Just bought a 2000 Suburban 1500 LT!

jBlaze3000 · May 29, 2012

First time Chevy owner here.

Spent all day Saturday test driving Suburbans and Expeditions in the Minneapolis area but kept looking at one Craigslist ad for a fully loaded LT with 152k miles that was about 90 miles outside of the city. Took the drive on Sunday and bought her:

Overall, this truck is rock solid and I felt like I got a good deal. In the cities, trucks in this condition with this mileage are going in the high $6k to low $7k range and we paid $5350 cash. My only concerns are:

1. Fuel pump - it's making a constant whining noise which from the research I've done appears to be normal with these trucks. There was even a receipt in the service records where the previous owners had taking the truck to a dealership for "fuel pump whining" and the resolution was "noise is normal".

However, the fuel pump does appear to be a weak point on these vehicles and I don't think it's ever been replaced. Being that it's got 152k on it and I plan on taking the family on some 400 miles trips this summer I'm thinking about proactively swapping it out. It's the only thing I have any concern about as far as being left stranded somewhere. Am I wrong in my thinking here?

2. AC Compressor - this one irks me a little. Either the seller didn't know what he was talking about or he flat out lied to me. The AC compressor is making a clicking noise, which is an early indicator that it is failing. I could tell the sound was not coming from the engine and he said it was the air compressor for the autoride suspension. Come to find out the compressor for the autoride is in the back of the vehicle! The AC blows cold and this was my own fault as I could have easily proven him wrong (and talked him down a few hundred bucks). Bottom line is that I still feel like I got a good deal.

Tranny fluid is pink and transparent and she shifts strong so I will probably leave that alone. Will likely put in new plugs and plug wires, change the fuel filter (and possibly the pump), and change the oil with synthetic.

One thing I noticed is that the autoride compressor turns on every time we start the truck. Is this normal or is this an indication of a leak in the system?

What other things would you do to a used vehicle of this age?

Thanks in advance.

dodge123 · May 29, 2012

Replace the fuel pump for peace of mind if you want. Check to see if there is a separate fuel filter some where along the frame, the filter screen on the pump may be it. There might be a fuel pressure regulator also, I dont have experience testing or replacing. Plugs and wires are always a good idea. Air filter if it looks dirty. Clean the throttle body and replace the gasket.

Engine oil and filter. Some opinions may differ here. With that many miles I would use the same oil as has always been used as opposed to changing to syn.(unless you dont know). It could cause leaks from different oil properties but its really just a matter of what you feel better doing.

Diff fluids possibly. Grease the steering parts, ball joints and driveshafts (and inspect).

I dont know anything about auto-ride or the ac compressor yet.

yukon_denali_05 · May 30, 2012

Normal for auto-ride compressor to kick in for a few sec on start up.

jBlaze3000 · May 30, 2012

Thanks for the replies. Do you guys have a spark plug preference?

Think I'm gonna see what kind of fuel pressure I have first, then decide about swapping the fuel pump. I also heard that there are alternator rebuild kits with replacement brushes that you can get for like $20. Seems like a good idea for that price.

txab · May 30, 2012

AC Delco plugs

Change fluid in diffs

Flush brake system

Change PS pump fluid

Check belts/hoses, replace if necessary

Check coolant. Flush if testing shows it's past it's prime

Fuel filter. Should be on drivers side frame rail

Clean MAF and throttle body

Mckenzie · May 30, 2012

On my second fuel pump with 207,000 miles on my Z. If it's got the original fuel pump in and its whining, i'd say go for it. Are you mechanically inclined?

jBlaze3000 · May 30, 2012

AC Delco plugs

Change fluid in diffs

Flush brake system

Change PS pump fluid

Check belts/hoses, replace if necessary

Check coolant. Flush if testing shows it's past it's prime

Fuel filter. Should be on drivers side frame rail

Clean MAF and throttle body

Good to-do list here. Thanks.

jBlaze3000 · May 30, 2012

On my second fuel pump with 207,000 miles on my Z. If it's got the original fuel pump in and its whining, i'd say go for it. Are you mechanically inclined?

I'd like to think so, which is why I buy all my vehicles with higher mileage. With the help of sites like these I should be able to get another 100k out of this thing easy. For me, I'd rather spend $5k cash for a vehicle like this than $50k for something new. Maybe when I get older or win the lottery I'll think differently...

Mckenzie · May 30, 2012

On my second fuel pump with 207,000 miles on my Z. If it's got the original fuel pump in and its whining, i'd say go for it. Are you mechanically inclined?

I'd like to think so, which is why I buy all my vehicles with higher mileage. With the help of sites like these I should be able to get another 100k out of this thing easy. For me, I'd rather spend $5k cash for a vehicle like this than $50k for something new. Maybe when I get older or win the lottery I'll think differently...

that's exactly how I think. I will never own a new truck. I'd rather get a good used vehicle and have 20-30k left over. Buying a new vehicle now a days is so dam expensive especially with insurance and these massive payments.

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jandersinc · June 2, 2012

I'd rather drive a new vehicle and if there is a problem, have it taken care of for me.

It's all in what you value and what you have. I don't value dinking around with an older car trying to make it work and wonder when it'll break down. My time with my family and friends is worth more than spending a few hours fixing this or that on an older car.

I do however value knowing my car will start everytime I get in it and that my fuel pump isn't about to go out or the A/C isn't about to break or have to worry about that 400 mile road trip and being stranded.

So that's why I enjoy a new vehicle and am willing to pay for one.

No offense to those who don't want to or can't afford a new car or who like working on cars, but those are my reasons for getting a new one.

Lv1G6He3V2 · June 2, 2012

Getting stranded by a fuel pump is no fun. A family member lent us a vehicle (Ford Contour) for a road trip, only he didn't mention the fuel pump was failing. Luckily the vehicle was still under warranty, so a local dealer paid for the tow, repairs, and a rental. But we were late reaching our destination, not to mention we still had to drive back two states to return the rental and pick up the repaired vehicle.

I would make sure it's working before you take the trip.

jBlaze3000 · June 3, 2012

I'd rather drive a new vehicle and if there is a problem, have it taken care of for me.

It's all in what you value and what you have. I don't value dinking around with an older car trying to make it work and wonder when it'll break down. My time with my family and friends is worth more than spending a few hours fixing this or that on an older car.

I do however value knowing my car will start everytime I get in it and that my fuel pump isn't about to go out or the A/C isn't about to break or have to worry about that 400 mile road trip and being stranded.

So that's why I enjoy a new vehicle and am willing to pay for one.

No offense to those who don't want to or can't afford a new car or who like working on cars, but those are my reasons for getting a new one.

As far as doing your own repairs on your vehicle, for me it's a matter of simple economics. Time is money and hourly rates at a shop are usually between $80 and $100. If you make more than that it would make sense for you to have your vehicle repaired at a shop (because you can make the money to pay someone else faster than you could fix it yourself). If you're like the vast majority of people who do not make $100 an hour then it would make sense to do the work yourself, assuming you have the knowledge to do so. If all you're going to do is "dink around" with your vehicle then you'd probably be better off taking it to a professional. I don't dink around with them, I maintain them and repair them when needed. I've probably saved enough over the years to pay for a few family vacations, and I know that the work is done right.

As far as buying new, again this is economics for me. Before I settled down and had a family I would buy the most expensive vehicle that I could get approved for. Now that I'm older I have other prorities and I pay cash for all my vehicles (I don't like paying interest anymore) which means $6k was my budget on this one. I think having a warranty would be nice sometimes but even new cars have problems (as a quick search of this forum will show you) and we all know that trips to the dealership don't always go as smoothly as we'd like.

Bottom line is I have the knowledge, the tools, and the ability so why not do the work myself and save some money. I don't worry about my vehicles breaking down or not starting, they all run great. Sometimes things break and need to be fixed, but new cars aren't immune to that either.

To each their own...

KMGZ400 · June 3, 2012

i personally would just replace the fuel pump. the odds are that if it is the original it will not last much longer anyway. normal for GMT800's

as for the whole purchasing vehicles thing, i pay cash for my vehicles, and typically buy trucks that have low miles (40-60k) for around 12-15k. they last for a long time and typically the repairs are not major. paying 450 a month for 8 years on a new 37,000 dollar truck that isnt even fully loaded just isnt worth it to me especially since i put about 60-70k miles a year on my vehicles

jBlaze3000 · June 4, 2012

i personally would just replace the fuel pump. the odds are that if it is the original it will not last much longer anyway. normal for GMT800's

This is what I'm going to do.

Might even put the old one on Craigslist and see if anyone wants it . Anyone know if these have a date code on them to verify if it is the original?

Nichevo · June 14, 2012

IMPORTANT: GO TO A DEALER. Have them run the VIN and look for recalls/TSBs. My 01 Burb 1500 LT had an open recall on the fuel pump. If nothing else, perhaps they will inspect and even replace. Cost, one visit to a dealer. Do them a favor, come with a near-empty fuel tank, they have to drop the tank to do the recall.

Mine is bult like a tank. A few things have to be changed (EGR valve, like that) but at 222K miles a bolt-on part is allowed to die now and then. Worst thing will be when I have to do the evaporator, it's buried under the dash.