Good Truck/Bad Truck? CAR WIZARD shares most common problems on the 5.3L Chevy truck at 100k+ miles 

Appreciate this reply. We all learn a lot from the videos.

That was grumpy?

Yeah, that was pretty bad. Just turn people away if being uncooperative, it doesn't look like there's a shortage of incoming work. I enjoy working on things but didn't want to deal with automotive customers (retail auto parts was bad enough), so went to A&P school and work on aircraft

It's just business

Figures, 2020.

Some jobs you make money on because it takes less time than book. Other times you lose money because stuff happens that don't show up until later when you are into the job (rust, broken bolts).

That's it. Another one is an objection to paying a large amount of labor for a "10 cent part". I ask if it would make them feel better about the labor if I charge more for the part. They usually become more understanding at that point

No apologies needed. It's not a charity. If people don't want to pay the book rates let them fix it themselves.

If you can do a 5 hour job in 30 minutes.. and get paid for 30 minutes. You still have 4.5 hours available to do other work and get paid for it, so your not actually getting any pay cut. If you do three 5 hour book rate jobs in 5 hours you are getting paid three times as much per hour. So I guess it comes down to this. Is the person paying for the job and getting the job done. Fine, and it benefits the mechanic. Or is the customer paying by the hour .. and getting charged for hours not actually worked. I sure understand a highly skilled mechanic getting paid more for his high level of skill.. What I have found is mechanics that want it both ways. They quote a repair for 700 dollars. 500 book rate plus a 100 dollar part marked up 100 percent. Then a bolt breaks or something becomes more difficult due to corrosion.. then they want to charge 500 dollars more because it would take them the full book time when they expected it to take a third the time. Or they quoted the job but want more money because it became difficult. So its not always a simple deal. You also have mechanics that say a part is bad.. and charge for the repair which is never done. I belive david to be a highly skilled honest mechanic.. and I believe him ethical in his practices.. but not every shop and person is.

That’s fine don’t take a pay cut. But quit charging for shop supplies I don’t mind paying for your work if it’s good. But I hate paying for your crap like brake cleaner. Every shop I ever been to you guys have multiple partly used cans of it sitting on your to boxes

2009 Chevy never get rid of it . Think I'd go to California and back in this dam thing rust little frame need a weld but dam thing gos like a Cadillac . At 4 wheel drive .

@MADDCHOPER68 I'm with you. I'd be happy to drive Big Red coast to coast right now. Comfortable as an old Cadillac.

I have a 2010 red one too, she is so pretty, no dents at all, just getting Into 180K. I need to start taking care of several simple issues, and check oil leak

@mariorrodriguez535 Oh, I wish I could have gotten ahold of my "Big Red" when she was still pretty. At 20 feet, she looks pretty good. Once you get close, you see every battle scar, right down to a couple of the wheels. At some point, probably during the time she was used for cutting and hauling firewood commercially, she was buried up to the frame, spinning the wheels and scaring them clear to the center. Oh well, what's important is everything on her still works, every leak, and mechanical issue has been addressed. She's as comfortable as a Cadillac and consistently gets 16.7 mpg with the ac blowing ice cubes. I love the old girl. She's my going to town rig. We're both enjoying retirement together. These days, the heaviest thing she hauls is a few bags of top soil from Lowes now and then. Chevrolet, the heartbeat of America. ❤️ 🇺🇸 🛻 💪

are u serious?

That's pretty arrogant. Can do the job in 45 minutes and charge 3 hours? Why do you think people are using you repair shop? To be charged more because you're great? Hahahaha.

@@serge.l.1897 I don't remember Micheal Phelps getting penalized for winning all his races in the Olympics. Infact, they gave him a medal. Just because a mechanics good, doesn't mean he should be payed less. Labor times are set by the manufacturer, not the Mechanic.

​@@Maroco918 " I don't remember Micheal Phelps getting penalized for winning all his races in the Olympics. Infact, they gave him a medal. Just because a mechanics good, doesn't mean he should be payed less." This is not a race. Why should the customer be penalized because he charges for time not efficiency? It is not their fault. "Labor times are set by the manufacturer, not the Mechanic. " This is not a warranty job. ;)

If that “3 hour job” takes him 4 or 5 hours is he going to still charge you 3? One would hope it works both ways! Most mechanics would come back with some BS like “I know we quoted you 3 hours BUT yours was more difficult than expected because Of XYZ”

I'd buy that for a dollar!

@@jamesrobinson9176 I don't like it, I'll make it

@@jamesrobinson9176 n by

@@jamesrobinson9176 uh b

"If you don't like my quote ... take it somewhere else" ... 😉

and im not gonna fund your kids college fund either

But it is 5 grand an hour

I bet he can do them in half that time.

I dont know why, but I somewhat like "grumpy" mechanics. It gives some trust, and you feel like you wont get ripped off.

I think he might get frustrated with stupid people who think he works for free. Some people never think about all the overhead costs that are associated with running his shop. Not to mention they are paying for his extensive skill, knowledge, and experience. He works on ferraris and Lamborghinis for crying out loud. And then some fool with a poorly maintained truck is going to call him up and expect to only pay for the cost of the parts? Get out of here!!! He can’t even keep the door open for a day or earn an income for himself to live on (pay himself a salary first) if he did that. The shop would close and not be heard from again.

@@jkeelsnc Not to mention, all the (essentially) free advice and instruction we get here, and yet some people still complain!

Yes, especially when fools think mechanics should not charge the book rate to do a job and think a skilled professional should only charge for the actual time the mechanic works on a specific job. The book rate is not a cap on what can be charged for a job. It is the cost of doing the job whether it takes 45 minutes or 3 hours for the same job.

@@laurat1129 yes. Exactly.

We're globalist, anymore

Total quality is sujective

I was going to comment the same thing

@@Kohoso95 You, get it, too. 🤗

I was thinking the same 😂

Anybody that buys a 100+k miles GM truck is an idiot.

Me too, I like these trucks because they are, like he said in this video, easy to work on, but at least where I live the people that drive them don’t use them for anything other than a status symbol among other idiots that drive the same thing, listen to the same music and have the same pit bull in the truck.

That’s usually how it is. That or you like the customer but not their car lol when I worked in a shop there was some customers who were very nice people but every time you saw them you’re like “fuuuuuuuck”

@@mfslyphantom8811 Late Model GM trucks are easy to work on? ROFMAO ! 50+ years as a master level factory certified auto/truck tech, I know that, from experience, is false.

I have no doubt this guy knows his business. I'm sure he works hard and deserves to be paid for his labor, but customers are typically not mechanically inclined...doesn't make them bad or inferior people. Thinking of them as idiots or fools..not good. Your thoughts project out and people pick up on it. The guy admitted he was grumpy....I'd go a little farther and say he I an @$$hole. Aren't we all.

He doesn’t explain why the exhaust bolts break?

@@dehoyosrudolph8885 Planned short working life by GM to ensure profitable dealer repairs after warranty expires. On the GM 4 cylinder Ecotec type engines, many, if not most, of the exhaust manifolds crack in the middle, but the crack is under a heat shield that is seldom removed. Once the heat shield is removed the cracks are readily visible from the carbon tracks left by the escaping exhaust. Having an ever-present exhaust leak also ensures that the O2 sensor on the manifold is not making a correct measurement and the mixture is always out of sync with factory specs. Other design problems in these smaller engines reduce engine life. The V-8s work well if you change the oil and filters, and follow the Wizard's advice.

My dad used to own a 2010 F150 which had a ticking sound on cold starts. We thought the worst (timing tensioners or worn roller followers) . To our surprise it had an exhaust manifold leak on both sides. We didn't think about that at first because it was a CA truck its whole life and only 130K miles. What I'm saying is those bolts can fail even in the sun belt LOL

Do do doo do do doo do do doo

I agree, the laser pointer is a great idea.

Green laser pointer would be easy to see, since you'll usually be able to see the beam.

used toothbrush speedkar style

Unless you’re colorblind

Do you not know what an exhaust manifold is? or where?

Never underestimate how fortunate you are to find a Great Mechanic!

That is the voice of experience. I've learned that if a shop says it'll take 1 hour to do something, it will take me 3. Not to mention several days of recovering from aches and pains. On my travel trailer I had to replace all 4 sets of brake assemblies which includes the electromagnet backing plate. 4 bolts per wheel. Should be easy. Forgot about what it's like to deal with rusty bolts. That job took me all day long. At the end of the day I could barely walk because of having to get up and down off the ground. I won't be doing that again.

@@kellyherald1390 air tools, heat and penetrant

It’s six pack work. Crack a beer and enjoy. Get pissed then quit before the tears begin😢

Some times you can weld a nut onto the stub sticking out and get it out that way.

I’ve done normal maintenance and surprisingly had transmission cooler lines start leaking. Replaced those 2 yrs ago myself. A few batteries, tires, door handles failed and replaced. The electric locks driver and passenger just started only working half the time. Out of all vehicles owned the 09 Silverado has cost the least to keep going

4.8l is a much better engine over 5.3l. No afm

I have the same. No rust same miles. No problems other than regular oil change. Brake pads. And tires and a new battery. Awesome truck.

My brother has an 09 with 5.3 my 08 with 4.8 will smoke my brothers off the line and top end.my traction control sucked ,my only complaint ,sucker broke ,now my truck will smoke the tires into second gear. Broke is actually fixed as for as my traction control goes

Contact cleaner ,sprayed my window button consol ,,fixed the problem.

That was my thought. Sure, ok to a skilled technician an easyout is well, easy. I could easily bet most people have not a clue in how to use them in the first place let alone own a set. I know how to use them should it require, but I've got better things I could be doing and god knows a half hour isn't likely. My luck would be hours and a 12 pack of beer and a day off work. A few busted knuckles to make it even more obvious of my bad decision. lol.

@@PearComputingDevices they are not hard to do. If you got all the room in the world. But sideways inside an engine bay. Good luck. If you haven't done it a few times you are in a world of pain.

@@vcdrny Your right. It's also a perfect time to change things like the pvc valve and coil itself. Certainly clean the throttle body, it's closer to you after all. But what's really tough is changing the plugs on a Toyota highlander. Not only is that engine tilted towards the firewall, but you've got remove the plenum and associated vacuum lines. It's a job, but might as well make the best of it by doing other preventive maintenance. Again, perfect opportunity to clean things like the throttle body. Plus you'll save about $250-$300 bucks by doing it yourself. Just take a lot of pictures and don't feel nervous to use some kind of scribe to mark your work.

It's a pain in the ass. I only had one bolt break but there was some shaft still sticking out and it backed it out with vice grip's. Got lucky it wasn't broke flush with the head. Still a pain in the ass to get to that rear bolt

It's a bargain price for only charging 30 min per bolt. It sucks to do regardless of what vehicle it is due to the limited space and line of sight. Oh yeah, better do yourself a favor and get some carbide drill bits. You'll thank me later.lol

Or hope like I did you find someone thats unaware of whats going on in the used car/truck market who doesn't know scan tools exist. I managed to buy a 2001 chevy s10 zr2 with just 91,000 miles still great looking for $1,300 and all I've had to do to it was put in a new crankshaft position sensor and door hinge kit on the drivers door. The previous owner had someone replace all the brake lines and new distributor car, plugs and wires instead of taking the truck and getting it scanned for free at somewhere like Advance. So theres still a few deals out there. It took me less than 20 minutes to install a new crankshaft position senor and it runs great. I've had people offer me $4,500 if I'd sell it but I needed a truck so I'm keeping it. It was a one owner truck the owner was just clueless and anytime anything he owns has an issue he sells it rather than fixing it.

dont think it will for a long time. when u start seein elec.chargin plugs next to the gas pumps u will no weve got another change we have to go thru. like when i started seein unleaded pumps next to leaded an sayin i will never put that crap in my car.

I bought my first brand new car 3 months ago becuase I really needed a reliable vehicle with AC. I would have never bought a brand new car up until I saw what the used car market was like at the time (and right now). It was almost the same price for a new car as it was for a few year old used car. Made no sense to buy used with prices how they are. So I ended up buying a 2021 kia soul S with a 10 year powertrain warranty... now I don't have to worry about mechanical issues for a long long time, and if I do it's not being paid for by me. It gets over 30mpg and I love it so far. People make fun of kia but they are better than nissan or ANY domestic car brand I can think of for value and reliability.

my current vehicle is literally falling apart but it’s my own damn fault because i bought it last december lmao

I don’t think much will change with inflating costs in all markets.

Weld a nut to it works out quit well too

I'm with you in this. I don't mind paying for quality and reliability. Hell, can't hardly find either one of these things nowadays.

Got a 2009 Silverado and driving great and looking great.

My thoughts exactly! When he said the shocks were rusted out… I was thinking those are practically new where I’m from!!!

Yeah my dad had both an '08 Tahoe and Avalanche, both had advanced frame rot, which was a shame because the bodies were in very good shape and the avalanche only had 68k miles on it.

You obviously don't take care of stuff.

Gm wax coated frame instead of painted! 🙄

I need to do that with mine

Is this expensive???Whats there to look for when buying this truck?

Most would happily do it 🙂

No... they would charge for the repair and not do the job.

@@cayman9873 they would probably fix the cheaper oil leak and charge for RMS

Yep, I agree. If a mechanic is gonna have that attitude, drop the whole "per hour" rate , and just tell customers "this is the fee I charge for this job".

I have had a few jobs done locally and both of them gave me a firm price and stuck to it ,they get all my business and I recommend them to freinds.

Buy a programmer and turn it off

"Without much issues?" Does that include replacing the worn camshafts due to the oil starvation GM's flawed fuel miser system inevitably causes?

Brian Weir, like mentioned turn off afm with software and run it. I had 230k on my Tahoe with the last 50k turned off without issues and no oil burning with that done.

@@dbrandon4528 no can do. New PCMs are locked up tight. Only thing anyone can do so far is turn off the auto start stop.

@@mph5896 you can't on the new trucks. You can't get into the programming. Only option is a fresh PCM that isn't locked, but that's 10k right now. Any attempt to alter the new PCM saves to an unwipable file and reports to GM when they go to service it and doing so will void the warranty. Sucks for those of us wanting to tune our trucks for E85.

My thoughts exactly! That fog does screw up visibility.

Lifter issues happen but not to every truck.

And cam because lifters fail and hammer the cam and or break and rotate in the lifter bore and destroy cam and send metal all over the motor! I would never own any DOD or AFM motor unless it was deleted!

I did that recently on a truck with 80,000 miles on it. Couldn't believe it.

I have 93,000 miles on mine when this failed. Best advice I can give is get a tuner and disable the crap.

@@MikeGauley I had a Range AFM DISABLER on my 2010, it was cheap and it worked.

I just bought a 08 suburban 3 months ago, the dealer replaced the cam, lifters, lifter buckets and all top end gaskets! I ordered the range technologies afm disabler b4 I even picked it up and drove it home for the first time!

He always like that, actually.

I worked in the business for 45 years, Mr. Wizard is mild, you haven't seen angry!

You haven't seen an angry mechanic yet. Wizard isn't even a chain smoker yet.

Yeah dude, Wizard is forever tired of everyone's bullshit.

I agree. He sounds bitter AF. Basically the whole video, he just justifies why he charges what he does.

I noticed you didn't make a direct statement about him not waving his arms all over the place. 😅

How did u fix the cruise control?

Its just a little plastic module on the side of the gas pedal. Get on RU-vid and search for " 2011 Silverado cruise control module replacement" its the same from 07-14 GM Trucks@@thomasjefferson2934

You're paying for the experience of the mechanic.

And sometimes they’re able to complete the job faster because they have better more specialized tools, which is a big investment.

Exactly. Most people don't know what a book rate is though.

Book time an estimated time all shops can quote, if a mechanic is experienced and time efficient good for him, if the job is done right by a pro people shouldnt care if he did it in half booktime

Way I see it, I might pay the same as I would at another shop, but I get my car back a day or two earlier than I would at those places. I consider that a good investment.

At my work we have a whole fleet of 2wd F-250s in Michigan. It’s a little inconvenient in the winter but with decent tires it’s not that bad.

I had a 4x4 for years but I rarely needed it. I replaced it with a 2WD Colorado. In the winter I put winter tires on the rear and I carry crushed rock and a shovel. Much more practical. I don’t drive routinely in snow, but I want to be ready for it.

Is the 4.3 an inline 6 or a V8?

@@butcheredalive V6

@@stillgrinden23 thank you, I think it’s in the S10 too if I’m not mistaking, or is that a different 4.3?

@@butcheredalive same engine