1997 Chevrolet Silverado Fuel system Problems

ENGINE IS A 6.5 TURBO DIESEL. I BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE USED SO HAVE NO PREVIOUS HISTORY WHETHER IT HAPPENED BEFORE I OWNED IT. VEHICLE ENGINE STARTED TO DIE WHILE DRIVING, OCCASIONALLY AT FIRST. IT WOULD RESTART IMMEDIATELY SOMETIMES AND SOMETIMES IT HAD TO SIT FOR A WHILE. THIS PROBLEM STARTED IN YEARS PREVIOUS TO 2010 INTERMITTENTLY BUT BECAME MORE FREQUENT IN 2010- 2011. DIDN'T MATTER WHAT SPEED I WAS TRAVELING, IT WOULD QUIT ON THE INTERSTATE GOING 75 MPH OR IN DRIVEWAY GOING 5 MPH. SHUT OFF WITHOUT WARNING AND IMMEDIATELY LIKE SOMEONE TURNED THE KEY OFF. ALL POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKES FAILED BUT FORTUNATELY I WAS ABLE TO PULL THE VEHICLE OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND STOP IT WHEN IT HAPPENED, ONLY BECAUSE I KNEW HOW TO STEER WITH OUT POWER STEERING AND HAD THE STRENGTH TO DO IT. WITH OTHERS THIS COULD EASILY CAUSE SERIOUS ACCIDENTS. MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS WERE MADE OVER THE YEARS WITH A MECHANIC TO FIND THE PROBLEM WITH NO LUCK. FINALLY SOMEONE SUGGESTED REPLACING THE PMD MODULE WHICH I DID IN 2011 AND IT SOLVED THE PROBLEM FOR 3 MORE YEARS. IT IS NOW HAPPENING AGAIN. I WAS TOLD THE PMD MODULE NEEDS TO BE LOCATED OUTSIDE OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT BECAUSE IT GETS TOO HOT AND CAUSES THIS FAILURE. I BELIEVE THIS CONSTITUTES A POOR DESIGN AND A DEFECT THAT NEEDS TO BE RECTIFIED. SINCE THIS HAPPENED TO MY VEHICLE I HAVE TALKED WITH SEVERAL OTHER PEOPLE JUST IN MY AREA WHO OWN THE SAME TYPE OF ENGINE AND HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM AND OTHERS IN OTHER AREAS. *TR

NHTSA ID

10649450

Incident

Jan 14, 2010

Mileage

89,000 mi

DT: THE AUTOMOBILE WOULD NOT START. NO PREVIOUS PROBLEMS, THIS WAS THE FIRST INCIDENT. THE CONSUMER ASSUMED IT WAS THE FUEL PUMP. AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC CAME OUT TO INSPECT THE VEHICLE. HE DETERMINED THE FUEL TANK SENDING UNIT ASSEMBLY HAD CAUGHT ON FIRE WHICH MELTED THE WIRING INSIDE THE FUEL TANK. THERE WERE NO VISIBLE FLAMES, WHEN THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED WAS UNKNOWN. HE WAS UNAWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AND WOULD HAVE NOT KNOWN UNLESS THE MECHANIC HAD PULLED THE FUEL PAN BED AND DISCOVERED THIS FAILURE. THE MECHANIC OFFERED NO EXPLANATION AS TO WHY THIS HAPPENED. THE PLASTIC SIMPLY MELTED, AND THE WIRING WAS BURNED. THERE HAVE BEEN NO REPAIRS OR CORRECTIONS MADE AT THIS TIME. *AK

NHTSA ID

10138535

Incident

Oct 1, 2005

Mileage

127,000 mi

THIS INCIDENT HAS HAPPENED MORE THAN ONCE AND HAS NOT BEEN RESOLVED. WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE STALLED. DRIVER TRIED WAS UNABLE TO RESTART VEHICLE. DRIVER NOTICED THAT STEERING WHEEL AND THE BRAKES FAILED, AND WOULD NOT WORK WHEN APPLIED. THE DRIVER HAD THE TRUCK TOWED TO THE DEALER, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE FUEL PUMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK THIS IS THE THIRD PUMP INSTALLED IN THE VEHICLE SINCE IT WAS PURCHASED. WHEN THE PUMP FAILED THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN WITHOUT WARNING AND THERE WAS NO POWER STEERING OR BRAKES, THE VEHICLE JUST ROLLED TO A STOP. *BF *NM

NHTSA ID

10115192

Incident

Mar 15, 2005

Mileage

130,671 mi

WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH VEHICLE STALLED. WHEN SERVICING IT WAS DETERMINED TO BE THE FUEL PUMP.*AK

NHTSA ID

10115707

Incident

Mar 2, 2005

WHILE TRYING TO START THE VEHICLE THE ENGINE WOULD NOT TURN OVER. THE CONSUMER CHECKED THE FUEL PUMP AND FOUND THAT THE CONNECTOR THAT FEEDS THE FUEL TO THE PUMP WAS BURNED OUT. THE CONSUMER WAS CONCERNED BECAUSE THE CONNECTOR WAS ACTUALLY INSIDE OF THE FUEL TANK.

NHTSA ID

10073344

Incident

May 7, 2004

Mileage

88,000 mi

DIDN'T GET RAPAIRED YET. CHEVY WILL REPLACE PUMPS, BUT I HAVE TO PAY FOR THE FUEL SYSTEM TO GET FLUSHED BECAUSE OF METAL IN THE SYSTEM THAT IS FROM THE DEFFECTIVE PUMP. WHICH THEY SAY IS $1100 AND I THINK IS OUTRAGEOUS.

NHTSA ID

10069065

Incident

Sep 15, 2003

Mileage

119,699 mi

No narrative was included with this report.

NHTSA ID

10068840

Incident

Mar 15, 1998

Mileage

30,000 mi

FUEL INJECTORS PLUG UP EVERY 10,000 MILES, WATER PUMP WENT OUT AT 40,000 MILES, ALTERNATOR WENT OUT AT 45,000 MILES ALL IN ALL THIS TRUCK IS A PIECE OF CRAP. *NLM

NHTSA ID

10023512

Incident

Mar 1, 1997

Mileage

25,000 mi

THE FUEL PUMP WIRING HEATED UP, WHICH CAUSED THE PUMP TO FAIL. *JB

NHTSA ID

10011888

Mileage

113,007 mi

WHEN MAKING A LEFT OR RIGHT TURN, THE STEERING WHEEL GIVES AND CAUSES TEMPORARY STEERING LOSS. TS THE VEHICLE ALSO SUSTAINED THE FOLLOWING FAILURES, THE PCV VALVE MALFUNCTIONED CAUSING THE #2 AND #3 HEAT SHIELDS IN THE TRANSMISSION TO CRACK. THIS MALFUNCTION WAS REPAIRED AND NOW THE 4 LOW GEAR IS INOPERABLE. ALSO, THE FUEL PUMP, OXYGEN SENSOR, AIR CONDITIONER COMPRESSOR AND PUMP MALFUNCTIONED. NOTICEABLY AFTER PURCHASE, THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT GIVES WHEN BRAKING. *JG

NHTSA ID

8023926

Incident

Nov 2, 2000

Mileage

69,000 mi

WHILE TRAVELING AT 25 MPH ENGINE SUDDENLY SHUT DOWN WITHOUT WARNING. CAUSE UNKNOWN. TOOK TO DEALER, AND THEY STATED THAT FUEL PUMP ASSEMBLY SHORTED OUT AND ALMOST CAUSED A FIRE. DEALER STATED VEHICLE COULD HAVE EXPLODED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

NHTSA ID

8009794

Incident

Apr 29, 2002

ALUMINUM INTAKE MANIFOLD IS MOUNTED TO CAST IRON ENGINE BLOCK. 2 METALS EXPAND DIFFERENTLY, CAUSING ANTI FREEZE TO LEAK FROM INTAKE MANIFOLD IN LARGE QUANTITIES.

NHTSA ID

899368

Incident

Oct 20, 2001

PROBLEM #1: THE FUEL PUMP RELAY DOESN'T SEEM TO DISENGAGE AFTER FIRST STARTING THE ENGINE AND IT HEATS UP. THIS CAUSES ROUGH OPERATING OF THE ENGINE. FURTHER INVESTIGATION SHOWS THAT THE MAXI FUSE TO THE LIGHTING SYSTEM HEATS UP ALSO, BUT DOES NOT FAIL. ANOTHER AREA THAT IS AFFECTED IS THE MINI FUSE TO THE COURTESY LAMPS. IT HEATS UP, BUT DOES NOT FAIL. THE LAST AREA TO BE AFFECTED IS THE EVAPORATIVE EMISSION CANISTER VACUUM SWITCH. IT ACTS AS IF THE WHEELS ARE OUT OF BALANCE AROUND 50MPH. I HAVE TAKEN THIS VEHICLE IN TO THE DEALERSHIP ON A NUMBER OF OCCASIONS AND THEY EITHER CAN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG OR TRY AND TELL ME THAT THE FUEL INJECTORS ARE AT FAULT. THEY PUT INJECTOR CLEANER IN THE FUEL TANK ON TWO OCCASIONS, WHICH MADE IT RUN WORSE. I ASKED TO HAVE THE INJECTORS REPLACED WHILE IT WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY AND THEY SAID THEY HAD TO FOLLOW PROCEDURE BULLETIN #00-06-04-003 BEFORE TAKING THAT STEP. THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTED, BUT THEY HAVEN'T OFFERED TO REPLACE FUEL INJECTORS. MY THINKING IS THAT THE PROBLEM IS REALLY THE IGNITION SWITCH. CAN YOU PLEASE ADVISE ME OF ANY OTHER SIMILAR COMPLAINTS AND HOW IT WAS RESOLVED? PROBELM #2: WHILE DRIVING STRAIGHT HIGHWAY AT ABOUT 55 MPH STEERING FEELS LOOSE AND WANTS SHIFT LANES ON IT'S OWN. ON SWEEPING TURNS IT TURNS TO THE RIGHT ON IT'S OWN. I HAD THE FRONT END ALLIGNED AND A NEW SET OF TIRES, BUT THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. ANY ADVISE?

NHTSA ID

746250

Incident

Feb 25, 2001

FUEL LINE IN FUEL PUMP WAS BURNED UP. CONTACTED DEALER.*AK REPLACE THE FUEL PUMP AND SENDING UNIT. *YH

NHTSA ID

888853

Incident

May 21, 2001

FUEL SENDING UNIT HAS AN ELECTRICAL SHORTAGE WHICH CAUSES FUEL PUMP TO BURN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

NHTSA ID

888042

THIS FUEL INJECTOR PUMP WAS REPLACED 5 MONTHS AFTER THE PURCHASE OF THIS TRUCK IN JULY 1997 AT 11,232 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. IN SEPT OF 2000 THE SAME PROBLEMS STARTED AGAIN AND WAS TAKEN TO DEALERSHIP. THEY SAID THEY COULD DIAGNOSE IT UNLESS IT WAS DOING THE STALLING OUT, SO WE PROCEEDED TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE AS IT WAS OUR ONLY MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION. ON DEC. 26 WE HAD TRUCK TOWED TO DEALERSHIP TO HAVE THE SAME PART REPLACED AS WAS DONE IN 1997 ONLY 5 MONTHS AFTER WE PURCHASED THIS NEW TRUCK. THIS PART AS TOLD TO US BY CHEVROLET AND THE DEALERSHIP THEY HAD A SPECIAL POLICY # 00064 - OUR REF # C02653123 THRU CHEVR. WAS TOLD THAT THERE SHOULD BE NO PROBLEM IN REPLACING THE PART AGAIN. NOW THEY ARE RENIGIN ON IT. SAID WE WERE OVER OUR MILES - 120,000 OR 11 YRS. THE PART WAS GOING BAD AT 118,187 IN SEPT., BUT WE KEPT BEING TOLD BY THE DEALERSHIP THAT IT WAS NOT SHOWING UP AND WAS PROBABLY BAD GAS. WE TOOK IT 3 TIMES AND THEY NEVER DOCUMENTED IT ONLY FIXED OTHER PROBLEMS. NOW THAT THE WARRANTY IS OUT, THE TRUCK HAS COMPLETELY STOPPED RUNNING AND THEY REFUSE TO HONOR REPLACING THE PART THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE IN SEPT. SO HERE WE ARE IN THE MIDDLE BECAUSE OF THE DEALERSHIP MECHANICS REFUSING TO BELIEVE IT WAS THAT UNTIL THEY REPLACED A WATER SENSOR TO BE ABLE TO PUT THE COMPUTER ON IT TO VERIFY IT AND WE HAD ALREADY TAKEN IT TO 2 OTHER MECHANICS THAT TOLD US THAT WAS THE PROBLEM AND TO TAKE IT TO THE DEALERSHIP SINCE IT WAS A BAD PART THAT THEY WERE HAVING TROUBLE WITH SINCE 1994. NO ONE IMFORMED US OF THIS... NOW WE ARE FACED WITH A BILL OF OVER $1700.00 TO REPLACE THIS SAME PART THAT WE KNEW WAS BAD AND WE WERE UNDER THE MILES OF OUR WARRANTY FOR THIS, BUT SINCE THE DEALERSHIP MECHANICS SAID THAT WAS NOT THE PROBLEM, WE KEPT DRIVING IT SINCE IT WAS OUR ONLY MEANS OF GETTING TO WORK. WE NEED HELP... THANK YOU FOR ANYTHING YOU CAN DO FOR US. *AK

NHTSA ID

738848

Incident

Sep 1, 2000

VEHICLE WOULD NOT START.THERE WAS A FIRE IN LOWER GAS TANK FLOAT, WIRES WERE BURNED. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *AK

NHTSA ID

876363

Incident

Dec 11, 2000

FOR SEVERAL MONTHS, THE TRUCK HAS BEEN CUTTING OFF UNEXPECTEDLY WHILE DRIVING. THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AS IT LOSES POWER STEERING AND IS VERY HARD TO CONTROL. IT HAS CUT OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF BUSY INTERSECTIONS AS WELL. GM IS AWARE THERE IS A PROBLEM - THEY RECENTLY SENT OUT A NOTICE CLAIMING THEY WERE EXTENDING THE WARRANTY ON THE FUEL INJECTION PUMP. HOWEVER, WHEN I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP THEY REFUSED TO FIX THE PROBLEM. NOT ONLY THAT THEY REFUSED TO SELL ME PARTS SO THAT MY MECHANIC COULD FIX IT. I AM NOW STUCK WITH A $35,000 TRUCK THAT IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE AND I CANNOT GET REPAIRED.

NHTSA ID

733892

INSTANTANEOUS POWER LOSS WHILE PASSING SEMI-TRUCK TRAILER. PROBLEM CONFIRMED BY CHEVROLET DEALER AS DUE TO STUCK FUEL INJECTOR. PLACED DRIVER, PASSENGER AND OTHER VEHICLE OCCUPANTS AT RISK OF COLLISION. PROBLEM HAD BEEN PREVIOUSLY SERVICED BY ANOTHER CHEVROLET DEALER ONLY ONE MONTH BEFORE. DEALERS CLAIM THAT CHEVROLET VORTEC ENGINE FUEL INJECTORS HAVE KNOWN STICKING PROBLEM WITH CALIFORNIA FORMULA FUELS. DIAGRAM OF POTENTIAL COLLISION SITUATION AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST. *AK

NHTSA ID

723990

Incident

May 5, 2000

ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS OF FUEL PUMP BURNED UP ALONG WITH WIRING HARNESS. *AK

NHTSA ID

855943

Incident

Feb 1, 2000

OWNER HAS A HARD TIME STARTING VEHICLE. OWNER HAS TO THROW GASOLINE IN THE THROTTLE BODY IN ORDER TO START. DEALER SAYS VEHICLE NEEDS NEW FUEL PUMP. *AK

NHTSA ID

848757

FUEL PUMP BROKE, CAUSING VEHICLE TO HAVE A NO START CONDITION. DEALER CANNOT DETERMINE THE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

NHTSA ID

840432

Incident

Jun 5, 1999

ENGINE IDLE VERY ROUGH; LOSS OF POWER; SPANTANEOUS ONSET, DUE TO FAILURE OF THE FUEL INJECTOR, WHICH NEEDED REPAIR AND CLEANING FROM CONTAMINATION OF GAS. *YC

NHTSA ID

607539

Incident

Nov 1, 1998

TRANSMISSION WOULD HESITATE BEFORE SHIFTING GEARS. HAD ENTIRE TRANSMISSION SYSTEM REPLACED ALONG WITH FUEL PUMP & WIRING. *AK

NHTSA ID

829984

Incident

Feb 16, 1998