Jsdirt

Very true, and great point!!

I forgot about that whole debacle! Crazy. GM is an excellent example of what NOT to do as an automaker to retain a loyal following. They've figured out the old used-car-salesman adage, "There's an ass for every seat" applies to new vehicles as well, so there's ZERO incentive to change as the gravy train rolls on ... I agree 200% with your assessment, too. Great question about the driver's side. Wonder who's going to be the lucky duck that gets a faceful of shrapnel to kick that recall off? Hope it isn't any of us ... maybe a GM executive's 16 year old daughter suffering that would spark some much-needed changes.

I'll do one better. Here's 3 hours worth of the transmission swap I just did. I was a little pissed off (understatement of the century), so pay no mind to my bad attitude, lol. You can also find my Ox Locker rear differential install on the channel somewhere as well : Part I: Part II: Part III:

Of course, Newdude - why would I buy ANOTHER piece of ****** that I have to start all over again on?

This truck has become a running joke with me, fellow techs, family, friends, and internet friends as the biggest lemon that ever rolled off a GM assembly line. One friggin thing after another, literally since day ONE. Latest in the long list was a burnt up 3 / 4 clutch pack in the 4L60E transmission, with just 103k on the clock. The rear end spider gears self destructed at 97k ... but I digress. Anyway ... this letter I got the other day is just icing on the cake. It took GM 14 years to figure out they used a crappy vendor (what else is new?) to build their airbags, and only when pointed out by the actual vendor? Funny how Takata THEMSELVES are the ones who discovered the problem!! The whole Takata debacle has been going on ... what, TEN years now?? WTF! You'd think that MAYBE those parts would be under scrutiny by now. Can GM do ANYTHING right?? "An inflator rupture may cause metal fragments to pass through the airbags and into the vehicle interior at high speed, which may result in serious injury or death to passengers." Just blows me away, the ineptitude of this company. I'm singling out GM, since this is a GM forum, I've owned many, I KNOW they can do better, and I also know they choose NOT to these days, all the name of the bottom line. It's become beyond stupid at this point. I know others these days aren't much better - par for the 21st Century course. Wish the rest of their vendors would step up ... like the AFM lifter, brake rotor, 4L60E sunshell, ball joint, strut, rear spider gear manufacturers, just to name a handful, but since no lives were lost - just piles and piles of YOUR cash - it will never happen. No real point to this thread, other than for me to vent a little, and poke GM as a company, hoping that some decade someone MIGHT read this, comprehend it, and actually force a CHANGE there. PLEASE!! One can hope ...

Just to add a little info, these trucks also eat spider gears for no apparent reason other than GM's propensity for cutting corners to save a nickel. That would cause the exact symptoms the OP described, as would a transfer case failure. Easy enough to pull the rear cover and check the magnet - if you see chunks of metal, get the flash light out, put the truck in neutral, and start checking side gear and spider gear teeth. Same with the t-case - pull the drain plug and check its magnet. Long, thin shards of metal are normal from what I've seen in the "Auto" transfer cases, but any chips or chunks is cause for concern. If nothing's wrong, your gears get new fluid.

James stole my thunder. When I was installing a air-actuated Ox Locker in the rear end of my '07 Silverado, I looked into getting one later on down the road for the front. As I looked, I noticed nothing was available - not from Ox, or anyone else that I could find. There were listings for EVERYTHING but. The general consensus out there on the net is that these are the weakest geartrain assemblies ever produced. I had thought this only pertained to 2007 and newer trucks, but I guess not. That sucks.

No such thing as a thermal solenoid that I know of in the automotive world. They're all electric. I'm not familiar with how they're designed internally - I figure it's probably an electromagnetic setup, with a chunk of metal on the end of the cable that gets yanked by the magnetic field. Sounds like you need a new one. Those trucks were still built fairly well. Can't complain about 16 years of service in this part of the country these days.

Yeah, dead ringer for a loose connection ... although this is the 21st Century, so it could be a failing module, or a wire broken inside the insulation as well. Stay away from the dealership unless you're still under warranty. If so, find another dealer. If not, find a local garage that's competent in electrical troubleshooting. This one should be super easy for them.

Never seen that happen before. Could be switch problem, or wiring. You'll need some wiring diagrams to study and see what would cause this, and troubleshoot from there. Either that, or bring it to a garage that is proficient in electrical troubleshooting.

Oh I know how that goes. I've been wanting to buy another classic ever since I regrettably sold my '72 El Camino during a period of absent mindedness back in 2011. I'm no closer to making that happen than I was 10 years ago, lol.?

Glad that all worked out, Nate! Good to see it will finally put it to good use. ?? I figure the S10 will be that much better with a little more time to plan the build. ?

Now this begs another question - did you buy an extended warranty through the dealership? If so, I believe we've just discovered the reason it's there.

I sent you a PM.

I know, right? This is Twilight Zone weird ... Makes me wonder if this is GM's latest brainstorm - a spying device - to cut down on warranty claims ... ?