2020 Silverado 3.0 Duramax Cool Weather features, startup and warm up (16F to 20F) 

That sounds like a great idea. On my old 2002 Duramax if I did your method I would get a check engine light, the fuel temperature didn't match the coolant temperature... If I plugged it in a just kept it warm I never go a code. Never bothered in reporting it or tying to get it fixed. I'm sure it was just an early problem, hopefully this one won't do it also :) . Thanks for watching and commenting.

@@CJIEngineering That error is kind of a normal "anomaly" on the 6.6L... normal operation. I think there's a recommendation in the owner's maual to not use the block heater unless the temperature is below a certain degrees... I don't recall what it is. My dad used his block heater on his LBZ when it was around 30 degrees. Later in his drive, the truck threw a check engine light. This was about 2007 or so. I had an LBZ from 2014-2016 and tried the block heater when it was around 20 degrees.... same problem happened. It set three codes and the truck ran like crap. I reset the codes with my Edge Insight CTS2 and all was good. Lesson Learned. I stopped using block heater on the LBZ and have never used it on the LMM I have owned since 2009.

Thank you for commenting and watching. I'll need to look at the AMSOIL water wetter product, I've never heard of it before. I have the EFI Live system and looked at the ECM values for the 2.8 Duramax. One of the things with that engine is that as long as you are running less that 240F on coolant you are still considered not too hot. Above 240F the ECU will start to pull power from the engine, at 255F you are loosing 275 ft*lb of torque. As for the oil temp, I noticed the same thing. All these new motors have oil jets that cool the piston so the oil is warmer than the water, it's a pretty nice cooling strategy. Stay tuned. I'll keep making videos as long a people keep watching them. If you want to see something special, please let me know and I'll add it to the list.

Thank you. I have more coming...

Me too, GM is doing a pretty good job at locking the brakes to help keep the shake down to a minimum and I believe the 3.0 has two stage motor mounts that helps too

Thanks for commenting. Stay tuned, my first service visit is coming up and I'll have a video recap on what I have done...

Thank you, I appreciate your input. I'll need to look at the Hotshots product line. I have used some Power Service stuff with my other diesels but I haven't tried anything with this one yet. Stay tuned.

Do you know what temperature you start to hear it work? I have the EFI Live and with the Colorado I was able to read the Temperature vs RPM table do I knew how that one worked. There is no support for the 3.0 yet :(

My 2016 LML is at 150 when elevated idle kicks off

Thank you... The louvers are plastic, they get operated by two actuators, one for the top and one for the bottom set. I'm hoping to get some video shot of them working, opening and closing on the road :). No real concern as of now, the Cruze and Equinox both have them and with all the salt Michigan puts down on the roads they should have a nice brine layer between the flaps :(. As for the front ultra sonic sensors, I have had a similar problem with a Volt that I had with them, snow will build up on them and then they stop working for a little while. I will get a check engine light if the louvers are stuck in one of the positions. I'll be sure to report if that happens.

Hopefully you found my video and the Google sheets that I have posted with the custom PIDs... Let me know if you still need them.

All of the 3.0l diesel truck have the same axles and cooling packages for now. I have heard rumors that could change in the future to get the tow rating over 9,300lbs but I was good with the current rating. From what I know the under hood temperatures limit the tow rating but they are only really a problem in the desert on a steep hill, don't have that in my area. I have not had any CEL yet but I have talked to a few people that had a code thrown for using the plug in heater when it was too warm out. That cause the fans to run full speed for several hours. GM is working on a fix?? Long road trips, kinda. Down to Ohio and back on one tank with mixed Highway and Ohio back roads in a snow storm, 26mpg. I should have some more long trips coming up soon. I believe GM has done a better job than was done with the ecodiesel. They have a ton riding on this engine being successful, putting it in the Tahoe, Suburban and probably the Yukon/Escalade. The Aluminum block does not bother me, it has steel liners that are pressed in, block is heated and liner cooled so they have and interference fit. And for the belt, it can be replaced fairly easily and will last at least 150,000 miles. The replacement does require the transmission to be unbolted to access the cover for the belt but that's all. Other belts on other vehicle require removing a lot of other parts to get to them. Thanks for the questions and for watching. Stay tuned, I'll try to answer some of these in a video for everyone.

To day I have not had any issues with the engine or the transmission. I took it in for service yesterday for a couple of squeaks, the DPF Regen frequently, oil consumption, lane keeping assist recalibration, the seatbelt recall and a ECU update (just found an update when service writer looked up my VIN. I'll be doing a video on what was found when I get the truck back :). I'm super happy with it so far. Stay tuned for more updates and thanks for watching/commenting.

Im concerned about this as well

I use the Torque Pro app on my Pixel 2 phone. I also have the Track Recorder option installed on top of Torque, both by Ian Hawkins, and I use the OBDLink MX bluetooth adapter to plug into the truck. The still images are made by just doing a screen shot and then I edit into the footage. The only really issue I have is doing the overlay feature using Track Recorder, I can only get about 15min of video before the phone overheats :(. I also have a video on how to add custom displays that you might want watch. Thanks for watching and the question.

David, I'm also looking forward to trying out the Tahoe, possibly even just a 2wd unit with this motor.. As for the Autel unit, it appears to have some lock between the software and the bluetooth module so it probably wont work like a universal module, I use the OBDLink MX. It has a button so not everyone can pair with it (security) and it is very quick at reporting data (double the speed of the $10.00 ones on Amazon). They appear to be very similarly prices, sorry :( . Good luck and thanks for watching and commenting.

@@CJIEngineering FYI, I read somewhere in an interview with a Chevrolet engineer that the 3.0L under-hood "moon-wrap" insulation may undergo some running production revision (I guess as they understand more real world feedback on effectiveness). I also read that one of our national labs has demonstrated "ducted" diesel injector tips for reduced soot/NOx. If these revised injectors work as demonstrated, I believe that would mitigate (or at least reduce) the current extensive exhaust treatment on the DuraMax 3.0 (and other diesels). Only time will tell.

Thanks for watching and the information. I have the Elevated Idle turned on in the settings but for some reason my truck does not have the option for automatic heating/cooling. I'm taking the truck in for the seat belt recall and I'm going to have them check, it might be a software option that's not enabled. I'll let everyone know how that service visit goes...

@@CJIEngineering in my Colorado I don't knotice the seats being warm after a remote start unless it has darn near completed the 10 min time. Most days I can't tell that they have been on. I assume they are, but I just don't think they heat up that quickly. I aslo have a theary that heated seats with no one sitting in them don' t warm up the leather. Kind of makes sense if you think about the fact that the leather might not be pressed down on the elements. Just a theory.

Taylor, I'm using an Android Phone with the Torque Pro app. I use a Bluetooth OBDII adapter call OBDLINK MX. I have a google sheet with some extra PIDs that can be found here: docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ZPDOeSx4JFwb1nomx5adsc7pYm-sdLimwG0FmNmVhNg/edit?usp=sharing I also add the GM extra PIDs. I have a video on how to set it up on my channel :)

@@CJIEngineering thank you

I might have miss spoke, I'll check the video again. What I should have said is the 2016 Colorado did work and the 2020 Silverado does not appear to be working. On the Colorado I have the table available and it should idle at 730rpm from 116C-68C coolant temperature, then it goes to 780rpm@56C, 850rpm@44C, 900rpm@32C, 950rpm@20C, 1000rpm@8C, 1050rpm@-4C, 1100rpm@-16C, 1150rpm@-28C and finally 1200rpm@-40C. Those values are from the ECM of my old 2016 Colorado with the 2.8 Duramax. The Silverado in the dark shot was around -4C so I was expecting an idle above 1000rpm but it never really when that high. Thanks for watching and commenting.

This is a great idea. I'll start working on a plan to put a video out like you would like. I would be useful for people just starting to consider a modern diesel engine. Stay tuned, it will probably be several weeks but is on the high priority list :)

@@CJIEngineering Thanks for the response. I was on the fence about upgrading from gas to this new diesel. I've watched all your videos now and I'm a new subscriber! They have certainly been very educational for me. I decided to pull the trigger today and traded my 2015 Sierra Denali in for a new crew cab 4wd SLT with the 3.0l. I take delivery next week 😁 I'm excited to say the least. I'm looking forward to watching and learning more from you. I don't do much towing but I do have a 90 mile round trip to work. All highway miles so I'm hoping to take advantage of the fuel mileage. I do own a 20ft 2inch aluminum boat that I will tow once it's time for fishing again so I will be excited to see how the truck handles the boat. Thanks again

Passive Regen only happened on my truck when I was towing trailers. During normal driving I would go just over 200miles and the filter would clean, towing it would be around 620 miles, that is the longest it would go before the mileage limit gets reached, 1,000km. There is also an engine hour limit but I'm not sure what that is but I know it exists. Your truck seems to be doing a little better than mine was. My new LZ0 is going the full 620miles on the freeway without towing :). I'm super happy about that. Thanks for the question and keep me posted on how your truck is doing.

@@CJIEngineering Awesome. Thanks for the info.

I agree 100%. I really like the Trail Boss but wanted the engine more. One option is to get a GMC AT4. I looking into that truck also, probably would have been a little more expensive but the wheel arch angle/square bugged me... It's the little things that make us all special :). Thanks for watching and commenting.

@@CJIEngineering if i had the funds, I'd get the 2500 hd at4. I got to sit in one and honestly, it's a beautiful truck. Couldn't test drive it. A guy was talking to the sales person on buying it! Nice thin too. Im 5'5 and can get in it. Adjust seat to drive but it also have a feature to save to lower back down to get out! Lol

I'm using Torque Pro on my Android phone/tablet with an OBDLink MX Bluetooth adapter. I have a video on aging the extra PIDs and have a Google Sheet with some that I have added. Thanks for the question.

I'm going to take it in and see if there is a setting the infotainment system that is not enabled. I don't have the option and the manual says I should. Thanks for commenting and watching.

Chad Ivan There is a setting in the infotainment system you can turn on the seats with remote start. I can’t remember exactly where, but if you scroll through you should find it. Love the idea of a diesel in a half ton, especially a straight 6! Thanks for video!

just configure it in the infotainment...it will heat the seats with remote start

I hope to be able to do that for you :). I have done one oil change, oil is only $6.00/qt and the oil filter is $4.00. Not bad in my opinion. As for other maintenance I think it's going to be really comparable to any gas engine and I'll probably get back $1,400 of the $2,895 that I spent for the engine even at 300,000 miles. Thank for commenting and watching and stay tuned for all those updates :)

Congratulations on the new truck. Thank you for the information on the fan. I saw someone on the Duramax forum also reported a similar issue but nothing was mentioned about a check engine light. Something similar happened in the past with my 2002 Duramax. If you turned off the truck, let it get cold, then plug it in and warm up the block you would get a code that stated that the fuel temperature didn't match block temperature... If you just plugged it in and kept the block warm you wouldn't get a code. I typically don't use the heater until we get below -20 °F and down state it doesn't happen very often. Thanks again for the information and for watching. If you don't mind, keep me posted.

Chad Ivan There was a DTC set, but no oddly there was no light on the dash. I’m near Lake Michigan so we don’t get -20 at my house much either. Just hard for me to wrap my head around a diesel that the manufacturer doesn’t recommend plugging in until -13 (per the TSB). If I hear about and update I’ll drop you a comment. Towing day is Thursday! Finally time to test it out on my dump trailer.

@@Mittencarpentry Thank you. I also have a dump trailer that I have not really towed with any load in it as if today. This truck along with the Colorado both have pretty soft rear suspensions so I was going to put the weight distribution hooks on it before I tow too much of a load. Do you have weight distribution on your trailer? I know power wise you should be really happy :)

Chad Ivan I don’t have a weight distribution hitch on my truck right now. Manual says that you can tow 7,000 without weight distribution depending on tongue weight of course. Both of my trailers are dual axle and are only rated for 7k. Even a full dump doesn’t get close to that with the materials that go in it, probably more like 5-6k max. I’m going from a 2500 so it will be interesting to see how much squat I do get out of the half ton suspension without the weight distribution hitch. I’ll only be hauling 4K max Thursday, start it off light! The low end grunt of this engine is apparent even without a trailer behind it, looking forward to see how it fares vs. my old 2500 6.0.

@Carl Mills You probably won't need a weight distribution hitch with with your setup. My dump trailer is rated at 12,000lbs and tends to have a higher tongue weight even at 9,300lbs loaded weight :). Your new truck should kick the pants off of your 2500 6.0.

I use my Pixel 2 phone with Torque Pro app from Ian Hawkins and OBDLink MX Bluetooth adapter. I have a video with a few extra gauges that I added to the base package. Some of the overlay stuff is done with the track recorder module that gets added to Torque Pro. Thanks for the question and for watching.

Will do. Do you know what has been happening to cause it, bad diverter valve? Head gasket? Water pump? Some other coolant leak?

Chad Ivan A few other RU-vidrs had theirs overheat in the first week of ownership. Another had theirs in for overheating and the loaner 3.0 Duramax overheated also. 1 said small coolant flow paths and said head gaskets blew at 240 degrees.

Can you site your sources?

They had mine in for a ECU reprogramming recall. Wonder if that was related. 1300 miles on mine so far with no overheating before or after the recall.

I'm not sure, I need to check that...

@@CJIEngineering Checked other Duramax’s at the dealer yesterday and they are all missing that slat, so obviously from the factory like that.

Thanks for the insight. I'll need to give that a shot. Changing the oil for the 2nd time tonight so I'll have a chance to try that tomorrow.

I am using Torque Pro developed by Ian Hawkins. I have a video on how to add some of the extra values on my channel. You will need to get a bluetooth reader if you don't have one, I use OBDLink MX that can be purchased from Amazon for $69.95 or less, my last one was 20% off. Thanks for watching and commenting, I really appreciate it.

This is from the owners manual "If equipped, the engine heater can provide easier starting in cold weather conditions at or below −18 °C (0 °F)" This is the same thing that was written in the manuals for both the 2002 6.6 and the 2016 2.8 Duramax engines but I typically didn't use it till it got down to -29 °C (-20 °F), not really sure why... I will defiantly give it a try once we get cold hear and post an "cold" startup/warm up video. Thanks for watching and commenting.

This thing also uses such thin oil the cold doesn't really affect it much.

GM did that with the Cruze and the Equinox diesels, both had electric elements in the heater core to help get some heat quickly. I don't believe they have done this with the Silverado. I'm still looking through the parts books to see what I can find. Great idea though. Thanks for watching and commenting.

My 2021 heats up and blows warm air in 5-10 min. Also have settings to run heated seats and wheel

I have not seen anything stranger than what I have shown on my MPG loop video. You can see it get up to about 220F and then it will drop to 180F but I believe this is when the diverter valve changes position and starts to pull in some cooler water. I'll keep an eye out for loss of coolant or for milky oil... Thanks for commenting and watching.

@@CJIEngineering TK's Garage, he bought a new 3.0 Duramax and head gasket blew before 100 miles, got a replacement from the dealer and same problem with the second one. He gave up and bought a Ram

@@alecamal I have seen a couple of his videos but I didn't see a root cause yet, maybe he has shown it on his Instagram account. I was initially thinking it was the diverter valve that could have been bad but the ECU will protect the truck from true damage by cutting fuel and warning the driver just like it did. I'm sure more will come out about what really happened...

@@CJIEngineering I think that you most likely will never have a problem but if you do at least you can fall back on the warranty.

@@alecamal Yep for sure. I'm going to see if I can find the VIN number from his video and see where the truck was built. Mine came from Fort Wayne, IN but some of them are coming out of Mexico. Mostly just curious :). The engines all come out of Flint, MI, just down the road from my place... Thanks for giving me a heads up.

This truck does not have a Allison transmission but it performs really well. I had a 2002 with the Allison 1000 5-speed and I think this one does just as good of a job as that one did. It is know by two names, either MQB or 10L80. Thanks for the question.

So far only one visit for engine codes but that was caused from a prior software update, dealership didn't fill all of the instructions :(. No other issues to date.....

@@CJIEngineering thanks for Reply : Currently driving a 2018 tahoe with 5.3 v8 - L83 engine

I have two Cruzes, 2017 gas and 2014 diesel. 17 has been great so far, it has the newer 1.4l. The 14 has also been really good but I just found that the oil cooler is starting to leak and in about 3,500 miles I'll need to do the timing belt, the water pump and see about fixing the oil seal on the oil cooler. Not sure what I'm going to do for sure...

So my truck is using about 1qt every 4,500 miles. I'm not going to delete anything, the emissions system seems to be pretty well built, in fact it's the best one so far as far as expected longevity. I don't believe a tuner exists for it yet and with the 460ft*lb of torque I'm pretty happy with the performance. I only out the tonneau cover on the truck so far, not sure what is next. I'm averaging around 26mpg in mixed driving. I do a lot of towing and that's not in the mpg number. Thanks for the questions and for watching.

@@CJIEngineering That alot of oil for just 4,500 miles. Not try be downer I think something wrong with your motor. Thank on mpg. That really good. I'm definitely going cunceder buy one. Back on oil using . What do you think it is causing oil combustion?

@@chrisgeeseka5168 I have had oil analysis done on both of the 1st two oil changes and the Blackstone Labs guys say there is nothing showing up in the reports. I have had 4 other small GM diesels, a 2.8, 2.0 and two 1.6 4 cylinder models and only the 2.8 used a quart every 6,000 miles, the others not a drop of oil in 7,500 miles. I'm hoping it will seal up as it breaks in. I have 9,300miles on it now and will be racking up a couple thousand more in the next 3 weeks. Time will tell.

@@CJIEngineering I hope your right. Best luck to you and your truck. I definitely watch your for future update on this topic.

Glow plugs only take about 2 seconds to warm up then the truck starts, it's really nice. As for the manual, I have read it and my setting don't show the option. I'm taking the truck in for the seat belt recall in a week or so and I'm going to have them check it. Possibly an option needs to be turned on?? Thanks for commenting and watching.

WI Patriot 23 deg is hardly a cold start. My 17 year old Dodge Cummins barely cycles it grid @ those temps. And will start without waiting at those temps

Yep, the manual says to only plug it in below 0F. Thanks for watching and the question.

The second method is to run in tow/haul all the time. It could be worse even for the DPF filter but only time will tell... Thanks for watching and commenting.

I found this fix online, but it’s $90.00. Great reviews on it. www.autostopeliminator.com/products/2019-silverado-sierra-autostop-eliminator

That unit is pretty intriguing. A little bit of a pain to get to but I like that it stores the last setting and returns to either on or off. Thanks for the heads up.

Chad Ivan Yeah it seems well thought out. I sent them an email saying I’m in the market for the Silverado and didn’t feel comfortable with doing the installation myself. I asked them who they might recommend car audio, independent automotive shop and the dealer. Here’s their reply, “Yeah, any car stereo shop should be able to handle the job quite easily. The job can be completed in under an hour. I've done more than a few, but I can install one carefully in under 20 minutes. Just be sure to get a quote up-front. I'd be suspicious of any quote for over an hour of labor. Some dealerships will install them and others won't. It really just depends on the service manager. I wouldn't recommend an independent repair shop unless you know the installer personally. It has been my experience that these folks are used to working on older vehicles where details aren't as important. I think you want the guy who puts forth the extra care it takes to keep everything as good as new. Dealerships and car stereo shops are used to new vehicles where this level of care is expected.”

Did you turn the feature itself on through the system?

Thanks for commenting and watching. I agree with you 100%, I'm upset that the Cruze and Equinox Diesels have been cancelled, we were finally getting a few pretty good small Diesels over here. As for the front end, I also agree :). Thanks again and stay tuned.

I have me first service visit coming up in a couple of weeks. This topic is very popular so I'll get a quote from the dealership for both parts and labor and report out to everyone. I agree some engine decisions make me shake my hear but out of all the GM options, and even competitive options I still think the 3.0 Duramax is the least head shaking option available :). Thanks for commenting and watching. Stay tuned.

@@CJIEngineering Least head shaking out of what choices? I would say it's one of the most. I still wouldn't buy a GM with AFM. I got bit with that on a 2009 Suburban. I had extended warranty and the best they would do after the fix didn't work was a discount on a new Chevy. Really? I have owned a lot of GM vehicles, but that was my last one. The belt driven oil pump is stupid. Retarded even. If I was going to buy a diesel, I'd probably go with a Cummins in a low optioned 2500. It probably wouldn't be much different in price from GM's 3L duramax and it's a better engine than most diesels, probably all of them when considering longevity and I hold no fandom in anything. No more.

I'm working on a video that will describe how the system works. I have had one check engine light come on due to an issue with the DEF heater but it has cleared up so I'm not sure what that was all about, could be because of my logging or ??? The DEF system draws back the fluid into the tank of the outside temperature is below 35F for sure but I'm still trying to see what the upper limit really is, could be 40F or more. So if you drive the truck every day I don't expect any problems. With my Colorado Duramax I didn't drive it much and we had a great super cold spell (-10F), the DEF was still in the lines and it did freeze. Didn't damage anything but the truck did threaten to limit my speed if I didn't get it fixed within 175 miles. Warning the truck up in my garage to above 11F melted the fluid in the lines and cleared up the code. Thanks for the question and stay tuned.

@@CJIEngineering No garage no diesel , specially in Canada right?

I personally have had a rule with all of my diesels, below 0F I'll consider plugging them in but I love to see how far technology has come with these things and like to test how low they can go. So far I've only had one gel up on me at about -28F but it still had summer fuel in it so I kinda expected that outcome. I we had sustained below zero weather I would probably plug it in also. I always order them with that option, just rarely use it. Thanks for commenting and watching. Stay tuned, winter has barely started in my area.

Chad Ivan .. -28 is the time my filters start to slightly gel up. I run treated all the time. I need to get my fuel filters heated. I live in the upper peninsula of Michigan. Sometimes stupid cold up here.

Looks like I'm going to add that to the list of items I want them to look at :( It really doesn't show up on my system... I'll be taking it in for the seatbelt recall in the next few weeks so maybe they can fix that up, my other cars had that setting so it was strange to not be able to find it on this one, and it shows it in the manual too... Thank for the heads up and watching.

compare to what?

Not really, depends on how you care for them, some diesels run over a million and hardly any repair. Pickup Truck Plus SUV Talk has a vid up now about one.

@@grandmasoffgridliving Exactly! The same could be said about a Tesla.. everything is electric/computerized. Can you IMAGINE the replacement cost of those components.. battery?

They put the timing chain in the rear of the engine with the internal oil pump belt. Absolutely horrific design. Sell this asap