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2013 Chevrolet Suburban
Platform: GMT 400, 800, 900

Bad running 97 suburban c2500 454

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Old Feb 3, 2021 | 5:22 PM
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Default Bad running 97 suburban c2500 454

Suburban 454 c2500 runs ok on flat highway but dogs out going up hill!
Just bought this vehicle and didn't notice this untill yesterday when I took it out to the hill country.
The engine sounded like it was missing real bad and couldn't accelerate up the hill and lost. Speed?lp
Seem to run fine untill it had a load to deal with.
Help..i don't know where to start.
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Old Feb 3, 2021 | 7:36 PM
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Originally Posted by 454man
Suburban 454 c2500 runs ok on flat highway but dogs out going up hill!
Just bought this vehicle and didn't notice this untill yesterday when I took it out to the hill country.
The engine sounded like it was missing real bad and couldn't accelerate up the hill and lost. Speed?lp
Seem to run fine untill it had a load to deal with.
Help..i don't know where to start.
Check engine light? Is the fuel tank at least 1/2 fuel with good fuel?
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Old Feb 3, 2021 | 9:05 PM
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Default No engine light

I filled the tank and there is no engine light on.
It seems it has gotten worse since I bought it.
?.dont want to keep replacing things that might be wrong?
I wish I knew a workshop that knew of this vehicle and worked on Chevrolets for a while.
The dealer is way expensive and they replace lots of parts that don't need replacing.
I thought maybe spark plugs would be a good place to start?

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Old Feb 3, 2021 | 9:19 PM
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Originally Posted by 454man
I filled the tank and there is no engine light on.
It seems it has gotten worse since I bought it.
?.dont want to keep replacing things that might be wrong?
I wish I knew a workshop that knew of this vehicle and worked on Chevrolets for a while.
The dealer is way expensive and they replace lots of parts that don't need replacing.
I thought maybe spark plugs would be a good place to start?
Yeah, I'd pull a couple out and see what condition they are in. You might want to do a compression test to rule out valve/ring issues. It could also be a bad catalytic converter plugging up your exhaust system. I'd run a scan-tool on it and see if you have any OBD II codes.
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Old Feb 4, 2021 | 10:28 AM
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Default Cat

Yes..ill pull a plug and there is a exhaust pipe rattle that I thought might be the catalytic converter.
It just might be that.
I wasn't planning on sinking that much money into this truck!
I suppose there is or are rebuilt converters?
Thanks for bringing it to light.
454man
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Old Feb 8, 2021 | 12:41 AM
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Originally Posted by 454man
Yes..ill pull a plug and there is a exhaust pipe rattle that I thought might be the catalytic converter.
It just might be that.
I wasn't planning on sinking that much money into this truck!
I suppose there is or are rebuilt converters?
Thanks for bringing it to light.
454man
I don't believe that they can be rebuilt, (they can supposedly be cleaned) but depending on the state you live in you could buy and install used one. Yeah, they can loosen up and rattle like you said.
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Old Feb 8, 2021 | 8:51 PM
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Default Runs great NOW

Originally Posted by oilcanhenry
I don't believe that they can be rebuilt, (they can supposedly be cleaned) but depending on the state you live in you could buy and install used one. Yeah, they can loosen up and rattle like you said.
It was a plugged up fuel filtet
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Old Feb 9, 2021 | 2:48 PM
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Just out of curiosity,how many miles on it?Thanks.
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Old Feb 9, 2021 | 7:13 PM
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I believe fuel filters are a 30k mile service item. That nobody ever changes and plugged filters help kill fuel pumps.
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Old Feb 11, 2021 | 1:18 AM
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Originally Posted by repairman54
I believe fuel filters are a 30k mile service item. That nobody ever changes and plugged filters help kill fuel pumps.
My thoughts too, but now they are putting the fuel filter in the tank with the fuel pump.
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