This is a great thread describing the state of the art of keeping one of these on the road circa 2024.
FWIW I've been researching how today's ethanol fuel would affect the fuel trims that were calibrated
a decade before the forced adoption of ethanol gas, and L31MaxExpress's explanation of how E10
cuts into the successful self-correcting area of the factory feedback loop is spot on. (Reply
#26)
Given that I remember seeing these trucks on the road when they were brand new it's hard for me to
remember that bringing one of these
today to a Chevy dealership service department would be like
bringing a darkened Dynaco 70 tube amp to Best Buy and expecting the folks behind the counter to
bring it back to life. (
The color of the sound of your very favorite music)
I may exaggerate a little, but the point is that in 2024 GMT400 owners no longer have the luxury of expecting
to find a shop capable of delivering excellence in the engine bay on every other street corner. This doesn't mean
that one should panic, but it does suggest that you become as self-reliant as possible. Even if you choose
to pay someone else to implement the fix, just knowing your way around this stuff will help you interview
potential mechanics and know which ones to partner with, as well as the ones to run away from.
And if you really want to enjoy your GMT400 free of fear, while your vehicle is running well, *now* is the
time to start a small collection of potential showstoppers and have them on your shelf. And I'm not
talking about buying new parts and stocking the shelves with them. Instead, you buy the new part,
replacing the perfectly good part on the vehicle, and (assuming the new part is good) you drive on that,
with the proven 'known-good, flown-good' part carefully stashed on your shelf. From personal experience I find
this method gives that elusive 'carefree' feel behind the wheel.
Again, great thread. Lots of sage advice shared here -- good stuff.