[2fast2]

2003 2500HD Silverado Crew Cab, 8500 miles. First oil change per salesman's advice and free coupon at 5000 miles (so dealership could once again check everything over...yeah, right.)


Today I finally took the time to service this truck myself. Given all that I've read on this and the other forum about more frequent oil changes, synthetic engine oil, changing the rear differential oil. etc, I decided I'd just change the oil again and convert to Rotella T synthetic 5W40 today, now that cold weather is finally here in NC.


Since I haven't done much towing with this truck yet, I hadn't changed out the rear fluid yet, but decided to do that today, too. First I checked the level and couldn't feel ANY fluid through the top hole. Then I drained it into a pan and measured and only got 2.5 quarts out. It was dark, watery, a little foamy on top, and yes, it smelled pretty nice for gear lube, like grape juice. I refilled with 4 quarts of Mobil 1 75W90.


I'm wondering how much, if any, damage has been done by having low fluid? Obviously this came from GM this way, and obviously my deadbeat dealer didn't check it at dealer prep nor during the initial oil change checkover. What recourse do I have at this point? Any recommendations?


Tomorrow I'll check the front differential and the transfer case. No reason to believe these are filled right either. If I change the front, is the same Mobil 1 75W90 OK? 2 quart capacity?


Thanks for the help!


Jim

 

[chevmeister]

if your going to run synthetic in the front make sure you have a white vent cap..... i drained bout 3 quarts from my rear and changed to a mag-Hytec..... i found this http://dieselplace.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=3653&PN=1

 

[2fast2]

chevmeister, are you saying your rear differential was damaged like that from a factory low fill condition?


I've been reading on this site and the other one that it is NOT uncommon to find the rear coming 2 quarts low from the factory. How amazing! What absolute lack of quality! Sure, anything can happen once in a while, but this seems to be a common issue.


Every new owner of a Chevy truck needs to be aware of this possibility. As soon as they take delivery of their brand new, really expensive truck, they should go to a trustworthy independent mechanic and have the truck gone over stem to stern to catch this negligence before it causes serious damage.


Venting...steam escaping....


Jim

 

[chevmeister]

im not saying that caused the problem but it is interresting that my rear was torn up and i only drained 3 quarts of lube...... im far from babing it but im not as hard on mine as most.

 

[hoot]

im not saying that caused the problem but it is interresting that my rear was torn up and i only drained 3 quarts of lube...... im far from babing it but im not as hard on mine as most.

I think it's full at just under 4 quarts. The other quart is probably coating the insides of the axle tubes and all the parts. You really weren't very low at all.

Read This....Edited by: hoot

 

[JRZ2500HD]

WHERE CAN I GET THIS WHITE VENT CAP?

 

[chevmeister]

pm dmaxallitech..... he can get ya one or goto any dealer


"Part No. 12479296 for the cap"

 

[Diesel Dragon]

To all 2003 and 2004 owners


You may already have a white vent cap installed from the factory.


Looks like they switched over to the new updated white cap sometime in 2002. Mine was built in December of 2002 and it already had the white cap so check before you buy one.


It's on the drivers side of the front diff. It's a big cap about 3 or 4 inches in diameter with a small 1/4 inch rubber vent line coming out the center. Some one posted a picture of it but I don't remember where.

Bye Diesel Dragon

 

[Blue Max]

I switched my front diff to synthetic right after I purchased my truck and have had no leaks in 44K with the old style plug. I figured I would run it untill it leaks and I am still waiting. It will probably start leaking today now that I talked about it.

 

[gwmayes]

Mine was a VERY early production '03 and still had the black cap.


2fast2, you'll find folks on here that have burned the paint off the diffy cover from towing hot, heavy, and fast. Doubt that yours has encountered any damage. When you drained it, did you notice much metal on that magnetic drain plug? If not, no harm.

 

[2fast2]

gwmayes, it depends on how you define "much metal." There were a few very fine "splinters" and a coating of black debris (maybe 1/16 inch thick) that coated the magnetic end of the plug, but nothing more than I would expect. In other words, there was some metal but I wasn't shocked or surprised by the amount, having read that there is quite a bit of break-in with these rear ends.


I'm hoping no harm. Thanks for the reply.


Jim

 

[JohnnyO]

GM better wake up!

Pretty much all of the fluids are low. Not bad for a $40K investment. Well GM better wake up! The Japanese automakers are entering the big truck market. And the trucks are looking very good. Now I was around when the first Toyotas showed up in the 60's. Well all the automakers laughed and smugly went about their non-consumer oriented way. Well history tells the story. It nearly put them all out of business.

I hope GM executives heard of the expression... fool me once shame on you. Fool me twice shame on me.

I changed the rear differential fluid at 1500 miles. A lot of very fine silvery material in the fluid and it was black. It looked like mostly wear in and maybe some factory millings, 1 small chunk of metal came out. The big surprise is only 2 quarts drained out! No leaks visible. I used the "grape juice" (The nick name for the GM product.)

When I changed the front differential at 4000 miles it looked worse then the rear fluid. There was a lot of yellow slim stuff in it. It was ½ qt. low. To refill it took 2 quarts of the standard 80W-90-gear oil.

I also changed the transfer case @ 4000 miles the oil was reddish and smelled ok but it also had a lot fine silvery particles. I looked a lot like red metallic paint. That was ½ qt. low! That took just under 2 quarts of Dextron 3 ATF. (For the electric button 4X4 case.)

 

[2fast2]

What really irritates me is that the dealer doesn't rectify this. If it is some kind of practice or corporate policy to underfill the fluids at the factory, I would think (would have thought) that the dealer would check all this before delivering the new vehicle to the customer.


Isn't that what dealer prep is? Obviously not.


The whole issue stinks, but it proves the only way to get things right is do them yourself. I should've gone completely over this truck myself when I got it. Next time I'll know better.


Jim

 

[FirstDiesel]

That's what dealer prep is supposed to be.


The problem??? They use pimply faced 18 year olds earning 6 bucks an hour to do dealer prep. No one checks the work and they don't care.





Years ago my Dad bought a Volvo. When he went to pick it up the salesman said they had been real busy and the car was still being prepped. Bought my Dad a coffee and took him out to see the car in the shop. It was on a lift and being checked. All of a sudden a tech came walking out of the parts area with an alternator and started changing it. This made my Dad a little nervous. They explained they always checked the charging circuit as part of the prep and this altternator was .25v low and they wouldn't let him have the car that way!





Imagine GM or Ford doing that??? I can't!!!

 

[JohnnyO]

Years ago my Dad bought a Volvo. When he went to pick it up the salesman said they had been real busy and the car was still being prepped. Bought my Dad a coffee and took him out to see the car in the shop. It was on a lift and being checked. All of a sudden a tech came walking out of the parts area with an alternator and started changing it. This made my Dad a little nervous. They explained they always checked the charging circuit as part of the prep and this altternator was .25v low and they wouldn't let him have the car that way!


Imagine GM or Ford doing that??? I can't!!!

Your right! I can't imagine GM or Ford doing that... They don't... They won't. They don't/won't listen or care about their customers. It's that smug attitude that lost them their shirts in the 70's-80's.


Look at some of the issues we discuss.


1. Clunking steering column. GM's known about this for years. Do they do something about it? No


2. Air Conditioning not blowing cold air. Going on for two years. Does GM fix it? No. I've been to the dealet 2X's still NG.


3. Low fluids. Going on to the second production year. A fix? No


4. Bad shocks. Going on for 2 years. A fix? No


5. The injector problem... No


6. The fuel filter problem... No... Well maybe... There's rumor.


It's a shame. The truck is a great truck. It's these little odds and ends. Odds and Ends that don't get fixed.


And it's not just GM. If you look at other forums, the Ford and Dodge truck owners have their share of complaints also.


Sorry for sounding so negative.

 

[JimWilson]

If I change the front, is the same Mobil 1 75W90 OK?

That's what I used, and it's been just fine.