Taking the plunge into the used truck market can be intimidating. After all, who wants to pay for unexpected repairs down the road? Now, one YouTuber is exploring some of the more common mechanical issues associated with the Chevy Silverado in the following 20-minute video.
The video comes to us from the Car Wizard YouTube channel, and includes a ton of technical details and specifics on what to watch out for when inspecting a used Chevy Silverado pickup truck.
For this specific video, the Car Wizard gets under the hood of a 2008 Chevy Silverado 1500 equipped with the LS-based 5.3L V8 engine. The pickup has around 140,000 miles on it, but the owner is looking to top 200,000 miles, if possible. As such, he handed it over to Car Wizard to see what needed fixing to keep it as reliable as possible.
“So I have worked on so many of these in the years past, I haven’t even looked at this yet, and I’m going to do wizard telepathy, and I can you everything that’s already wrong with this LS-based motor,” the video host states.
After conducting some mechanic ESP, the Car Wizard predicts broken exhaust bolts on the manifold, a leak from the oil cooler block-off plate above the oil filter, a leaky oil pan gasket, faulty sway bar links, and tired shocks. He also wants to check the oil pressure sending unit and the air conditioner compressor belt.
Next, the Car Wizard does a walk around on the truck, providing a few useful specs and pointing out a few details specific to this example, which appears to be in pretty decent condition, considering its age. The interior is also in pretty condition, with just a few wear items here and there.
How accurate were the Car Wizard’s predictions? To find out, hit play and watch the video for all the details:
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Comments
What else would you expect with 140k miles?. Main issue is rotting wheel wells on bed fenders. Probably still cost $12-15000.
I got a 2000 Silverado, 212,000 miles, just redid the trans and has no rust on wheel wells or under the truck
Owned a Year 2000 Silverado LS 1500 .
I’m in the Island of Jamaica west indies. I love Chevrolet Silverado LS but parts in the Island are difficult to get that’s genuine parts I’m talking . The milage is going over 300k ….. really want to do away with same but even 2017 ,18 are so expensive to import. Smh
By design there is a 6mm gap (1/4”) between the wheel house outer and the box side outer panel. If you drive in mud or dirt roads and salted streets this area will plug up with debris and stay wet resulting in rust out. All panels are two sided galvanized but if you don’t hose it out several times a year it will rust out.
Also consider inserting a small diameter tube ( I use an air nozzle blow gun attached to my garden hose with some Home Depot plumbing parts) hooked to a garden hose hose into the rocker drain holes at least once a year for the same reason. It is a dirty wet job but I have a 20 year old truck with no rust – yet.
I know all about that 6mm gap. One day I was like why do I have a bump in the middle of my rear wheel arch. So I removed the tail light and found a rock lodged in that gap pushing the outer panel out. I live in the Pacific NW so no rust problems. When I first bought my 07 Silverado used I had to replace the EVAP filter thing under the bed. Parts man at the dealer told me that is a very common problem from driving on gravel roads. So I decided to pull my tail lights and everything was just coated with dirt. Have you tried Fluid Film?
Unfortunately not enough people know about it. I have a used silverado, and its wheel wells were never cleaned. They were bubling paint and in got in and cleaned out as much rust as i can. I’m sure that most dealerships dont tell owners about this feature either.
“I’m sure that most dealerships dont tell owners about this feature either.”
Considering most dealers, regardless of make, have salesmen with virtually no product knowledge, this is no surprise.
these trucks were built when GM was in financial trouble so they were cutting corners to save money
A problem with the 3 Chevrolet trucks that I had was the front to rear brake line has always had to be replaced. also I don’t know who supplies their light bulbs because it is amazing to see how many GM trucks have either headlamps or front parking lamps out.
I had a 2003 silverado that I drove for 15 years and put 287,000 mile on it before trading it in. It was a solid truck and was happy with it. Besides normal wear and tear items, these are things that went out.
1. Alternator.
2. Blend door actuator.
3. Fuel Pump
4. Transmission. First one went out around 150,000. Second one was slipping when I finally traded it in.
Rear wheel wells and cab corners also rusted from the inside out. Mechanics were shocked when they found out the truck had the original brake lines.
The first day every metal car rust is the first day it is built.
If you drive it daily rust will happen and expand at about 12 years old.
In the past many cars would have rust through by 5 years old so things have improved
Many areas today are inside out and not much you can do other than no drive them to prevent rust and even then depending where it is parked it could still rust.
Drive it get the good out of it and move on.
I had a 2001 with the 4.8 litre fleet engine. 128K when I sold it.
Front brakes
Power steering hose
2 sets of tires.
What did I do wrong to not have all of the (alleged) Wizard’s problems?
I had the exact same engine in my Silverado. I didn’t have an issues with the truck at 128k miles. All my issues started popping up at 150k
I should have stated the engine was bullet proof.
I sold mine to my employer. The poor thing didn’t stand a chance. 3.08 axle, standard half ton. Yet, they lashed up extremely heavy trailers to it, and drove the ever-lovin’ snot out of it. I’m talking 75mph with the trailer, and hard accellerations; I saw the crew doing this and blew the whistle to the fleet manager.
The transmission grenaded at 175K, and the owner of the company came sniveling to me about it. I rebutted the complaints by telling them to talk with the fleet manager about how the truck had been driven. That ended the sniveling.
That 4800 engine consistently took a quart of oil every 3500 miles from the day I bought it to the day I sold it. Not one bit of difference. My brother was running Chevy 3/4 ton pickups with the 6 or 6.2. Same thing, until about 2005 when something changed and they didn’t take any oil at all, even after 350,000 miles of actual WORK towing trailers (sensibly) abot 85% of the time.
I never had to ever add oil to mine. But I religiously changed the oil every 3000 miles. I wish I wouldn’t have traded that truck in. I didn’t get squat for trade in. I just couldn’t get it to pass the emissions test our state requires for registration.
Register it in Montana.
Problem solved.
Here’s my entire detailed list of repairs and issues with rust, oil consumption, leaks, and everything beyond normal service on my 2011 GMC Sierra 5.3 4×4:
I found out I had a few broken exhaust bolts on my 07 Silverado after watching The South Main Auto YouTube Channel a few weeks ago. He replaced both exhaust manifolds on a 6 liter. So I’m going with FlowTech shorty headers. But they are made in China so kind of upset about that due to the high cost of them.
still its a bargain and besides i would rather have these common problems than a vehicle with never ending unresolved uncommon issues ! 89 ck1500 4.3 l 423,000 – 94 chevy s10 2.2 l 618,000 mikes !
Wait, no comment about the disappearing white paint? Between it and the rust, sure makes for a good ad. Gee look ma! A gray and white truck/van. With nice rust color accents. Been a GM guy since I was a kid, have always owned one. No swaying me to another brand. I worked for GM/ union/assembly line as family did also, union. With 30 yrs. I’ve earned room to comment. GM for life. Regardless.
Had oil consumption problems on my 5.3 2010 Sierra.. also broken manifold bolts.
and the rear wheel arches rusted out.
I think these are common problems with that age of GM truck.
2011 Silverado 289.000 k no major prb .Just normal things brake ált ,water pump ánd shocks .Transmission by replace 165k.
Sierras same problem,body shop suggested I removed my back tail lights and plugs in rockers, take a hose to them let them dry for a couple days ( weekend) oil the heck out of any surface you can see using a flashlight EPA be damned
05 Silverado. 234k and still going. Never add oil with change at 5k. Just recently , cel,knock sensor fault. Requires removal of intake manifold. Replaced exhaust manifold because of cracked bolts, caused cracked flanges. Have changed brake lines, steel portions of fuel lines. When guys say,”in areas where they use road salt, blah, blah, blah”, I know they don’t live in an area where they use it extensively. Cause if they did, they would know just how corrosive the salt mixtures, and solutions they use are. Rust never sleeps. It goes right along with the mechanic videos where they throw the 8 or 9 year old truck up on the hoist working on it. Never mention a stuck fastener. Try dropping a gas tank, good luck.
Location, Location! If you live in an area where they salt and brine and you don’t clean the bottom of your truck, I think it’s obvious what’s going to happen, GM could do a little better job with the quality of the metals.
By the way I copied this paragraph because I guess no one checks grammar.
, and I’m going to do wizard telepathy, and I can you everything that’s already wrong with this LS-based motor,” the video host states.
Did anybody else notice it, I didn’t miss a word I copied it exactly someone’s not doing their job.
I drive a 2008 chevy silverado 1500 lt 4/4 it does no have te 48 or 53 it has a60 and is a vorteck max with a6.0 with a heavy duty trans and 9.76 ring gear rear end and none of those problems so far
Is that it? It has 140,000 miles on it. Pretty good haul if you ask me. All of these things can be repaired by the home mechanic. I have a 2001 Silverado dually with a 6.6 Duramax that has 503,000 miles on it. It’s squishy and kinda leaks but I know what’s wrong with it and it still get 18 mpg. My 2018 3500 dually only gets 13mpg with a tail wing going down hill. That’s age. Deal with it or buy a new truck
2011 Sierra, 80000 km’s, electronics that you cannot address yourself is my issue. Every das light is on for about 40000 km’s and yet it runs good and drives good.
That’s a piece of junk to me