2005 GMC SIERRA 2500 Complaints

GM STATES THAT DEXRON-VI IS FULLY BACKWARDS COMPATIBLE WITH ALL DEXRON-III APPLICATIONS. MY VEHICLE IS A 2005 GMC SIERRA K2500HD, WITH AN 8.1L GASOLINE ENGINE AND ALLISON 1000 TRANSMISSION. AFTER PERFORMING A ROUTINE SERVICE ON MY TRANSMISSION (FLUID DRAIN AND REFILL), REPLACING THE DEXRON-III WITH DEXRON-VI, I NOTICED THE SEALS AND GASKETS LEAKING FROM AROUND THE TRANSMISSION. UPON FURTHER RESEARCH, I FOUND THAT THE SYNTHETIC DEXRON-VI IS NOT COMPATIBLE WITH CERTAIN SEALS INSTALLED IN ALLISON BRAND TRANSMISSIONS. ALLISON TRANSMISSION DOES NOT APPROVE THE USE OF DEXRON-VI IN ITS TRANSMISSIONS DUE TO THE SEAL INCOMPATIBILITY (ALLISON SERVICE TIP #1099P). ANOTHER ALLISON DOCUMENT (SA5429EN) LISTS TWO SERIAL NUMBER CUTOFFS, PRIOR TO WHICH CONTAIN SEALS INCOMPATIBLE WITH DEXRON-VI. THE SITUATION HAS YET TO BE RESOLVED - GM DENIES ANY POSSIBLE INCOMPATIBILITY, AND WILL NOT WARRANT ANY DAMAGES, WHILE ALLISON REPRESENTATIVES HAVE TOLD ME THAT THE PROBLEM IS A DIRECT RESULT OF DEXRON-VI. THE ESTIMATED COST TO REPLACE ALL OF THE SEALS IN THE TRANSMISSION IS $1,900.00. *TR

FACTORY SYLVANIA RUNNING LIGHT BULBS TO HOT AND SCORCHING/MELTING THE PLASTIC SOCKETS IN GM PICKUP TRUCKS. 2005 TO 2009 THAT'S WHY YOU SEE SO MANY GM TRUCKS INCLUDING CADILLAC ESCALADE WITH ONE OR BOTH OF THE DAY TIME RUNNING LIGHTS NOT WORKING THE SOCKET HAS MELTED FROM THE HEAT OF THE LIGHT BULB. *TR

PRIOR TO THE BEGINNING OF THIS PROBLEM, THE VEHICLE WAS OPERATING NORMALLY. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS REFUELED TO FULL, A STRONG SMELL OF GASOLINE WOULD SURROUND THE VEHICLE AND FUEL WOULD BEGIN TO DRIP FROM UNDER THE VEHICLE IN THE AREA OF THE FUEL TANK. WHEN TANK WAS FILLED ONLY PARTIALLY (BELOW 75%) ONLY THE STRONG SMELL OF GASOLINE WOULD OCCUR AFTER REFUELING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A GM DEALERSHIP AND AN INSPECTION WAS PERFORMED AND A CRACK WAS FOUND IN THE FUEL TANK WHERE THE FILLER NECK ATTACHES TO THE BODY OF THE FUEL TANK. THE FUEL TANK WAS REPLACED AND THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN CORRECTED. *TR

AT 78,000 MILES SPEEDOMETER PEGGED OUT AT 120 MPH. PULLED CLUSTER PANEL AND PUSHED NEEDLE BACK DOWN TO 0. WORKED FINE FOR ABOUT 3,000 MILES. NOW IT IS A EVERYDAY REPAIR. THIS IS A BIG SAFETY CONCERN. I LOVE HOW GM KNOWS WHEN THESE WILL FAIL AT 70,000. GM OR DELPHI SHOULD STEP UP TO THE PLATE AND FIX THIS. *TR

EXHAUST MANIFOLD BOLTS BROKEN OFF (4). 6.0 L ENGINE AND EXHAUST IS ESCAPING AND ENTERING CABIN. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 GMC SIERRA 2500HD 6.0. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE NOTICED THAT THE SPEEDOMETER, FUEL GAUGE AND HEAT ODOMETER GAVE INACCURATE READINGS. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED AT A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 100,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

NOTICED A NOISE IN THE FRONT SUSPENSION/DRIVE TRAIN. AN ALIGNMENT SHOP CHECKED THE FRONT END AND THEY FOUND THAT THE FRONT SEALED WHEEL BEARINGS WERE ABOUT TO HAVE A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE. VEHICLE HAS 65,000 MILES AND HAS NEVER BEEN SUBJECTED TO HARSH ENVIRONMENTS. WAS TOLD THAT THE VEHICLE COULD NOT BE DRIVEN SAFELY. SEALED BEARINGS HAVE NO MAINTENANCE OPTIONS AND CAN CREATE AN ACCIDENT. LEARNED OF OTHER GMC FRONT WHEEL BEARING ISSUES WHILE MEETING WITH THE SHOP TO ARRANGE FOR REPAIRS. *TR

DETAILS: 2005 GMC SIERRA PICK UP TRUCK. THE SPEEDOMETER NEEDLE WILL NOT GO BACK TO 0 WHEN I AM STOPPED, WHICH CAUSES THE SPEEDOMETER TO READ WRONG MPH WHEN DRIVING. THE PROBLEM IS OCCURRING MORE AND MORE SINCE IT FIRST BEGAN. IT STARTED FOR NO APPARENT REASON APPROXIMATELY 6 - 7 MONTHS AGO. DEALER WAS VERY AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM, BUT I AM PAST ANY WARRANTIES OUT THERE. APPROXIMATE COST TO ME TO FIX FROM THE DEALER IS $500. I CANT AFFORD THIS. HOWEVER, BASED UPON NUMBER OF POSTINGS ON THE INTERNET, IT LOOKS TO ME LIKE A RECALL IS IN ORDER. *TR

EXHAUST LEAKING UNDER HOOD DUE TO BROKEN EXHAUST MANIFOLD BOLTS. CARBON MONOXIDE HAZARD. THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM FOR OWNERS OF SEVERAL YEARS OF GM ENGINES. *TR

2005 GMC 2500HD PICKUP TRUCK, HVAC BLOWER SPEED CONTROLLER/RELAY CONNECTOR GOT HOT, BURNED OUT CONNECTOR AND WIRE, LOTS OF SMOKE. IT HAPPENED WHEN TURN FAN TO HIGH. THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO CONTACT RESISTANCE AT THE CONNECTOR. THE WIRE HARNESS END IS TINTED COPPER, THE RELAY/CONTROLLER CONNECTOR IS BARE METAL. DUE TO GALVANIZATION OF DIFFERENT METAL IN THE CONNECTION SYSTEM, THE CONNECTOR IS UNDERSIZE FOR THE BLACK WIRE, WHICH IS THE RETURN CURRENT BECAUSE THE BLOWER ASSEMBLY IS PLASTIC. THE RESISTANCE BETWEEN THE CONTACT POINT OF THE CONNECTOR ACT AS HEATER AND GOT HOT, BURN OUT CONNECTION AND CONNECTOR HOUSING. THE SPEED CONTROL UNIT, WHICH COMPOSED OF FEW POWER RESISTOR IS MOUNTED IN THE AIR STREAM THAT IT WILL COLLECT VAPOR WATER DUE TO CONDENSATION WHEN AC IS IN USED. THIS CAUSE CORROSION IN THE SPEED CONTROLLER/RELAY BOARD. THE WORK AROUND IS BYPASS THE CONNECTOR BY SHORTING THE BLACK WIRE FROM THE BLOWER MOTOR TO THE BLACK INPUT WIRE THAT BURNED OUT. CUT THE INPUT BLACK WIRE, WIRE NUT IT TOGETHER WITH A 12 AWG JUMPER WIRE, CUT THE BLACK WIRE AT THE BLOWER MOTOR, WIRE NUT IT TO THE OTHER END OF THE JUMPER WIRE. AFTER THE JUMPER PUT IN, BLOWER FAN WORKS IN ALL SPEED AND NO SMOKE FROM CONNECTOR AND WIRE. *TR