2003 Silverado C-1500 LT

[woddy]

Seems like I have something loose on the left front suspension at times. Some bumps I feel like there is some metal to metal on something I feel through the wheel. It seems to favor the left side. I have 13k mile and had the right side drifting a little. Got it aligned and then it was straight, it kind of drifted back and forth and the wheel was off to the left about 5-10 degrees. Took it back and they straightened the wheel and I'm back to a little drift to the right. Might be the tires, but? 13k miles??? I'm also a little surprised about the bounce on the tollway. It does seem like compared to other pickup's it bounces a little more. Question's:
1. Do I need new tires
2. Another alignment place
3. Are the factory shocks that bad
4. Has anybody else seen some of these problems

[GMMerlin]

Are you taking your truck to the GM dealer or somewhere else?
The knocking noise you are feeling in the steering wheel may be the intermediate shaft...your dealer has a tech bulletin that references a repair for that problem.
The bounce on the road...is it when hitting bumps or a constant vibration?

[woddy]

Originally Posted by GMMerlin

Are you taking your truck to the GM dealer or somewhere else?
The knocking noise you are feeling in the steering wheel may be the intermediate shaft...your dealer has a tech bulletin that references a repair for that problem.
The bounce on the road...is it when hitting bumps or a constant vibration?

I took it to a Goodyear store nearby for the alignment. They didn't find any mechanical problem. The tires bounce more from bumps more than a vibration. I just took a trip this weekend and the truck drove and rode much better. The bumping throught the steering and the feeling associated there seems to be happening more. I will take it back to the dealer and ask about the bulletin. Thanks for the information. I really like the truck and plan on keeping for a long time.

[pbergmann]

Originally Posted by woddy

I took it to a Goodyear store nearby for the alignment. They didn't find any mechanical problem. The tires bounce more from bumps more than a vibration. I just took a trip this weekend and the truck drove and rode much better. The bumping throught the steering and the feeling associated there seems to be happening more. I will take it back to the dealer and ask about the bulletin. Thanks for the information. I really like the truck and plan on keeping for a long time.

I have my '02 in the dealer right now for the same thing. It has 18k miles and the dealer (of course) has never heard of the problem. I glad i heard about the TSB i'm going to call them now and let them know about it.

[chuckwi11]

Had my 03 (7K miles) in the dealer last week for the exact some problem. They had it in and out in less than an hour and the service rep knew exactly what the problem was as I described it (had done two othe Silverados that morning). The grease seals on the intermediate steering shaft leak the stock grease out and you get that bump. They replace the seals/grease with an injecton process and it stops the bump. For how long? I'll let you know!

IMO, if your dealership does not know about a TSB as common as this one it may be time to find another dealership for warranty/service work. If they aren't even aware or willing to look for the non-safety realted ones they may miss a BIG one that could damage your truck or worse, damage you. Before I get flamed, I am a long time GM buyer/owner... some dealerships are better than others at customer service!

[GMMerlin]

Originally Posted by chuckwi11

Had my 03 (7K miles) in the dealer last week for the exact some problem. They had it in and out in less than an hour and the service rep knew exactly what the problem was as I described it (had done two othe Silverados that morning). The grease seals on the intermediate steering shaft leak the stock grease out and you get that bump. They replace the seals/grease with an injecton process and it stops the bump. For how long? I'll let you know!

IMO, if your dealership does not know about a TSB as common as this one it may be time to find another dealership for warranty/service work. If they aren't even aware or willing to look for the non-safety realted ones they may miss a BIG one that could damage your truck or worse, damage you. Before I get flamed, I am a long time GM buyer/owner... some dealerships are better than others at customer service!

Chuck, I have to agree with you...In the diagnostic process from GM, step 3 or 4 is to perform a bulletin search....if this is not done, a tech can miss a simple repair that will add to the customers satisfaction and confidence in the servicing dealer and the GM product....also, GM will not pay the dealer for "repairs" done that were not in accordance with the bulletin.
I usually do a simple bulletin search when I answer someones post here...that way the poster will have all the info they need to make an informed decision.
Also remember that there is a huge shortage of qualified,intellegent, certified factory trained techs out there. Dealers are struggling to find and keep good techs.
I personally have spent 12 hours so far this week in classes from GM to keep informed and trained on the changing technology, plus I have 23.5 hours of training I need to take before the end of the year....there are guys at the dealer I work for that haven't spent 12 hours in training this year.

[chuckwi11]

I applaud you for you ongoing education. I work on military aircraft and the complexity of new cars often times rivals our onboard systems.

In the last six years I have returned to the dealership for all service work because of the value added of having a repair team that is familiar with the product line. That's not to say that I have stuck with a dealership if the service was not up to my expectations. Sometimes it is as simple as requesting a different service rep, other times you have to change dealers. I for one am not afraid to expect and demand a higher level of service for my loyalty.

New to the forum, but have enjoyed reading your posts. It is always great to be able to read and respond to someone that has a great deal of experience.

Thanks!

[GMMerlin]

Originally Posted by chuckwi11

I applaud you for you ongoing education. I work on military aircraft and the complexity of new cars often times rivals our onboard systems.

In the last six years I have returned to the dealership for all service work because of the value added of having a repair team that is familiar with the product line. That's not to say that I have stuck with a dealership if the service was not up to my expectations. Sometimes it is as simple as requesting a different service rep, other times you have to change dealers. I for one am not afraid to expect and demand a higher level of service for my loyalty.

New to the forum, but have enjoyed reading your posts. It is always great to be able to read and respond to someone that has a great deal of experience.

Thanks!

Thank you for the kind words.
I joined this forum to help direct people in the diagnostic and repair process....and to reply to some of the dealer bashing that has been going on...
I have seen a lot of off the wall answers to simple problems and a ton of unneeded parts replaced in the name of trying to fix a problem...as you will see from my answers, I spend a lot of time trying to lead people into doing just a little diagnosing of their problem before they lay out their hard earned cash on some parts.

[johnhughes3]

Took my 03 2500HD (21,000mi) in for what felt like loose lug nuts when all were checked tight. The dealer first came back with the "no grease" thing and it was OK - for about a week. Took it back when the problem returned and they found a bad bearing in the steering gearbox which they replaced. Still doesn't feel 100%, but feels 90% and I'll watch it to see if it gets worse again.