bad the mpg is I am riding my motorcycly because 12 mpg empty is to low.

What Was Your Ect's????

The fan should not run unless it is rising. You made the post, was it just a rant or do you want help???

Is he fan on 50%-75% of the time an arguable point, or is it fair to say "the fan coming on is doing it's job".
We the consumer do not like the fan on ( in my case from Ca. to Phoenix 4 hours), but yet GM says it's working as designed.

Is he fan on 50%-75% of the time an arguable point, or is it fair to say "the fan coming on is doing it's job".
We the consumer do not like the fan on ( in my case from Ca. to Phoenix 4 hours), but yet GM says it's working as designed.

The dealer has a script, a corporate policy on how to address this issue. For your time, expect only lies.

The fan coming on in an unloaded condition, is a documented deficiency. if your fan comes on under 210 ect, that is also unnecessary. If it is, it is NOT doing it's job. It's job is to augment speed induced airflow. That's the problem, there is none.

The stack sealing plus nose shrouds has eliminated it in every case. You will NOT here the fan again, except pulling away from lights for 30 seconds tops.

The fan pulls up to 25 HP off the wheels, so you can decide if you should live with it or not.

With a 3+ mpg increase, your mods will pay for themselves in the first tank(s) of fuel.

OK, getting the script part loud and clear, now the question is how the heck does a person get GM's attention, and makes THEM fix the situation. Or are we just pi$$ing in the wind.

No we are not. One hour of effort (less than the time it takes to get lied to) is all it takes to move off this topic.

I don't get it. If I said, "I have a new product that is guaranteed to end fan, and OH issues forever, with resdual benefits to AC, tranny cooling and power output, and it's only $460", you'd all line up.

I give it away, and people won't get off the keyboard.

"I want GM to fix my truck" Now that's pissing into the wind.


Kendall, bring a shotgun, or another 40K check, that will get more attention.

I'm sorry about the cynisism, I'm all out of humble today.

Get a lawyer
Get in line
Spend 200 hrs defending your position
Get shafted anyway

OR

The easy route.

killerbee- I hear ya brother. Maybe it's just me, but in the year 2005, with computers, CAD programs, laser measuring devises, digital everything, 3-D, virtual reality, and instandt messaging, it's we, the consumer, that has to finish building our new 50k vehicles. Now I can say I've seen it all.

OK

I am better now. I know I am forgetting there are a lot of people who are not too willing or able to tear into the front end, so, sorry for indiscretion.

But for the brave, it's not that hard.

Something is wrong, my 05 lly pulls my 5500# 8 ft wide, 25 ft long camper with no problems. Temp. stays on 210 or one mark below no matter what the grade. I rarely ever hear the fan. My mileage is about 13 or 14 on interstate towing and about 17 combined highway/city while empty (this is mostly city driving) and my engine only has 2500 miles on the odometer. The mileage seems to be getting better. Try the dealer, you may get nowhere, but he may suprise you.:)

Hey KB! bad day or what?! I'm of the same thinking as Kendall69. It's not that I can't do the stack seal, etc. It's that I don't want to do self-improvements that might affect GM stepping up. If the fix was expensive, I could see GM sidestepping, but it's not, and we keep hearing rumors (maybe they're just that) that GM is working on a fix. I have the luxury of being able to wait, if I didn't, I surely wouldn't waste this truck trying to prove a point. So 1st is to see what their fix incorporates, and 2nd is to do all the rest of the cooling mods that y'all have done so much work on myself. Again, not lazy, just patient when it comes to a $40k truck being "right". Thanks again....

I'd buy ya' a beer (or two) if we were closer...

I also have ****ty mpg when towing. i have a 04lly drw 4by4 crew cab.ats tranny work,banks cat back exuast,afe air intake. I pull without a program due to high egt's. I pull a 30ft toy hauler that usually weights about 9000lbs when I tow it. I get about 6-7mpg when towing and it struggles to get up hills. My engine temp runs hot when pulling hills.I'm not sure of the exact temp but I think it's a notch below the red. It wiil cool prety quick after the hill. I will listen to anyones advise on how to get better mpg. I'm considering switching to another brand for better mpg.

Boyd

If the fix was expensive, I could see GM sidestepping, but it's not, and we keep hearing rumors (maybe they're just that) that GM is working on a fix.

I'd buy ya' a beer (or two) if we were closer...

The fix they are working on, is called October

Here I'll give you all something (http://members.cox.net/beekiller/GMC%20Light%20Duty/White%20Paper%20on%20LLY%20overheating%20issues%20 related%20to%20airflow%20deficiencies.doc)

You'll want a beer after that

Anyone here ever had a "perfect vehical?" I've had a couple that came close. Know what, they never stuck around long! It's part of the appeal of Harley's, I believe that anyway. Allways need to be tight'n this or that's leak'n. They require care and attention. Chevy's have allways been this way. The co. gives you a concept and the parts, it's up to you to try and perfect the beast for your needs and wants. Yeah their a lot of dollars, but compare it to what we had just 10 yrs ago, "real junkers." I'll keep wrench'n on mine till it make no more sense, and the other "women" in my life "lly" will get her's. If this idea does'nt work for you, buy a Toyota and quit your B I ITCHIN!

I didn't comment or read thru the thousands of posts on the overheating but my truck is similiar to FLSDave. I've been pulling my boat at about 4K lbs and the fan is on alot of the time. During the heat of the day at about 95+ its on almost all the time. Even with a 1000lb trailer. When its empty and I drive for a long period of time everytime I stop or even slow down the fan will come on. I got about 12mpg pulling a 1000lb pop up camper, and fan on all the time. Temps never got over 200. Does my truck have a problem?

Does my truck have a problem?

If you think so, I think so. And problem has been solved.

PS don't mean to hijack this thread.

What Was Your Ect's????

The fan should not run unless it is rising. You made the post, was it just a rant or do you want help???

I do not have gages yet, nor a power adder. The engine temperature gage never moved up or down, stayed at 210. The trans never moved up or down, 190. Fan ran more than 75% of the time with out side temps in the mid 90's pulling a light 4000 pounds. The fan ran 50% of the time when out side temp was 80's and 25% of the time in the 70's.

The truck feels like pulling a 4000 pound v nose trailer is too much work. The mpg sucked bad, 9.6 mpg. My old 01 LB7 could pull 12,500 pounds at the same speeds, get 11.5 to 12 mpg and the fan almost never ran.

This Truck is a POS. I wish I could get my 01 LB7 back. It had more power, better mpg, and was quite.

As soon as I get back from MI, and my dads double by pass the truck is going in to the dealer. He is already aware of my total dissatisfaction. There is some thing wrong with this truck. I have owned seven 1 ton crew cab dooleys, this 05 is the worst in terms of mpg, performance and power and noise. My 01 LB7 was the best in all the same areas.

No we are not. One hour of effort (less than the time it takes to get lied to) is all it takes to move off this topic. Why should I have to fix a new 51,000 dollar truck?

I don't get it. If I said, "I have a new product that is guaranteed to end fan, and OH issues forever, with resdual benefits to AC, tranny cooling and power output, and it's only $460", you'd all line up. Why should I have to spend my money to fix a pporly designed and in efficent cooling system, especially when GM had it spot on in 01?

I give it away, and people won't get off the keyboard.

"I want GM to fix my truck" Now that's pissing into the wind. So you think it is ok to spend 51,000 dollars for a truck that cant even handle pulling 4000 pounds when it is rated to pull 16,000 pounds?


Kendall, bring a shotgun, or another 40K check, that will get more attention.

I'm sorry about the cynisism, I'm all out of humble today.

Get a lawyer
Get in line
Spend 200 hrs defending your position
Get shafted anyway


OR

The easy route.

I fail to see why I need to fix a truck that has a poorly designed cooling system. I also fail to understand why a 51,000 dollar truck cant pull 4000 pounds, yet my wifes Xterra can pull it with no trouble and it is only rated to pull 5000 pounds.

My 01 LB7 was a great truck, it could pull 12,500 and get 3 mpg better than this LLY does pulling 4000. Fan never ran on the 01.

Something is wrong, my 05 lly pulls my 5500# 8 ft wide, 25 ft long camper with no problems. Temp. stays on 210 or one mark below no matter what the grade. I rarely ever hear the fan. My mileage is about 13 or 14 on interstate towing and about 17 combined highway/city while empty (this is mostly city driving) and my engine only has 2500 miles on the odometer. The mileage seems to be getting better. Try the dealer, you may get nowhere, but he may suprise you.:)

I agree, something is very wrong.:eek: My 01 pulled 12,500 RV 8 wide and 10.5 tall with better mpg, and no fan than the b05 pulls 4000 pounds ov low profile v nose 6.5 wide, 7 tall.

It goes into the dealer as soon as I get back from MI

Anyone here ever had a "perfect vehical?" I've had a couple that came close. Know what, they never stuck around long! It's part of the appeal of Harley's, I believe that anyway. Allways need to be tight'n this or that's leak'n. They require care and attention. Chevy's have allways been this way. The co. gives you a concept and the parts, it's up to you to try and perfect the beast for your needs and wants. Yeah their a lot of dollars, but compare it to what we had just 10 yrs ago, "real junkers." I'll keep wrench'n on mine till it make no more sense, and the other "women" in my life "lly" will get her's. If this idea does'nt work for you, buy a Toyota and quit your B I ITCHIN!

Yep, my 01 LB7 was very close to perfect, that is why I bought a 05 LLY. Sad thing is the 05 is like an AMF Harley, a true POS. My 03 harley is one of the best most trouble free motorcycles I have ever onwed.

I have owned 7 chevy/gmc 1 ton dooleys, the 01 was the best, the o5 is the worst.

I do believe at this point a Toyota 1/2 ton would pull more than my GMC 1 ton. My wifes Xterra does a better job pulling 4000 pounds than my 1 ton LLY does.

Dave,

Enjoy the experience with your dealer. Soon it will be cold. No worries, you will be good to go soon.

When/if the time comes, let me know if I can help.

Hope the surgery is a success!. Dad's are too few.

Yep, my 01 LB7 was very close to perfect, that is why I bought a 05 LLY. Sad thing is the 05 is like an AMF Harley, a true POS. My 03 harley is one of the best most trouble free motorcycles I have ever onwed.

I have owned 7 chevy/gmc 1 ton dooleys, the 01 was the best, the o5 is the worst.

I do believe at this point a Toyota 1/2 ton would pull more than my GMC 1 ton. My wifes Xterra does a better job pulling 4000 pounds than my 1 ton LLY does.
Honestly, i cant imagine that your 1 ton pickup cant tow 4000 pounds easily, i have an 05 dually and i tow a 48 foot gooser like theres no tommarow, i can barely feel it back there, and i get 10 MPG whil pulling fully loaded 18 K lbs.














Hey what color handle did you use at the gas station... Was it the green one? :eek: I love my 05 not a problem yet and runs awesome!

It's interesting how inconsistent these engines seem to be. Some get good mileage, some don't, some run hot while others don't, some have good power while others don't, some surge (MINE!) others don't. Are we dealing with quality control issues or what? At least mine gets decent mileage and will tow 4k like it's not even there with very little fan engagement in 95*. I guess I should be happy my only issue being the 1200rpm surge under load. Maybe all these things are tied together somehow???:think:

It's interesting how inconsistent these engines seem to be. Some get good mileage, some don't, some run hot while others don't, some have good power while others don't, some surge (MINE!) others don't. Are we dealing with quality control issues or what? At least mine gets decent mileage and will tow K like it's not even there with very little fan engagement in 95*. I guess I should be happy my only issue being the 1200rpm surge under load. Maybe all these things are tied together somehow???:think:
I agree- how can a production vehicle be that different. I own 2 05's and 3 LB7's, the LB7's are all about the same- 13-19 mpg depending and all about equal power, 2 of my employee own LB7's, again about the same as mine, we range from 28K to 64K and have had no major issues, not ever the dreaded injectors (knock wood). Now I get these 2 LLY's, both 05's and built about 1 week apart, the 2500HD EC LB w/ 9k gets about 16mpg city/hwy and about 14 towing the boat and all the related kid toys ( brother has 2,4,6 year olds), never hear the fan and never sees over 205 on the dash (I have not gotten the latest flash due to what happened to my dually). My 05 CC LB Dually with 11k gets a best of 13 empty city/hwy, and avg 6.5 when towing the RV, my 26' ALUMINUM enclosed or the loaded GN @ 26K, worst tank was 5.9-:t best towing was 7.2, I track every tank of fuel and check mileage every time. The fan is on when towing at any temp above 80* about 75% of the time, and if its over 90* its on for the long haul.The fan was even on on a 65* and rainy day when I took the RV in for a slide Issue. I did the partial stack seal, it did help, the fan clutch helped, as did water wetter, I probably would join KB, RDL, JJ and do the Whole pkg, but when I talked to GM Area manager he didn't seem to fond of the mods and I figure that might be a issue if I had engine problems, I know prove it, but I use the truck and Don't want the hassle of fighting to get it fixed or worse having a issue when out of town. I dotted the I's and crossed the T's, did everything the Dealer and GM asked as far as testing, weight, stock tires etc, now they tell me, Yep know there are some trucks with a problem, but we don't have a fix, other than a "flash" that slows the ECT guage, and cut boost as a way to "limit" the problem. Prior to the flash this truck flat out rocked, after it won't get out of its own way:( . SO pending the Official offer at a buyback, I am waiting because it sounds like they are trying to make right via a new truck, hopefully its better, and the extra gear can't hurt in the mileage department. I'll post more when I get the written offer.

Honestly, i cant imagine that your 1 ton pickup cant tow 4000 pounds easily, i have an 05 dually and i tow a 48 foot gooser like theres no tommarow, i can barely feel it back there, and i get 10 MPG whil pulling fully loaded 18 K lbs.
Believe me, it struggles to pull 4000 pounds, feels like it is way over loaded. My 01 LB7 pulled 12,500 with less effort than the 05 pulls 4000 pounds.:eek:

Hey what color handle did you use at the gas station... Was it the green one? :eek: Yep is was the green one. 9.6 mpg all the way on a 3003 mile round trip, so there were plenty of fill ups.:( I love my 05 not a problem yet and runs awesome! My 05 is the worst truck I have ever owned-:t

Believe me, the truck has no power, cant even pull 4000 pounds, gets worse mpg than a big block and the noise from the constant running of the cooling fan is un bearable.

I was getting 10.5-12 or so pulling about 15K between NY and MO, and NY/KY/MO, had no problems with hills at all, my cooling fan didn't come on much at all, and ambient temp was 90+/- a few degrees. I think it's something with that truck, not all '05 Duramaxes.

GM is not about to endorse an idea that is not out of their own trenches. Almost no dealer is going to assume that kind of liability. If I spent 50K, I'd be inclined to tell the dealer to "suck my foam". 50K at least buys you the right to fix your own vehicle without reprisal, if they can't.

Of course, I totally understand the warranty issues. You pay 50K then worry that pinstriping it will void your service obligation when you have an oil leak. That's a tough way to live IMO. I wouldn't pay that much to be a slave. FWIW, all the mods proposed by me are completely invisible, and oem friendly. A mechanic would not find them, and if he did, he'd say, "that's a good idea"

I just finished up sealing and shrouding, with cold air intake, Don McMullins truck, and you can't tell. Completely oem appearance. And all removeable. No tape, no foil.

Just some food for thought. This project does not breach your MM warranty act rights. But we know what that statement is worth. Still, when coolant is running downhill, and the kids are screaming, Magnussen Moss is not going to come to mind.

The biggest problem I am running across is liability issues with the materials, neoprene products handle low temps so there is a fire risk involved here as the IC can double the temp rating of the stack sealing materials that seem to be being utilized so far on the forum. What are the effects of these materials with heat, and combinations of vehicle fluids (oil, coolant, transmission fluid)?

Not shooting the stack sealing idea down because there are temperature performance benefits from it, the idea is a great one, but a screwup here could be bad. Coolant down the hill will be the last thing on anyones mind if smoke starts billowing out from under the hood from a fire.

.

I put the neoprene sponge foam on my grill, It didn't ever auto-ignite. I had to put a flame on it at 450 degrees to get it to ignite, and then it promptly put itself out. It has a fire rating also.

I agree with what you say. If you have any suggestions?...

Yes sir Mr.FLSDAVE, kinda made my point for me. The X did it right from the factory. My '01 chevy D/A was "perfect," my '03 Gmc D/A spent more time in the shop than my driveway, My '04.5 chevy, well, they did this one right! I guess you pays your bucks and takes your chances! :exactly:

I put the neoprene sponge foam on my grill, It didn't ever auto-ignite. I had to put a flame on it at 450 degrees to get it to ignite, and then it promptly put itself out. It has a fire rating also.

Is this the stuff those camping pads are made out of (the off-white ones that roll up)? Or is it more open-cell than these pads?

Joseph

Is this the stuff those camping pads are made out of (the off-white ones that roll up)? Or is it more open-cell than these pads?

Joseph

No

closed cell is much better than open, you don't want it absorbing water and passing air, don't use a sleeping pad, if it doesn't have the correct temp and fire rating.. Put a chunk of it over a flame, you'll see what I mean.

I also bought a 2005 Duramax, I pull a 36 Ft 5th wheel that weighs 13K and I got 13 Mpg on flat ground and 10 in hilly areas, You may have a injector problem or computer problem try and get it checked out Good luck.

Any one try out these programer like the hypertec, Bullgod, or Juice ect. they are supposed to improvement HO and torque, the Lowest setting are 55HP with 95 ft lb of torque, Does that mean I will have 350 Hp and 695 FtLbs of torque with my 2005 Duramax, Sorta hard to believe.

Any one try out these programer like the hypertec, Bullgod, or Juice ect. they are supposed to improvement HO and torque, the Lowest setting are 55HP with 95 ft lb of torque, Does that mean I will have 350 Hp and 695 FtLbs of torque with my 2005 Duramax, Sorta hard to believe.


Hmmm... Programmers? I should try one! ;)

Let's put it this way, Big Blue made 246rwhp stock on a chassis dyno. With a "50HP" tow tune it made 311rwhp. So figure about 375HP at the crank MINIMUM.

Tuners can take the horsepower up to 300rwhp-475rwhp and everywhere in between. King of the Hill right now is the PPE Hot.

OK:
So i have read through this whole thread and i am still confused on what is meant by "stack sealing" and how it is done. would someone please explain it to me or give me a diagram. I agree with you all, we should not have to work on our $50k trucks but what are you going to do, sit there and b!tch about it? i know that GM will do nothing about it so instead of having the poor me's and complaining about how the fan is too loud, i would like to know how to do this quick, cheap fix. Life is too short to fight with a huge company. So Killerbee, if you have any info on the fix, i would really like to fix my $50k truck.

Regards,

Ryan

Look through the LLY forum, you will find lots of info on it. Stack sealing is basically sealing all of the areas around the radiator area to make sure that all of the air that passes through the grill is forced to go through the cooling "stack" or in other words, intercooler, transmission cooler, radiator, ac condenser.

OCDUNE

Start Here (http://dieselplace.com/forum/showthread.php?t=41827)

then go here. (http://dieselplace.com/forum/showthread.php?t=40080)

Thank you very much. Now where can i get some of that foam that you are using?

Ryan

COTW

e-mail me. I will try to help you

e-mail sent

Ryan

I also bought a 2005 Duramax, I pull a 36 Ft 5th wheel that weighs 13K and I got 13 Mpg on flat ground and 10 in hilly areas, You may have a injector problem or computer problem try and get it checked out Good luck.

It is at the dealer right now.:( I have little hope they will actually find something wrong or fix it.:mad: The service writter was clueless and thought the fan problem was it was not running 100% of the time. I left a 1 typed page discription of the problems for the tech and to be attached to the service report.

Dave,

Have you driven another 05, to compare against for power? Maybe they will find an air leak in your intake tract.

If you get tired of blank stares from the dealer, please give me a shout. You sound like a good test case for cooling mods.

Dave,

Have you driven another 05, to compare against for power? Maybe they will find an air leak in your intake tract.

If you get tired of blank stares from the dealer, please give me a shout. You sound like a good test case for cooling mods.

No I have not driven another 05 to compair. Truck performs just fine when using it a commuter car. It does not perform when using it like a truck, pulling something. I do know that my 01 Duramax truck had way more power, way better mpg and ran much cooler and the clutch fan almost never came on.

Just got off the phone with the Service Manager. He stated my truck has no troubles. No fault codes, good fuel pressure and flow at the injectors. He also stated 9 mpg pulling 4000 pounds was normal to better than should be expected. He insisted that even after I explained my 01 got 12 mpg pulling 12500 pounds of RV.

Service manager sugested I call GMC and tell them. He then went on to Say GMC would then call him for all his test resutls and then GMC would tell me it was normal. I will call GMC. I doubt I will get any help. I will also write GMC.

I have a 50,000 dollar truck that is designed to work and pull 16,000 pounds yet can barley pull 4000 pounds.-:t It is a 50,000 P.O.S that I am now stuck with. GM does not even care that my last seven trucks were GM. Cant wait till Toyota puts their 1 ton diesel on the market.

You guys may have a good point about being able to fix these sort of problems with after-market add-ons or other modifications, but that doesn't change the fact that this guy just spent $50k on a product that isn't performing up to advertised specs. That is just plain unacceptable.

I only paid about $38k for my 2500HD, but that's alot of money to me, and I expect nothing less than to get in and turn the key, and have the machine do what it's advertised to be able to do. My old S-10 could pull 4000lbs. This guy has a 1-ton duelly?!?! He shouldn't even be able to tell he has a trailer hooked up! A 1-ton duell-wheel truck has no other intended use than to tow/haul heavy stuff. Get a F*rd escort or some little stupid car if all you want to do is commute in it.

It is our responsiblity as consumers to demand nothing less, otherwise it is our fault for creating a marketplace for crap. (People wouldn't manufacture crap if other people wouldn't buy crap.)

Luckily my truck has been great, but if it wasn't, I'd be demanding my money back, or a severed head or something. Maybe it needs to accidentally burn - in the dealer's lot.

What he really needs is a petition by about 1000 other GM owners that say they won't buy another GM truck if this isn't solved. I'll sign.

Sorry for the rambling, but obviously I found this very disturbing.:rant:

You guys may have a good point about being able to fix these sort of problems with after-market add-ons or other modifications, but that doesn't change the fact that this guy just spent $50k on a product that isn't performing up to advertised specs. That is just plain unacceptable. My feelings exactly. I bought the 05 because my 01 Duramax was the best truck I ever owned. MY 05 is the worst.

I only paid about $38k for my 2500HD, but that's alot of money to me, and I expect nothing less than to get in and turn the key, and have the machine do what it's advertised to be able to do. My old S-10 could pull 4000lbs. This guy has a 1-ton duelly?!?! He shouldn't even be able to tell he has a trailer hooked up! A 1-ton duell-wheel truck has no other intended use than to tow/haul heavy stuff. Get a F*rd escort or some little stupid car if all you want to do is commute in it. I only paid 41,000 for mine but sticker was 51,000. It is a lot of money for a work truck that will not work! I should not have to fix a new truck. I should have kept the old one, it did not need fixing!

It is our responsiblity as consumers to demand nothing less, otherwise it is our fault for creating a marketplace for crap. (People wouldn't manufacture crap if other people wouldn't buy crap.)

Luckily my truck has been great, but if it wasn't, I'd be demanding my money back, or a severed head or something. Maybe it needs to accidentally burn - in the dealer's lot. Believe me I am writing letters to GMC customer service, and the Dealer and better business and so on.

What he really needs is a petition by about 1000 other GM owners that say they won't buy another GM truck if this isn't solved. I'll sign.

Sorry for the rambling, but obviously I found this very disturbing.:rant:
Believe me I am very upset.


I will raise heck about this. It is very upsetting to have a very expensive truck that will not serve its intended purpose. This is my 7th new GM truck. If GM will not fix it it will most likely be my last. I agree others on here have found some fixes. However in my opinion I should not have to fix a 2 month old truck.

Offer still stands Dave.

I don't participate in ranting, and when I am thirsty, I don't squeeze stones.
You are about to embark on a very familiar journey.

Let me know when you want to restore your blood pressure. I will be glad to help, after you realize GM is no help.

Offer still stands Dave.

I don't participate in ranting, and when I am thirsty, I don't squeeze stones.
You are about to embark on a very familiar journey.

Let me know when you want to restore your blood pressure. I will be glad to help, after you realize GM is no help.

Give it a few weeks and I am sure I will be asking you for help. I am pretty sure GM will not fix it. I do have a file now with GMC customer service. I am documenting everything with them. They found nothing wrong with my truck. They will get it back again next week with at least a 10,000 pound trailer for them to pull. Then I want them again to tell me their is nothing wrong.

Sad thing is if everyone fixes their own trucks then GM is not forced to fix their POS. I believe GM knows there is a problem with these LLY trucks, thats why all the changes to the 06 cooling system and intercooler.

Thanks for the offer and I will eventually take you up on it.

New guy here with a new 2005 D/A K3500 Dually. Killerbee, what is a "stack seal?"

Thanks,

Jimmy

check the signature.

Basically, a cooling mod that adds to overheat resistance and fan efficiency increase.

I am a Cummins/Chevy man. Have an 85 4WD Suburban with a Cummins installed; great family vehicle, and an 86 GMC Crew Cab LWB Dually with a Cummins marine engine installed. This beast is producing well over 300 HP and over 700 ft. lbs of torque. It has been my main tow vehicle for a 32 foot travel trailer weighing 9,000 lbs. I get 11 - 12 towing and 17 freeway in the 65 mph range.

I bought the 2005 Chevy because I think it is a better truck than the Dodge. Just wish it had a Cummins in it. But, I am very pleased with the Duramax.

First trip from SF Bay Area to Auburn, CA with 400 miles on it and I got 18mpg. Ran like a champ.

First trip towing my trailer into South Lake Tahoe up I-50 with 1800 miles and I got 13mpg on the flat from home to Stockton and 11 mpg from Stockton up the hill and down into Lake Tahoe.

Only problem on that trip was overheating - once. On the first hill outside Sacramento the temp gauge shot past 210 heading for the red mark, the fan came on and brought it right down. I realized I was in OD and putting way to much fuel to it. Dropped out of OD and never had the problem again.

Could some of the overheating problems be due to high EGTs?

I did take it back to the dealer a month after I bought it because it is not coming up to operating temperature (200-205?) on cool evenings. I can drive it 10 miles in stop and go traffic on a 60 degree evening and the damn thing will only get up to 180. They told me that is normal. Ha. We'll see this winter.

Jimmy
Sandstone Metallic, K3500 LWB Crew Cab Dually

it IS normal. 180 is first thermostat crack temp.

Boy, I'm feeling pretty good. Pulling approx. 14K & get 12 (under perfect conditions) on the flats at 55-60 with a wing. No problems with heat either. What am I missing?

What am I missing?

a hill

I am beginning to think that what we need is one of those consumer's advocates groups. I have an 05 3500 CC dually, but I haven't experienced the overheating problem. My fuel mileage seems to be a little low (average 10 mpg on vacation with about 75% of the miles with a 10K lb 5er and the rest empty) but not enough to complain about. What does bother me, though, is the weight of the front end. I posted about it on the 3500 group, but got no replies. In a nutshell, with me and my wife in the front seats, two boys (ages 9 and 10) in the back and a 70 gal Transfer Flow tank in the bed, the front end exceeds the GAWR by about 150 lb. That may not seem like much, but when you consider that that makes my truck illegal in most States and Provinces, it becomes a problem. I haven't started my fight with GM yet (just got back from vacation) but if what I see on this forum is an indication of the warm welcome I am about to receive, I don't expect it will be very easy.

Has anyone given any thought to inviting one of the consumer's advocates groups to tag along on one of their test runs? Those folks have a lot more clout than any of us here. If they can be convinced that there is a problem - and they can be convinced - GM will have no choice but to ante up. What would happen to GM's sales if the over heating and/or weight issue was to hit the papers with some big names behind it? To think that it is actually illegal to put 5 big men in a 1 ton CC and drive it one the highway because that would exceed the GAWR of the front end I find mind boggling. But, I am not so niaeve to believe that GM will acknowledge that there is a problem and increase the GAWR of my truck just because I ask them to. They need a lot more persuasion then I can provide.

Bert

I took my first trip in my 05 Crew Cab Dooley duramax / Allison; to say I am disappointed would be an understatement. This truck just plain sucks and was a total embarrassment to me. :mad: Here are the reasons this truck is worthless and why I want my 01 Crew Cab Dooley duramax / Allison back.

We left Athens TN pulling an enclosed 3 bike trailer that has a V front and low height for less wind resistance. Total weight of loaded trailer was 3982 pounds. On the 1501 mile trip to Custer SD the truck averaged 9.6 mpg pulling at 70~72 mph. To say the least the two guys ridding with me could not believe the crappy fuel economy. To add insult to injury was the cooling fan. When the temperature was in the high 70’s it ran about 25% of the time. When the temperature was in the high 80’s it ran more than 50% of the time. When in Mt Vernon Ill the temperature hit 98 until 100 miles past St Louis the cooling fan never shut off. That was 211 miles straight of that unbearable noise. Slight hills and the truck could not hold overdrive. It felt like the truck was straining to pull just under 4K.-:t

The return trip was not much better. The fuel economy went up to 9.8 mpg. The cooling fan ran almost 50% of the trip. Needless to say the two guys that rode with me will not be buying a GM Diesel product. This is by far the most disappointing truck I have ever owned. I would love to get my 01 Duramax back, heck even my 96 Crew Cab with a 454 and 4.56 gears would be an improvement over this truck.

I am scared to try to pull my RV with this truck. It felt like it struggled to pull 4k and my RV is 12k. My RV is also more than 2 foot taller and almost 18 inches wider and not V shaped. I figure with the RV the cooling fan will never shut off and the mpg will be less than 8mpg,:eek:

For comparison my 01 Crew Cab duramax averaged 11.4 mpg pulling my 12,000 pound RV with a 700 pound Harley in the bed. The cooling fan almost never came on unless you were on a mountain grade. My 01 did not feel like it was working as hard pulling 12,000 pounds as this 05 feels pulling 4000 pounds. I am positive the cooling fan in my 05 has more hours run time on it in 7000 miles than the cooling fan did in my 01 with 130,000 miles on it and I have pulled the RV over 30,000 miles with the 01.

We checked the trailer out to make sure the brakes were not dragging, and that the wheels turned free. We even switched trailers for 1 tank of fuel with the other truck and trailer in our group. No change in my mpg or in my friend’s mpg. He was pulling a 4-bike trailer with a 04 big block Chevy; he got 10.2 mpg on his trip.

What it wrong with my truck? I am calling the dealer this morning. I am going to let them know about the troubles. Could this be caused by something with the injectors? Or some sort of restriction in the intake or exhaust system? What else could cause this? I cannot believe that the fan should run that much, it almost never ran in the 01. I also can not believe it should get 2 mpg less pulling 4k than the 01 got pulling 12K with a much bigger frontal area. At this point, my 01 was the best truck I ever owned, and my 05 is by far the worst. The 05 is my 7th 1-ton truck. Correct me if I am wrong, I found with my truck, A harsh break in period is extremely important esspecially when towing, they state it is not recomended, but when I first bought my truck, it had atrotious gas millage, terrible I just hated it, not to mention performance, but now I am finding exceptible levels of gas milage.

i have an 05 dually as well. I have no complaints. i have towed a 28' gooseneck with 3 Jeeps ~15k #'s accross west texas in july and had no fan problems. the engine temp gauge never moved but when pulling a grade and the tranny temp started climbing the fan would come on when the tranny temp got to about 200-210. other than that the fan never came one and the engine temp was steady at 210 the whole time. i got 15-16 MPG with the cruise set on 65. no problems at all. pulled most grades with out dropping overdrive. empty i run with the cruise set on 65 as well and get aobut 20 MPG. I am very happy with my D-max/Allison dually. hope nobody jinxes mine!! :) :)

I just did some fuel mileage testing today while driving back from Emporia Ks, just for fun. My truck is an 04.5 CCSB D/A 4x4. I got about 22.5mpg @ 60mph, about 22.2mpg @ 65mph. So i decided to try running 55mph just to check, and was getting 28mpg according to the DIC. I hope mine gets good mileage when towing a 12000# 5th wheel trailer this month, like mahana79.

My truck gets 15-mpg average city/highway.
I pull my 3k lb pontoon boat and it drops to 9.4-mpg average.
I am trying to get my truck replaced right now on an unrelated problem, see Arrrrrr x 100 thread in 3500 Dually Trucks.

I just did some fuel mileage testing today while driving back from Emporia Ks, just for fun. My truck is an 04.5 CCSB D/A 4x4. I got about 22.5mpg @ 60mph, about 22.2mpg @ 65mph. So i decided to try running 55mph just to check, and was getting 28mpg according to the DIC. I hope mine gets good mileage when towing a 12000# 5th wheel trailer this month, like mahana79.


Focus Dave, sorry to break it to you but you can't trust your DIC.

Uh, that could have been stated better...

I almost always get .5 less by hand running empty and 1.5 to 2.0 less when towing.

YMMV

John

FLSTFI Dave,

A Thought you might have your dealer check on for your problem, and could be related to others as well. Just talked with a friend who unfortunatly has a 04 PSD 6.0l and he had a similar problem with his truck, after two weeks a farting around, they decided it was a bad EGR valve. After replacement, truck runs great.

Just A thought.

(Noone mentioned if thier trucks smoke a lot when they are suffering from power Loss???)

John

FLSTFI Dave,

A Thought you might have your dealer check on for your problem, and could be related to others as well. Just talked with a friend who unfortunatly has a 04 PSD 6.0l and he had a similar problem with his truck, after two weeks a farting around, they decided it was a bad EGR valve. After replacement, truck runs great.

Just A thought.

(Noone mentioned if thier trucks smoke a lot when they are suffering from power Loss???)

John

Not much smoke at all ever from my truck, pulling or not, hill or not. Just feels real weak with a 4000 pound trailer. And only 9.6 mpg average pulling 4000 pound wedge.

Dealer now wants me to take the truck and a trailer back to him for testing loaded. Bad thing is I have to take a day off work for that as they will not drive the truck and trailer, they want me to.