Chevrolet P/U problem 1993, 1500ck


  #1  
Old 11-27-02, 06:04 PM
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Chevrolet P/U problem 1993, 1500ck

I have a 1993 chevrolet 1500 ck, 5.7 liter engine, 2 w/d pickup, automatic. There are 3 problems I just can't seem to get a handle on.

Problem #1, Batteries only last about 1 year in the truck. The parisitic drain is within the limits set by the mfg. When it gets cold the engine will not crank. I can see it coming because the alt. starts charging high, over 14 volts and higher, and when the blinkers are on the volt gauge pulsates. The alt is good, I always have it checked every year. Also, when I turn off the engine with the headlights on the lights dim excessively. If the engine won't start and I jump it off it will crank the rest of the day until the next morning. I always put in a heavy duty battery with 800 to 900 cold cranking amps. This is an annual event and I'm known well at the local parts supplier. The problem did not start happening until the original battery was replaced in 1997.

Problem # 2, Most of the time when I start off from a red light the driveline feels as if it has slipped and caught itself. I have greased the slip joint on the 2 piece driveshaft, checked the center driveshaft bearing, checked the u joints, checked the driveshaft placement into the transmission. Why does it clunk after I leave from a stopped position? Sometimes when I stop, if I roll the truck a few feet forward it will not clunk. The rear end is a limited slip and there is no excessive play there either. I have read the manuals front to back and there is no mention of this problem. Could the converter not be unlocking itself? The converter fuse is not blown. This problem has been going on since I have owned the truck. The dealer ship just shugged it off as if nothing is wrong with the truck.

Problem #3, When the rear tires are removed and the rear end jacked up there is a vibration in the driveline. Can the 2 piece driveshafts be out of sync? If so how do you get them back. When I took them apart it looks like there is only one way for reassembly.

Any information would be helpful.
 
  #2  
Old 11-28-02, 06:11 AM
Joe_F
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How many miles? Did you have the driveline balanced? Play in the rear end? Have it checked by a reliable tranny/gear shop for excessive play in the rear end.

Have any weights fallen off the driveshaft? Last time the tranny fluid and filter were changed?

How do you know the alternator is good? How did you test it? What brand of battery are you using?

etc, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc.
 
  #3  
Old 11-29-02, 06:49 AM
Charles E.
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Ocasionally the pinion nut on the rearend will get enough slack to allow the yoke to slip on the pinion splines causes a real loud sharp pop usually ringing in the drive shaft( should be taken care of by a professional ) will get progessively worse eventually will lead to rearend failure. Drive shaft - look down the length of the shaft if all the U-joints are aligned the drive shaft is in time ( only way you can get it out of time is at a slip joint ( most likely a drive shaft weight or wheel weight ) My best guess would be that the alternator appears to be over charging the battery and it just boils all the electrolite out of the battery eventually causing battery failure. Hope this helps a little and good luck with your problem. Charles E.
 
  #4  
Old 11-30-02, 01:01 PM
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I have similar luck with batteries in my Suburban and I havn't found the cure yet. Alternator is fine. In addition to the volt meter in the dash I've added an Amp meter under the hood. Cheapo batteries last just as long as the name brands but seem to die more suddenly. I can usually tell when it's starting to die because the starter seems to drag a couple of days prior to the early morning click, click, click. If you find a solution let me know.

As to the rear end clunk, go to your local GM dealer and get a 4 oz. bottle of "Limited Slip Axle Lubricant Additive" (GM P/N 1052358). Cost is around $8.00. Seems to last about 30,000 miles in mine. The aftermarket additives do not work in mine. This very well may cure your vibration problems.
Additional common cause for vibrations with these long driveshafts is a bad rear transmission mount. These are hard to discern without pulling the mount.

Good Luck and let us know what you find!
 
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Old 11-30-02, 04:30 PM
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Charles E,

I have checked the pinion nut, all is tight. I have also had the rear end cover off and all tooth patterns and tolerances are within limits there.

The drive shaft has it's weight on it and all joints line up. The vibration is there with the wheels off of it.

I have had the chevy dealership check the alt. and also the mechanics at the parts house, the alternator is within the charging limits. As far as the battery is concerned, when I looked in it all of the plates are covered with solution. And when you do a specific gravity test on the solution it passes also.

Thanks for the feedbackCharles E.



Dirty Dan,

Your battery problem is exactly like mine!! I have had both cheapos and name brands. All the symptoms are the same, on that cold morning it will go click, click/ Except now I go and get it changed before the infamous click, click saga.

What will this additive do to stop this vibration? Is it kind of like "Marvel Mystery Oil"? It cures some things with hydraulic lifters.

I also checked the transmission mount and it is solid so I pulled it out.


Thanks for your feedback also if you have any other suggestions I will check them also..


My truck has 86, 000 miles on it, oil is changed every 3000 miles or 3 months, greased at that time also. Transmission oil and filter was changed at 30, 000 miles, the oil is still very pink and smells clean.
 
  #6  
Old 11-30-02, 07:36 PM
otter_
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clunk

Check the line ticket in your glovebox, it's a sticker with a bunch of three character alpha-numeric codes arranged alphbetically. If G80 is one of the codes, you have a LOCKING differential, not a limited slip. GM (Eaton) lockers will clunk if you lift off the throttle after a quick acceleration from stop. Nature of the beast.
 
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Old 11-30-02, 08:13 PM
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I'm not sure what's in the lube additive. All the shade trees here in Louisiana call the stuff whale oil. When I don't use it, the rear end clutches bind which tends to keep both wheels pulling most of the time. The clunk I was feeling / hearing was the clutches turning loose after I stopped. The rear end gets in a bind with both axles pulling due to the radius of any turns being different for each axle.

"I also checked the transmission mount and it is solid so I pulled it out. "
I hope I'm not understanding what you're saying. I meant to pull it out to check it only. Don't try to drive with the transmission mount out.

As for the battery problem, I don't have a clue. I've gone as far as to install an isolator and a second battery for add ons. This resulted in absolutely no difference in the life of the primary battery. Truck came with a 105 amp alternator. I'm pretty much resigned to buying a new battery every 8-12 months.
 
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Old 11-30-02, 09:23 PM
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Otter:

To my recollection, G80 is the GM code for limited slip and always has been. My Trans Am buildsheets have G80 and they are surely posi traction .
 
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Old 12-01-02, 02:13 PM
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It's a limited slip. The driveline clunks as you depress the gas pedal. Sometimes it does the "clunk" thing and sometimes it doesn't. I think it has something to do with the torque converter.



cm
 
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Old 12-02-02, 09:45 AM
otter_
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locking differential

Here's the sccop on Regular Production Code G80 on General Motors full size trucks, compact trucks, full size sport utilities and midsize sport utilities, full size vans and mid-size vans since the mid 1990's:

mfg. by Eaton corp, market exculsive -- not availablie through ford or chryco.


Locking Diff: (click on the blue links for a demo on the eaton page and bear in mind that the Tahoe shown is 2wd)

http://www.traction.eaton.com/prod2.htm


vs.


Ltd. Slip / Posi:

http://www.traction.eaton.com/prod3.htm


more info:


http://www.pickuptruck.com/html/stor...ton/page3.html


Locking diff is superior in truck applications by design as it enables 100% of the available torque to be directed to the axle/wheel with the most traction available while a posi rear end is limited to directing approx 30% of available torque to the wheel with most traction.

Glad I could clarify this.
 
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Old 12-02-02, 09:47 AM
otter_
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cm

cm, did you check the production codes?
 
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Old 12-02-02, 11:49 AM
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maybe...

BATTERY PROB (thoughts only)

1986 Cavalier, 200K miles--I had the same problem with Wal Mart batteries. The problem was the CHEAP CRAP Wal mart batteries seem to be. Traded them in and got a name brand, no problems after that.

1993 S-10--- Three batteries into the problem (all replaced under battery warranty), I noticed that the radio that my brother installed had a backlight that never went off, even with the key out of the switch. Took it to a car audio place, and $15 later the backlight never caused another problem.

OR--- Is is possible that the alternators in your vehicles aren't the proper amp output? I try to buy the heavier duty of the choices. I had to put a new alt on a 1990 1500 (4.3 6cyl) and put a 110 amp alt on it. I think it only called for a 75 or 85 or so. Could the previous owner have replaced the alt with a cheapo one? Or if you're the original owner, have you had it replaced at a shop ever?


DRIVETRAIN PROBLEM:

1990 C1500, 4.3 V6, manual trans. I had a problem with a clunk as well. NOT a loud clunk though. Only noticed it when the truck was coasting and I gave it some gas. A shadetree buddy of mine checked it out, sayed don't worry about it. He sayed it was something (he knew specifically but I can't remember) in the rear end, but a lot of Chevys trucks from that era do that. He sayed just don't hammer it when coasting and it'll be fine. I put prolly 60,000 more miles on it and it never got worse or caused a problem. I am NOT suggesting you ignore it, though, lol, since the problems aren't likely the same.
 
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Old 12-02-02, 02:32 PM
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Otter,

There are 6 lines and 13 columns of 3 digit codes which one would it be?


cm.
 
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Old 12-02-02, 02:48 PM
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Mako,

The battery is from "Advanced Auto Parts"it ia an autocraft Titanium, $80.00 new with 1000 cold cranking amps at 32 degrees "F" and 800 cold cranking amps at 0 drgrees "F".

I am the only owner of the truck and put an AC Delco alternator
on it I want to say it is 115 amps but cant find the paper work to check. I always put the best and HD on my truck when the times arise. I put the alternator on the truck 10,000 miles ago. This problem only surfaces in the cold weather. The original battery lasted 4 years so what is wrong with the batteries today? Should I try one with the round cells, that's a new one I see on the market, what do you think?

Would a small light cause a battery to die out in a year? Just as you mentioned.

The clunk is only at starts when it does it and it is not severe but you can feel it when it "clunks".

CM
 
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Old 12-02-02, 05:02 PM
otter_
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cm

read the line ticket left to right, starting at the upper left hand side. The codes are alphabetized starting with the A's. What I'm curious about is whether or not the code G80 shows within that listing. Should be right after the axle ratio code which will begin with a 'G' as well.

I'll reiterate that if you do have G80, which is locking diff, a clunk (not overly loud) coming from the rear axle is normal, so long as it's not a U-Joint. A normal rear axle should not clunk and should be looked at.

If the line ticket is unreadable, post your VIN and I'll tell you what you have.
 
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Old 12-02-02, 05:25 PM
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Otter,

Here you go the line that has a "G" in it,

D45, D55, E62, F51, GV6, JB5, KC4, K34, K60, L05, MXO, M30, NA1

Hopes this helps.




CM.
 
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Old 12-02-02, 05:37 PM
otter_
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you have neither a limited slip nor a locking diff. I can verif this if you post your VIN.

Therefore, if the clunk IS coming from the back of the vehicle and you've elminated u-joint and yoke, then the clunk is a product of play in the gears in diff housing. Mild clunk, don't worry. Loud clunk = trouble, maybe worn crown or pinion.

I just spoke with a tech in our shop and he says another possibility is a broken/worn U-Bolt where the axle carrier attatches to the leaf spring pack on each side.

Tech also confirms that a soft clunk on acceleration or when lifting off the throttle is a product of normal driveline windup/lash.


-hope this helps
 
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Old 12-02-02, 05:42 PM
otter_
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cm

I can only run your vin while at work and I'm leaving in about 5 min. so you won't hear back from me until tomorrow.
 
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Old 12-02-02, 05:49 PM
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That's fine. I thank you for your help.
 
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Old 12-02-02, 06:04 PM
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Otter,

Then, what kind of rearend is it.

The V bolts are fine, I checked them. I believe it is going to be the latter, a soft clunk on acceleration. I never heard of windup/lash but it does make sence. I always thought it was the converter not unlocking, but then again I'm not an authority on transmissions and converters.



cm
 
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Old 12-02-02, 06:51 PM
otter_
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cm

Based on the info you gave me off your line ticket:


GU6: 3.42:1 rear end with no more corresponding 'G' codes = regular open differential was installed at factory. Did someone tell you that you have a limited slip?
 
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Old 12-03-02, 03:59 AM
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Otter


I'm not sure where I picked up the "limited slip" term but I know there is nothing special about the rearend, the mechanics at the shop may have used that term when I first was checking into the problem. I may have gotten it of of the sticker when I bought the truck. It's just a regular rearend no detroit locker and no posi trac. It is a 3:42 not the best ratio for the towing package it came with. But the truck pulls a load good.
 
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Old 12-03-02, 10:11 AM
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If your torque converter wasn't unlocking, there'd be a heckuva lot more commontion than a soft clunk, so I think you can rule it out.
 
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Old 12-04-02, 05:22 AM
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Sounds like your clunk was the same as mine. Can't say for sure though. Since you tow a lot and I didn't I'd surely take it to either a Chevy dealership (for diagnosis at least, do the work yourself or somewhere cheaper) or to someone reputable for being a GM guru. I never touched mine and it would still be running fine had I not totalled mine on the rear end of a big Oldsmobile.

Anyhow, I hope Autocraft makes a good battery. I had to buy one (the only auto place nearby when my car broke down at work).

At first, the car wouldn't crank, no juice. Replaced the battery with Autocraft (silver, I think), and it ran fine for two days. Then it died at school again. With a jump from a buddy and a trip to a mechanic, we found out the alternator was bad. I FORGOT to specify HD parts so I wound up with a 85ish amp alternator. Not my personal choice but it seems to be working fine.
 
 

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