NHTSA Complaint #10167340 — 2001 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 2500

I OWN A CHEVROLET 2500HD EQUIPPED WITH A 8.1 LITER ENGINE AND ALLISON TRANSMISSION. MY PROBLEM BEGAN WITH THE ENGINE REFUSING TO START AFTER BEING DRIVEN A SHORT WHILE. THIS PROBLEM DID NOT OCCUR EVERY TIME BUT WAS FREQUENT ENOUGH TO BE OF CONCERN. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS LASTING SOME 2 TO THREE MINUTES THE ENGINE WOULD START. THE PROBLEM ESCALATED TO THE ENGINE STALLING WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, SOMETIMES ON THE INTERSTATE AT SPEEDS UP TO 70 MPH. DURING THESE STALLS THE ENGINE WOULD SOMETIME RESTART ON ITS OWN WITHOUT TURNING THE KEY OR SHIFTING OUT OF GEAR. DURING TIMES OF STALLING THE ONLY WAY TO MAINTAIN SOME CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE IS TO SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL AND TURN THE KEY TO ATTEMPT A RESTART. AT THESE TIMES THE ENGINE TURNING OVER PROVIDES ENOUGH COMPRESSION TO ALLOW THE POWER STEERING AND BRAKES TO BE AFFECTIVE AS LONG AS THE STARTER IS ENGAGED. *JB