Vibrations/Tumbling Sound in '06 GMC Sierra 2500 HD

[gordyzx9r]

I have an '06 GMC Sierra 2500 HD SLE2 with the towing package and the 6.0 liter. It only has 30K miles on it, it's primarily only used for towing the car trailer on the highway. I bought it new.

When I first bought it, I noticed a vibration in the steering. The sound and feel is best described as taking a hollow metal pipe, putting another one that fits loosely inside of it and rolling it. They fixed that issue two years ago and told me there was an "alert" to replace the intermediate shaft if customers complained. They replaced that shaft and the problem went away.

Two weeks ago, I notice fluid leaking and took it in to get checked out. Turned out to be the power steering gear box. They replaced it. And then the vibration/tumbling sound returned. I took it back and complained, took the service guy for a ride so he could hear it too (thankfully he did).

They replaced the intermediate shaft and some bearings in the column. They thought they fixed it, but when I picked it up I noticed the vibration and sound again so I've taken it back. Plus they screwed up a couple of things in the interior in the process and some things were "lost" from the glove box. I talked to the Service Manager today and he promised to make things right. But if anyone has insight to the vibrations/noises please offer them up.

Thanks.

[usmcchevy]

If they screwed the interior up, why couldn't they also screw up installing the parts? If they did get it all in correctly, maybe a alignment check is in order.

[gordyzx9r]

Originally Posted by usmcchevy

If they screwed the interior up, why couldn't they also screw up installing the parts? If they did get it all in correctly, maybe a alignment check is in order.

Yeah...that was one of the things I mentioned to the Service Manager when I went in their today. Attention to detail and quality control evidently went out the window in this dealership when they became Government Motors.

[gordyzx9r]

Update.

The truck is still in the shop, since the first post.

They basically took the whole front end apart looking for this...the 4WD, the brakes, they took off all the accessories I put on it (step rails, tool box, etc).

They have replaced the steering gear/pump assembly 6-8 times. They've replaced the intermediate (?) shaft a few times, all the bearings in the column a few times. They even took the steering column out of another '06 GMC. They hooked up a device I think they called "ear clasp" or something like that, which I guess is essentially I giant stethoscope for tracking down noise in a vehicle.

I kept asking them every week, have you called GMC? Is there a district rep or someone along those lines to talk to? They kept saying no then finally they said they did talk to GM and GM told them to put on the original steering pump (the one that was leaking for which I brought the truck in for the first place) and see if the noise/vibrations goes away. And it does.

Holy #@(&$@ I was pissed. When I first picked up the damn truck and immediately brought it back because of the noise/vibration I said:

"It wasn't making this noise or having these vibrations before you guys swapped out the steering pump and now it does I would think it has something to do with that."

"Oh no sir, it doesn't have anything to do with that or anything we did, it has to be something else."

So, the service manager tells me that GM tells them to keep replacing the steering pump until they find one that doesn't make noise. They start ordering two at time and I keep asking them, WTF!?! Doesn't this sound asinine just to keep throwing parts at it!?!

Apparently, there are no NOS/OEM steering pumps for '06 GMC available through GM...just remans. Finally another "engineer" from GM tells my service manager that he's seen this problem before and to fix it they have to use the next model year steering gear assembly.

So they do that and call me to tell me to pick up the truck. Everytime they called me I'd asked about the interior, "did you remember to fix the stuff you messed up in interior?" "Yes sir, we did."

BS

I go to test drive the truck and as soon as I open the door, I immediately see none of it was fixed. I raise hell with service guy and he runs off crying something about how he was told it was fixed and he had seen the parts and didn't know why it wasn't fixed. I tell him I'm gonna drive the truck while he's looking for the parts to see how it feels.

It feels worse. Noise and vibration is still there. And it was stiff, it was like trying turning my dad's old '63 Dodge pickup when I was 8 years old. And when I was going straight, the damn steering wheel was cocked about 45 degrees off as if I was trying to make a left turn.

Oh, and then I noticed the dent in the hood...

WTF!?!

[JohnC]

I would keep raising hell until they show you that new truck on the lot at a very very good price!

[usmcchevy]

Time to put some more pressure on the dealer. Contact GM, let them know what is going on and how long they have had the truck.

http://www.gmc.com/help/contact-us.html

[Vintage Windmills]

I bet they are not installing something correctly. Like the proper tightness on the intermediate shaft fasteners or something?

[cdig]

time to call GM and tell them you want to take it to a different dealer... they are obviously incompetent. That or talk to the dealership owner directly.

[gregory5000]

I am close to you. What dealer is this?