What and how much for 05 GMC Sierra 4X4 5.3L

[tbmmbt]

I have a 2005 GMC Sierra 4X4 and was wondering what to use for the front and rear and also the transmission?? The truck only has 30000 miles on it but since I just got the truck who knows what it has gone through. The only thing I hear is when I take off VERY slow and easy or when I have to punch it while moving slow that when the trans gets ready to shift into 3rd gear I hear a kind of clank. Not sure but it sounds like it might come from the rear end. Not loud but you can hear it. Since its under warranty the dealership tells me it is "Normal" but I've had trucks all my life and none of them has made that sound on a consistent basis. Any info would be appreciated.

Thanks
Butch

 

[tbmmbt]

Anyone have ANY info or is my questions not understandable?? I just don't know, thats why I came here. Any help and info is appreciated.

 

[Pablo]

For the transmission I would use: Amsoil ATF It has been known to solve the GM clank.

For the diffs: Amsoil Severe Gear 75W-110

 

[Islandvic]

Take the truck to another dealer.

As for the fluids...

You can start off by droping the trans pan, draining trans, cleaning the pan and magnet, replace the filter (WIX is good) and bolt everything back together.

If the pan does not have a drain plug, install a universal drain plug. I bought one from NAPA and it works great.

Try a few drain/refills after your first service, unless you want to get it flushed by a mechanic.

As for fluid, go for a quality DexIII ATF.

Many here like multi-spec fluid, also known as multi-use fluid, which can be used for many specs of fluid. I'm leary of putting a fluid that meets other specs into a GM DexIII trans, but probably wont hurt though.

If you want to go cheap, buy a few gallons of WalMart SuperTech ATF ($9/gallon) and do some drain refills with it. Then add some LubeGard Red ATF Protectant. One of the FEW additives that actually work.

Or if you have some $$$ to spend, look for some name brand Dex VI ATF. It's GM's newst spec for ATF and backwards compatible for previous fluid specs.

For the front and rear diffs, you may use 75-90w synthetic gear oil. Redline and Royal Purple make excellent gear oils available at many part stores.

If you have the Auto-Trac push button transfer case, use GM fluid ONLY.

You may want to tackle the other filters also. Wix make excellent filters.

http://www.fleetfilter.com/ sell WIX filters for very cheap. Very good source for all filter needs.

 

[Islandvic]

Pablo posted while I was typing my response above.

Amsoil make great fluids ALSO!

 

[Turk]

I have an 03 GMC Sierra 5.3L with 113k on it.

The clunk is normal.

Definitely go with GM Auto Trac II in the transfer case.

Go with Synthetic in the front diff, rear diff and transmission. I went with Amsoil ATF and Severe Gear in the diff's like Pablo said and everything runs great !!

Would you like another tip...? Put Synthetic in the Engine. I run Amsoil or PP in the Engine - the truck gets used like a truck and it is a Rock!

Good luck!

 

[tbmmbt]

I have been gone all day so I just had time to check on the posts. Thanks for all the info about the front and rear and trans services and what kind of fluid to use. Don't know to much about the drain and fill method but seems like a timely process. It probably has its good as well as its bad points but I figure there would be an argument either way of which way to go. Again the info is helpful as well as appreciated.

Thanks Again
Butch

 

[Mike_dup1]

fyi

I know it hard to read but this is the quality of what the dealer gave me. My 2004 did it too.........

 

[Mike_dup1]

Quote:

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Definitely go with GM Auto Trac II in the transfer case.

---

You must use the Autotrac II fluid, no one else makes a suitable substitute although Amsoil is said to be reverse engineering a fluid but its been 2 yrs and then have not introduced anything yet. It is not ATF in there but a special fluid. There is really nothing in the transfer to wear out the fluid so frequent changing is really unnecessary especially if 4x4 use is infrequent.

4x4 owner since 1972...

 

[tbmmbt]

Hi Mike,

Sorry it took so long to return your reply back to you. Been out of town for about a week and just now reading the replies. Interesting reading about the trans. Thanks for that. I will definitely use the proper fluid for the transfer case but the front,rear, and trans is where I am going back and forth on. Haven't decided yet on what to do.

On my trip I drove the 4X4 for over 1800 miles so I could see what kind of mileage I could get if I drove it properly. I was surprised that when I drove the interstate and set the cruise on 68 mph that I got 21.5 MPG out of it and another time it got 21.1. My 2 wheel drive with the same motor never got over 19.5. Go figure. But when I drove it 75-78 it dropped to 17.8. Tells us all to take it easy and the savings might come. Again thanks for all the info about what to use and the trans.

Butch

 

[obbop]

On message boards devoted to late-model Chevy/GMC pick-ups a few folks had the chain within the transfer case replaced to stop a noise that many thought originated towards the rear.

Some had the driveshaft replaced.

Some had the driveshaft splines thoroughly greased.

Some, such as I, had the dealers avoid low-paid warranty work by either claiming the noise was normal (well a certain amount of noise can be normal due to acceptable and required "slop" in the drivetrain) or that the noise could not be replicated. That was my problem and others mention it too, the CONSTANT refrain of "we can't replicate."

That got old. Corporate GMC's reply to my complaints.... "take the truck to the dealer."

Okay... only to keep hearing the same old tune.

I have my suspicions but no proof. Seems that it is possible that, perhaps, some regions have been told to try the "we can't replicate" excuse to save GMC money. Messages from some parts of the USA tell of dealers bending over backwards to assist customers with warranty work. THe various dealers I went to in eastern Nebraska all used the SAME words!!!!! "can't replicate." Hearing the SAME tune each time at different dealers raised my suspicions.

All-in-all, fairly happy with the truck but that lack of warranty coverage rankled me and I feel duty-bound to spread the word.

Be aggressive. Not that it helps but I believe being passive makes it too easy for a dealer to shun you. I was firm but what could I do? Threaten physical harm? Around here, where business is king and the consumer is at the bottom of the barrel I would likely be locked up for a long time AND face a civil suit. Maybe THAT explains why local dealers can act as they do..... little to no recourse legally for the consumer hereabouts. Mush different than other places I have lived.

Hopefully the dealer(s) in your area truly care about honoring a warranty.

As for the way corporate GMC treated me.... no excuse for them. They didn't even offer to extend the warranty on even ONE of the several defects that confronted the "can't replicate" mantra.

That's okay. I decided to never allow another GMC product to enter my domain and will, for years to come, warn others of what I confronted trying to get real defects fixed under warranty.

Good Luck

 

[tbmmbt]

Yea I know what you mean. If I ran my business that way than I wouldn't be in business. Little as it is it is still in my best interest to take care of the consumer.

I did take my truck to a outside the dealership place of business. He drove the truck and he could make it make the sound I was hearing. He took it back to the shop and put it up on the lift and showed me what he thought. He also said that in his opinion it was "normal" without it being "normal". Basically what he was saying was that the sound wasn't something that could be fixed but to drive it and not to worry about it. Now don't that make you feel comfortable??? Anyway it seems there isn't anything that can be done so that's the reason I came here to see if there was any particular fluid that could be replaced to quiet done the "CLANK" that is being heard. Granted it isn't heard everytime it shifts to 3rd or from 3rd to 2nd which makes me think that a fluid change somewhere might help but I don't know. I will let the experts here tell me what to do. Thanks for the reply.

Butch

 

[jdean]

I had to have my drive shaft rebalanced and universal joints replaced. Take it to a shop that works on trucks forget these dealerships for this particular problem.

 

[Mike_dup1]

I have owned a GMC truck dating back to 1975 and a few Chevy's in between. My last 3 trucks were GMC, 99, 01, 04 and now I have a 2008 GMC. Where I live, we use 4wd to get around in the winter (200 inches snow avg). I have yet to have a problem with the drive train on my 4x4's. Do they make noise? You bet but that is typical of a 4x4 truck. You have inter action between 2 axles, the trans and the transfer case, to expect them to function without some play or noise is unrealistic IMO. We had them all at work (chevy, Dudge, Furd) and they all exhibited some kind of drive train noise. None of them ever had a 4x4 issue and we worked these trucks from driving them in 4x4 loc on hard pavement to burying them in mud over loaded with survey gear (GPS surveyors). The only trucks the really gave us problems were 90's era Dudge and Furds with trans failures. These trucks had many different drivers, every summer we hired college interns to help us and they often hammered the trucks because they never had their hands on a truck before.

While this may not be true of people opining in this thread, I find the ones that complain the most about 4x4 noise never had a 4x4 before.