Thoughts on the Duramax engine

[Linwoodrver]

Anyone have issues with the DEF sensor not resetting itself? Was returning home from a long drive between NJ and Orlando and got a warning to add DEF fluid within the next 750 miles. I carry 2.5 gallons with me and added that to the tank after a quick night in Walmarts parking lot. Finished the ride after 15 more hours of driving and the sensor never recalculated from 24%. I called onstar support because I didn't want to be limited to 50 mph with all tht driving still ahead of me. They contacted a service dept in Raleigh, NC who assured me that it would recalculate over time. Well, hasn't changed yet. Anyone have a similar experience or know how long it may take?


2012 Cougar 31SQB
2014 Chevy Silverado 2500HD 6.6L Duramax + Allison tranny

[jodrey]

The problem is the DEF tank sensor. One of my friend had the same issue.

[Hoojs12840]

Ifs hats want it sounds like. If its not going down, then I wouldn't worry until u can swing through through a dealer. Whenever I add it myself it takes 4-5 starts, when I have the dealer do it comes out reset. Never thought to ask if they do anything special.

[Cnc_hemi]

Mine has 49000 on it and I have never had an issue. I have heard that the bulk def at truck stops are giving some trucks trouble. I only use blue def in the 2.5 gallon jugs. As for as my thoughts on the duramax I love my 2012. It pulls our 310 Fuzion like a dream.


LSU TIGER FAN
2013 FUZION 310
2012 GMC 2500 HD SIERRA DURAMAX 6.6L

[rhagfo]

I am a Ram/Cummins faithful, BUT see nothing wrong with the Duramax, they have been solid through the years. All diesels have small issue, some lots of issues, but the Duramax is a great diesel choice. The 07 LBZ being the holy grail of them all.

[Linwoodrver]

Just to follow up with above reply on DEF sensor, the service department said there is nothing wrong with the sensor or the system and had to manually reset it. Of course, bring it back in if the problem occurs again..


2012 Cougar 31SQB
2014 Chevy Silverado 2500HD 6.6L Duramax + Allison tranny

[bsmith0404]

Some of the earlier ones had injector problems as noted. This is an easy fix by adding an air fuel separator. My dad had an 04 and traded it in for an 06, which he still has. Got better fuel milage with the 04, still gets 18 with the 06 (22 with the 04). When towing the milage of the 04 was 15-16, the 06 is 11-13.

I have an 2011 and love it. The power is amazing and the DEF is not at all as bad as some make it out to be. Before my Duramax I had an 02 GMC 6.0 gas, I'll never go back. The D-max and Allison is an amazing set-up. You won't be disappointed with any year.

[hnhmac]

I have a 2008 2500 HD with duramax and would never get rid of it! I have 125,000 Miles on it and it runs like new,and don't have to fill anything but diesel. I get 16 mph no matter what i pull, I have a 32 ft cougar and 23 baja outlaw and they don't make a difference at all.

[shov]

06-07 LBZ is the way to go. Pre-emission. And as close to bullet prof as the come.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[wizo]

go down the street (Internet) to Diesel place.com and in the search engine type in DEF sensor not resetting itself.Thoes folks over there will help ya out.Happy trails driver.

[3wheeler]

As some have previously stated, the mid 06-07 classic lbz is arguably the pick of the litter. It has the 6-speed ally and virtually the same power specs as the later LMM version but don't have the dpf filter crap on the exhaust system. If you shop around long enough you can still find some low mileage examples however, I found that a lot of dealers were asking a premium price for them. It took me nearly 6 months to find mine. It had 85000 mi on it and had never pulled anything but a motorcycle trailer so I jumped on it. If you read the duramax forums you will find a lot of useful info on the different dmaxes. They all have their quirks, but the lbz seems to be the favorite. I had a 2002 lb7 and my dad still has one and niether gave any problems although they are supposed to have injector issues. I also had a 6.0 powerstroke that never gave me any problems but if you read the forums they say they are problematic. I will say out of the 3 diesels i've had, I like the lbz the best. The lb7 got a little better mileage while daily driving but the lbz gets better towing the 5er. The tow/haul feature is also better than the
lb7 and way better than the ford. Also, if you are electrically apt, for the price of a toggle switch and some wire, you can activate the exhaust brake feature like the newer trucks. Most people don't know it, but the computer is already programmed to operate the exhaust brake. All you need to do is activate it with a switch.

[ocho]

Thanks all. I'm still wrestling over this idea. Here's my thinking. My 6.0 l gas pulls my 300 mp without much issue. I pay about 3.32 for a gallon of regular. I get about 18 mpg un hooked. I get. 8 to 10 with my 5er in tow. Now with diesel being around 3.75 or so it's hard to justify the switch unless i was having a hard time pulling or towed every day. Yes, I'm sure the towing would be much easier but enough to justify the cost? What Yall think?

[bsmith0404]

The fuel cost is the ONLY downside to the diesel. I wrestled with that as well, but living in Wyoming at the time and towing through the rockies made it an easy decision for me. After towing just once with the dmax I have never looked back. I don't mind the cost of fuel anymore. These things are a dream to tow with. I love the exhaust brake, the power, and the torque is incredible. Even pulling nearly 15,000 lbs it rarely downshifts. Small grades that would have had my 6.0 gas dropping gears while pulling 6,000 lbs are nothing for the dmax. If you had one you would never look back.

Yes the initial cost seems steep, but they hold value well. I just traded my 2011 2500 with 42k miles in for $2k less than I paid for it (I did get a great deal when I bought it). Operating costs for fuel are actually pretty minimal if you really sit down and do the math. Just my $.02

[DiverB]

Originally Posted by bsmith0404

The fuel cost is the ONLY downside to the diesel. I wrestled with that as well, but living in Wyoming at the time and towing through the rockies made it an easy decision for me. After towing just once with the dmax I have never looked back. I don't mind the cost of fuel anymore. These things are a dream to tow with. I love the exhaust brake, the power, and the torque is incredible. Even pulling nearly 15,000 lbs it rarely downshifts. Small grades that would have had my 6.0 gas dropping gears while pulling 6,000 lbs are nothing for the dmax. If you had one you would never look back.

Yes the initial cost seems steep, but they hold value well. I just traded my 2011 2500 with 42k miles in for $2k less than I paid for it (I did get a great deal when I bought it). Operating costs for fuel are actually pretty minimal if you really sit down and do the math. Just my $.02

All true. Once you tow with diesel power, you wont want to tow with gas again. I make my own biodiesel at home, so I drive in the summer months for about .93 a gallon. I buy diesel from the truck stop in the winter months, but in the summer I run my own blend. Its a hobby for me, between the Truck, Jeep, and the VW TDi, no need to buy fuel when you can make it!

[MarkS]

Originally Posted by bsmith0404

The fuel cost is the ONLY downside to the diesel.

I don't think fuel cost is really an issue. My local station charges about 10% more for diesel than regular. I pulled my previous trailer with both my current diesel and previous gasser. The diesel gets about 20% better mileage.

So, 10% less fuel cost for the diesel.

[ocho]

All good points. How about maintenance and repairs. Oil changes are more expensive. What's the typical interval between oil changes. Repairs? Is diesel work usually more costly?

[BirchyBoy]

There's a member on another forum that has transplanted a Duramax into a '99 Yukon. That sounds like an awesome conversion to me. I wish I had the $$ and know how to do it!

[KYFamily]

I've got an 05 that I've owned 3 years this month. In total I've only put about 20k miles on it since I bought it. Since I don't drive it much I usually change the oil twice and the fuel filter once a year. I do it all my self with the oil change costing around $45 and the fiter around $35. I just bought one today and it cost me $31. I had a coupon for Advance Auto so I bought the ACDelco one. Usually I buy Racor online. The only expense I've occured is I had a fuel leak at the driver side fuel rail and that need replaced. I had a few other things done which cost me around $800. All in all been a good motor with 152k miles currently.

[bsmith0404]

yes oil changes will cost a little more, an additional 4 qts of oil. Not significant in my book. I change at the same intervals as I did with my gas. Change the fuel filter about every 20k miles nothing to get hung up on. Yes diesels are more costly to repair, but they are pretty much bullet proof and will run well beyond a typical gas motor. I've never had a problem with mine and my dad is on his 3rd dmax and has never done anything other than an oil/fuel filter change.

[ocho]

Thanks all!!