Repair 7

Vehicle manufacturers often recommend that their vehicles be taken back to the dealership for service and parts, in order to make certain all work is done properly and in accordance to any warranty specifications. Taking your Duramax diesel truck back to GM for service also improves its trade-in and re-sale value because you will have a documented service record proving the quality of care your vehicle has had during its time with you. There are several things you can do to maximize the service you get when you take your diesel truck to GM for service.

Qualifications

Before you take your Duramax diesel to the dealership for servicing, you need to talk to the dealerships service department and make certain that they have a certified Duramax diesel mechanic on staff to work on your trucks engine. Many dealerships and mechanic shops will hire uncertified technicians to do a lot of the minor repair jobs, but if you want the best quality work, you need to make sure everyone who will be touching your vehicle has been officially certified by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE). Uncertified mechanics may not have had the proper training or developed the skills they need to perform proper repairs on your vehicle. Improperly done repairs can lead to a number of different headaches down the road.

If your nearest GM dealership does not have an ASE or certified diesel mechanic on staff and available to work on your truck, find a different dealership to take your vehicle to. Make sure to document your request for a certified mechanic in the paperwork when you drop your truck off.

Documentation

Document every communication between yourself and the dealership in writing. When you bring your vehicle in for service, provide the mechanics with a list of problems that you are experiencing to make sure that they are aware of all problems and none will be forgotten during the repair process. Make sure you get a list of every part that was adjusted or changed on your vehicle, as well as information about replacement warranties. Most replacement auto parts come with some form of warranty. If you believe the repair on your vehicle should fall under warranty, read your warranty and bring a copy of it with you when you take your vehicle in for servicing.

Educate Yourself

The best protection for any diesel truck owner who is bringing a vehicle in for repairs is a solid understanding of how the engine, in this case the Duramax, works and what needs to be repaired. Read your owner manual and any recall information to keep tabs on potential problems.

A strong understanding of the problem and solution will make you an educated consumer. Being well educated about your truck means you will be able to understand what your mechanic is telling you is wrong with the vehicle as well as the benefits and potential ramifications of repairs. Do not be afraid to ask your mechanic plenty of questions until you can thoroughly grasp the problem.

Being well educated about your truck will also help you avoid unnecessary work that the dealership may promote in order to increase their profit margin.

The Duramax is a series of eight-cylinder diesel engines manufactured by General Motors and Isuzu since 2001. General Motors uses these engines in larger, heavy-duty trucks. For example, the 6.6-liter Duramax is an engine option in the 2002 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD pickup truck. The water pump circulates coolant around the engine to prevent it from overheating. The water pump on a 2002 Duramax diesel engine is on the front of the engine and is accessible from the left-front wheelhouse of the vehicle.

Instructions

1

Disconnect the inner panel for the left-front wheelhouse with a socket wrench. Place a drain pan under the radiator drain, and remove the radiator drain plug. Drain the coolant into the drain pan, and replace the drain plug.

2

Disconnect the housing for the thermostat and the clutch for the cooling fan with a socket wrench. Remove the balancer from the crankshaft. Disconnect the mounting nuts for the outlet hose, and detach the hose from the water pump. Disconnect the retainer for the engine wiring harness from the outlet hose of the water pump.

3

Remove the mounting bolt from the water pump with a socket wrench. Record the locations of each bolt, since they have different lengths. Detach the water pump and its gasket from the engine.

4

Lubricate the gasket for the water pump with engine oil, and replace the gasket. Install the new water pump and tighten its mounting bolts to 15 foot-pounds with a torque wrench.

5

Connect the retainer for the engine wiring harness to the outlet hose for the water pump. Attach the outlet hose to the water pump and tighten its mounting nuts to 15 foot-pounds with a torque wrench. Replace the thermostat housing and crankshaft balancer with a socket wrench. Install the clutch for the cooling fan.

6

Fill the radiator with coolant. Replace the inner panel for the wheelhouse in the left-front fender.

General Motors uses a Duramax diesel engine in some of their full-size trucks. Normally, a Duramax idles between 500 and 1000 RPMs when the engine is cold, but with a warm engine the RPMs typically reach around 2000. If you need to fix your idle speed, its important to disconnect the battery first to keep you from getting shocked while you work. Unlike most vehicles, the Duramax engine has two batteries instead of one. However, since they are hard-wired together -- running parallel -- you only disconnect the one closest to the engine. Overall its a simple process and only takes a few minutes.

Instructions

1

Pull the hood release lever under the drivers side of the dashboard. Open and secure the hood of the truck. Then, locate the batteries. Youll notice two batteries sitting to the right of the engine, but only the battery closest to the engine connects to it. This is the one that needs to be disconnected.

2

Use a flathead screwdriver to pry off the black cover on the negative battery terminal. Using a wrench, loosen the nut attached to the clamp. Then, pull the negative battery cable from the post. Set it to the side where it wont touch anything metal.

3

Using a flathead screwdriver, take the red cover off the positive battery terminal. Use a wrench to loosen the nut that holds the clamp in place. Then, pull the positive battery cable from the post. Put it to the side and make sure it wont come in contact with anything metal.

The GM Duramax 6600 is an eight-cylinder diesel engine based upon the design efforts from General Motors and Isuzu Motors. Key design implementations include four valves per cylinder, direct injection and lightweight aluminum heads. The Duramax 6600 became an engine option for the "HD" line of Chevrolet and GMC branded trucks beginning in the 2001 model year. Each cylinder for the Duramax 6600 has a designated number for identification purposes. Finding a specific cylinder will help you in regard to performing certain repairs or diagnostic tasks.

Instructions

1

Place the vehicles transmission in the "Park" position (for automatic transmissions), and engage the parking brake. Shut off the vehicles engine before performing repairs or checking underneath the hood.

2

Open the vehicles hood, and allow the engine to cool thoroughly.

3

Examine the top end of the engine, and locate the fuel injector lines, positioned above each cylinder. The passenger- and driver-side cylinder heads each contain four fuel injectors. Counting from the front of the engine to the back, cylinders 1, 3, 5 and 7 reside on the passenger-side cylinder head, while the driver side contains cylinders 2, 4, 6 and 8.