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Chevy S10/GMC S15-Sonoma: Problems & Solutions - READ ONLY

2018 messages,  Last post on Oct 17, 2006 at 9:12 PM

You are in the Chevrolet S-10 & GMC S15 Sonoma Forum.

What is this discussion about? Chevrolet S-10, GMC Sonoma, GMC S-15, Truck

Messages Page 23 of 203

#212 of 2018 Paint issues on 2002 Chevy S-10 Crew Cab by simpson7

Apr 20, 2002 (10:20 pm)

I purchased my S-10 Crew Cab on OCT. 6th of 2001 and up until this point have been very happy with it. I am getting 22-23 mpg on the highway at 65 mph. At 55mph I am getting 25-27 mpg. The finishes on the vehicle are somewhat cheap and the fit on parts is mediocre. But overall has been a reliable vehicle. On April 17th of 2002, I was hand washing the truck and noticed chips in the paint on both of the rear quarter panels, just after the wheel well. It looks like somebody shot it with a shotgun! They appear to be stone chips, but I don't drive on gravel roads with any frequency. After further inspection, I noticed the same type of chips in the hood. I have taken excellent care of this truck up to this point, getting it washed at least once a week (car wash). This was the first hand wash that I've been able to give it and I find this. This truck doesn't even have 9,000 miles on it yet. I expected more from GM than this. I might even be able to accept this, if I were mistreating the vehicle, or if I drove on gravel roads all the time, but I have done nothing but baby this truck. I am just wondering if anyone else has had any similar issues.

#213 of 2018 by ryanbab

Apr 21, 2002 (6:37 am)

what color truck?

#214 of 2018 Maybe by joe3891

Apr 22, 2002 (11:49 am)

it happened in the car wash,dirty felts.

#215 of 2018 Paint issues by leadfoot4

Apr 23, 2002 (3:39 am)

I have a 1997 S-10 4x4 with 32,000 miles on the clock. This is my winter vehicle, and as such, probably sees a lot more road debris damage that the average truck.
 I, too, have a lot of paint damage. However, I think that it's because today's paints are not as durable as the older finishes were. The EPA has required the manufacturers to remove the VOCs (volatile organic chemicals) from the paints. This is good for the environment, but appears to be really bad for paint durability. Just my $0.02 worth, based on my experience.
 Just as a side note, I have a 1996 Camaro with 42,000 summer miles on it, and quite honestly, it could use a total repaint...all stone chips.

#216 of 2018 Fuel gauge problem? by henne

May 04, 2002 (3:44 pm)

I have been following S-10 boards for a while and even though I dont have an S-10 I do like the powertrain and follow it from time to time just in case I ever want to change to a smaller truck. I noticed no one is complaining about the fuel gauge problem. Did any of you ever find a fix for it?
 
Thanks,
 
Robert

#217 of 2018 98 S-10 by mhgjr

May 07, 2002 (10:46 pm)

I had a 98 S-10 with 105,600 miles. It was the LS, ex-cab, 4.3 auto, 2wd. I bought the truck in april of 2000 with 95,255 miles. In the 2 years i've owned the truck, 2 minor problems showed up. The first, the 3rd door started to rattle and sqeak, and the 2nd problem was the fan clutch went bad, which i fixed both problems. It has been a great truck, and the only reason I got rid of it was because I could't afford the payments on it anymore. It was still running strong and didn't smoke or leak anything. As far as the gas gauge goes, I think mine worked fine, although the gas milage seemed to decrease, but I think that was because of GM's 100,000 spark plugs. I never replaced them. I just wanted to add this to the post, because I think Chevy still has good trucks.

#218 of 2018 Need advise on 94 S10 by sab7

May 17, 2002 (3:34 am)

I'm looking at buying a 94 s10 ext cab 4x4 with v6 and 133K miles as a third vehicle/work truck. Anything in particular I should watch out for?
 
Thanks.

#219 of 2018 96 S10 AC condenser won't drain by farroyo

May 19, 2002 (3:40 pm)

AC condenser won't drain. I keep hearing water noise splashing inside the truck. I can't find the drain hose. Have any of you fix this problem?

#220 of 2018 Weird Squealing/Whining upon acceleration by tdcummins

Jun 17, 2002 (6:58 pm)

Hey folks,
 
I am a young and impressionable new 2001 S-10 2.2L automatic owner. I have owned 2 other Chevy products (albeit used), that I thought were wonderful and easy to fix. I am still in the honeymoon with the S-10, so I am hopeful. I have 6500 miles and no prob until I start to here this funny whining noise when I accelerate from 1-2 or 2-3. For the first time I also heard it when I put the truck in cruise control and the engine had to work hard to maintain 65 mph the whining begins and goes away after the engine has plateaued rpms. I took the truck to the dealership and the tech tells me it is a vibration problem from the engine (not the transmission?!?!??). He says GM has no bulletin
and I must be the first with this problem (2 year old truck, I'm the first). The truck is under warranty for 2.5 more years. He says they will "check" with the engineers in Detroit, go figure.
 I don't push the truck hard so I assume this must be a factory defect. It has had regular oil changes (3K) and tires rotated etc.. Anyone have any advice?
 
Thanks for any help

#221 of 2018 Problems, problems... by PAman

Jun 18, 2002 (7:06 am)

tdcummins: You didn't say if your truck was an extended cab, or where the noise was coming from. If it is an extended cab, have the dealership check the drive shaft. The extended trucks use a split (two section) drive shaft because of the truck's extra length. I've heard of some drive shafts coming out of the factory out of balance. If the whine sounds like it is under your feet, consider a transmission problem. If it sounds like it is coming from the engine, I would look at the water pump, power steering pump, serpentine belt tensioner or alternator. ANY whine in a machine is not good--it suggests there is metal-to-metal contact somewhere. That is always bad because it will lead to premature failure of one or several parts.
 
ricsch: Sorry to hear GM is not giving you any help on your '97 Blazer's bad engine. GM seems to be trying to pinch pennys, but they end up making enemies. Any good marketer will tell you that a satisfied customer will talk to a few people, but a ticked off customer talks to EVERYBODY! This forum proves that. The few thousand dollars GM saved on a new engine cost them at least one future customer (you) and potentially many more. You may want to talk to a lawyer, letting him know what was said. The communications between GM and your dealer may have implied that GM was going to cover some or all of the costs. If so, a trip to the courthouse will cost them a lot more than the price of a new engine.
 
meysterman: My 2000 S-10 extended cab has the same problem with the seat. I will be taking it back to the dealer I use to get them to fix it, among other things. I'll let you know what he does to fix it. Keep after your dealer to fix it. The seat not locking in place is a violation of Federal vehicle safety standards and a huge safety risk. If someone were in the seat during an accident, the seat coming unlocked could prove to be fatal. If Chevy doesn't get mine right, I will be talking to the NHTSA about the defect.
 
By the way, the dealer I use for service is NOT the one I bought the truck from. The selling dealer's service department thinks customer service means you argue with the customer to convince him his truck ISN'T broken, rather than fixing the problem. Since they were the problem, and there are a gazillion Chevy dealers here in San Antonio, I fixed the problem by finding a dealership that listens to customers.
 
Good luck to all! The S-10 is a great truck, but like any vehicle, they do have a few quirks.
 
Joe

Messages Page 23 of 203

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