NHTSA Complaint #10253922 — 2001 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 2500

SAME PROBLEM AS EA06016. MY 2001 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 2500HD WITH THE 8.1L GAS ENGINE EXPERIENCED THE INTERMITTENT STALLING DESCRIBED IN EA06016. IT WAS BUILT JUST AFTER THE RECALL DATE SO GM WOULD NOT DO ANYTHING OTHER THAN OFFER TO CHARGE ME FOR THE REPAIR. THE MAIN SAFETY PROBLEM IS THE SOFTWARE BUG THAT DOESN'T RECORD THE BAD CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR. THE FIRST 20 OR SO INCIDENTS WERE ANNOYING. WHEN THE TRUCK STARTED SHUTTING DOWN WHILE GOING DOWN A 10% GRADE ON A TWISTING MOUNTAIN ROAD IT GOT SCARY. LUCKILY I WASN'T PULLING THE 15000 POUND TRAILER THAT I OFTEN PULL. THE PROBLEM ONLY OCCURS AT ONE PARTICULAR ENGINE TEMPERATURE AND IT DOESN'T SET A DTC. IT TOOK ME THREE MONTHS OF SEARCHING THE WEB TO FIND THE PROBLEM. GM WAS OF NO HELP DIAGNOSING OR FIXING THE PROBLEM EVEN WITH THE RECALL ON THE IDENTICAL TRUCKS THAT WERE BUILT JUST PRIOR TO MINE. MY TRUCK HAD THE POSITION SENSOR REPLACED IN 2002 WITH THE SAME DESIGN PART AS THE ORIGINAL. THE REPLACED PART LASTED TILL 2008. SEARCHING THE WEB SHOWS THAT MOST OF THE 2000-2002 8.1L ENGINES DEVELOP THIS PROBLEM AT SOME POINT. GM MAKES A LOT OF MONEY SELLING UNNEEDED PARTS AND CHARGING $85 TO READ NON-EXISTENT DTCS. AN 8.1L ENGINE IS MEANT TO PULL LARGE LOADS. WHEN THE ENGINE DIES THE TRUCK LOSES POWER STEERING AND BRAKES. MY TRUCK DIED AT LEAST 50 TIMES BEFORE I WAS ABLE TO FIX IT. I WOULDN'T LET MY WIFE DRIVE IT BECAUSE SHE WOULD MOST LIKELY HAVE KILLED SOMEONE WITH IT. IT DIED GOING AROUND THE SAME CORNER 5 DAYS IN A ROW. TURNING A 7000 POUND TRUCK WITHOUT POWER STEERING IS A BIT OF A CHALLENGE. I AM A TEST ENGINEER WITH 30 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE. WITHOUT THE HELP OF THE INTERNET THIS PROBLEM IS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO DIAGNOSE. GM IS OF NO HELP. THE PROBLEM SETS NO CODES AND THE VEHICLE RUNS FINE IF IT WARMS UP OR COOLS DOWN FROM THE ONE TEMPERATURE. I REPLACED MY SENSOR AND THE VEHICLE NOW RUNS FINE. THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF MORE VEHICLES OUT THERE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. HOPEFULLY YOU WILL RE-OPEN YOUR INVESTIGATION. *TR