Hi guys, I'm new to the forum and new to D-Max's. I'm going to look at an '04 D-Max this Saturday and I'm looking for some info and help. It is a VIN code 2, so it's an LLY. Do these have EGR valves? What kind of mpg's should I expect? What should I look for when looking the truck over? Are these trucks problematic in any way? I'll be driving about 3 hours to go look at it so I really hope its a good one, especially since there is an pmt diesel sticker in the back window, cause I don't want to drive my old truck home. It has like 65k on it and I believe the salesman told me like $23k or $24k. Thanks in advance for any and all help!

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Fudge, here is the link to the dealer's listing.

Used 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD

 

only one photo!

seems a little high priced but with out knowing much about the truck it is hard to say.

yes, these engines have an EGR. MPGs could be anywhere but expect between 16 to 22. these trucks are generally trouble free but sometimes suffer from overheating and bad connections on injectors 2 & 7 (easy to fix). check if they have maintenance and service records. how old is the fuel filter, etc. have the TSBs been addressed?

look for leaking transmission lines. oil and dirt on the flexible rubber part of the lines, excessive black smoke under acceleration. if you have a way of checking injector balance rates i would do it. transmission shifting, smooth and quick, not too firm or laggy. quickness of engine starting (good if it is stilling cold and snowing).

dont forget to look for the usual items like mud hiding in the frame and rust, etc. there is too many to list here but others may be able to help

 

Thanks for the info! Unfortunately I started this tread too late and bought the truck before I got your info. I think the truck was that high because it only has 65k and it has everything except a sunroof. I also noticed it sits quite a bit higher than the gassers but I do not see any type of lift kit on it. Do the diesels sit higher from factory? It came with 285-75/16's on it which look good, but will they drop my mpg's?

As far as overheating, on the 3.5 hour trip home it was running around 180 degrees, according to the gauge. So, it seems to run pretty cool, actually. Maintenance and service records are non-existent as far as I know. Fuel filter is in unknown condition, I'm not even sure where it is on the DMax. I know for Ford you can call the dealership and ask for a TSB (Oasis) report with a VIN, can you do that with GM?

I did crawl under the truck, but forgot all about checking the tranny lines, I was woo much in awe by the 4" turbo-back cat-less exhaust. I actually don't see any black smoke at all, but I did notice kind of a laggy shift, how bad of a problem is that? How much, on average, is it to have a dealership check injector balance? As far as quickness of starting, it was -4F this morning, the glow plug light was on for a bout 2 seconds, and it fired right up! Amazing compared to an old 7.3 Powerstroke!

Also, my DIC on instant economy sometimes goes clear down to 5mpg, are thee things even close? Oh, the truck also came with an Edge Juice with Attitude, is this setup ok on the DMax's?

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Oh, I forgot to ask another question. When I got home last night and walked around the front of the truck to go inside, I could smell fuel around the passenger's fender. Is this because of the CAI or is this a sign I need the injector rates checked?

 

stock these trucks (and gassers) come with 245/75/16 tires. arguably 285s are the largest tire you can fit on them with out any lift kits or other major modifications. usually just cranking the torsion bars and sometimes trimming the valance. this is why it sits higher without any lift kit, it is the larger tires

overheating is normally when towing heavy. the duramax is a cool running engine. i have in fact removed my fan/clutch and ran it that way for a whole year and only overheated once when driving slowly on some dirt roads for a while. the problem is usually attributed to a more restrictive air intake over the other models. and can be fixed by fitting an LBZ or Kodak intake?? i could be wrong on that part as i have never done it myself.

these are things that i, and many others, consider a negative when purchasing a vehicle as you never know how hard it was driven and abused.

it may be nothing at all or it may be an indication of a tired transmission from being pushed too hard with the Edge. worse case is you may need to have it rebuilt in a couple of years. at that time i would have it rebuild by a shop that could do a stage 3 or better upgrade. it is also possible that it is just time for a tranny fluid change and everything is fine inside.

dealers will normally charge a one hour diagnostic time. i think i payed $118 last time. your Edge Juice should be able to show balance rates. the rates should be between +-4 when in park/neutral, and +-6 when in drive with foot on brake and idling.

this is good. i actually have been running with my glow plugs disconnected for several years now with no starting problems. so far the coldest i have had to start my truck after sitting out all night was 14F and it started right up. pretty good for not running glow plugs.

the instant MPG is not very accurate. i believe this is why GM stopped providing that feature in the later models. it get even worse when you chip it so dont worry about it. use it for comparison purposes but not for what you are actually getting. for that you will need to divide miles driven by gallons at fill up.

the fuel filter is behind the passenger wheel fender liner. it is up near where the AC lines go through the firewall. see if there is any fuel leaking in that area or its lines

hope this helps

 

Wow, 2004LB7, you have been a great help! It seems as though I should just PM you when I have a question, considering all of the input from the other members, or should I say the lack there of.

 

no problem, i try and do what i can. there doesn't seem to be many people on here that know much about the Duramax or dont seam to reply much. a lot more activity in the Ford and Dodge forums.

unless it is personal, i prefer to have it posted in the open forums so others may be able to learn from it even if they dont post anything.