88 to 98 Chevrolet Truck Common Problems
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ต.ค. 2024
- In this video I show you the common problems that you might have if you own a 1988 to 1998 Chevrolet truck. General Motors trucks, including Chevrolet and GMC trucks of this era are good reliable vehicles, but there are a few things that you need to watch out for and you will need to repair if you own one of these trucks. In this video I go over some of the common problems you will find in the 1988 to 1998 fourth-generation Chevrolet pick up truck I hope this video helps you to keep your old Chevy truck running for a good long time. The truck in this video is my 1995 Chevrolet Silverado Z71 4X4.
Here is where to order a repair manual to help you fix the common problems on your truck:
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This is where I got the A/C control:
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Only problem with these trucks is they stopped makin’ em!!
True!
No they did not z71 silverados are still in production
TaiMike Beatz he meant the older ones guy
Ryan Rentmeester ur god damn right
Ryan Rentmeester right my dad has a 94 and I have a 96 we love em I wish they still made these trucks
Common problem: they’re too reliable. You don’t get to have a new truck all the time
That’s true. These things run forever.
yea, they are pretty reliable. my first vehicle is my dad's old service truck from on the farm, a '92 Silverado 1500 with the 8' box. 360 000km and still works like it only has 100 000km.
@Hoohoohoblin what’s the name of the product at 2:05?? My truck doesn’t have ac may it’s that haven’t check
Common problem: Doesnt have a 350
it should be the economy cluster , or economy controls,
After 3 fuel pumps I cut the bed out and made a door to get to the fuel pump
432,000 miles and still ticking 1998 GMC 1500 Extended cab
That is a lot easier than dropping the tank or lifting the bed.
Change your fuel filter more often and your fuel pump will last longer.
I jus recently done the same...it's sooooooo much easier
1996 gmc sierra c1500 500,000 and still going strong
Wow I like to see this truck with 432,xxx miles
"They don't get rust holes"
*laughs in michigan*
Michigan is the only state where plastic rusts away!! Lol
Laughes from Wisconsin
Laughs in Connecticut
Lol Oklahoma
"No holes"
No way in Ohio 🤣
Let me borrow it for 3 months in this Lake Erie salt...... that galvanized will be vaporized lol
For the body and under carriage we use sheep fat here in Norway to stave off rust, works like a wonder especially with heavy salting.
Old Chevy's don't leak oil, they just mark their spot!!
True!
my wife calls it, piss stain.
Lol my 94 does this everywhere it goes.
they sweat power.
They don't leak oil, they sweat horsepower!
I bought a 95 Silverado for 2500,about 6 years ago in Vegas,Im now in charlotte.ive made so much money from it!hauling furniture and pallets,great truck!
These are great old trucks. They’re built to work hard and run forever.
I’m a Ford guy, but damn this is one of the only Chevys I’d take over some Fords, it’s probably because my grandpa had one when I was little, so it’s probably mostly nostalgia that brings me to it.
I have a 1995 gmc 1500 with 355,000 miles on it. Still tow and drive it daily. Still has a ton of power, and purrs like a kitten.
These are great old trucks. That 350 engine was one of the greatest inventions mankind ever came up with, except for the bad gas mileage.
Great video. I appreciate your sense of humor. I've had two of these GMT400 trucks. To me, their greatest weaknesses are as follows: front end steering & braking components - Calipers stick, brake lines go bad, rotors warp, idler arms wear out, alignment becomes difficult. Next, interior quality - this one is more of a problem of the era, and most Ford trucks should have come with super glue or Duck tape as a courtesy, but none the less. The interiors are like entirely ABS plastic and cannot handle years of heat/cycles and baking in the sun. Dashes fall apart. Vents & blend doors break. Knobs, switches and handles break off. Buy a bag of bulk interior and body panel clips. You'll need them. But I love these trucks. GM just announced these Small Block 350s can now be bought brand new, with improved components, made in America. After normal production ceased in the 2000s, they could be had as a 3rd party built crate engine out of Mexico, but that eventually halted as well. But no longer... Now you can buy a brand new engine for your 70s - low 2000s vehicle. That's how popular these engines are.
Good info! Thanks!
The interior of mine is falling apart pretty bad, I hate it.
Compared to everyone else’s trucks my interior is fine, I have 97 and the only problem I’ve had other than the ac controls not workin was an alternator going out and killing my battery
@@blackstarbirdfix it
Out in Montana it is physically impossible to drive 3 blocks threw a city without seeing multiple square body Chevys
I believe it. They were built for Montana.
I love the old square body Chevys but I'm still partial to my 98!
Same in Arkansas
@Heywood Jablowme never said they where
@Heywood Jablowme right
I got a million miles on mine and it still pulls a trailer no problem.. CHEVY SIL VER A DOOO
These trucks run forever!
How many you got on it now?
@@Commentleaver-c6xhe’s probably at 3 mil at least lol
The comment they don’t rust only holds true in the south everything up north rust where they salt the roads
Bleeding Diesel903 like swiss cheese
I have a 97 with very little rust and I live in the rust belt. If you spray the rocker panels with Krown or Fluid Film or even penetrating oil you can beat the rust issue. my rockers and cab corners are completly rust free. One of the issues with the cab corners and rockers are that the salt is able to sit up on top of the rockers underneath where you can't see it and it just sits there all winter and through the spring and WILL NOT come off in a car wash. You have to manually crawl under and clean them off. If you fail to clean them off they will eventually develope a small rusted hole and then fill up with salt and water. It at that point can't really be reached to clean and it sits there and gets wet every time it rains and the salt just keeps building up in the winter. So,..Pre-emptive action is how you keep that from happening. If you're too lazy to take care of this issue then kiss your rockers and cab corners goodbye.
Yup you right I'm in Wisconsin both my Chevy trucks 94/89 rust from snow and salt..i just ordered Chevy 98 K1500 down south and body is free of rust
Powerstroke Strong 903 that's why I had to buy my 95 GMC out of Grand Junction Colorado (profile pic). EVERYTHING here in Iowa is either owned by farmers that don't care or morons that don't know how to rinse out a cab corner
Salt does not evaporate into the air.
If it did they could not get salt from ocean water.
Rocker panels rust like nobody's business
he said they dont rust....so why are my rocker panels rotted
Apparently he’s never been to mn or wi
@@tacoman864 yep
Nonsense totally depends where you are I got a 88 s10 and a 96 Silverado I dare you to find one rust spot 😆
Taco Man yah you can!! Rinse off the salt everyday simple but most are to lazy
Just be sure to fully diagnose your oil leak before replacing the rear main seal. I have a 99 Suburban that had an oil leak and a mechanic told me it's likely the rear main seal. Well, I got up under there myself and turns out it was the oil cooler lines.
mine was the valve cover gaskets & i’ve seen alot of the 5.7 have that problem
Yup, just replaced the top one myself. They were good and buggered.
My 99 had the oil pan leaking at the back studs. They were a little loose and tightened them and the others up, no leaks now.
@@johnSmith-pn1mhEasy and cheap fix. Put RTV at the bottom corners when replacing.
Timing. Cover for me.
Just bought a 98 z71 ext cab stepside. Best truck I ever owned.
These are great old trucks. They’re reliable and simple to fix. Much better investment than buying a new truck.
I miss my 94, it was just a truck with a motor that always started up. That's all I needed.
I agree. That’s really all a truck needs to do.
I had a 93 gmc with over 600,000 miles beat to hell with rust and body damage no engine or drive train problems
my 4l60e burned out 3rd and od
I keep telling people these trucks dont break
@@johnharrison5098 damn😢
john Harrison
That sunshell piece always breaks and you lose reverse,1st and 3rd or 2nd and OD. But once the transmission is rebuilt, they’re bombproof vehicles.
Thanks for the video. I had a 95, good bones, but the body was going and I found a 94 with a nice body. Love both of them. The engine out of my 95 has 250000 miles and no leak nor burns oil. Great off road. Almost bullet proof.
These are great old trucks. They are built to run forever.
The 4l60e in the 1500s was definitely a weak point. I replaced mine with a low-mile unit from a Yukon. If this one ever goes out, I'll be upgrading to a 4l80e, or swapping over to a 5-speed manual. The 10-bolt rear axles were barely adequate, for light use. I replaced mine with a 14-bolt full floater from a 1-ton. It was a direct bolt in, and cost under $200 total.
Thanks. My transmission is great so far, but a lot of people tell me the same thing that you did, so I’m a little bit paranoid. I hope it lasts a while. Mine came with the factory transmission cooler kit, so I think maybe that helps them last longer than ones that don’t have a cooler.
@@hoohoohoblinthey usually fail from people either beating on them or towing with OD (4th gear) it has to be in 3 or D NOT OD
And lack of maintenance 30k people
I have a 1997 k1500 z71 extended cab with 282,000 miles and it runs like a dream
These old trucks run forever if you take care of them, and they will also run for a long time if you don't take care of them.
Same bro !!! Mines a white one !!
317,000 here and still has balls
I Have a 1996 extended cab step side bed with only Roughly 75,000 miles on it but it misfires on cylinder one smh but I still love it lol
Bernie Arredondo Jr so is mine lol
Inner door handles break, door bushing wear out, and doors sag.
Mikethebutcher yep, but easy fixes.
Mikethebutcher this is the big problem
How do you get the door open if neither door handle work
Lmao broke me driver door handle this morning.
I've replaced the right inner handle twice, left inner once, on my 95 K1500 w/200k on the odo. $10 part on eBay.
Just got a 96 from my father! Excited to get my license and to start driving around with it.
1988-98 silverados are better than modern ones
True!
completely agree mines in 1988 I bought it as a piece of crap and I've gone through every system more or less from the fuel system to all the brakes and rebuilt the transmission in the last eight years and I wouldn't trade it for anything
This ain’t no lie lol I just sold my 2019 Sierra and bought an 89 k1500
My father won't let me buy an 1990 K1500 because I'm 16 and I should be driving a subcompact I don't like my new beetle because it's not big enough to use a shop truck
@@Highrollinhunter just get a used midsize car like a honda accord or a toyota camry or a chevy malibu not powered by a 3.6 v6 or get a 2008 Ford Fusion V6 or a dodge avenger
Yes, all vehicles have problems, but these older Chevy and GMC trucks are super reliable, and the problems are simple to fix. I see a lot of the 88-2000 GM trucks with rusty roofs, like the galvanization dip had an air bubble at the top of the truck. Some permatex rust treatment stops the rust. Also, these trucks like to eat cheap Chinese idler pulleys. Put a good quality one when you change the belt, and replace the tensioner with every new belt. Replace the distributor every 150K because the bushings get worn. Grease the suspension with every oil change, every last joint! Replace the mechanical fan with an electric fan kit too.
+J X Good advice. Thanks. I’ve had to change the belt tensioner and the distributor on this truck.
tried an electric fan and wouldn't pull enough air in summer heat...Went back to mechanical.
@@aboutmyfathersbusiness8324 I run dual electric fans from a newer GM car, works just fine and they don't actually come on that often unless it's summer and bumper to bumper traffic. I also set it up so one fan comes on with the AC compressor so the cooling stays cold as hell even at idle in traffic, temp sensor in the coolant over rides the single AC fan circuit and turns both on.
@@tazman17007 that's what's up
Taz RiMan that’s the set up I did to mine as well
Yo. It's way easier to just unbolt the bed from below, scoot it back 4 feet, the remove fuel pump from the top. Leave the tank there. 8 bolts with lock tight if I remember. And easy to get to. 20 minutes.
+Bad Drivers of North Texas Genius! I will do that next time I need to replace it.
It's only easy if you have a clean truck once things get rusty you could just be making things more complicated
I personally prefer to drop the tank. Unfortunately, I once had to do that on the side of the road at night in January with a 3/4 tank of gas... Not fun.
I just did my 92 tank, pump, and both fuel lines. Tank drop is a pump plug and ground wire, 1 bolt and 5 nuts and the filler tube. I dropped my tank in about 12 minutes. The lines were rotten and all just broke apart. Pulling a bed off for this seems silly to me.
Grand Negus
Nnnnooo don't ruin the truck like that.
The bolts come from the factory with loctite, so if u r in the rust belt they might be hard to get out, but if u r in the south, all you'll get is a little dirt bath, that's all.
I've have a 1995 Chevy Silverado 350 engine four-wheel drive a great truck 248 thousand miles on it and still running strong
These are great old trucks.
Have 89 3/4 ton, hubby passed away. Sold he newer Ford 4W, kept the 89. Blows smoke at start up, been doing that for ever 20 yrs, air stopped. Thanks for info., good to know.
Interior door handles like to break as well. I had to replace one in my 95 when I first bought it.
+RedneckGamer64 I believe it. They seem pretty flimsy as well.
The passenger door handle on my 95 broke when my brother tried to open it, just snapped right off. Crappy powdered steel.
I've put 3 or 4 on my 97 C1500. I've had the truck for 5 1/2 years now, put 60k miles on it. My only complaints are that it practically never gets better than 15 mpg (granted I had the muffler cut out from under it and a pair of 5X24 exhaust tips put on it) and that I've put 3 starters on it since I got it.
And it's always the drivers side lol. I currently don't even bother. I bought a new one for sure, but I've been too busy to install it so I just pull the linkage forward to open the door! Works great, until I take it to be looked at by the service department of the pep boys I work at lol.
I just roll down the window and open mine
On my 1998 I've had to fix a slew of stuff. Great reliable truck once it's road worthy and easy to fix. Plenty of tutorials online how to fix issues and cheap to get parts for it. I've seen some of the issues in this video plus more. Great solid truck once it's all good to go.
I agree. It is all simple and affordable stuff, and it is a great truck when sorted out.
I've got a '93 with 414,000 miles original motor!
Good job on the video@
Thanks
I have drive trains stacked deep in the garage frame rusts out before the drive train quits
94 with 265 thousand miles still a beast
94 with 356000, they hit the nail on the head when they built these trucks. Still my everyday driver
Just fine still strong I haul trailers and stuff too
Bought a 98 Cheyenne about a week ago with 350’000 kilometres. The only problems so far is that the parking brake was stuck on and locked one my wheels up and just the overall door assembly is a little meh. Other than that, I think it is great lol
I drove my dads 93 v6 manual Sierra in high school and I loved it. I then moved into my brothers leftover 99 Tahoe (before body change) and loved it even more. I am on the hunt for a late 90’s 4x4 Sierra or Silverado because I love the look, the interior, and the motor in them. Very good reliable trucks.
These are great old trucks, and you can always find a good deal on a used one.
Ik it been 4 years but I got a 97 k1500 id sell
Wont get rust holes in the body.....yet these trucks are legendary for cab corners and rocker panels rusting out. And the trans wont work forever...its a 4L60e lol. But I cant hate on these trucks, I have a 98 thats very similar to yours.
+billytwowillies thanks. They do have their problems, but they are overall good vehicles that are easy and cheap to fix. My transmission’s been going for 22 years, and I hope it lasts a little while longer.
Either a 4l60e or a 700r4
my 1990 chevy truck has rust holes in on the fenders
Can't hate at all but rust is a pain with these bad boyd
yep.. I lived in north Dakota, I seen more of these trucks with no fenders with just the trim hanging in the air lol. rust for days
You left out their most common fail.
Tail gate handle
True. It is made of the same weak material as the door handles.
You ain't lying
Joshua Landry absolutely doors are full of plastic clips that break too
True mate
Saggy door pins also
Let us never forget the mass airflow sensor and/or MAP sensor and or intake gasket replacement from plastic to steel reinforced gaskets
My Intake gasket has a small leak but I have drove it for five years like that.
one of the nicest things gm made
True!
When I worked at AutoZone, we had a Gearhead who told me you take the wheel off and you spray the ABS sensor where it hits the back of the rotor. Use gum out or brake cleaner, and usually it works good. I told quite a few guys that they tried it at work for them.
Thanks. I will try that and see if it works. It makes sense.
bill thompson another tip added to my repertoire.
The abs sensors are either magnetized or become magnetized and the dust shield tends to rust covering the abs sensors.
One problem that's common to these and the following generation is blown lights in the dash and the radio. They used incandescent bulbs soldered in place, so they're not readily replaceable. Re: the small block V8, it dates from 1955. The Vortec heads develop leaky valve guide seals, which is why they smoke on startup.
Just got a 96 z2500, in very good condition, been loving it so far. My last truck was an 84 Silverado Dually with a 454 and a manual transmission, I absolutely loved it, very reliable. Just don’t need that big anymore, I think I am going to love the 350 just as well!
These are great old trucks. It should be a good one for you.
One thing I think a lot of guys have a problem with is the quick connect between the heater hose and the intake manifold. The fitting on the manifold is made from pot metal and they tend to just rot away without notice since it's at the back of the engine. By the time it gets noticed it's too far gone to fix and the threads snap off when you try to remove it.
Been a ford guy my hole live just bought my first 1998 gmc sierra and so far I love it
These are great trucks. They run forever, and they’re pretty easy to fix when things break.
Kinda late to the game.
I have a 1994 C1500, and my engines still running!
Can I take you out sometime?
Two tone?
Thats bc its tbi......
umm marry me ?
Corvettegirl 1994 You have more than one engine?
I noticed when you showed your EGR, your vacuum line was off.Something else I wanted to mention that is a common problem. The wire that goes to your coil to distributor, it's not very long.. it tends to go bad. Thanks.
I have a 97 gmc k2500 with 660,000 miles. Still use it for my business hauling loads of trees!
These trucks are built to run forever.
Let me add a few points of interest here. I've now owned 4 of these trucks and the two issues I've found to be a hastle are the transmission - 4L60E, anyone who's worked on them will tell you they are absolutely unreliable if they take any abuse, and the plastic intake/spider injectors. Love these trucks though!
1989 3500 chevy 454 long block, 4x4 my truck still kicking ass , no oil leaks, at all
Kicking ass and sucking gas?
I have owned my 1997 C1500 regular cab long box since it was a year old and I have never had a problem with it.
These are great old trucks. They really built them to last forever.
The doors start to sag
Guilty
Door pins are a pain on these. I change mine about every 3 or 4 years
Mine are I have a limeted 1989 and yes I’m guilty
96 suburban 1500, same issue
My 89 Silverado doors are still tight and square in the frame, but the truck only has 100K on it. But my retired work truck, a 93 C-1500, had sagging doors most of its life. Got her up to 300K before she died of transmission failure. You know though, to be fair to these terrific trucks, at 55 years old I've got plenty sagging that my truck don't!
i love how you say the bodies dont rust and the transmissions dont fail LOL
The 700R4 transmission overheats when pulling to much weight which totally destroys them. The fix is an extra cooler, a B&M extra capacity transmission oil pan and shift kit and an inline temp gauge up to the dash - never had a trans problem ever again!!
@@FordManiac76 Mine is barely hanging on, but seems to pull.......once it searches for a gear for 20 seconds. If I gas it, it seems to grab, but it ain't right and I know better. Once it hits 3rd, it will run at highway speeds for about 30 mins.....then there is this weird tugging/rubberband feeling when I'm not actively on or off the throttle, just feeding in enough to keep up to speed. Tranny fluid is full, seems when it gets hot enough it starts acting weird, and then it really has a hard time from 1st to 2nd, and really hard lethagically lurching into 3rd. Torque converter problems? Its beat up, but the miles are actually pretty low, I put most of them on there, and while I rodded the piss outta that 350 across the US, it definately was a lot of highway driving. Never over-rodded....I mean it would just shift into second....There is probobly where my transmission problems start. Will still accelerate to over 100 mph.....but not by much, and I definately don't like to keep the RPM up that high very long in 3rd. Its a much different ratio than my 3 speed stick. Only reason why I ever ran it that hard was because it was a pre-governed truck and my work buddies hated me. I'm certain it would do 120+ if the tranny were in proper condition. Ok, yes I thrashed that thing, who am I kidding. Burnout machine, longbed.
I have rust holes right where you said no rust holes
🤣
same
They do rust, just not as bad as other trucks of the same era. Look at a 90s chevy and a 90s dodge that have both sat in a field and not moved for 3ish years. You'll have light rust holes in the chevy, and about 2 to 3 inches of rust up the body all the way around on the dodge
You know my rust has eaten the bed and rocker panels
Literally same
I have a 96 chevy silverado that has been totally overhauled. Only the body and light housings are original. Everything else has been replaced and set up for racing and believe it or not it gets great gas mileage for a 5.7 V8 350 motor. All Led upgrades and very very clean inside with burgundy interior. I bought it from my brother which is also a mechanic. He did all the work and I only paid $1,000 and it has now 88,000 miles on it. They will last forever and are well worth restoring. I also have the one with the 3rd door. I also upgraded my entire sound system with jbl club 6.5 in the front and 4x6 jbl club in the rear. SKAR audio amp custom sub box tuned to 25 htz with a Skar audio 12 EVL . Worth every penny I paid.
Trucks get old, and trucks break someday like it or not. Chevy is a little more user friendly (as far as the truck platforms are concerned) as opposed to the blue ovals when it comes time to fix the damn thing. Oftentimes the people who buy a 18 plus year old rig and say its a pile are not the ones who can perform basic maintanence and minor fixes. Awesome truck, awesome vid
Thanks. Yes you are correct that anything this old is going to have things that break on it. These old trucks are well engineered and pretty easy and cheap to fix. I just wish I had bought one that wasn’t so rusty underneath.
hoohoohoblin my gramps told me the first thing you should do is lay on the ground and look underneath for rust lol
I need clutch help 79 k5 blazer
Can I just adjust it out and live for another 6 months
Chevy's for hauling loads & Ford's for taking loads. LMAO
I love my chevys but my ford has hauled them more than they have hauled my super duty.
Damn 4l60e's.
@@kristopherfrootloops6714 what years of chevy? In the 2000s i personally believe the quality dropped some what
And ford owners taking loads...... To the face 😂
yea thats true I put 45000 pounds of gravel in my 93 Ford f150 4x4 and hauled it like it was towin a Chevy and not bein prejudice against any. bc I also have a 94 S10 4.3v6 2x4 and a 99 S10 ext cab 2x4 2.2 piece of wth was Chevy thinkin on the 2.2 install?
@@jamiedeatherage3757 45000 huh, thats a light simi load.
Lower intake manifold gasket is the number one problem I’ve had with my mine.
I've been adding coolant for the past few years , I think I may have that problem .
most common small block chevy issue
I have a 1993 3500 2 wd have had to replace gas tank fuel pump and sender and trans lines and brake lines
I love the bench seat when my grandson asked hey papa where is the window button…I said see that nob rotate it
The look on his face was priceless
GM used this body style up until 2003 for the C3500HD (Cab & Chassis) trucks. The only difference is a filler panel was added below the grill because the cab sits higher due to the massive frame. I have a 2000 GMC C3500HD with a 7.4 Vortec. It's a beast. GM calls them 1-ton but they're more like 1.5-ton.
The 4L60/4L60E all had weak reaction sun gear drive shells that broke.... leaving one with no reverse, 2nd, or 4th. This necessitates an overhaul. The "R" vortec engines had weak fuel distributor/injector problems along with a pot metal heater fitting that broke off at the intake. Plastic intake gaskets on these "R" engines would leak coolant into the oil. The oil burn-off upon start up is the intake valve stem seals gone bad and will severely shorten the life of the catalytic converters.
G
@@claudettemariedavis5408 Yes?
One thing to remember if the 350 starts to overheat shut it down. If you run it to long the heads have a tendency to warp and dump coolant on the pistons.
I miss my 96 so much.
A custom delux cab .5 sidestep, white with crimson leather that my dad got from someone.
My first vehicle.
Ford, chevy, dodge, i just love trucks.
Taillight circuit boards!!!! Just a stupid design
I agree. I had no idea there was logic back there.
Agreed
The gauges on 88 are stupid design too
yep been in there
I've had my 96 silverado since 97.. it has 340000 miles and uses no oil between oil changes, yep, it marks it spot in my shop. It will continue to mark its spot as far as I'm alive. The brakes, the anti lock module,or what ever you call it is problematic. I your brakes feel like the master cylinder is bypassing and you go buy a new master cylinder and it still does the same thing, get rid of the anti lock moduale and get a porportioning valve in its place. Get one from summit. One that's adjustable. I did and my truck has better brakes now than it did when it was new. Fuel pump, dont pull the tank. Take the bed off. It's easier than pulling the tank, trust me. You'll need several strong buds to help you. And too, ho ahead and get an ac delco pump, not anything else unless you want to do it all over again in a few months. I'm gonna quit now, lol. I love my silverado..
1-Not rear main 87+ 350 are a 1 piece rear main, witch is way better than a 2 piece.. It's the oil cooler lines always...
2- 700r4 88-92 great trans make sure TVcable is properly adjusted famous for 3-4 th burning up
4l60e 93-99 great trans few more problems.. 3-4th burn up, shift servos are electronic and can go bad. Tourque converters lock and unlock easily. Tps sensor can go bad and make shifts way off. 2-4 band is weaker.. keep both of them cool with a trans cooler and you will be way ahead heat is what kills these trans
3. 88-95 coolant temp sensor on intake corrode and go bad cause hard starts poor gas mileage etc..
4. 88-95 Dist. Control MOD. Go bad will have no spark or no injector pulse
5. 96-99 fuel Gage flutters common
6. 96-99 spider injectors leaking if left unfixed can wash out the bearings in bottom end
Will be hard to start when it sits will sputter
Fuel pressure leakdown test will show u
7. Fuel pumps in 96-99 are known for going out alot more than 88-95 because 88-95 are tbi and run on way lower fuel pressure
8. 96-99 cracked heads and or blown head gasket common
9. 88-99 cracked exhaust manifold
Or broken studs for exhaust
Just buy headers... These manifolds and factory y pipes are very restricted
10 96-99 intake gaskets... Dex cool was garbage if your antifreeze is orange drain it and get normal antifreeze it's no we're near as corrosive..
11. 88-95 heater core hose fitting tointake is a piece of plastic that holds it in always leak... remove the whole hose and get a barbed hose end for intake 5/8 fitting and thread it into back of intake and a new hose to connect to heater core.
12. 10 Bolt rear end spider gears....
Fix it by putting a locker in it 😁
13. 88-94 common for the actuator going bad for front diff locking in and or switch on top of t case a simple test light can tell u witch it is
14. 88-98 mostly 88-93 Pittman and idler arms in front end will and upper ball joints have steering slop
15. Front wheel bearings mostly 88-94
16. Great trucks there's a couple more but that's about it love these trucks have 9 myself my favorite years are 88-92 350 tbi and a 700r4 they just work and are great trucks
+dean Youngs thanks for all the specifics. I totally forgot to mention the sloppy steering.
hoohoohoblin
Yea there great trucks love them I know these things inside and out lol check out my video
Deanthemotocrossman
dean Youngs wow. I couldn't stand this video borderline because he didnt say all this. You nailed it! Everything you said was 100. I dont care what anyone sais.
Don't forget the dash tapping lol
Basically if im looking for a chevy truck like this i should get a 88-92? Would love to have me a 95 because its still a tbi but with the new dash interior.
I have a 1995 silverado with only 108,000 miles and only issues i've had with it is the A/C loses the freon gradually and it keeps blowing the exhaust donut gaskets out. i know its just that and not the controls because i'll have it recharged and it will immediately start working again. And you're totally right about the ABS my light is always on unless i wash it or its really cold out then the ABS works lol
No rust ? That doesn't explain why my legs get wet when I drive in the rain.
Ha ha! I don’t know how mine got so rusty in the frame, but the body doesn’t have any rust at all. Doesn’t make any sense. A lot of people are saying the same thing you said.
Its getting hard to drive with the bed pushing into the cab.
ima be be be be the bed pushing into the cab most likely are your cab mounts
Great video! I have a 95 gmc sierra. One thing i want to add, is if you ever need to change the return power steering line, DONT do what we ended up doing, which was taking the whole front end off!
For some reason, GM designed the original aluminum tube part of the return powersteering line in such a way that it was a LOT longer then it needed to be, and for some reason, they decided it was a good idea to shove the excess aluminum part of the line INSIDE THE DRIVERS SIDE FRAME OF THE TRUCK, which means having to REMOVE THE ENTIRE FRONT END, grill, bumper and all, just to remove the line😐😑
In conclusion, after detaching both ends of the return line (one end unscrews, the other end unclamps and needs to be pulled off) just cut or break the line in anyway you need to to remove it, because the aftermarket return line is ALOT shorter, doesnt look at all like the original part, and has nothing to do with the frame of the vehicle AT ALL!
One last thing i want to add is, nowhere online and nowhere in my Chilton manual did it show how to actually change this part. There was never a diagram or a mention of the aluminum part of the return line being zigzagged up on itself and shoved into the frame of the truck. There were no TH-cam videos or anything else explaining how to do this or what the part looked like, and NO CLUE as to how this thing was to be removed. Had we known the replacement part doesnt involve being put back in the frame of the truck, we never wouldve taken the entire front end off😑
We'd like to try to save other people from going through what we went through.
That’s good advice. Thanks. You guys should’ve made a TH-cam video about it.
Completely agree to this. Have a '90 reg cab std box & replaced pressure line twice in the few years of ownership. Have the service manuals dealership techs use & it's nowhere to be found about how that line goes in the frame. Ordered the lines from Rock Auto & wondered why I couldn't find the extra line replacement to have excess in frame. Couldn't find anything verifying it. Just swapped out w/said replacement lines & no issues since. Plan to keep spares tho...
@@anthonyscott385 wow, i wonder how many years GM used this design for?? The longer they used it for, the more absurd it becomes that its literally impossible to find any info on this particular issue😐
I imagine there are quite a few of us that have gone through this considering how reliable a truck they are and how many are still on the road. Youd think one of these manuals would have mentioned it, or that someone wouldve done a video on it by now. (Honestly didnt think to do it myself-no idea it was gonna turn out the way it did😓)!
@@PureExistence1 , It's absolutely crazy how they do things but I get it. Engineered to fail to keep parts flying of the shelves & for some to constantly upgrade their vehicles. Have you changed or have them, oil cooler lines? Mines let go bout a year or so ago. Complete mess of oil everywhere but I shut the ride down in time. Already had ordered the lines & was waiting to get to them. Had the lines & oil cooler gasket, surprised how they designed this plastic retainer clip to secure the connection. Once again, designed to fail eventually. Although, they was leaking at radiator & the crimp let go up top. On GMT400 forums, some people have completely swapped those lines for hydraulic pressure stainless steel lines & connecters. My planned future upgrade. Some eliminate them all together.
It's been a cool truck to work on & driving thus far. Having had a truck in awhile & bought this one off my client, I'm a barber. He brought it from Nevada & rebuilt the lower block end at 150/180k mile mark. He dropped a reman trans in it just before I bought it. He decided to fix whatever came up before I picked it up. Cool person, didn't charge extra either. It's about 390k + miles now. Body starting to rust up in the usual areas: fender wheel wells, roof, & general body. Plan to attack it & keep rolling. Just threw these 18" wheels on it, so when I lower it these will be ideal to keep tuck. Prior owner had 255/70/15s on it, not bad. Right now I'm rolling on 245/55/18s w/5.125" b.s. on 8" wide wheels. An enjoyable ride & keep getting little comments despite cosmetic crap. My big desire is to learn all I can on these '88 thru '98s & get a hold of a two door Tahoe/Yukon/Blazer & work it similar...
I have both a Ford and Chevy, and I love them both
I’ve got a 95 and yup I’ve replaced everything you’ve said 😂. I’m about to get it repainted since the clear coats shot. Then I’ve replaced the fuel pump, both window motors, erg valve, and oil pressure sensor
I have give or take 500k miles on a 90 C3500(454, sm465), and I have an important message for anybody planning on putting heavy miles on one of these. Beware aftermarket components, specifically Chinese ones. Some work for a while, some are bad right out of the box. I have gone through 3 sets of hydraulic cylinders for my clutch in 2 years, and gm stopped making them probably a decade ago. I'm gonna end up spending 4 times as much on performance cylinders from summit which I don't need because I'm tired of dicking with it, and I wish I'd spent the money up front because I've spent far more than the original cost of the expensive parts at this point. And I can get a cheap kit for the rotor and cap and do that every time I do plugs and wires, or I can go to napa and pay out the ass for delco/Delphi replacement parts and forget about it for a long time. Replacing bushings? If you plan on keeping your old chevy, even as a backup, pay for poly over rubber, especially if you have an oil leak. If you dont, assume a small one will start soon and buy poly anyway. I'm digressing here but my point is this: these can be great reliable trucks but every Chinese part is a premature failure point. Saving a few bucks is NOT worth it in the long run, even if you get lifetime parts. My time is worth money and replacing one shitty Chinese part with another is not how I want to spend it.
Take it from a guy who has replaced every Chinese part that has ever been on his chevy.
Excellent advice. Thanks. I agree with that, and when I replaced the fuel pump I put in a more expensive better one so I wouldn’t have to do it again, and when the starter went out, I went with a better quality replacement. It doesn’t matter how cheap the part is if it takes you all day to install it and uninstall it and return it for another one when it fails.
Yes'r, you're absolutely right!! I went through 3 ignition modules from O'Reilly's in 4 months... Went to Napa got one with a lifetime warranty and haven't had any problems with it since, that was bout 4 years ago!
Chinese parts are 99.9 % no good. Waste of money and time installing them. THEY DON'T LAST!!!!! Nothing like made in AMERICA parts.
265xxx and had to rebuild trans. 18 hwy 15 city depending on foot to gas ratio.
Better than 50k on a 1/2 ton new pos
+Nathan Springer I agree. Keeping one of these old trucks running is a lot cheaper than spending 50 grand on a new one.
i agree..ill take a 20 year old truck anyday....fix everything myself.
You know that's the truth. The trans. on my one owner 90 model was replaced at 270k. The oe engine has 388,200 mi. on her so far. The longest lasting keeps turning the odo.👍👍✌✌
up here in new england 10-15 years is all your gonna get before rust/rot gets you....even with a decent undercoat. next truck .i am considering going down south and looking.. no way i am spending 40-50k new...i hate payments.
Any 90s truck ford Chevy dodge is still better than any newer trucks that so overpriced and older trucks still getting parts of and cheaper to buy
There wasn't much left of the 88 I owned, wheel arches, rockers, floor pan, brake lines, fuel lines, bottom of gas tank all rusted thru. Poured oil out of rear main seal, smoked like a 1920's factory at startup. Truck always ran, but every year there was just a little less of it actually there, Midwest winters....
+Mark K these trucks will run forever, but every year there’s about 10 pounds less truck.
I know a guy who has an 89. You can pull the flooring up on the drivers side and see the ground beneath you. We call it the Flintstone truck.
Just bought a 1989 k1500 4x4 142,000 miles for $800 runs great. Yes the head cover came down stapled it back up after spray glue didn't work. But good for hauling. If you don't mind 11mph😵. Changing plugs come spring time. But it's nice to see a engine where you can get to anything for fixing.
I have a 92 K1500 reverse is out and it frequently dies at stops and some times hesitates when accelerating. Thanks for the advice on the egr I will check that on the running issue. The transmission is the low reverse clutches
Probably the idle air control valve.
Another thing is the interior door handle will break a lot. I’ve had to replace at least one on all three of mine
I am lucky then my 91 still has the factory handles
My 94 has rust on the cab corners and my 96 did too
Trent Remily yeah cab corners and rocker panels are pretty notorious
But was your galvanized ?
It all depends where the truck spent most of its life
So does mine, both sides
So does my 04 cavalier
Still have my 95 Chevy C1500 Cheyenne I drove in high school. Almost 20 years ago and continues to run strong
Leaky oil cooler lines and frame rot from rear tire back. My 95 has 227,000 miles and doesn’t use or lose a drop of oil.
My '88 C2500 is still hanging in there, and it has been worked HARD in its' lifetime. I love the fact that when it was made, Ronald Reagan was president!
Back then they really built their trucks to last.
I'd rather push my Chevy than drive a Ford
you are nuts.......
Be prepared for a LOT of pushing!!
@Ethan Pugh Whatever you have to tell yourself to sleep at night! LMAO!!
Meee
id never become a brand loyalist had an 04 ram than 11 nissan now a 18 ford all made me a happy guy
I have always been a Ford guy, however I bought a 97 Chevy last year and I love it!! It starts so fast and runs so good.
These are great old trucks.
manifold leaks are common. every one has a little tick goin on. and possibly broken studs.
yeah I have heard that is a common issue, I just did the intake manifold on mine last fall
I have a 92 Sierra and she is completely rust free and my interior looks mint I’m the second owner my father was the first
+devon overall that is pretty rare these days. Take good care of the truck and it will last forever.
I'm technically the third owner of my 1997. My father got it in '99 from a woman who had a lease. It was pristine, pampered and babied, complete service record and taken to the dealer for everything! Then we got ahold of it lol! We still took care of it though, but things were neglected/abused here and there. But now it is definitely a member of the family for sure, now that I've got it. Was given to me by my dad in 09 when he got his 06 silverado. I love my gmt400 truck just a tad more than my own life. I work on it constantly and make sure it is properly maintained with what I got.
Slide Everyday o
The brake lines rust out. The shift cable rusts off the transmission.
So fix it lol
Just replaced my 97 brake lines in 2021
My '89, single cab, long bed, has over 300k very hard driven miles, with a lot of off-road (2-wheel drive with 3" blocks on the rear, factory height on the front)...most of the issues you have mentioned here, I never had although both window regulators have been replaced; A/C head had 1 of the boards go bad, have a partially working one installed until I get the original circuit board rebuilt, though I don't use A/C as the system sprung a leak somewhere, back in the 90's, and I really don't need it in that truck anyway; changed stereo sytem to aftermarket for bluetooth, original radio, cassette/EQ still works, still using all original speakers with no speaker "rattle"; original engine burns a bit of oil now (rings), has a main "knock" (more like a rattle) that's existed for about 100k miles, maybe longer; no oil leaks; valve stem seals don't leak; no rust; a new P/S pump about 10 yrs ago; 2nd transmission due to severe off-road fun; and just little normal wear items like brake shoes/pads, rotors/drums, u-joints, etc...I did remove the RWAL system and added a brake line adapter so I could route the line from the master cylinder to the proportioning valve and totally removed the ABS computer and isolation-dump valve or as some label it, the ABS hydraulic unit, no brake light issue from that removal, it works just fine, as if the truck never had ABS and the brakes are better than they've ever been; replaced the fuel pump only once, simply removed either 6 or 8, can't remember but most likely 8, bolts that secure the bed, and then simply, with 4 of us, moved the bed back about 3 feet, it rested on the tires, and then replaced the pump in about 15 minutes, maybe less, then 4 people again, set the bed back in place...MUCH easier, if you have the manpower and tools for the bolts (I removed them with hand tools), and MUCH faster than emptying the tank and dropping it, plus there is a risk of caving the bottom in if it's not emptied of fuel so a large enough container to hold the fuel is necessary, my tank is 34 gallons instead of the more common 25gal tank...not sure why you only get 11/15 mpg, I average about 15/18....great truck, bought it off my dad 20 yrs ago, doubt I'll ever get rid of it, don't see any reason to do so, lol...........nice Z71 you got, but I'll stick with my plain Silverado, LOL...on a side note, all my instrument cluster bulbs and the bulbs inside the A/C head unit are all original, 31yr old bulbs and every single one still works...on the '89, you have to actually take the cluster apart to replace them, and that is frowned upon due to static charge risk, Chevy changed that design in '90 I believe, but didn't make it too much easier to access them, still have to remove the cluster from the dash, just no longer have to take the cluster apart...I pulled the bulbs from mine, put them away for safe keeping, and put in LED 168 bulbs, brighter gauge backlighting now...there is a lot one can do with these trucks, and they are generally reliable and starting to become more popular these days...
Hope I'll get 300,000 out of mine. 154,000 more miles to go😜. Had it 1-1/2 years and only put 4000 miles. So it might out live me😂
A few problems I've noticed on these trucks as they have aged No.1 the door hinges are welded with no adjustment making replacement of the pins and bushing a lot harder No. 2 on the 88-92 models unless you had a stick or turbo 400 the 700r4s sucked the computer controlled version (4L60e) was much better
This is a great generation of GM Truck
It was the last American truck that looked like a real truck.
Love how he said transmission never fall and I'm at 161,000 miles on my 90 Silverado 1500 and I'm putting a new transmission in
Johnnie Ours mines an 89 just bought with 153,000 also putting one in. But atleast they last that long lol the engines will run forever
187,657 miles on my 94 k1500 and the stock transmission went out on me just as I was arriving home from my road trip I had taken from California to Texas
Mine went out at 170k but i was swinging it Lol
I just bought a 1990 GMC with a 5.7 four wheel drive and I love it it runs great it puffs smoke when it starts but I drive it all over the place it's better on gas than my 07 with a 5.3 and has alot more power to as far as I'm concerned these old trucks are great .
I agree. These are great old trucks, and sometimes things break, but they are cheap and easy to replace.
" Chevy salute" aka smoke on start up.
Yup. That's a standard feature.
Valve stem umbrella seals.
My 94 chevy is a rust bucket door handles are broke gotta open drivers door from outside and need to rewire my 4wd but it's the best damn pickup I've ever owned
Even with all of their problems these are great trucks. And most things are pretty cheap and easy to fix.
My only issue with my 97 k1500 is that it came with an open diff even though its a Z71 and also it has all those sensors. The sensors are horrible
Otherwise, i have had my engine completely submerged in water and it still runs like great no doubt a badass reliable vehicle with enough power to pull a jet
That explains why mine has a Z71 code and a G80 code on the sticker. G80 means locking rear differential, so I guess it was a separate option from Z71. I would have expected them to bundle them together so it would be better off-road.
I just bought a 98 Chevy Silverado and your video is very reassuring. Thanks!
I had to replace the pins in my 1994 C1500. To fix the door sag my door closes like new
Factory or oem ?
Windshield wiper motors liked to fail also
I took mine apart and clean the contacts
I thought that also and it was actually the circuit board. Took the cover off, replaced it for cheap and haven’t had a problem since. If it works sometimes or if you can tap the cover and it works then it’s probably the circuit board
cold solder on the drive board..(O:
This is cool, can you do a fallow up on the suburbans of this vintage? I know its mostly the same thing.. but I am wondering if there is any differences..
1991 one ton r3500 best truck I've ever owned ex Forrester truck it's a 3+3
Does anybody's gas gauge swordfight there oil pressure? My 99 suburban & 98 Silverado both do
Oil pressure is usually the sender. Replaced it once.
Lmao best comment
How did you fix it?
Change out the stepper motors on the gauges once you have eliminated all the bad grounds.
Yes mine do
Here is my list - front axle actuator, cheap and quick fix, blend door, mine has been making noise for years but still works so I'm not fixing it, idler arm (especially if you run bigger tires) , factory 10 bolt rear end will grenade if you run hard with 35's or larger tires, easy and bolt in fix is any 3/4 ton 14 bolt semi-rear floating rear end from a 4wd chevy 88-97 GMT400, they come in 6 lug and they are all over junk yards, they bolt right in place of the cheesy 10 bolt and you get bigger brakes and a pretty damn bullet proof rear end. Fuel pressure regulator sometimes fails, and ignition module, thats really it. Just maintain it and they run forever.
Almost 300k on our Yukon 2 door most reliable vehicle ever.
Thanks. Looking under my truck, I can see that somebody already replaced the rear axle before I got it. These things really will run forever with a little bit of maintenance.
My gmt400 is 8 lug but it's 3500 so just look out
Thanks for the information. I purchased a 1995 GMC Sierra C1500 extended cab with the 350 late last month with only 143k on the odometer. Great condition and no problems. The ABS light isn't even on!
You made the right decision. These are great old trucks.
The main reason as to why the transmission on this generation Chevy's starts to give problems, is because people drive them on overdrive at all times in the city, stop and go stop and go. Overdrive is only to use on constant driving over 50 mph. This goes to Ford's as well.
Good point. I wonder why they designed it like that.
$$$
Drive Chevy's agreed less shifting in the city
Drive Chevy's my trans used to slip a little... sucked out some trans fluid with some small hose an a turkey baster. Added a couple bottles of Lucas and it's been going good for years.
Drive Chevy's so I should drive it in 3rd gear in the city?