[BEA]

I recently purchased a 2002 2500HD crew 4x4 with steel flat bed from my nephew. He likes me and does not need the money, so he gave me a good deal. It has 125k on it with the original injectors. Before he turned it over to me, he took it to his Chev dealer and had the batteries replaced, a couple pullies and main belt, oil change, filled fuel tank. The truck starts/runs good. I took it to my local dealer and had the transmission flushed and rear end seal replaced. The mechanic, whom I know, told me the fluid looked clean and truck sounded good, so thought it was okay. Took it on 300 mile trip recently, 16.9 mpg, hoped for a little more, but it weighs 8000 lbs so I guess that is all I'm going to get. All this just general info. Any way, I was aware of the injector issue before the purchase and decided to take the chance, but after reading lots of posts, I have to ask...why does anybody even mess with these trucks/engines? They seem like a boat load of trouble, expensive trouble. I am wondering if I should sell mine before it goes south and while I can make a profit on it. With the stories of multiple injector replacements in some instances, at about $4000 a wack, how do you guys stomach this? Are all diesel engines this much trouble? Is there such a thing as a Duramax that is reasonably trouble free?

 

[SabreDmax08]

Ive had my 08 LMM since it was new. It has 75,000 on it and the only thing I've had done was to have the glow plug module replaced under warranty. My cousin has had his 05 since it was new again with no problems. It is my opinion that the Duramax/Allison combinaiton is the powertrain you can get. Just my opinion.

 

[Gunrok 02 LB7]

Welcome to the board. All duramax engines are reasonably trouble free. As for your fuel mileage, there are alot of conditions that have an effect on fuel mileage that can change in the span of 300 miles. My truck also has a flat bed, and the headache rack sticks out much farther than the cab does and creates an aerodynamic nightmare when unloaded. Your bed might or might not have the same aero profile. If it does you might be able to modify it to not catch as much air and get some MPG back. You said you did research and knew about the injector problems before you bought the truck and now it seems you are second guessing it. Like SabreDmax, I also agree that the duramax/allison combo is the best. Honestly, if the cummins had an allison behind it I would have bought a dodge. That being said, I can change my own injectors to the tune of $2000 every 100k-150k miles instead of having to change my much more expensive transmission in that same time frame if I had bought a dodge. Ford has yet to build an engine, in the strict emission era, that they will stand behind for any length of time. Depending on how much your truck will be driven, ford might change their engine again before you have to buy injectors. That might not mean anything to you, but to me it shows they don't have much faith their new releases. Pick your poison. If you decide to go to another truck, assuming you get another 2500HD or larger, I'd recommend an LLY or later GM. Not that it's any of my business, but did you buy the truck because it seemed like a good deal at the time(it might be a good deal)? Everything looks better when you don't have to pay the maintenance. Would you mind posting some pics of your new rig? It is a new to you truck, show it off!

 

[BEA]

2002 2500hd

I will try to post a picture but am in VA right now and the weather is bad. I was not aware of this website before I purchased the truck. I was aware of the injector issue, but thought that once they were changed, the problem was gone. What concerns me are the stories of multiple injector replacements. I figured that considering what I have in the truck, if I had to put $4000 into an injector change, I was still okay, but beyond that...ouch. I have a 2000 Chev 1500 (55k original, 4.9 L V8, manual) that has been a very good truck, but the 1/2 ton is a little light sometimes. This 2002 2500HD was my best opportunity to get a heavier duty truck at a reasonable price. Compared to my 1/2 ton, the stock Duramax engine feels like a torque monster. The new ones are too much money for me at this point. This truck has seen almost no towing, only light hauling and many of the miles are interstate. I am impressed with the power. By the way, does anyone know the hp rating of this model? I have read/heard both 235 and 300 hp mentioned, but do not know which is correct. At any rate, maybe I will get lucky and not suffer as much as some owners have. I think these are handsome trucks for sure, and comfortable. My wife even likes it. She went with me on the 300 mile trip this past Sat. It was all interstate at 65 to 70 mph, so those were the conditions that got me 16.9 mpg. The headboard does stick up above the cab a little, so that might have some negative effect, but I think it is mainly the weight. The tires are pretty knobby, so they sing alot. They are slightly larger than what came on the truck...265 75 16 as opposed to 245 75 16. I do have a very good set of L rated Michelins on my 1500 that I will swap out at some point. This set is the correct size. They might help the mileage just a tiny bit due to lower rolling resistance, but it may not be measurable. I have enjoyed reading on this website, but can't say that I have enjoyed learning everything I have. It is what it is. Thanks.

 

[georam1]

I purchased a 2003 2500hd back in November of last year with full knowledge of the injector issue. My truck only had 77000 miles on it when I purchased it and it still has the original injectors. At the time I purchased the truck it showed no signs of injector problems. It now has 92000 on it and is beginning to have a little haze out of the exhaust while at idle. So the injector change is coming. I can do the change myself for about $2000 and then it should be good for awhile. I still prefer the trucks that don't have all that emissions crap on them. They are just easier to maintain. If you are not running a fuel additive then you need to start. The LB7 was not designed to run on the ultra low sulfur crap diesel they are producing today. I run diesel kleen in the silver bottle along with 2cycle oil in my fuel at every fill up. I put about 1/2oz of oil to the gal. Use the TCW3 oil. The cheep stuff at walmart is fine. Also, I would change the fuel filter every 5or 6000 miles especially if you still have the OEM filter on it. I purchased the cat adaptor from Alligator Performance and run a cat filter on mine. It filters better and only cost $15.00 at the local cat dealer. You can find OEM or racor filters on the internet for $35 or $40. Don't use cheep substitutes on fuel filters because you WILL pay for it in the long run. Just my 2 cents worth. Good Luck!!!

 

[1978steven]

There are also things you can do to ensure those new injectors get a fair shake at long life, like regular filter maintenance like mentioned above, also you could add a good quality lift pump for another level of filtration and provide positive pressure to your cp3.

Just for clarification that 2000 1500 should have a 4.8 liter Chevy does not produce a 4.9 liter V8. Nice low miles though....