Buying Used Truck

Hello folks, I'm looking at buying a low mileage 1999 Silverado truck. I've got some questions on the engine type. Can anyone tell me the difference between the 4.8L and 5.3L V-8 (besides HP)? Also, how can I tell which one it has, there is a discrepancy on the listing I found, one thing says 4.8 and the other 5.3.

I've owned a 1991 and I now have a 1992 which I'm letting my son drive, he just got his license. I've always bought used and I found this truck on a dealer lot, low miles, extra cab, really clean and one owner according to CarFax. Anything I should be looking for???

FYI here is the vin - 2GCEC19TXX1248447

I just sold my '99 4.8L extra cab to my buddy with 120k miles on it and have complete confidence that truck will treat him as well as it did me. If it looks like it was taken care of I would just change all the fluids maybe a general motor tune-up and drive.
Some minor gripes with this year are the extra cab windows don't seal real tight so you hear some extra wind noise & the tailgate handle assembly is known to "fail" simple plastic clip gets brittle with age. Can still open/close it though.


I'm not a master mechanic: Biggest difference to me between the 4.8 & 5.3 (if any) is probably the gas mileage, maybe the standard rear diff gearing they put in. (Traded that 99/4.8 in for a 05/5.3)

Good solid truck.

There really isn't too much. The 4.8 will sound a little different with exhaust.

I disagree with the gas mileage though. The difference wouldn't be noticeable imo.

I had the 5.3 and loved it.

There are 3 ways (that i know of) to check engine size.

1. The RPO codes in the glove box.
2. The emissions sticker in the engine compartment.
3. Call your local Chevy dealer and give the VIN.

I test drove it today, it had a lot of pick-up. The dealer said it was the 5.3, I'll check the other references you gave me. It has a small dent on the rear wheel edge, barely noticeable except when you look at it at an angle. I swear there isn't a single door ding on this truck. The only obvious problem was the stereo sound control knobs (4 tiny pop-out knobs), two of them are missing.

I'm starting to think seriously about this one. Does anyone have any concerns about the 99 Silverado? This is the first year with this body style, I believe.

I have a '00 but I think some of the same things will apply to the '99. All based on great info from this forum. The truck is very well liked by all and seems to be very dependable. I think the best thing to do is to read the forums based on the vehicle your buying. You will see by the amount of responses on certain topics what to look out for. This forum is an invaluable resource thanks to it's contributers.
Now that being said, vibration is an issue that seems to be the most talked about. Other things that have been issues are throttle sticking, intermediate steering shaft, window cables failing, lights in radio or climate control not working, and tailgate cables failing. Some items have been recalled, others can be fixed using the advice found on this site. I've had to deal with all of these issues except the window cables. There may be others that I'm not aware of since I haven't had to deal with them.

2GCEC19TXX1248447

fyi: this letter lets u know engine size. if it's a V its a 4.8L if it's a T its a 5.3. If its a U (i think) it's a 6.0