Tashier

So I have a 2005 3/4 Ton 4WD Chevy Suburban 8.1L with 17k miles. This thing has been a serious roach and just makes me a firm believer that Toyota needs to come out with a 3/4 ton rig.

Driving it home from the dealership in CA. it had pulsing front rotors. 3 trips to the dealer for that and it's finally lasted more than 1000 miles.

I occassionly get a strong antifreeze smell when I get out of the car. Several trips and tests at the dealer find no leakdown or coolant loss on the cooling system, understandable but what is this freaking smell? I'm not the only one smelling it. Still no resolution.

I just picked it up yesterday from the shop again. Knocking in the steering column because of play in the intermediate shaft. Known problem with an updated part and it was fixed.

Dead battery 3-4 times leaving us stranded - dead cell on battery - replaced by dealer.

Mirror left/right switch is cheap POS and keeps breaking/sticking

Squeeky serpentine belt - replaced 3 times, pulley also replaced, and now I've just given up.

On occasion, very seldom but happened to both me and my wife, stopped at a light or just put into drive. You hit the gas, motor goes but suburban doesn't. Tranmission does not appear to engage and is just slipping. Sometimes have to go back into park and then drive or just wait a few seconds. Dealer couldn't replicate problem so no fix yet.

Blown rear shock leaking all over - dealer replaced.

Is this normal for a Chevy Suburan. Anyone have any answers. Thanks in advance.

Sean

ZX1100F1

Sounds like you need to find a better repair facility.

Go and check out the new Toyota Tundra forums and you may change your fancy opinion of Toyota real quick.

Tashier

Sorry, I couldn't ever change my opinion of Toyota. True I've heard the new Tundra has had problems but granted it's a new design coming out of a brand new plant in San Antonio. Noone is perfect. My Tacoma has 120k on it and I'm just now looking at doing my first brake job on it, no problems at all. There is a huge difference in the quality of the components used on Toyotas vs Chevy. I've owned both and I've also worked in a Toyota plant building them.

lbruno

I have owned a 2001 and then a 2004 3/4 Ton 4WD Chevy Suburban 8.1L. Both vehicles had the same problem with the Squeaky belt. The noise was much worse on the 2001. Every time I brought it in to the dealer they would just apply belt dressing which really did not work. But when I bought the 2004 I noticed a sticker under the hood indicating that a recall was performed. Although the 2004 was much better is still squeaked every now and again especially when it was damp. I finally had the belt replaced with a high performance belt which significantly reduced the frequency of the squeak.
As for the strong antifreeze smell I experience the same thing with my 2004. Not only was I able to smell antifreeze outside the car I could smell it inside the car via the front dash vents. I also noticed on cold damp and wet days, after first mourning engine starts a billowing overheating like steam or engine exhaust mist appeared under the driver side of hood. Eventually I decided to look under the hood and I noticed a crusty liquid stain on the driver side of the engine. Does your truck eat a lot of Antifreeze?
After a while I brought it in to my dealer and it turned out the head gaskets needed to be replaced. Luckily the truck was still under warranty the bill was over $2,800 dollars.
Come to think of it I experienced that same feeling that when you “hit the gas, motor goes but suburban doesn't two or three times I thought it was just me. Sorry, nothing every became of that. At least now I know I wasn’t going crazy.

I never had any other problems. The only other thing that I have noticed is that the 8.1L eats a lot of oil especially if you do not get your oil changes regularly. I hope this helps.

I also agree you need to find a better repair facility.

MalibuMaxxSS

WOOHOO......hey ZF we agree on something........ya Toyota has to get the 1/2 version right before they move on to the bigger things.....

Tashier

My suburban doesn't leak any antifreeze, I never have to top it off. Two different dealers pressure tested it overnight and it held pressure so I'm pretty comfortable it doesn't leak. However it DOES smell like antifreeze now and again. Funny thing is though my father in law fired up his motor home the other day, same smell and guess what same 8.1L. I've also noticed the oil guzzling. That really sucks. I've also heard about it from other people. I heard of a family with a new 'burb that put a professionally rebuilt 8.1L in it so it would stop doing that.

As far as the repair facility, it's a large well known chevy dealer in the area here with a nice shop. I believe they are doing all they can but I think you can only do so much when what you got to start with is crap.

edward301

Tashier, I can maybe help you, I had a 2002 3/4 ton 4x4 Sub. However mine was great,
only had 2 problems, and they were antifreze smell, and transmission sometimes did not
engage off the line.

For the transmission, they changed the trans fluid to a different weight of fluid, and no
more problems, ever. Now the antifreze smell ended up being a small leak at the water
pump. The kicker was the leak occured when there was no pressure in the system, dealer
would pressure check, and nothing found. I checked it out one time at home with a flash
light after it had been sitting for a few days, and you could see antifreze slowly leaking,
not enough to notice, but enought to smell. Took back to dealer, I told them to keep
overnight, and leave the radiator cap off. Next day they saw some antifreze, and replaced
water pump. No more problems.

Tashier

Still having problems with this POS. Same problems as the post mentioned above, I suppose I will have to check what he mentioned. Also when backing out of the driveway and turning the wheels all the way to one direction there is a loud popping noise. I am also getting a weird sensation in the brake pedal. If I hit it quickly with my foot the pedal pushes back up like ABS or something. Problems will never end with this thing. No wonder GM needs a bailout.

shawnvw

It probably IS the ABS........

Tashier

WHY would the ABS engage backing out of the driveway on a warm sunny day at 5mph? And I'm talking about tapping it with my foot quickly, not mashing it to the floor.