What's your thoughts on the Duramax?
What's your, knowledge, thoughts, experience, on the GM Duramax diesel?
Forum Discussion
53 Replies
ShinerBock wrote:
Soooo. Explain the 6.0
The Dmax didn't change displacement because it was designed starting in 1998 after the many of the future 2003-2007-2010 EPA emissions regulations were either already ratified or proposed. So GM knew what was about to happen when designing the Dmax while International and Cummins did not have the luxury of knowing about these emissions regulation when the 7.3L and 5.9L were being designed in the 80s.
When the 2007 regulations were finalized in 1999-2000, Cummins started development on the 6.7L knowing that 5.9L would be big enough to keep up with emissions regulations and power demands. So the main reason why the Dmax has stayed at 6.6L is majorly due to the fact that they knew what was coming when designing the engine while the others didn't when they designed the engines they were using at the time.- OP.. You are rapidly becoming a master at tossing hand grenades and just sitting and watching the reaction.
Mike - Not sure why you cant use sixth gear for towing, but I just got back today from a trip down to Branson Mo. and it towed just fine in sixth gear.
9.6 mpg down 62-65 mph with a 15-20 mph side/head wind and by the time I got back it was down to 9.3 light winds 70-75 mph on the trip back home.
Not the best mpg Ive got but not the worst either.
Love my Dmax. - BTW, I had ordered my Duramax truck with dual alternators so maybe that helps too. When the 5th wheel is behind the dual alternators have 9 batteries to keep charged including the truck chassis and bed batteries. When the Lance TC is on the truck only 5 batteries to keep charged. 2 truck chassis, 2 in the truck bed connected to the 1 in the Lance battery compartment.
Have a 1500 watt inverter in the Lance and a 2500 watt inverter in the 5th wheel with + and - #2ga welder cable leads from the front storage area battery bank going thru a high amperage marine barrel switch and connected to the 2 bed batteries junction block with stainless wingnuts on 3/8 brass studs in the thick plastic mounted isolator junction block. Recharges the 5th wheel batteries real fast and keeps them charged. - 2-3 years? WOW!
My group 31 lead acid flooded 12V marine deepcycle batteries in the 5th wheel battery bank (5 of them) are presently 7 years old now and still working great! I never discharge them below 50% and keep the water level full. I do use a reconditioning cycle battery charger on them one by one with the positive disconnected each year in the spring. Takes a full 24 hours each to do but maybe that's why they last so long. Always recondition the 2 in the bed of the truck also and all the batteries in our boats and other RV's too each year. I'm a firm believer in doing that and mine seem to last a very long time. Don't do any of the vehicle's batteries though and they last long also. travelnutz wrote:
My original OEM batteries in the truck when the 2004.5 Duramax truck was built and I took delivery the end of March 2004 of the ordered truck. They were both replaced in May 2016. That makes the original installed OEM batteries in the truck I still own and use (has a little over 200K RV'ing only miles on the clock presently) the batteries were 12 years and 1 month + old. They were still working but noticeably weaker, so I had replaced both of them!
Perhaps the batteries GM puts in their vehicles when making them just aren't made to last very long at all!!! Only a full 12 years, how terrible! Ya think?
Gary-7 will have to speak for himself as to his batteries.
You have better Luck than me. Batteries in my 2007 with 280K miles typically last 2-3 years. My Ford diesels lasted about the same 2-3 years- My original OEM batteries in the truck when the 2004.5 Duramax truck was built and I took delivery the end of March 2004 of the ordered truck. They were both replaced in May 2016. That makes the original installed OEM batteries in the truck I still own and use (has a little over 200K RV'ing only miles on the clock presently) the batteries were 12 years and 1 month + old. They were still working but noticeably weaker, so I had replaced both of them!
Perhaps the batteries GM puts in their vehicles when making them just aren't made to last very long at all!!! Only a full 12 years, how terrible! Ya think?
Gary-7 will have to speak for himself as to his batteries. Lantley wrote:
Gary-7 wrote:
Stupid Chevy, this week I had to replace BOTH OEM batteries on my 2006 Duramax. Buyer beware!
Batteries really! How old were they? All batteries are not created equal and they don't last forever.
Original or OEM replacements? 12 years is a heck of a life for original set of batteries.
I replace a set of LesShaub batteries in September of 2012 with OEM MOPAR and still going strong.- I just picked up a very clean '12 GMC Sierra 2500HD SLT Crew cab short box 4x4 Z71 Duramax, and man I love this truck so far (only put about 800 miles on it, previous owner gave me the service records and it's never needed anything). It makes towing a pleasure rather than a chore. It is 20 feet long and 7900 pounds at the scales with a full tank of diesel (with a fiberglass cap). I took my Passport out to dump the tanks today and did an acceleration test. When I got to the dump station I noticed that my queen mattress had slid off the plinth.
Love the Allison transmission too, and the exhaust brake is sweet.
Never had to worry about accelerating too hard with the old 5.3 Vortec. Also, the built in brake controller is very nice, way smoother than the old P3 even with it fully dialed in. The built in controller modulates the brakes by line pressure. - Well, my 2004.5 Chevy 6.6 LLY Crew Cab Long Bed 4X4 has been a simply excellent+ truck and has only been used for towing the 12,800 lb Carriage 5th wheel or carry the 11' 4" Lance Truck Camper most times with the 2150 lb boat behind or the 3,000 lb+ Vee nosed enclosed trailer behind. It was purchased for RVing only and that's all it has been used for since I'd ordered it and it came in new and paid cash. We don't like making payments or paying interest as we like to collect interest! The truck only has a little over 200,000 miles on the truck so far. It has NEVER overheated either, not even when climbing the big mountains out west on very hot summer days pulling the 5th wheel. All is original, no tuners added or engine mods done. I probably could go out and get the exact odometer reading to the tenth but I'm too lazy.
Total of the repairs done other than oil and filter, tires, and fluids is 2 light bulbs, a fuel pressure sensor, the 2 batteries that were only 12 years old but getting weak, front brake pads once. Rears are still the original. That's it! Not a speck of rust anywhere and never once been garaged. The bright red paint still looks like new and no dings or dents and the interior including the seats are still looking new too. Heck, it's only just over 14 years old now and why should we even consider replacing it??? NEVER!
